Saturday, April 23, 2011

[olympiaworkers] Reminder: Anne Feeney Benefit Concert

Please post widely 

ANNE FEENEY BENEFIT CONCERT

Saturday April 30

6:00-9:00 PM

$10

With Steve and Kristi Nebel

Gary Kanter

Holly Gwinn Graham

The Bridge Methodist Church

5601 South Puget Sound Ave.

Tacoma, Wa. 98409


(let's help her out with her medical bills!)

Currently she is doing better, has about 20% of her energy level back, is getting some much-needed sunshine after cancer treatments and the lengthy battle to heal. Anne still can't sing due to the pitting in her lungs which hopefully will heal soon, but WE CAN SING FOR HER!)


Sponsored by:

Tacoma Branch Industrial Workers of the World (I.W.W)                                  P.O. Box 7276 Tacoma, Wa. 98417 TacIWW@iww.org http://www.iww.org/en/branches/US/WA/Tacoma


United for Peace of Pierce County (UFPPC) www.ufppc.org.

AND…

The Bridge Methodist Church

5601 S. Puget Sound Ave. Tac. Wa. 98409

Monday, April 18, 2011

[olympiaworkers] Death toll mounts after defeat of 2009 Ssangyong strike

Libcom.org Apr 15 2011

Riot police arrest a doctor during the strike

Two years after the brutal crushing of the Ssangyong Motors strike and
occupation in South Korea, an increasing number of sacked workers have
died prematurely.

It has been two years since the management of Ssangyong Motor Company in
Pyongtaek, South Korea, announced the layoffs of 1000 workers. Shortly
thereafter, those workers occupied their plant and held it for 77 days,
from May to August 2009, when they finally succumbed to a massive police
and army assault.

In the immediate aftermath, many militants were arrested and some were
sentenced to years in prison. Most, however, were laid off, on different
terms (some with the hope of a recall after one year which to date has
never materialized).

Two years after the announcement, fourteen people, both strikers and
immediate family, are dead. (This is in turn part of a larger pattern in
South Korea, including a spate of deaths from cancer by workers for
Samsung and four recent suicides of students at KAIST, Korea's "MIT",
resulting from grade pressures. Korea has the highest suicide rate of any
advanced industrial country, and rivals the U.S. for deaths and injuries
on the job per capita.)

Five Ssangyong workers have committed suicide and five have died from
cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack or brain hemorrhage.

Doctors believe these were caused by severe stress in the aftermath of the
strike and layoffs. Some of the suicides resulted from economic problems
following the lay-offs.

In Feb 2011, one worker on unpaid time-off died of a heart attack. Under
the pressure of the layoffs, his wife had killed herself in April 2010.
They had two children. The worker's bank balance was close to zero.

The following is gleaned from an article in the South Korean daily
newspaper Hangyereh:

A Korean hospital also found that more than half the Ssangyong strikers it
has seen are suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome, and 80% are
suffering from severe depression. Almost all the workers involved have
reported a deterioration in their marriages. Their average
post-restructuring monthly income, of 822,800 Won ($757), represented a 74
percent reduction from their previous salary.

After the defeat of the strike, 462 workers were put on unpaid leave. The
promised one-year period has elapsed, yet the company maintains it is
unable to begin reinstatement. Workers who retired or were fired are
having difficulty finding new employment because of the Ssangyong "scarlet
letter," and have been making do with temporary jobs and day-to-day work.
Also absent has been any social safety network to address their
deteriorating health and financial anxieties.

Hangyereh calls the 14 deaths "social homicides".

Sunday, April 17, 2011

[olympiaworkers] Revolutionary from Honduras speaking on uprising there!

Honduran Gerardo Torres: A Decade of Refounding, Youth in the Revolution!
Evergreen, Lecture Hall 1, 5PM, Monday, April 18

Gerardo has been active in the non-violent resistance since the first day of
the coup and is one of the young leaders of the Resistance. He will be able to
give you an eye-witness account of Repression and Hope in Honduras today and
the people's dream to "refound the State" based on justice and equality.

Honduran Gerardo Torres is:

1. Responsible of the relations with the people of the United States and
Canada, member of the International Commission of the National Front of Popular
Resistance (Frente Nacional de Resistencia Popular) of Honduras.

2. General Secretary of the Political Organization Los Necios (Organización
Politica Los Necios - OPLN).

3. Member of the Analysis Commission of the National Front of Popular
Resistance (Frente Nacional de Resistencia Popular) of Honduras.

4. Coordinator of Political and Ideological Education of the National Front of
Youth Movements in Resistance (Frente Nacional de Juventudes en Resistencia) of
Honduras.

On June 28, 2009, democratically elected President Manuel Zelaya was rousted
from his bed by armed soldiers and flown into exile. His crimes? Raising the
minimum wage, joining the ALBA cooperative trade alliance, converting the US
Palmerola Air Base into a civilian airport, and supporting a referendum where
voters could decide if they wanted to call a constituent assembly to write a
new constitution.

In the nearly two years since the coup, repression has increased to levels
seldom seen before. But the coup was also a catalyst for the coming together of
a massive popular resistance of students and youth, landless peasants, union
workers, teachers, artists, gays and lesbians and many more.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

[olympiaworkers] ILWU sit in at PMA

ILWU sit in at PMA--happening now!
by Stan Woods from indybay.org
Tuesday Apr 12th, 2011 10:47 AM

ILUW members from locals 10, 6, 54, and SEIU 1021 are now holding a
sit-in at the PMA (Pacifica Maritime Association) offices at 475 -
14th street, Oakland.

ILWU sit in of PMA--happening now!

Members of ILUW locals 10, 6, 54, and SEIU 1021 are now holding a sit-in
at the offices of the PMA (Pacifica Maritime Association) at 475 - 14th
street in Oakland. Jack Heyman & Richard Mead are there.

This is because the PMA (Pacifica Maritime Association) is suing the ILWU
over the shutdown of the Port of Oakland and SF docks on Monday, April 4.
Also, the PMA is reportedly hiring non-union workers at Port Chicago and
San Diego.

Presumably, the police will be soon arresting these labor activists; so
anybody who happens to be in the area please go there to be a witness. A
supporting demonstration on the street outside the offices would be
helpful if people can get there in time.

That is at the PMA (Pacifica Maritime Association) office at 475 - 14th
street in Oakland, across the street from City Hall.

This was reported by phone to Daniel Borgström from ILWU member Stan Woods
who is at the sit-in.


Action over-No arrests
by Stan Woods
Tuesday Apr 12th, 2011 1:25 PM

The action is now over. The PMA refused to meet with the delegation and
after several hrs . people decided to leave . Richard Phelps Atty.
volunteered his services and served as a Legal liason with the OPD .
In yet another anti-union attack the PMA (Pacific Maritime Assoc. ) has
decided to strike back against ILWU Local 10 for it's April 4 Soldarity
action with the Workers of Wisconsin (and everywhere ! )
They are also reportly using US Army reservists instead of Union Longshore
at what was formerly known as the Port Chicago in Concord . And reports
are now coming in re Port of San Diego . details unclear.
This is just the beginning. Any and everyone who is interested in
defending workers rights are invited to attend a Emergency Planning
meeting this Thursday 4/14 7 Pm Longshore Hall Henry Schmitt room 400
Northpoint /Mason SF .
Endorsed by the SF Labor Council on 4/12 .
( See Channel 2 and 7 news at 5 and 6pm today for film of the event . Also
filmed by the Labor Video project )