Across the Nation, Hundreds of Thousands Join Occupy Movement

www.peoplesworld.org November 9825, 2011

Across the nation, hundreds of thousands join Occupy movement

By Gabe Falsetta

cross the nation yesterday, in all 50 far bigger and broader than it had been at any states, hundreds of thousands joined time before the eviction. (story continues below Occupy Wall Street, the labor move- slide show) ment and their allies in demonstrations Billionaire Mayor Bloomberg had gone to the Ademanding jobs, taxation of the rich, curbs on the Appeals Court to overturn a Supreme Court rul- power of big finance and preservation of Social Se- ing that allowed protesters to remain in Zuccoti curity, Medicare and Medicaid. Park with their tents and tarps. If there was ever Leaving behind their tents and tarps, the any illusion that the mayor’s move would kill the Occupy Wall Street demonstrators brought their movement, it evaporated at Foley Square. message to the people by marching through the The tens of thousands gathered in the square nation’s financial districts, through the streets of heard music and they heard testimony from speak- cities and towns coast to coast, and by occupying ers who, after having lost jobs, homes and hope, everything from mass transit hubs to the bridges were fighting back. Hope for a better America, that span the nation’s rivers, canals and lakes. many said, was in the air. Coming just two days after protesters were evicted from their headquarters in many city parks and town squares, the mass demonstrations this week: amounted to the largest public outpouring of sup- • Across the nation, hundreds of thousands join Occupy port for the movement since it began as a picket line in the financial district here on Sept. 17. • Editorial: Military base in Australia: wrong direction Nearly 40,000 people from over one hun- • Racism: pollutant that serves GOP, Wall St interests dred groups jammed Foley Square here, alone. • Red Cross strikers win new contract They poured into the square after having demon- • Republicanos: Más importa asaltar a trabajadores strated at numerous other events around the city, including at the opening of the New York Stock read more news and opinion daily at www.peoplesworld.org Exchange. Although they came in solidarity with those who were evicted on Tuesday by court order from Unions were out in force at Foley Square yes- their Zuccotti Park encampment they, in effect, terday, as they were at demonstrations across the were launching an Occupy Wall Street movement country.

Page 1 Michele Keller, speaking for the American sive procession to the Brooklyn Bridge chanting, Federation of State, County and Municipal Em- “We are the 99 percent,” “People united will never ployees, declared, “We are part of the protest be defeated,” and “Whose streets? Our streets.” that’s letting it be known quite clearly that we are In a planned act of civil disobedience, Mary the 99 percent. We are part of a union and blessed Kay Henry, president of the Service Employees to have a job; we are linked by our brothers and International Union, and several members of The day had begun sisters and our young people. We are being left the New York City Council were arrested on the in New York with behind and whatever we can do today and every bridge. protesters day we will do.” The crowds were so thick that it took several attempting a march “We’re supporting Occupy Wall Street,” said hours for the typical marcher to get from Foley on the New York Chris Rzonca of the United Auto Workers, Local Square to the Brooklyn side of the bridge. The Stock Exchange. 7902, the adjunct union at New York University. people roared and cheered every time a passing “Our union, the UAW, has come out strongly in fa- car honked its support. vor of it. We are here to support these young peo- The day had begun in New York with protest- ple to make sure they know we are behind them. ers attempting a march on the New York Stock Ex- “We have to find out what people need and change. They were held back by police. talk about economic justice. We’ve been doing the Entrances to many buildings in the finan- same thing as unions-- we marched on Wall Street cial district were blocked by the seemingly over- many times but these young people put their bod- whelmed New York Police Department, making it ies out there and I think that has made the differ- impossible for many workers to get to their jobs. ence.” Eventually the crowd formed itself into a mas- Gabe Falsetta writes for the People’s World.

Military base in Australia: wrong direction By PW Editorial Board

resident Barack Obama announced The U.S. is boosting its military presence in in Darwin, Australia, U.S. plans to in- the Philippines also. Other countries in the area, crease its military presence in the East including socialist Vietnam, also challenge some Asia-Pacific area. of the Chinese claims over the waters. PSpecifically, the president, who was joined in Although President Obama stated in Dar- a news conference by Australian Prime Minister win that the new U.S. deployment is not aimed at Julia Gillard, announced the creation of a U.S. China, several days earlier U.S. Secretary of State Marines base in Darwin, which is on Australia’s Hillary Clinton said that the U.S. plans a more More U.S. military North coast, close to Southeast Asia. robust presence in the area specifically to coun- force in the Some 250 Marines, along with military hard- ter Chinese influence, and its economic rise. Part Asia-Pacific area ware, will constitute the initial force. Eventu- of this may involve a rapprochement with Burma is provocative and ally 2,500 Marines will be circulated through the (Myanmar), in an effort to reduce Chinese influ- unnecessary. base. ence on that country. The United States has had a military alliance U.S. military might has too often been used with Australia since World War II, but this devel- to protect corporate profits and control strategic opment is a significant new projection of forces. regions of the world for their narrow interests. The U.S. announcement, which also coincid- While the president has said the U.S. “welcome[s] ed with a get-together of the Association of East a rising, peaceful China,” many in U.S. ruling cir- Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Indonesia, comes in cles see China as a competitor. the context of ongoing friction with China on a More U.S. military force in the Asia-Pacific number of issues including, currency and trade area is provocative and unnecessary. Instead of practices, U.S. and NATO intervention in Libya, building more military bases, we should be clos- and South China Sea jurisdiction. ing them. The money dedicated to this new mili- The United States has been ostentatiously tary buildup would be far better utilized in creat- supporting the claims of its ASEAN ally, the Phil- ing jobs and protecting the social safety net. ippines, over the waters, which not only are mili- Asian-Pacific nations are perfectly capable of tarily and geopolitically important, but also con- reaching negotiated settlements of their regional tain petroleum reserves. disputes without U.S. interference.

www.peoplesworld.org Page 2 Racism: pollutant that serves GOP, Wall St interests

By Sam Webb

o win victories requires unity. Commu- nists understand that well, but so do corporate America and the far right. Thus they work to divide the movement. TRacism is the most persistent and pernicious form of division in our country. It creates a fault line in the labor and people’s struggles that, if not overcome, irredeemably weakens them. Racism appears in structural and ideological forms. It is more than prejudice or attitude. It rests on the systematic elaboration of the notion of white superiority. This notion has its origins in, and is sustained by, racist practices and structures that confine people of color to a subordinate status relative to premacy - the Republican Party - to return to the white people in nearly every area of life. White House next year. They attempt to convince By every social measure people of color find white working people that they share common themselves in inferior conditions. A quick glance What is urgently cause with the reactionary right. at unemployment rates or life expectancy rates or needed is a broad, But there is no evidence for this claim. While wealth accumulation rates or incarceration rates sustained struggle the program of the extreme right falls especially or poverty rates offers ample proof of this fact. for economic hard on people of color, it also negatively impacts Nor has racism in its ideological form abated. justice and on white working people. Perhaps its contemporary expression is different, equality. This is the common thread that binds the but its essence hasn’t changed. multi-racial working class together. And this is Pat Buchanan wrote, “Can Western civiliza- especially so if the democratic demands of people tion survive the passing of the European peoples of color and other oppressed people combine with whose ancestors created it and their replacement the overall demands of the working class and peo- by Third World immigrants? Probably not.” ple as a whole. Buchanan is not a lone voice in the wilderness Thus, what is urgently needed is a broad, sus- however. Since his election President Obama has tained struggle for economic justice and equality. been the object of racist vilification. Such a struggle constitutes the strategy of a “He’s not a citizen,” “he’s in over his head,” winning struggle in the elections next year. “he’s Hitler in a black face,” “he’s a tribesman,” I emphasize this question because there is a “he’s a dick,” “he’s your boy,” and on and on. tendency to lose sight of the special oppression All of these vile expressions of racism pollute those sections of the working class experience, our political culture, rationalize the harsh con- and the democratic demands associated with that ditions in which people of color live, fatten the oppression. This is a mistake at any time, but par- corporate bottom line, and sustain the rule of the ticularly now when such grave dangers are facing most reactionary sectors of our society. our country and the world. It is also the ticket of the party of white su- www.peoplesworld.org Page 3 local news Republicanos: Más importa asaltar Local contact a trabajadores que crear trabajos [email protected] Por Blake Deppe ocos días antes del Día de ducta ilegal como la que se le acusa Red Cross strikers Elecciones 2011 un agru- a Boeing de haber realizado. Con pamiento nacional dedica- transferir, subcontratar o enviar tra- win new contract do a los derechos laborales bajos al exterior, quedarían impunes Pha emitido un reporte denunciando las corporaciones libres para tomar By Joelle Fishman las intenciones republicanas hacia represalias contra sus trabajadores a ust days after striking workers at los trabajadores. No contentos con su antojo. Red Cross in Farmington, Conn., quitarles los derechos a la negocia- “Si un grupo de trabajadores va a received a solidarity boost on their ción colectiva, una medida que los la calle debido a condiciones laborales picket line with union sisters and gobernadores estatales republicanos inseguras,” dijo Trumka, “la compa- Jbrothers from around the state at a Rally for han buscado indescansablemente, du- ñía podría decidir a cambiar el tra- Justice, they won a tentative agreement on a rante todo el año 2011 los legisladores bajo y los empleos a otra parte en vez new collective bargaining agreement. ultraderechistas antitrabajadores han de componer el problema y la NLRB The 225 members of AFSCME Local seguido atacando a la mesa Nacional quedaría impotente para protegerles 3145, who represent blood collection work- de Relaciones Laborales (NLRB, por a los trabajadores y sus trabajos”. ers at the Connecticut Blood Services Region sus siglas en inglés) y a la ley laboral Anotaba anteriormente este año of the American Red Cross, launched an en EEUU, según el grupo American el congresista George Miller, Demó- unfair labor practice strike on November 3, Rights at Work [Derechos Norteam- crata por California, en una rueda de after negotiating for nearly three years with- ericanos en el Trabajo]. prensa, que si la propuesta le quita- out a contract. Dijo el presidente de la AFL-CIO, ría a la NLRB su poder de pedirles The strike lasted nearly two weeks. Richard Trumka, que una propuesta cuenta a las corporaciones por sus Members will vote shortly on the contract de ley republicana introducida luego acciones, eso provocaría “una desas- which the negotiation team recommends for de una queja por parte de la NLRB de trosa carrera hacia el fondo para los approval. que la corporación gigantesca de avi- derechos, salarios y beneficios y las Peggy Buchanan, president of the Hart- ación Boeing les estaba castigando a condiciones laborales de los trabaja- ford Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO, gave sus trabajadores por alvalarse de sus dores norteamericanos”. unqualified support. derechos legales “sería una legislación Declara el grupo “American Local 3145 members work on blood de gran escala que haría destripar la Rights at Work” que la meta repub- drives and make sure the blood supply is Ley Nacional de Relaciones Laborales licana es claramente la de destruir al safe and sound. y que tendría como resultado una se- movimiento sindical. On August 29 an administrative law rie de cambios dañosos a los trabajos En el reporte más reciente del judge ruled that the Connecticut Blood Ser- y a los derechos laborales de los tra- grupo, Zoe Bridges-Curry hace re- vices Region broke the law by engaging in bajadores por todo el país”. sumen a la serie de asaltos contra los unfair labor practices. Union members say Las quejas de la NLRB relacio- trabajadores y sus sindicatos realiza- the company is still trying to eliminate their nados a Boeing tienen que ver con el dos por legisladores republicanos. right to bargain over health care, along with hecho de que la compañía hizo cambi- Si indica algo la calificación del many other punishing proposals. ar producción fuera de sus facilidades precandidato republicano a la presi- Across the country, Red Cross Blood del estado de Washington en una dencia Mitt Romney a la NLRB como workers are fighting for safe staffing levels represalia contra trabajadores que “lacayos laborales,” parecería que to protect blood donors and the blood sup- estaban ejerciendo su derecho a la Bridges-Curry tiene razón en evaluar ply. They have established a Facebook page huelga. Hacer esto a los trabajadores el intento de la ultraderecha. “Keep Blood Drives Safe.” es claramente ilegal. De hecho, Romney ya ha introdu- An important issue to workers in Con- Pero la nueva propuesta republi- cido su supuesta “política laboral” en necticut was the cut back of the presence cana, H.R. 2587, le quitaría a la NLRB Carolina del Sur a comienzos de septi- of nurses and trained medical personnel at cualquier autoridad para componer embre, prestando su pleno apoyo a la blood drives. Christine Holschlag, a phle- o tomar accion remedial contra con- propuesta republicana anti NLRB. botomist and member of the union negotiating team says she has watched the number of RN’s and LPN’s shrink from 30 to 12, and national contact the number of supervisors increase.from 4 Editorial: (773) 446-9920 Business: (212) 924-2523 to 20 since she began working at Red Cross Email: [email protected] in 2006.