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Elecciones EE.UU. EDITORIAL Leyes anti-latinos/as 12 Workers and oppressed peoples of the world unite! workers.org Oct. 25, 2012 Vol. 54, No. 42 $1 With labor & community support Low-wage workers take on Walmart By Kris Hamel tions. While Walmart workers in other parts of the world From Illinois to southern California, Walmart workers are unionized — the company first relented in 2006 to a STOP RACIST TERROR! are fighting back against one of the most notorious union- union-organizing effort in China — workers at Walmart New York City ➏ East Baltimore ➐ busting corporations in the United States. They are walk- at U.S. warehouses and stores labor under venomous ing out against unfair labor practices and protesting the anti-union rules and practices. Chula Vista ➎ & Oakland, Calif. ➐ working conditions and low pay foisted upon them by the “For over a year, Walmart retail workers have been largest retail corporation in the world. These courageous coming together to call for change at Walmart,” said workers, not members of any union, are organizing for Venanzi Luna, a Walmart worker and member of OUR dignity, respect and better working conditions for them- Walmart who took part in the walkout. “Through our ORGANIZE THE SOUTH! selves and their coworkers, families and communities. worker-led Organization United for Respect at Walmart, No KKK monument 3 They are gaining the support and solidarity of working workers like myself have been calling on the company people and the oppressed throughout the U.S. to address issues with scheduling, benefits, wages and Solidarity with immigrants 5 First, a two-week strike of Walmart warehouse work- above all, respect in the workplace. ers began in southern California on Sept. 12. The work- “But instead of being responsive,” Luna asserted, ers and their allies then marched 50 miles demanding “Walmart has lashed out at us for speaking up. The com- Walmart pay them stolen wages, rectify health and safety pany is trying to silence and intimidate us through unfair FREE CECE MCDONALD 2, 3 violations, and deal with discrimination and sexual as- disciplinary actions, cutbacks in hours and even firings. saults on the job. They won their strike when Walmart We’re on strike to protest these illegal attempts to silence agreed to address health and safety issues, hold inspec- us.” (forrespect.org, Oct. 4) tions and take responsibility for working conditions. The Los Angeles walkout and Pico Rivera protest Just a few days after that strike began, warehouse were organized by OUR Walmart, which is backed by workers at Walmart’s largest distribution center in North the Food and Commercial Workers union (UFCW). America, in Elwood, Ill., went out Sept. 15 on an unfair la- Unionized Walmart workers from Africa, Great Britain, bor practice strike. These workers toil under brutal con- Latin America and Canada have met with Los Angeles ditions, as temps, often earning less than $200 per week. Walmart workers to coordinate support for the interna- On Oct. 1 the striking workers were joined by trade union tional struggle against Walmart. activists, religious leaders and community activists who “Energy around the calls for Walmart to change its marched on the distribution center and shut it down for treatment of workers and communities has been build- the day. Seventeen people were arrested for “obstructing ing,” according to OUR Walmart’s website, forrespect. a roadway” by police in full riot gear. They were eventu- org. “In just one year, OUR Walmart, the unique work- ally released. (Chicagoist.com, Oct. 2) Continued page 4 After a three-week strike in Elwood, the warehouse work stoppage came to an end when Walmart agreed to stop illegal retaliation against workers who speak out U.N. TROOPS OUT OF HAITI! 9 against bad working conditions. The victorious workers returned to work with full pay for all days they were out on strike. One-day walkout in Los Angeles area, an historic rst In an historic first, workers from nine Walmart stores in the Los Angeles area staged a one-day walkout on Oct. 4. Hundreds of Walmart workers and their supporters picketed outside the Pico Rivera, Calif., store with signs reading, “On Strike for the Freedom to Speak Out” and “Walmart Strike Against Retaliation.” Walmart store workers are called “associates” by the company in an obvious attempt to obviate their status as workers who deserve rights and decent wages and condi- SUBSCRIBE TO WORKERS WORLD 4 weeks trial $4 1 year subscription $30 Sign me up for the WWP Supporter Program. For information: workers.org/supporters/ 212.627.2994 www.workers.org Name _______________________________________________________ Address _____________________________________________________ WW PHOTO: G. DUNKEL PHOTO: LIONEL FORTUNÉ/IPS City / State / Zip _______________________________________________ Top, NYC protest, Oct. 12. Above, Port-au-Prince, Haiti demonstration, Sept. 30. Email _____________________________ Phone ____________________ Workers World Newspaper 55 W. 17th St. #5C, NY, NY 10011 PAKISTAN The shooting of Malala 8 SYRIA more war threats 8 PUERTO RICO people’s victory 9 LIBYA & SOUTH AFRICA 11 Page 2 Oct. 25, 2012 workers.org WORKERS WORLD Summer this week ... In the U.S. A youth in the struggle Low-wage workers take on Walmart .....................1 Summer: A youth in the struggle ........................2 Summer is an activist with the Revolutionary less and less satisfied with the ‘Prosecution fears support for CeCe’......................2 Students Union in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she lives analysis of mainstream media. Community protests monument to KKK leader...........3 with her partner Wilden and their daughter. Along Wilden and I began attending Curfew law put on hold .................................3 with student organizing, Summer and Wilden have a revolutionary book club and worked in support of workers’ rights and in the Hundreds join trans march ..............................3 discussion group in Salt Lake anti-war movement. PHOTO: ASHLEY ANDERSON Grain Handlers to lock out longshore workers............4 City. We also started working I grew up Mormon in the very conservative state of Summer ‘Mic check’ solidarity with grocery workers...............4 with a local peace coalition, Utah. It was taboo to even talk about politics around my Support for Walmart union organizing...................4 family because it would somehow “ruin our family rela- helping to organize anti-war events in our area. Anti-Latino/a laws ignite the South ......................5 tionships.” Despite this, towards the end of high school We took a little time off from political work to have Border Patrol guns down mother of ve .................5 I was exposed to radical left-wing politics through some a little girl named Violet, and after a couple of years friends of mine and started my journey to activism. we became politically active doing immigrant rights Victory for anti-stop & frisk activist .......................6 I came to political activism in college by becoming in- work and fighting against repressive Arizona-style Heated debate on racist police abuse ....................6 volved in an anti-Walmart campaign that was going on legislation in Utah. NYC transit oers higher fares, more racism ..............6 in Salt Lake City. Our goal was to provide the public with Wilden and I contacted many left-wing groups, Justice for Anthony Anderson Sr. ........................7 information about the exploitation of workers and union but the one that impressed us the most was Workers Cop killer of Alan Blueford won’t be charged .............7 busting by this giant capitalist corporation. During this World Party. Paul Ryan’s lies: The truth about ‘central planning’ ...... 10 campaign, for the first time in my life, I began to rec- WWP has a long history of working with working- ognize that life under capitalism is a constant struggle class and oppressed people to build community power Around the world between people who work for a living and those that get and fight for our collective interests against the capi- What’s happening in Ecuador?...........................5 rich off exploiting them. talist class. We believe that the only way to have real The Marxist term for this is the “class struggle” — the U.S.-NATO driven to wage war on Syria...................8 liberation and equality is to overthrow capitalism, and working class struggling against the capitalist class. One What’s really behind the attack on Malala Yousafzai ......8 that the only way to overthrow capitalism is through point that really resonated with me at this time was the Haiti: Cholera & hunger meet militant resistance .........9 conclusion that the capitalist system always puts profit solidarity and organizing in the working-class and op- People win battle with Puerto Rico Power Authority......9 before people. My partner Wilden and I soon became pressed communities. involved in the growing anti-war movement that was This outlook is directly tied to our understanding Libya becomes focus of U.S. election................... 11 forming around the time of the lead-up to the invasion of Marxism and the application of Marxist analysis to South African truckers end strike ...................... 11 of Iraq by the U.S. We traveled to a huge anti-war rally the world today. We hope you join us in the streets in San Francisco in January 2003, where 100,000 peo- and in our communities to see what we mean by put- Editorial ple came out to oppose the U.S. threats of war! ting Marxism into action! Another war prize . 10 With our political consciousness growing, we were Noticias En Español Elecciones EE.UU....................................... 12 ‘Prosecution fears support for CeCe’ Leyes anti-latinos/as................................... 12 Workers World The following was written by Leslie January — to begin a new year of struggle on the 55 West 17 Street Feinberg on Oct. 7. For more on the struggle activist calendar. New York, N.Y. 10011 to free CeCe McDonald, visit workers.org.