Hate Speak: Pitting Worker Against Worker, So We Won’t Fight Together
During the height of the Wisconsin protests against Gov. Walker’s attacks on workers’ rights, chants of “the people, united, will never be defeated” pulsated through the Wisconsin state House. The shaking walls could be heard not just inside the Capitol, but for quite a distance outside. And thanks to the power of the Internet, they could be heard around the world.
When we see attacks like autoworkers being blamed for the auto crisis, teachers blamed for the teaching crisis and public workers being blamed for financial difficulties (albeit, often manufactured ones that could be resolved by simply making the rich pay their fair share in taxes)—you can bet that the same corporate forces that have tried to divide and conquer workers for generations are behind them.
How can we overcome divisions in the labor movement—and the broader collective movement—to show solidarity?
Union and Progressive Activists Join Forces at Netroots Nation
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Netroots Nation, the annual conference for online activists, is on next week, June 16-19, in Minneapolis. The union movement has a big presence there, as we seek to work more closely with our progressive allies in the netroots community. Here are some highlights:
• AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler is taking part in a June 17 lunch panel to talk about breaking down economic barriers that keep many Americans from moving ahead, especially young people, women and communities of color. She is joined by communications consultant Anat Shenker-Osorio and hip-hop artist Rha Goddess.
• Minnesota local labor and progressive activists will showcase how they created strong coalitions to elect a Democratic governor in 2010 and move key progressive priorities, including Tax the Rich legislation. ”Working Together: How Coalition Campaigns Saved the Day in Minnesota,” The panel offers a spot of sun in this ugly state legislation session and an opportunity to meet local activists.
• A group of stellar bloggers are joining on a panel, “Countering Hate Speak that Villainizes Workers and Unions,” and offer suggestions for proactive strategies to build a new understanding of unions and collective power. Panelists are Read the rest of this entry »
Wisconsin Republican Vote Stunt ‘Highly Unethical’
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Earlier today we reported that Republican Wisconsin state Assembly members pulled an unexpected trick play and quick-snapped a vote on Gov. Scott Walker’s (R) bill to eliminate the right of public employees to bargain for middle-class jobs. After the middle-of-the-night vote, the Republican legislators lit out of the chamber faster than a burglar with a German Shepherd on his tail.
Democrats still had 15 members set to speak on the bill, but they were shut out by the maneuver. This afternoon, FireDogLake’s David Dayen caught up with one of the Dems who was gagged.
Just did a brief interview in the Capitol Rotunda, where the noontime rally has begun, with Assemblyman Chris Danou, a Democrat who represents the western part of the state. He confirmed to me that the Assembly Republicans, after calling for and casting a quick vote on the budget repair bill at 1:00 in the morning, then immediately ran out of the Rotunda, escaping the protesters as they were waking up to the news.
Danou was one of the Democrats waiting to speak on the bill when the Republicans called the vote. “I see it as taking away my right to speak,” he said. He wouldn’t go so far as to call it illegal, but called it highly unethical. “This has poisoned things,” he said, “I don’t see how we can work together now.”
Economy Adds 431,000 Jobs—Barely Enough to Stay in Place
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Some 431,000 net new jobs were created in May. A whopping 411,000 of those new jobs were temporary U.S. Census jobs, while private employers added only 41,000 new jobs in May. Overall, the unemployment rate dropped to 9.7 percent, down from 9.9 percent in April, according to a report released this morning by the U.S. Department of Labor.
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said the low number of private-sector jobs is further evidence the recovery is still fragile.
The Economic Recovery Act saved us from a second Great Depression, but it was not sufficient to power strong and sustained job growth, and its effects are expected to wane in coming months.
He called on Congress to do more to create jobs and sustain the recovery.
Most immediately, Congress must move quickly to restore health care benefits for the unemployed and provide aid to states to maintain jobs and vital services. We already see state and local governments shedding 22,000 jobs in May. Without further action to offset state budget shortfalls, these job losses will offset temporary gains from federal spending.
Greenhouse, Wheeler and Green Win Major Journalism Prizes
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| Marcy Wheeler |
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| Steven Greenhouse |
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| James Green |
One of the few remaining labor writers for a major newspaper, a blogger who writes about the workers’ side of the economic crisis and a labor historian are among the winners of the 2009 Sidney Hillman Foundation Journalism Awards.
The annual awards were first presented 1950. Now presented in six categories, the Hillman awards are among the most prestigious given to journalists, photographers, writers and public figures whose work fosters social and economic justice. The foundation is named for Hillman, former president of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America and a key figure in the founding of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO), which merged with the American Federation of Labor (AFL) in 1955 to form the AFL-CIO.
The awards will be presented in a May 27 ceremony at the Hudson Theatre at the Millennium Broadway Hotel in New York City.
This year’s winners include Marcy Wheeler, who writes the emptywheel blog on firedoglake.com. Wheeler consistently demonstrates the investigative skills that show what bloggers and those using online tools are uniquely capable of doing. Her keen appreciation to detail and strong empathy with working people shows in her blogs and other writing.
In its description of Wheeler, the Hillman Foundation notes that she has “produced outstanding coverage of the American auto industry crisis.”
Combining her background in the industry with a deep commitment to American workers, her depth of analysis was unrivaled.
Wheeler recently made the front page of The New York Times after she became the first person to notice that a newly released Justice Department memo revealed that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed had been waterboarded 183 times in one month. Her live blogging from the Scooter Libby trial in 2007 is widely regarded as one of the seminal moments in online journalism, the foundation says.
Her fans and supporters recently set a goal to raise $150,000 to allow Wheeler to blog full-time and also to support another investigative blogger to work with her and a researcher to help them. Click here to donate to the fund.
