Union Workers Fight for Justice Dem
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June 17, 2004 Vol. 45, No. 24 50¢ COLOMBIA: La Caravana Internacional 12 IN BOSTON AND NEW YORK Union workers fight for justice Dem. Nat'l Convention ‘Invisible no more’ Specter of picket lines Home health aides strike By Stevan Kirschbaum Leading the caravan was a union sound By Mary Owen But when the union leaders at the rally Readville Chief Steward, truck and mobile stage, brightly decorated New York recommended ending the strike, the USWA Local 8751, Boston with placards reading “Contract now! workers refused, roaring their approval Safety for children! Justice for drivers and An impassioned cry for a living wage for staying out two more days to support Over 350 Boston school bus drivers and monitors,” and “Say no to racist anti-bus- echoed through the cavernous streets of workers whose agencies hadn’t settled. monitors, plus their supporters, took their ing forces. Unite and fight for quality midtown Manhattan on June 7 as over New York’s home health aides, many of struggle for contract justice to the steps of schools.” 20,000 home health aides began a three- them single mothers, provide life-sustain- the School Department on June 7. The The drivers and monitors have joined in day strike for higher pay, health insur- ing home care for the elderly, disabled and workers traveled from four bus yards a coalition with all the major city unions— ance, sick leave, pensions and other ben- convalescent, allowing patients to avoid located throughout the city. They came by including teachers, custodians, public efits. They are members of Service costly and isolating nursing home stays. car, by mass transit and by boarding works, clerical and technical workers, Employees International Union/Local Yet the aides are paid only $6 or $7 an union-sponsored “caravan for justice” water and sewer commission workers and 1199. Their union has launched an hour without benefits. Profit-hungry sub- buses. others—called Boston Unions United for “Invisible No More” campaign to build contractors keep the bulk of the $18 per Fair Contracts. While the media, parrot- broad public support for their struggle. hour that Medicaid and Medicare pays for ing the line of the city government, have Chanting “We’re overworked and this service. attempted to falsely portray this as a strug- underpaid!” and, “They take the money, “Many of the government contractors ANTI-WAR ACTIONS gle solely between Mayor Thomas Menino we do the work!” the surging mass of and their subcontractors pay their execu- HIT BUSH, RUMSFELD and his police department, nothing could home health aides—overwhelmingly tives hundreds of thousands of dollars a DC, LA & SF; Rome, be further from the truth. women of color, many of them from year,” reported the New York Times. (May The labor struggle’s impact goes beyond Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, 3) These same contractors claim they can- Dhaka, Kolkata & Paris 6-8 Boston, because it raises the specter of Asia, the Middle East and other parts of not afford to pay home health aides the workers picketing at construction projects the globe—marched past the offices of $10 per hour with paid vacation, sick time for the upcoming Democratic National subcontractors who have refused to and benefits that the union is demanding RULING-CLASS RIFT Convention or at the convention itself. The increase their pay and benefits. by 2006. Ashcroft vs. Ridge 3 June 9 Boston Globe reported that Sen. On the first day of the strike, their Home health aides also face long com- John Kerry’s main convention planners strength and determination had already mutes of up to four hours, multiple com- Rumsfeld vs. Tenet 9 Continued on page 4 won a contract at five home care agencies. Continued on page 4 WW PHOTO: LIZA GREEN WW PHOTO: DEIRDRE GRISWOLD Boston: School bus drivers and monitors New York: Home health aides march through midtown Manhattan to back up Subscribe rally for a decent contract. their job action. to Workers World Trial subscription: $2 for 8 weeks VENEZUELA How D-DAY One year subscription: $25 Ronald Reagan Workers World Newspaper REFERENDUM Myth & Reality 55 W. 17 St. NY, NY 10011 Danger and opportunity changed my life EDITORIAL 212-627-2994 5 10 www.workers.org read it online 11 PAGE 2 June 17, 2004 WWW.WORKERS.ORG National Specter of picket lines at Democratic Convention . 1 Home health aides strike . 1 Haitians speak out in D.C. on June 5. 2 Ashcroft, Ridge and more. 3 Mumia on: What ‘war against terrorism’ . 3 WW PHOTO: PAT CHIN WW PHOTO: G. DUNKEL How Ronald Reagan changed my life . 5 Bush, Rumsfeld confronted in U.S., Europe, Asia . 6 Washington protesters march . 6 Haitians speak out San Francisco rally against occupation. 7 Los Angeles: ‘No empire in our name’ . 7 in D.C. on June 5 Bitter division opens over Iraq quagmire . 9 International By G. Dunkel own people.” Italian workers to Bush: No war! . 8 Washington, D.C. In a message to the demonstration that Jill Ives of the Lesbians on front lines for rights, liberation . 10 Haiti Support Network read, Ben Dupuy, secretary gen- ‘Red tide’ sweeps away Chavez’s enemies . 11 Haitian organizations enthusiastically joined the eral of the National Popular Party (PPN), said that “U.S. June 5 demonstrations to “End the Colonial Occupation military forces are stretched thin by resistance to U.S. in Iraq, Palestine, Haiti and Everywhere” called by the occupation in Iraq and Afghanistan. And that resistance Editorials ANSWER coalition. These organizations came to is growing in Haiti too.” The myth of D-Day . 10 express their opposition to the U.S. and French troops He continued: “Now the U.S. is trying to pit Third that are propping up the government of former Macoute World peoples against each other. It has convinced the Noticias En Español death squads, ex-army officers and well-off U.S.-based governments of Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile ... and Sindicatos colombianos responden a los ataques. 12 businessmen now running their country. others to send so-called ‘peace keeping’ troops to Haiti. But the groups showed a broader interest when a bus Even the corporate press has had to admit that the peo- WW CALENDAR organized by the Brooklyn-based Coalition to Resist the ple of these countries don’t support this mission.” Feb. 29th Coup d’etat in Haiti pulled up to the rally site. He went on to say that even though a Brazilian has LOS ANGELES. NEW YORK. The people getting off the bus ran into a small band of been named commander, the Pentagon would still be in right-wingers chanting “Palestine doesn’t exist.” The charge of the military forces in Haiti. “But using troops Fri., June 18 Fri., June 11 IAC Forum: “Anybody But Workers World Party Haitian contingent’s response was immediate, in from the Third World better disguises U.S. imperialism’s Bush” fever—will it help or meeting. WW contributing English, French and Creole: “Long live Palestine!” “Vive moves.” hurt the anti-war movement? editor Fred Goldstein will la Palestine!” “Viv Palestin!” When the right-wingers fell Hear LeiLani Dowell, Peace & speak on “Reagan & Bush: silent, the contingent moved into the crowd waiting for Why they came Freedom Party congressinal Archenemies of the world’s candidate, and Dustin Langley, workers & oppressed people.” the speeches to start. Asked why he came to Washington, Menouch Navy vet and co-founder of 7 pm. Dinner at 6:30. At 55 Yves Alcindor of the New England Human Rights Lambert, who is a backer of Fanmi Lavalas, Aristide’s SNAFU (Support Network for W. 17 St., 5th Fl. For info Organization for Haiti, one of the first speakers, pointed party, in Brooklyn, told Workers World: “I came to sup- an Armed Forces Union). 7:30 (212) 627-2994. out, “Supporting the resistance in Iraq was to support the port our sisters and brothers in Iraq, Palestine, p.m. At 422 S. Western Ave., Rm 114. For info (213) 487- Fri., June 18 resistance in Haiti.” Afghanistan and especially Haiti, suffering under occu- 2368. Workers World Party Serge Lilavois, representing the Coalition to Resist pation. We want Bush to stop oppressing Haitians.” meeting. Recent develop- Thur., June 24 ments in the Korean struggle the Feb. 29th Coup d’etat in Haiti, also spoke. He said Pierre-Antoine Lovinsky, who was carrying a sign WWP Forum: Equal marriage against U.S. occupation. that the resistance in Haiti has not been defeated, it is reading “George Bush fascist—stop killing Haitians” with rights & LGBT liberation. Hear Yoomi Jeong from the Korea just lying low and gathering strength. Big demon- a Haitian flag taped to the top of his pole, said in Creole Bob McCubbin, teacher, Truth Commission and WW strations on May 18 in Port-au-Prince had brought he came to “denounce the criminal policies of Bush and activist, and author of “The editor Deirdre Griswold will Roots of Lesbian and Gay report on their recent trip to out tens of thousands of demonstrators, who stayed in to demand the physical return of Aristide to Haiti.” Oppression—A Marxist View.” South Korea. 7 pm. Dinner at the streets all day, even after the cops, backed up by Jean-Claude Monastime, who also comes from 7 p.m. At 422 S. Western Ave. 6:30. At 55 W. 17 St., 5th Fl. U.S. Marines, killed at least two protesters. A major Brooklyn, where he is active in the struggles of the For info (213) 487-2195. For info (212) 627-2994. slogan, according to Lilavois, was “The only solution is Haitian community, said, “My country has been invaded revolution!” like Iraq and Afghanistan.