Socialist Revolution Back on Table WWP Election Campaign and Respond to Students
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
• Puerto Rico • Siria 12 Workers and oppressed peoples of the world unite! workers.org Vol. 57, No. 46 Nov. 19, 2015 $1 IN VERMONT! Union vs. KKK 3 MISSOURI Students strike blow to racism By Kris Hamel been on a one-week hunger strike when news came that Wolfe had resigned. As he Nov. 9 — Students, organized under announced the end of his hunger strike, the leadership of the most oppressed, Butler tweeted, “This is only the first step! not only can make demands and fight More change is to come!! #TheStruggle- for them, but can win. A victory against Continues #ConcernedStudent1950.” The racism was won today when University of latter hashtag, used by the group of stu- Missouri president Tim Wolfe resigned dent anti-racist activists, refers to the year after weeks of students’ demands that he Black students were first admitted to the step down. University of Missouri. Student protests since late September, Michael Sam, the first openly gay pro- a hunger strike, the Mizzou football team fessional football player and a former line- announcing a boycott of the rest of the backer on the Mizzou team, expressed his season, and an impending faculty walkout Mizzou Tigers had threatened a boycott. all demanded Wolfe’s ouster for woeful- Continued on page 7 ly failing to combat a spate of racist acts on and near the Columbia, Mo., campus, some 125 miles northwest of St. Louis. Wolfe made the announcement at a morning meeting of the Board of Cu- A salute to Black students! rators, the university’s governing body. The following is a greeting of congratulations from the presidential campaign “I take full responsibility for this frus- of Workers World Party candidates Monica Moorehead and Lamont Lilly to the tration [by students] and I take full re- Black students at the University of Missouri and their supporters. sponsibility for the inaction that has oc- curred,” he stated. A little over 100 miles west of Fergu- stop white supremacist violence against The undergraduate student govern- son, Mo., the Black athletes of University students of color, athletes of color, stu- ment leadership, representing 27,000 stu- of Missouri’s football team, with support dents and staff. dents, publicly issued a letter this morn- from their white teammates, have sent Missouri’s students, following the ing before the resignation announcement, shockwaves across the U.S. as they have lead of graduate student Jonathan But- demanding that Wolfe step down. Only 8 shown the power of united action against ler and other students of color, have percent of the Mizzou student body is Af- racism. Inspired by the strength of a move- shown that if Black Lives don’t matter rican American, yet the students strongly ment that developed rapidly on campus to universities, then there will be no supported the struggle against racism and led by Black students, the athletes struck classes or football. They have forced MONICA MOOREHEAD LAMONT LILLY other forms of oppression. a powerful blow. This blow defeated a uni- the resignation of the college president FOR PRESIDENT FOR V.P. The letter read in part: “In August versity administration that failed to act to Continued on page 7 2014, the University of Missouri met the shooting of Michael Brown with si- WW PHOTOS: BRENDA RYAN lence. In the following months, our stu- dents were left stranded, forced to face an increase in tension and inequality with no systemic support. Over the last 16 months, the quality of life for our stu- dents has only worsened. ... “[Wolfe’s] leadership has undeniably failed us and the students that we repre- sent. He has not only enabled a culture of racism since the start of his tenure in 2012, but blatantly ignored and dis- respected the concerns of students. … 4-6 While we recognize that the burden of WORKERS WORLD PARTY CONFERENCE systemic oppression does not fall entire- ly on his shoulders, as the leader of this system it is his sole prerogative to listen Socialist revolution back on table WWP election campaign and respond to students. He has failed in this completely. Students from different races, genders, sexualities, abilities, and Solidarity with Black Lives Matter Struggle, unity, solidarity other nationalities have not had their identities represented.” A first, important victory What revolutions have achieved Jonathan Butler, a 25-year-old Af- rican-American graduate student, had Subscribe to Workers World 4 weeks trial $4 1 year subscription $30 Sign me up for the WWP Supporter Program: SANDERS VS. FIDEL workers.org/articles/donate/supporters_/ What socialism looks like 7 Name ____________________________________________________ Email ______________________________ Phone __________________ WORKERS FIGHT BACK Street __________________ City / State / Zip_______________ Workers World 212.627.2994 Against austerity, racism 2-3 147 W. 24th St., 2nd Fl, NY, NY 10011 workers.org Page 2 Nov. 19, 2015 workers.org Victory! B&H workers join union The following article combines Nov. 4 news releas- increase awareness of the workers’ campaign, garnering es from the Laundry Workers Center and the United extensive coverage in the New York Times, Al Jazeera Steelworkers with reports from Workers World Party America, The Nation, WNYC and numerous photo/video In the U.S. members at warehouse worker rallies. websites and blogs of the horrific working conditions in Students strike a blow to racism ..........................1 Nov. 4 — Workers at the two Brooklyn, N.Y., warehous- B&H’s warehouses. es of B&H, the largest non-chain photo/video equipment News of the landslide victory was welcomed by dozens B&H workers join union ..................................2 of supporters who waited outside both Brooklyn ware- store in the U.S., voted overwhelmingly today for union New York university workers arrested at sit-in .............3 representation with the United Steelworkers in a Nation- houses to congratulate workers coming off their shift. al Labor Relations Board election. The vote comes on “We want to share this moment with other workers so Union confronts KKK in Vermont ............................ 3 the heels of a weeks-long anti-union campaign waged by they also know that they no longer have to feel exploit- Bernie Sanders and Cuban socialism......................7 B&H management, with workers alleging daily threats, ed,” said Alberto Sánchez, B&H employee for seven years. harassment and intimidation in the workplace. “We were taught our rights, and now we have to pass that WW National Conference 2015 Lawyers for the union have filed multiple charges with on to other workers so they can fight back against the ex- the NLRB, alleging B&H engaged in unlawful anti-union ploitation and discrimination they face.” Socialist revolution back on the table.....................4 activity during the course of the campaign. Rosanna Aran, co-director of the Laundry Workers WWP election campaign: ‘Change is made in the streets’ ..4 Workers remained strong in the face of management Center, said, “After a year of hard work organizing, to- tactics, confident in the widespread support for unioniza- day the workers are victorious. This is a huge step for the Struggle, unity, solidarity.................................4 tion in their workplace. “We knew we would win our vote workers’ movement, and for the Laundry Workers Center, Black Lives Matter upsurge needs broad solidarity ........5 today by a large margin, which of course the company did as it continues to develop worker power and leadership in ‘Capitalism can’t be reformed’............................5 not expect,” said Jorge Lora, B&H warehouse worker of New York City and beyond.” five years. “Today we won because the workers voted with In a United Steelworkers release the same day, USW Dis- Socialist revolution: Not a new idea.......................6 their conscience.” trict 4 Director John Shinn said, “We welcome the workers Workers publicly announced their intent to organize at B&H to the USW and look forward to addressing their Around the world with the United Steelworkers on Oct. 11, after receiving concerns with the company at the bargaining table.” London youth protest austerity ..........................3 training and support from the grass-roots, worker-led The USW represents 850,000 workers in North Amer- community organization, Laundry Workers Center. Since ica employed in many industries, including metals, rub- the campaign launch, a groundswell of support has grown ber, chemicals, paper, oil refining, and service and public Statement among community, faith and labor groups, as well as thou- sectors. A salute to Black students ................................1 sands of photo/video profes- sionals and B&H customers. Noticias en Español On the eve of the union vote, the Photo/Video Alli- Crisis de Puerto Rico – creada en EUA ....................8 ance for Fair Labor released Protest outside B&H showroom Dejen vivir a Siria / No tropas de EUA .....................8 an open letter to B&H man- Oct. 11 kicked off organizing cam- agement with over 1,000 paign that led to victory Nov. 4. signers in journalism, fine art Due to the WWP national conference, this week’s issue and commercial photography, is eight pages. film, television and academia, calling on B&H “to end the hazardous working conditions and discrimination workers report at B&H’s Brooklyn warehouses.” Workers World Supporters used the cam- 147 W. 24th St., 2nd Fl. paign slogan #BHExposed to New York, N.Y. 10011 WW PHOTO: JOHN CATALINOTTO Phone: 212.627.2994 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.workers.org Vol. 57, No. 46 • Nov. 19, 2015 Closing date: Nov. 8, 2015 Editor: Deirdre Griswold Managing Editors: John Catalinotto, LeiLani Dowell, Who we are & what we’re fighting for Kris Hamel, Monica Moorehead; Web Editor Gary Wilson Hate capitalism? Workers World Party fights for a degrading people because of their nationality, sexual or Production & Design Editors: Coordinator Lal Roohk; socialist society — where the wealth is socially owned gender identity or disabilities — all are tools the ruling Andy Katz, Cheryl LaBash and production is planned to satisfy human need.