¡Deja de bombardear Siria! 11 Congelación de Texas 12 Workers and oppressed peoples of the world unite! workers.org Vol. 63, No. 9 March 4, 2021 $1 Support grows for Alabama Amazon union By Martha Grevatt Some three dozen organizations loaned Signers included UNITE HERE and Flight to the union effort. their names to a letter urging President Attendants (AFA-CWA) unions, Maine “It’s about justice,” Glover said. “The A people’s movement against an Joe Biden to come out on the side of the AFL-CIO, the National Employment Law union is about looking out for the wel- anti-people corporation has intensified, Amazon workers fighting for a union. Project and the Working Families Party. fare of workers and is willing to stand up backing the union drive at Amazon’s Biden had angered unionists and pro- Feeling the pressure, on Feb. 28 Biden and fight for justice ... It’s just one step, Bessemer, Ala., warehouse. The courageous gressives for publicly taking a “neutral” came out against Amazon’s union bust- among the many steps, that are being Southern union warriors are finally starting stance on the representation election ing, affirming the right of every worker to taken around the country, in the service to get the support they need and deserve. taking place now through March 29. choose union representation. of justice.” (tinyurl.com/yd3xdv7h) Solidarity has been growing since Glover, along with Representative Ilhan the Feb. 20 National Day of Solidarity. Omar, Senator Bernie Sanders and Georgia Renowned actor and activist Danny Glover voting rights leader Stacey Abrams, is fea- stood outside the Bessemer facility Feb. 22, tured in a support video created by More holding a sign that read “Remember Mail Perfect Union. A letter to Amazon criticizing Your Yes Ballot.” Glover waved, gave its union-busting campaign was signed by “thumbs up” and said, “Stay strong!” to the 13 U.S. senators. Birmingham, Ala., Mayor workers coming into and leaving work. His Randall Woodfin, Ohio Congressional presence drew widespread media attention Continued on page 7 Tell Biden Stop bombing Syria! It has taken only 36 days in office for the You might think the Biden administra- Biden administration to show the world, tion had enough problems at home to keep through a bombing attack on Syria, that it is it busy. The COVID-19 pandemic still rages belligerent, aggressive and hell-bent on war. despite the vaccines— whose distribution There was only a short respite from Trump’s has been a disgrace. The Democratic-led vile words and actions. Now we have to face Congress, which has still not passed the Biden’s vile deeds and pandemic relief bill, resist them. has already abandoned Even the excuse the $15 per hour mini- U.S. imperialism gave mum wage. for bombing Syria was editorial On top of this, the feeble. A rocket attack superfreeze of Texas— some weeks ago killed a mercenary in Iraq. and of its millions of workers and poor Excuses like that open the door to new people— has exposed once again the des- U.S. wars and interventions all over coun- perate need to rebuild the U.S. infrastruc- tries in Asia, Africa and Latin America, ture. Not to mention the immediate need where Washington has replaced official for emergency aid. U.S. troops with soldiers of fortune. Even those who recognize the rotten Continued on page 10 Mumia’s latest health crisis 3 Nadezhda Krupskaya: Decision: No fracking 3 Bolshevik revolutionary Rubin Kanowitz, 1931-2021 6 Cuban ‘Red Rose’ Anti-war actions 10 8 Angola Prison hunger strike Black rage, new Reconstruction Editorial COVID lockdown trauma Raise the minimum wage! 10 Palestine solidarity 4-5 Ecuador elections 9 B-1s to Norway 9 Vaccine imperialism 11 Page 2 March 4, 2021 workers.org Buffalo demands mental health help, not death-by-cop this week ◆ In the U.S. By Nigel Bouvart during mental health crisis calls. Speakers called for soli- Support grows for Alabama Amazon union . 1 Buffalo, N.Y. darity with political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal, in view Buffalo demands mental health help, not cops ...2 of his recent COVID-19 illness, and with prisoners at the Activists demonstrated here Feb. 28 in solidarity with ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) detention Fracking banned in Delaware River Basin .......3 the family of Daniel Prude and the people of Rochester, center in nearby Batavia. Protest for Mumia, suffering COVID symptoms ..3 N.Y, where police killed Prude while answering a mental Speakers raised demands for the statewide passage of Solitary confinement abuse sparks hunger strike .4 health crisis call in March 2020. Daniel’s Law— named for Prude— which would form Black rage: a new ‘reconstruction’ in the U.S. ....4 The police response was to put a “spit bag” over Prude’s mental health units to respond to mental health cri- head and press his body and face into the pavement for ses instead of cops. The legislation would mandate that Mental health effects of COVID lockdown .......5 several minutes. He stopped breathing and was sent by police stop the use of “bola wraps,” a restraint launched Rubin Kanowitz, 1931-2021 ...................6 ambulance to a hospital. A week later he was declared from a firearm which hooks into a person’s skin and las- Vilsack no friend of farmworkers or farmers .....6 brain dead and taken off life support. Coroners have ruled sos them. The Buffalo Police Department acquired this The Bessemer front . 7 his death a homicide. weapon in 2020, despite public outcry, and first used the The Rochester Police Department attempted to cover bola wrap against a person during a mental health call Bessemer Amazon workers showing the way ....7 up its crime, preventing the release of body cam foot- this January. ☐ ◆ Around the world age of the incident until September 2020. The Nadezhda Krupskaya: revolutionary, educator .. 8 release generated weeks of Cuban ‘Red Rose’ wins journalism honor ....... 8 protest, and Prude’s family Ecuador elections............................9 vowed to sue the city over their loved one’s death. Biden sends B-1 bombers to Norway............9 A grand jury declined to ‘No war drills on Korean Peninsula!’...........10 indict the cops who were Colorado protest: ‘No war on Iran!’............10 responsible, prompting COVID vaccines = big business, political clout ..11 another round of protests. At the Feb. 28 Buffalo ◆ Editorial demonstration, repre- sentatives of Queen City Tell Biden: Stop bombing Syria! . .1 Worker’s Center, Justice Raise the minimum wage to $15—at least! ......10 for Migrant Families and ◆ Noticias en Español Workers World Party spoke, drawing parallels ¡Deja de bombardear Siria!...................12 with the cases of Troy Congelación de Texas .......................12 Hodge in Niagara Falls and India Cummings in Buffalo. Both died in jail following their arrests Buffalo, N.Y., City Hall, Feb. 28. WW PHOTO: ARJAE RED Workers World 147 W. 24th St., 2nd Fl. Join us in the fight New York, NY 10011 Phone: 212.627.2994 for socialism! E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.workers.org Workers World Party is a revolutionary Marxist-Leninist and trans people are gunned down by cops and bigots on Vol. 63, No. 9 • March 4, 2021 party inside the belly of the imperialist beast. We are a mul- a regular basis. Closing date: March 3, 2021 tinational, multigenerational and multigendered organiza- The ruthless ruling class today seeks to wipe out tion that not only aims to abolish capitalism, but to build a decades of gains and benefits won by hard-fought strug- Editors: John Catalinotto, Martha Grevatt, Deirdre socialist society because it’s the only way forward! gles by people’s movements. The super-rich and their Griswold, Monica Moorehead, Betsey Piette, Minnie Capitalism and imperialism threaten the peoples of the political representatives have intensified their attacks on Bruce Pratt world and the planet itself in the neverending quest for the multinational, multigender and multigenerational Web Editors: ABear, Harvey Markowitz, Janet Mayes ever-greater profits. working class. It is time to point the blame at— and chal- Prisoners Page Editors: Mirinda Crissman, Ted Kelly Capitalism means war and austerity, racism and repres- lenge— the capitalist system. sion, attacks on im/migrants, misogyny, LGBTQ2S+ WWP fights for socialism because the working class Production & Design Editors: Gery Armsby, Mirinda oppression and mistreatment of people with disabili- produces all wealth in society, and this wealth should Crissman, Sasha Mazumder, Scott Williams ties. It means joblessness, increasing homelessness and remain in their hands, not be stolen in the form of capi- Copyediting and Proofreading: Paddy Colligan, impoverishment and lack of hope for the future. No social talist profits. The wealth workers create should be socially S. Hedgecoke problems can be solved under capitalism. owned and its distribution planned to satisfy and guaran- Contributing Editors: LeiLani Dowell, G. Dunkel, The U.S. is the richest country in the world, yet no one tee basic human needs. K. Durkin, Sara Flounders, Teresa Gutierrez, Joshua has a guaranteed right to shelter, food, water, health care, Since 1959, Workers World Party has been out in the Hanks, Makasi Motema, Gloria Rubac education or anything else— unless they can pay for it. streets defending the workers and oppressed here and Wages are lower than ever, and youth are saddled with worldwide. If you’re interested in Marxism, socialism Mundo Obero: Teresa Gutierrez, Carlos Vargas seemingly insurmountable student debt, if they even and fighting for a socialist future, please contact a WWP Copyright © 2021 Workers World. Verbatim copying make it to college. Black, Brown and Indigenous youth branch near you. ☐ and distribution of articles is permitted in any medium without royalty provided this notice is preserved.