[olympiaworkers] Defend Occupy Oakland With The Muscle Of Organized Labor-Statement Of ILWU Members & Retirees

Oct 28th, 2011 Indybay.org

ILWU Members and Retirees Are calling for full labor support for
Occupy Oakland

DEFEND OCCUPY OAKLAND WITH THE MUSCLE OF ORGANIZED LABOR

Demonstrators in downtown Oakland protesting the bank-driven economic
crisis were brutally attacked by police from 18 Bay Area agencies on Tuesday
Oct. 25. Mayor Quan, who was supported by ILWU Local 10 in the recent
elections, ordered this bloody assault. Cops used potentially lethal
weapons to break up the occupation of Frank Ogawa (now renamed Oscar
Grant) Plaza just as they did in the port against anti-war protesters in
2003. That police attack was even criticized by the UN Human Rights
Commission and ended up costing Oakland over $2 million in civil suits.

Then-Local 10 longshoreman Billy Kepo'o was hit in the hand by a police
tear gas canister causing a bloody mess. Now, Iraqi war vet, Scott Olsen,
was hit in the head with a police projectile, causing a fracture and
putting him in critical condition in Highland Hospital. This is
exactly what killed one of the strikers in Seattle in the Big Strike of
1934. That history of police violence against strikers is why our Local 10
Constitution bans cops from membership in our union.

Last year, Local 10 shutdown all ports to protest the police killing of
young Oscar Grant. This year ILWU has been supporting Occupy Wall Street.
Just last Monday the San Francisco Labor Council declared the Occupy San
Francisco and Occupy Wall Street "sanctioned union strike lines" offering
the protesters an umbrella of union protection.

ILWU is under attack from PMA employers, not just here in the port of
Oakland but especially in Longview, Washington. Our jobs and the survival
of the ILWU as a fighting union are at stake. We heard the report of our
Longview Local 21 brothers at our union meeting last week and we pledged
our
solidarity, just as we did for other unions under attack, whether in
Charleston, South Carolina or Madison, Wisconsin.

At the same time there is an outrage at the bankers and the capitalist
crisis which has caused massive hardship on the working class. Occupy
Oakland protesters have called for a General Strike on November
2. Whether this actually means real strike action by workers depends in
large part on union participation. Local 10 has always been in the lead in
the labor movement and all eyes are on us. As a first step, in defending
our union and others against economic and political repression, we need to
mobilize our members to participate in the rally and occupation November 2
in Oscar Grant Plaza. Shut it down!

October 28, 2011

Anthony Leviege #9576, Ronnie Armour #9922, Troy Bell #9837, Tremaine
Waters #9202, Richard Washington #9402, Anthony Manning #9986, Odis Rucker
#9811, Robert Grissom #101284, Jack Heyman #8780 (ret.), Samantha Levens
(S.F. IBU), Robert Irminger (S.F. IBU), Howard Keylor #220447 (ret.),
Clarence Thomas #8718

Re: [olympiaworkers] Occupy Olympia wants your support.

I'm glad u mentioned the people's movement assembly, a time to get dry and free food

Diane

On Fri, Oct 21, 2011 at 11:00 PM, Bruce Wilkinson <bwildleaf@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear South Sound Community,
The 99% are Occupying Olympia with a camp of 100 tents at Heritage Park by Capital Lake. We are in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street, against greedy multinational banks, corporate personhood, the continuing military occupations and money destroying our democracy. Come Saturday, October 22, to march in downtown Olympia for Community Banks and against Wall Street banks and the following Saturday join us at the People's Movement Assembly at the Olympia Center.

To subscribe to the listserves go to these links and type in your e-mail. Everyone will be on togetheroly@lists.riseup.net, but you might want to consider making that digest mode to not get your mail box overrun and then sign up under a work group listserve according to interest. Some lists are not active but they are available for use as we build our structure and are great for folks who are not camping as a way to get involved. These e-mail lists are for both helping with logistics of camp but also for bigger ideas. For example togetherhealth may help with the first aid tent while some may work also on developing a free clinic in town and planning events and strategies around achieving universal healthcare in Washington, the US and the world. Similarly with the other lists. The hope is that these lists will keep us together in honor of the way Occupy Wall Street has brought us together. We are the 99%.
https://lists.riseup.net/www/subscribe/togetheroly
https://lists.riseup.net/www/subscribe/togethermedia
https://lists.riseup.net/www/subscribe/togetherfeed
https://lists.riseup.net/www/subscribe/togetherhealth
https://lists.riseup.net/www/subscribe/togethercommunicate
https://lists.riseup.net/www/subscribe/togetherfund
https://lists.riseup.net/www/subscribe/togetherart
https://lists.riseup.net/www/subscribe/togethershelter

Solidarity!
-Bruce

Move Your Money March – Saturday, October 22, 2011
Heritage Park by Capital Lake @11:30AM
Occupy Olympia, in solidarity with the worldwide Occupy Wall Street movement, will be marching in support of alternatives to Wall Street banks in our community — including local banks, credit unions, time banking, bartering, and the "free economy" movement.  The rally begins at 11:30 AM at Heritage Park and the march will follow at noon. 

Citizens angry over bank bailouts and economic disparity that benefits the 1% are invited to join Occupy Olympia. We are the 99% and we are powerful!

Marchers will pass peacefully (no funny business!) by Bank of America, an institution which paid no taxes while taking billions in bailouts and profits during 2010. The march will then move to alternative local institutions, including Olympia Federal Savings and Washington State Employees Credit Union.  This is a family-friendly and fun event. 
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=264079250295938

We won't stop till the Wall Street Banks are out of Olympia forever but we need your support!
For more info call 360-545-3267.

Solidarity,
-bruce wilkinson
bruce@mediaisland.org

[olympiaworkers] Occupy Olympia wants your support.

Dear South Sound Community,
The 99% are Occupying Olympia with a camp of 100 tents at Heritage Park by Capital Lake. We are in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street, against greedy multinational banks, corporate personhood, the continuing military occupations and money destroying our democracy. Come Saturday, October 22, to march in downtown Olympia for Community Banks and against Wall Street banks and the following Saturday join us at the People's Movement Assembly at the Olympia Center.

To subscribe to the listserves go to these links and type in your e-mail. Everyone will be on togetheroly@lists.riseup.net, but you might want to consider making that digest mode to not get your mail box overrun and then sign up under a work group listserve according to interest. Some lists are not active but they are available for use as we build our structure and are great for folks who are not camping as a way to get involved. These e-mail lists are for both helping with logistics of camp but also for bigger ideas. For example togetherhealth may help with the first aid tent while some may work also on developing a free clinic in town and planning events and strategies around achieving universal healthcare in Washington, the US and the world. Similarly with the other lists. The hope is that these lists will keep us together in honor of the way Occupy Wall Street has brought us together. We are the 99%.
https://lists.riseup.net/www/subscribe/togetheroly
https://lists.riseup.net/www/subscribe/togethermedia
https://lists.riseup.net/www/subscribe/togetherfeed
https://lists.riseup.net/www/subscribe/togetherhealth
https://lists.riseup.net/www/subscribe/togethercommunicate
https://lists.riseup.net/www/subscribe/togetherfund
https://lists.riseup.net/www/subscribe/togetherart
https://lists.riseup.net/www/subscribe/togethershelter

Solidarity!
-Bruce

Move Your Money March – Saturday, October 22, 2011
Heritage Park by Capital Lake @11:30AM
Occupy Olympia, in solidarity with the worldwide Occupy Wall Street movement, will be marching in support of alternatives to Wall Street banks in our community — including local banks, credit unions, time banking, bartering, and the "free economy" movement.  The rally begins at 11:30 AM at Heritage Park and the march will follow at noon. 

Citizens angry over bank bailouts and economic disparity that benefits the 1% are invited to join Occupy Olympia. We are the 99% and we are powerful!

Marchers will pass peacefully (no funny business!) by Bank of America, an institution which paid no taxes while taking billions in bailouts and profits during 2010. The march will then move to alternative local institutions, including Olympia Federal Savings and Washington State Employees Credit Union.  This is a family-friendly and fun event. 
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=264079250295938

We won't stop till the Wall Street Banks are out of Olympia forever but we need your support!
For more info call 360-545-3267.

Solidarity,
-bruce wilkinson
bruce@mediaisland.org

[olympiaworkers] Occupy Oly, "YES to Community Banks!" Mass March and Rally! Sat. @11:30, Heritage Park

Move Your Money March – Saturday, October 22, 2011
Heritage Park by Capital Lake @11:30AM
Occupy Olympia, in solidarity with the worldwide Occupy Wall Street movement, will be marching in support of alternatives to Wall Street banks in our community — including local banks, credit unions, time banking, bartering, and the "free economy" movement.  The rally begins at 11:30 AM at Heritage Park and the march will follow at noon. 

Citizens angry over bank bailouts and economic disparity that benefits the 1% are invited to join Occupy Olympia. We are the 99% and we are powerful!

Marchers will pass peacefully (no funny business!) by Bank of America, an institution which paid no taxes while taking billions in bailouts and profits during 2010. The march will then move to alternative local institutions, including Olympia Federal Savings and Washington State Employees Credit Union.  This is a family-friendly and fun event. 
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=264079250295938

We won't stop till the Wall Street Banks are out of Olympia forever but we need your support!
For more info call 360-545-3267.

Solidarity,
-bruce wilkinson
bruce@mediaisland.org

[olympiaworkers] OCCUPY!

OCCUPY!

  â€œFew trends could so thoroughly undermine the foundations of our free society as the acceptance by corporate officials of a social responsibility other than to make as much money for their stockholders as possible.” Milton Friedman.
  
  The 400 richest families in the U.S. hold as much wealth as the bottom 50% combined. 1% of the people control 40% of the wealth. Since 2009, 88% of income growth went to corporate profits and 1% went to wages. And now the greedy few are orchestrating one of the largest power and wealth gabs ever at the expense of the rest of us. .
  
  â€œThe working class and the employing class have nothing in common.” From the IWW Preamble

  The deafening roar of the bootsteps of the march of corporate fascism can be heard throughout the world. The horrendous sound of the exploitation of all for the benefit of a few. The human heard hears those sounds and is told it is the sound of progress, more jobs and a better way of life. The human heard becomes intoxicated by the fantasies of the professional deceivers. Hoping against all hope that the good life they will gain, never realizing that the good life is for but a few leaches. The pitiful poor raise their heads up and ask “can I have more? I have so little now.” The rich proclaims that we are in hard times and the suffering must be shared by all. OCCUPY!
  Pity the suffering rich as they wear the latest fashion statements, made by sweatshop workers, often children, that one outfit costs more than most workers around the world make in a month. Eat food that the cost of which could feed 50 poor families. Drive cars that cost more than most workers make in years of labor. Live in fine homes that the cost of which could house 100 or more working families. Pity the suffering rich when the international economic and political system of corporate fascism is designed for them to accumulate massive wealth while others must do without. OCCUPY!    
  The earth shudders with the pounding of the bombs in the interest of corporate control. Bombs for peace, that is the peace of total subjection, bombs for freedom, the freedom of the many to be exploited by the few. This peace and freedom has been a bloody affair, but the blood flows from the bottom, not the top. The human heard mutilates itself in moribund rituals of death, dancing bravely in human carnage. Not understanding that working people fight and kill each other in the interests of that which forces them into servitude. OCCUPY!
  A small baby child cries out in the night, there is nothing for her, in a long line of nothing for societies nobodies. There is nothing for you dear child, it is all spent else where. Governments of the world spend over one trillion dollars a year on the military so that you may feel safe in your hunger. 21% of children in the U.S. live on poverty. OCCUPY!
  Our Elders who worked hard all their lives, both on their jobs and raising the next generation deserve to be able to retire with dignity and financial security. But the greedy few now are going after their pension plans, social security and health care, as another means to increase their wealth at the expense of the many. OCCUPY!
  We do all the useful, needed, work in society, but many of us cannot even get basic medical coverage. Over 40 million in the U.S. have no medical coverage. Many more do not have enough medical coverage. Many of us must fight with greedy medical insurance companies over the medical care we need. Many of us, though we have medical coverage, find that our medical conditions are not covered because they are “preexisting conditions”. The greedy ones of the medical industry gouge the economy by outrageous prices for medical care. The medical drug industry inflates the cost of medication to the point that many cannot afford it. While many must choose between food and their medicine. This clearly is a crime against humanity. OCCUPY!.
  So many working people die each year on their jobs and next to never are their employers held accountability for those deaths. Often the death of workers are no accident, but rather the direct result of greed where the rich accumulate greater profit by cutting costs at the expense of worker safety. When workers die on the job, at best the employers must pay a fine. In many cases this is nothing more than legalized murder. If you or I caused the death of others by outright negligence, we would find ourselves in a prison cell. OCCUPY!
  Our land is a magnificent land of beauty and resources, but much of it is owned and exploited by the rich who acquired it by means of  a policy of genocide of the original people and the outright theft of their land. This continues to this day. This system keeps Leonard Peltier in prison, now for 36 years, for standing up to this policy and defending his people from attack. And still this all is cerebrated on Columbus Day. OCCUPY!
  WE, that is humanity, do not live outside of our environment. Rather we are a part of the environment and depend upon it to survive. The greedy ones exploit, abuse and pollute the environment for their own profit. And now they seek to dismantle environmental laws to increase their wealth even more. This clearly shows that their deranged lust for more even goes beyond the basic instinct of survival. Their madness of gluttony so overwhelms them that their existence places the human society in a suicidal mode. OCCUPY!
  Economic crisis that was created by greed, has the government bailing out those responsible for it while cutting programs for those that are not responsible for the crisis, but are only victims of it. In other words the rich get too greedy and cause great hardship and the solution is to make working people pay the costs. While the rich take advantage of the situation to increase their wealth by outsourcing jobs and trying to break unions. OCCUPY!
  The dream weavers proclaim the coming of great things for all, if we only give our betters their due. For wealth will trickle down to us below when the rich have all they want. WE have heard that song and dance before. International trade agreements, we were told, would create good jobs for all. !5 years later where are those jobs? We were deceived then as they seek to deceive us now. WE will not be deceived again! OCCUPY your own mind and think for yourself.
  Enough all ready! The human heard proclaims. We will not be silent fools. OCCUPY!
  What started out as a movement to Occupy Wall Street has now spread across the land and throughout the world. OCCUPY! Time to take what is rightfully ours.
  The greedy parasites, who are nothing more than vampires feeding upon the host body of humanity, terrible when they hear, OCCUPY! The human heard is in rebellion.
  The politicians seek to move the grassroots movement from the streets to the ballot box. But the truth is revealed, it is us in the streets that are standing up to the greed and not those in the halls of political scoundrels. OCCUPY!
  Let it be understood by all, working people do all the necessary labor in any society. No society could exist without working people. Those who exploit us, have no usefulness in our world. We have the needed skills, knowledge and ideas to run things ourselves. Time to dump the greedy parasites off our backs. OCCUPY!
  To those OCCUPIERS who are arrested, they can jail you but they cannot jail the spirit of OCCUPY. WE all stand in solidarity with you, for you are in there for us, and we will be out here for you. Jails will not break the rebellion, for we are struggling to break out of an economic/political system that imprisons us as a class. So we say to the forces of repression, WE will OCCUPY your jails too.  
  As all grassroots movements progress, OCCUPY should go in the logical direction of OCCUPYING workplaces and communities. OCCUPY BP for murdering workers on an oil rig and fouling the Gulf Coast. OCCUPY hospitals who refuse medical treatment for the uninsured. OCCUPY companies that out source jobs or try to break unions. OCCUPY our workplaces and stop producing wealth for the rich and start producing for the well-being of all. OCCUPY!  
Arthur J. Miller
Just an old shipyard worker

[olympiaworkers] New book on Joe Hill author event

NEW BOOK ON JOE HILL, AUTHOR BOOK EVENT
Tacoma I.W.W is pleased to announce our sponsorship of a book tour event. Author William Adler has penned a new biography of the iconic Wobbly troubadour, poet and organizer Joe Hill entitled "The Man Who Never Died." He will be reading and answering questions about the book at King's Books, 218 Saint Helens Avenue, Tacoma, WA (253) 272-8801 · kingsbookstore.com , Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 7:00 P.M. The Tacoma Branch of the Industrial Workers of the World will have a table with information and literature, and we welcome all workers, students and residents who are curious about Joe Hill and the One Big Union.
  For more information on the book and author go to: http://themanwhoneverdied.com/
  For more information on Wobblies and the IWW go to: www.iww.org
  To contact the Tacoma IWW and information about meetings, send an e-mail to: TacIWW@iww.org  

[olympiaworkers] NW Regional International Day in Solidarity with Leonard Peltier and important petition

PLEASE POST WIDELY
From: The Office of the Northwest Regional Organizer of the Leonard Peltier Defense/Offense Committee and the Tacoma Chapter of the Leonard Peltier Defense/Offense Committee, P.O. Box 5464, Tacoma, WA 98415-0464 bayou@blarg.net

As individual fingers we can easily be broken, but all together we make a mighty fist. -- Sitting Bull

INTERNATION DAY IN SOLIDARITY

NW REGIONAL MARCH AND RALLY FOR CLEMENCY FOR LEONARD PELTIER

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY, 4, 2012, TACOMA, WA.

12:00 NOON: MARCH FOR JUSTICE Portland Ave. Park (on Portland Ave. between E. 35th & E. Fairbanks. Take Portland Ave. exit off I-5 and head east)
1:00 PM: RALLY FOR JUSTICE U.S. Federal Court House, 1717-Pacific Ave.

MARCH STATEMENT

“I have no doubt whatsoever that the real motivation behind both Wounded Knee II and the Oglala firefight, and much of the turmoil throughout Indian Country since the early 1970s, wasâ€"and isâ€"the mining companies’ desire to muffle AIM and all traditional Indian people, who soughtâ€"and still seekâ€"to protect the land, water, and air from their thefts and depredations. In this sad and tragic age we live in, to come to the defense of Mother Earth is to be branded a criminal.” --Leonard Peltier, Prison Writings â€"

Leonard Peltier (of the Anishinabe, Dakota, and Lakota Nations), long time Native Activist and member of the American Indian Movement. Leonard Peltier, an innocent man who was convicted for the 1975 shooting deaths of two agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. U.S. prosecutors have repeatedly admitted that they did not and cannot prove Peltier's guilt, and the appellate courts have cited numerous instances of investigative and prosecutorial misconduct in this case. As late as November 2003, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals acknowledged that "…Much of the government’s behavior at the Pine Ridge Reservation and its prosecution of Mr. Peltier is to be condemned. The government withheld evidence. It intimidated witnesses. These facts are not disputed." The trial of the first two AIM members in this case were found not guilty for reason of self-defense.
  Behind the case of Leonard Peltier and the events that took place on the Pine Ridge Oglala Lakota Reservation is the continuing theft of Native land for energy corporations. High grade Uranium was found in the northwest corner of Pine Ridge. It was well known that the Lakota people would be unwilling to sell their land because they refused payment for the Black Hills. So a plan was carried out to suppress the traditional Oglala Lakota people and their supporters from the America Indian Movement. This lead to the Wounded Knee II Occupation, over 500 AIM members being indited on charges, a two and a half year reign of terror against the Oglala Lakota people, and the firefight near Oglala, that Leonard was charged with, that took place at the same time that a corrupt tribal Chairman was illegally signing away the part of Pine Ridge with the Uranium. The firefight took place as a means to divert attention and to suppress AIM.
  Leonard has been in prison for over 35 years for a crime he did not commit and a crime that forces of greed were responsibly for. They have withheld medical care for Leonard and recently Leonard was placed in solitary confinement for 72 days and then sent to a high security prison in Florida, as far away from his lawyers and family as they could send him. Leonard is in bad health and they want Leonard to die in prison, alone and forgotten.  We will not let that happen.
   We are now organizing a new clemency for Leonard Peltier campaign and the regional marches on Feb, 4, 2012 are a very important part of that. Please help us raise money for it and get the word out everywhere.  Please. let us come together in the spirit of unity for Leonard and for the kind of justice and peace we want for our world. Thank you.

DONATIONS: Organizing this march has already costs us more than we have raised by donations. We are a grassroots movement, we get no outside funding and depend upon donations. Please make checks out to: The Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee, (mark them for NW March) and mail them to: Tacoma Chapter, LPDOC, P.O. Box 5464, Tacoma, WA 98415-0464. Thank you.

Join Tacoma Chapter LPDOC on facebook at:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/profile.php?id=100002154914197
Subcribe to: Northwest Peltier Support at: nwpeltiersupport-subscribe@lists.riseup.net  
For more information: www.whoisleonardpeltier.info

The Leonard Peltier Whitehouse Petition

The We the People/ official White House petition site - https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions/fb/petition/petition/grant-clemency-native-american-activist-leonard-peltier-without-delay/LLWBZq1S
We still need over 2000 signatures to make it to the minimum threshold of 5000 signatures in 30 days. Please use every means possible of communicating with the public on this â€"flyers around town, canvassing and referring folks to the website, call in to broadcast and internet radio shows to promote the petition---be creative. This is an important opportunity and we need to surpass that 5000 mark to make an impressive showing. Many people have had difficulty completing the signature process--but in a nutshell--you register your name, email and zip code.Leave the website page open and open another window/tab to retrieve your email ...which will contain a passcode..you then go back to the website to sign in with your email address(user name) and the passcode. From LPDOC

[olympiaworkers] Post-Ramadan strike wave hits Egypt

Libcom.org Sep 30 2011

The first two weeks of September have witnessed a massive wave of strikes,
with many more planned for the rest of the month. These are taking place
despite the law - issued in April - criminalizing strikes which harm the
national economy, and despite regulations issued by the ruling military
junta making negotiations during the course of strikes unacceptable.

Hundreds of thousands of workers and employees have launched strikes,
sit-ins and marches to protest their working conditions. Among these are
public school teachers - who are planning a general strike on the new
academic year's first day of classes, 17 September; workers at private and
public-sector textile mills; security and custodial workers at the
American University in Cairo; farmers; and nurses and doctors in eight
different governorates.

These strike actions come against a political backdrop that once seemed
encouraging to Egypt's 27-million labor force.

Shortly after President Hosni Mubarak's resignation in 11 February, over
500,000 workers, professionals, farmers, employees and pensioners moved to
establish their own independent trade unions and federations to provide a
bargaining mechanism for workers long deprived of negotiating with both
the state and the business community. These independent unions are
reportedly playing a significant role in organizing protest actions and
strikes nationwide.

Yet the recent resurgence of widespread strikes, analysts say, reflect a
deep disillusionment with the democratic transition process, with workers
feeling more and more that improving their economic and political
conditions were but hollow promises from the revolution.

"The primary demand behind all the strikes - in the public, private and
informal sectors - is improved incomes in line with increasing living
expenses," said Karam Saber, director of the Land Center for Human Rights.
Other common demands include the payment of overdue bonuses, incentive
payments, fixed or full-time contracts for full-time work, among other
demands.

"The interim authorities have made very little progress in terms of
raising wages, incomes and salaries; or in terms of putting a cap on the
salaries of managerial officials in the form of a maximum wage," Saber
said.

According to Saber Barakat, a member of the caretaker council at the
Egyptian Trade Union Federation, there are other reasons motivating the
working class to protest and strike. One of the main factors causing
dismay is the fact that Mubarak's officials and generals are still calling
the shots and pulling Egypt's strings. The old guard is still in power.

"The revolution gave workers the impression that their conditions would
improve; but reality has proven otherwise," said Barakat. "The Supreme
Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) has sent signals to investors
reassuring them that their interests will be protected and upheld."

In April, the SCAF and the interim cabinet issued a law outlawing strikes,
and they have failed to issue a new trade union law to replace the old and
restrictive 1976 law which places severe bureaucratic hurdles on
independent labor organization. Furthermore, these authorities have
insisted they will not engage in negotiations with strikers until they
stop striking or protesting.

Egyptian laborers' grievances are countless, and the fruits of the 18-day
revolution that raised the slogans of freedom and social justice are yet
to be reaped.

The interim cabinet has been procrastinating over implementing an LE700
minimum wage. On Wednesday, Finance Minister Hazem al-Beblawy said that
the government will implement it in January 2012, six months later than
originally announced.

Some 700 textile workers at the Indorama Shebin al-Kom Textile Company -
which was privatized in 2007 - went on strike this week, and around 400 of
them blocked highways, roads and even occupied the Munifiya Governorate
headquarters on Monday to demand the re-nationalization of their company,
as well as improved working conditions and wages.

In the Nile Delta governorate of Gharbiya, over 1000 workers went on
strike at the Wool Production Company in the town of Samannoud on
Saturday, and on the same day, over 3000 workers at the Nasr Company for
Fabric Dyeing in Mahalla City went on strike. Both groups of workers were
demanding the payment of overdue bonuses, along with increased incentive
payments.

Elsewhere in Mahalla City, over 20,000 workers at the Misr Company for
Spinning and Weaving threatened to launch an open-ended strike this past
week. Workers at this massive textile mill (the largest in the Middle
East) demand increased bonuses and food allowances. They also demand
increased investment in public sector textile enterprises in order to save
the industry from collapse.

"All of Egypt's workers from Aswan to Alexandria are exploited and
under-paid. The interim government and SCAF should set a just and adequate
minimum wage, for workers in all sectors of the economy, which is in
keeping with rising living expenses," said Mohamed al-Attar, a veteran
labor activist at Misr Company for Spinning and Weaving.

"Workers are tired of empty promises. Workers gave the authorities seven
months to address these common grievances and have seen little to nothing
in terms of actual reforms. We are reaching boiling point."

On Thursday, Minister of Manpower and Immigration Ahmed Hassan al-Borai
said that labor unions' elections will be postponed till after the
parliamentary elections slated for November, yet another blow to the
aspirations of independent labor organizations which have been trying to
legally consolidate their emerging structures.

"The interim authorities are treating workers and the general populace
just as Mubarak did. If they do not change their course then another
popular revolt may break out," Attar said.

By Jano Charbel. Originally from Al-Masry al-Youm.