Dallas groups rally against Wal-Mart
DALLAS — The national chain of public protests against Wal-Mart’s labor practices added another link Aug. 20 at the Kennedy Memorial in downtown Dallas. In 100-degree weather, a crowd of more than 100 people gathered to listen to representatives of unions and community groups in North Texas denounce the anti-worker merchandising giant.
Latinos step up calls to end war, military recruitment
The peace movement is alive and well in Latino communities across the nation, as well as in Puerto Rico. click here for Spanish text
Labor stories on stage one womans vision
CHICAGO — The audience was moved. Many, especially the moms in the room, were moved to tears. Who evoked such a response at a lunchtime performance during the July International Labor Communications Association convention here? Lucy Parsons. Actually, actress and playwright Melody Cooper’s tender interpretation of Parsons, one of America’s unique labor heroines.
In the hills of Caracas, a beautiful day to be alive
What a beautiful day it was to be alive. Today was the third day of the World Festival of Youth and Students, here in Caracas, Venezuela. We received a wakeup call at 6 a.m. to try to get to the busses by 7:30. Each day had been packed with different activity options. Today I chose the Caracas tour, which every day takes you to a different part of the city’s outskirts.
For the good of the students, unionize charter schools
I credit my bosses at a charter school I worked at with sparking my interest in unions. I’d always been progressive and I’d long since decided socialism was the answer, but I never gave much thought to unions until I experienced firsthand why workers need them.
Reverend Pat: Have gun, will travel
Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev once compared religious leaders who attacked the Soviet Union to the priests who blessed with holy water the weapons of the czar’s armies. But Pat Robertson has gone Nikita one better, advising the U.S. government to murder Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, whose progressive government, according to Reverend Pat, threatens to become a haven for “Communist infiltrators” and Muslim terrorists. Reverend Pat then “apologized,” stating that he was just frustrated with Chavez.
GOPs stealth plans for Social Security privatization
If you thought privatization of Social Security was dead and we won, think again. According to the Dallas Morning News, the Republicans are planning a devious plan to sneak in private accounts this fall, doing it in a way that will not require Senate committee approval. And Karl Rove is involved, meaning this is still a high priority.
Editorial: 50 years after Emmett Till
August 28 marked the 50th anniversary of the lynching of Emmett Till in Mississippi. This 14-year-old Chicago youth was abducted, beaten, tortured and shot in the head by racists for “whistling” at a white woman. The courageous decision of Till’s mother to order his mutilated body displayed in an open casket touched off a worldwide outcry against lynching. It ignited the civil rights revolution.
The battle to defend Social Security
Saving Social Security from privatization will be a major theme at Labor Day celebrations around the country, as members of Congress prepare to head back to Washington. Working people are determined to put Congress on notice that any proposal that undermines or privatizes Social Security is not acceptable and must be voted down. As was done in the 1930s to win Social Security and other social legislation, a massive outpouring can achieve not only protection of Social Security, but expansion of it as well.
Abstinence-only? Inadequate sex education threatens student safety
Abstinence-only education denies students basic information on pregnancy prevention and sexually transmitted diseases. It fails to acknowledge that most will become sexually active as young adults.
