Tuesday, October 30, 2012

[olympiaworkers] European-wide general strike November 14 - how real? How relevant?

http://libcom.org/blog/european-wide-general-strike-november-14-how-real-how-relevant-22102012

In at least four countries, there will be a general strike on November 14.
There are calls to turn it into a European general strike. What to make of
the idea, how to operate most fruitfully in connection to these and
similar initiatives, is the subject of this article.

November 14 will – at the very least – see strike action against austerity
in four European countries: Spain, Portugal, Greece and Cyprus. (1) There
is the potential of much, much more, and people from very diverse
backgrounds are working in the direction of en Europe-wide general strike
on that day. Does it make sense? How can we contribute in such ways that
N14 – as the date is beginning to be called – can become much more than
yet another mostly symbolic action such as we have been seeing many times
already?

First, the situation itself. Trade union federations have called
nationwide one day general strikes for November 14 in the four countries I
mentioned. Apparently, union federations in France and Italy are
considering the idea as well. Let's be clear on the importance of this.
Union federations do not launch these kind of strikes because they want
serious resistance to austerity. Rather, they want these strikes as a show
of force to strengthen their own positiaon as mediators of the class
struggle, as managers of discontent. They want to show governments and
bosses: hey, there is a lot of discontent amongst workers. We will try to
hold it in check for you; it is our (rather well-paid) job. But you have
to give some concessions, you have to soften your stance on austeriry a
bit. Only that will enable us to play our role, ony then we can say to our
members: trust us, don't rock the boat, we will bring about some
improvements. To show governments that the trade union leaders have to be
taken into account, trade union leaders call their members to strike, as
if to say to govermnent: do you see all these angry workers? Do you feel
the disruption they cause, for just one day? Now, do you appreciate our
trouble to keep them quiet? Please help us doing so, by giving us
concessions to increase our credibility among these workers. Or would you
rather have these workers pushing us aside and fighting on their own
terms? Would you rather have strtikes without fixed duration, wildcat
strikes, all-out class confrontation?

These strikes, then, are entirely bureaucratic in their motivation, as far
as trade union functionaries are concerned. Workers, however, tend to see
them as opportunities to show their anger, and make their anger felt.
Rightly so! For radicals, that makes them relevant. The more a strike call
is supported, in as militant a fashion as possible, the stronger workers
will feel, the stronger ties of solidarity will be built.. In itself, this
does not stop governments or austerity policies. But it builds working
class strength and confidence needed for a serious struggle. Trade union
leaders use these kind of strikes to parade workers as their stage army.
Radical workers, anarchists among them, want to see the soldiers of that
army starting to fight on their own account, turning the stage army in an
independent force fighting from below. That is whay libertarian communists
should, in my view, take these strike calls seriously. Not because we
trust the trade unions, but on the contrary, because we doe not trust
them, and refuse to leave the struggle in their iron grip.

The general strikes on N14 will not, in themselves, stop austerity or
bring down governments. Even a one day European strike will not do that.
Greece has seen 20 general strikes of this type. Yet, the government did
neither fall nor budge because of that. One can say that, without the
discontente expressed through thesee strikes, the Greek goverment and the
EU bureaucrats would feel even more arrogantly confident to push on; in
that sense, the strikes may have acted as a brake. But it is clear that to
beat back austerity, a much more offensive approach – ongoing strikes,
occupations, street blockades, confrontation with the state – will be
needed (2). But the mobilizations around the strikes can be used as
stepping stones in that direction. The same applies to the European wide
strike action now being organized and discussed for N14. And yes, when you
are striking in Spain in the knowledge that workers in Greece, Portugal
and Cyprus (and Italy? And France? And... ?) are out on strike, it
probably raises your confidence, making you feel part of an even bigger
whole. So yes, by all means, let's support the European-wide general
strike – in our own independent fashion. It is not at all the magic trick
to end our problems. But we can use it as part of building our fight – and
spreading our ideas within the fight.

How? I have not very much to say here about the specifics of struggle in
Spain, Portugal, Cyprus and Greece. The general idea is clear: making the
strike as forceful as possible, challenging the top-down union
bureaucratic grip on events, connecting with ongoing struggles,
introducing direct-action dynamics within and around the strike and
connected demonstrations. For instance, the anti-austerity protest
organized in Londen last Saturday was by trade unions along familiar,
bureaucratic, blowing-off-steam-and-then-go-home lines. However, as
mentioned in "What October 20 tells us about the state of the movement",
on Libcom (3), Disabled People Against Cuts held a beautiful street
blockade with wheelchairs as part of the action which raised the
temperture and added to the pressure. Initiatives like these can make
mobilizations much more forceful than trade union organizers intend them
to be. Radicals in the countries where the strike is on will find their
way.

There are, however countries where ther is no general strike call from
trade union circles in sight. The Netherlands is one of these countries.
Yes, ETUC, the European trade union federation, has made a call for "a day
of action and solidarity on 14 November, including strikes,
demonstrations, rallies and other actions." (4) Not quite a call for a
general strike, but a step in that direction. The purpose: "mobilising the
European trade union movement behind ETUV policies as set down in the
Social Compact for Europe". Whatever is in that document, people will
understand this call as a protest against the European-wide austerity
policies, at least in their current form. Just like national general
strike calls can be used to mobilize around in the direction of a more
radical approach, the ETUC call can be used to build in the direction of
European-wide strike action and more. This is what people, myself
included, are trying to do in the Netherlands.

It is important to do it right, however. There is the temptation to get
stuck on trade union territory, to just take the ETUC call, step to the
unions and demand that they organize strike action, imploring them,
pressurizing them, leaving it up to them. This is the approach that
Trotskyists use in Britain: demanding that the TUC organize a general
strike. Lenin's Tomb expresses the idea: "there is a basis for mass
industrial action to happen if only the trade unions are willing to
support it." (5) Ah, if only! They will solve the problem for us! And what
if they don't? Wait for better days and Sell the Paper? I think a much
more fruitful approach can and should be tried. The idea of e a general
strike on a European scale can be pushed by radical circles, whether
anarchists, Occupy-related networks, other formal or informal netwerks of
radicals.

For the day itself, street actions can be planned, noisy pots-and-pans
protest marches ans assemblies like in Quebec last summer, blockades of
buildings where hated, austerity-related institutions are seated,
'ordinary' demonstrations, pickets at embassies of states where general
strikes are going forward. People might spontaneously get sick of
austerity on that 14th of November as well. Anything to express solidarity
with the struggle against austerity. Anyything to raise the anti-austerity
temperature. And all exoplicitly connected to the general strike idea for
N14. And who knows, there might just be an office department, a factory, a
company, where workers are already so fed up and confident that they might
come out on strike. There might even be a trade union branch or wing here
and there that is sensitive to the mood, and starts supporting the idea.
You never know how far you come unless you try. However, our approach
should not make itself depend on that unions will or will not do.
Independent initiative and organization from the bottom up, are essential.
Waiting for the unions would be catastrophic and, more importantly, it is
entirely unneccessary.

The idea has been tried before. On May Day this year, calls went out in
the US for a general strike. Occupy- and related initiatives spread the
call, and organized street protests on that day. No, it was not a general
strike. But is spread the idea of such a strike, and it was a step in that
direction. No, a combination of the actions that I mentioned for N14 will
very likely not amount to a full general strike, it may not even come
close. But it would spread the idea that strike action is needed and
should be built, it would be a step in the right direction. And maybe it
could become a dress rehearsal for something much bigger as well, on the
First May 2013...

[1] "Anti-Austerity Allies Coming Together for Cordinated European
Strikes", Common Dreams, 19 oktober 2012,
[2] The insights that Thrasybulus expresses in "General strike: Round 20",
on Libcom.org, are vital here.
[3] Phil, "What October 20 tells us about the state of the movement",
Libcom.org, 21 October.
[4] ETUC, "ETUC day of action and solidarity for a Social Compact for
Europe" , October 17
[5] "Mass protests against the cuts", Lenin's tomb, October 20.

For this article, the forum thread on Libcom, "European general strike? 14
November" , has been very useful.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

[olympiaworkers] Walmart Workers Threaten Black Friday Action

By ABBY ELLIN and ALAN FARNHAM
October 10, 2012 ABC NEWS

The latest news in the Walmart labor protests -- which have included
walkouts and marches in Dallas, San Diego, Chicago and Los Angeles -- is
the threat of a strike on Black Friday. That's the day after Thanksgiving,
widely considered the busiest, and most lucrative, retail day of the year.

Some 200 angry protesters showed up at a meeting of investors and analysts
earlier today at Walmart's headquarters in Bentonville, Ark. Under
discussion at the meeting was Walmart's intent to go head-to-head with
Amazon and offer same-day delivery.

Walmart is the world's largest private employer and has long been a target
of workers' rights groups, who advocate higher wages, more flexibility in
hours and an end to the punishments (reduced shifts, for instance) they
claim are meted out to workers seeking to unionize.

Evelin Cruz, a department manager at Walmart in Pico Rivera, Calif., told
ABC News that for many years she kept quiet about what she views as the
company's unjust labor practices because she feared she would be fired if
she spoke up.

"People were really tired that any time they would speak out against the
pay, hours, how much they would work, that management would cut their
hours or not give them a schedule," said Cruz, who is one of thousands of
members of Our Walmart, a labor organization backed by the United Food and
Commercial Workers that defends Walmart workers' rights.

On a conference call today, leaders of Our Walmart, the National Consumers
League and other labor groups said they will join Walmart workers outside
stores on Black Friday if their demands are not met.

NOW president Terry O'Neill said her organization would join in the action
on Black Friday, it was reported in the Guardian. "We are standing in
solidarity with the workers who are walking off the job," said the
National Organization of Women's president.

Last Thursday, about 30 employees from the Pico Rivera store, including
Cruz, wielded signs that read "Stand Up, Live Better, Stop Retaliation"
and "Stop Trying to Silence Us" and marched outside the store. At the same
time, workers at eight other Walmart stores in California protested
working conditions and treatment.

It was the first-ever employee walk-out in the company's 50-year history,
said Dawn Le, a spokeswoman for Making Change at Walmart, a coalition
whose mission is to change the way Walmart conducts business.

"Everyone else has a union," said Le. "Workers in every other country —
Japan, the U.K., Nicaragua, South Africa, Brazil, Argentina — have been
able to form a union, except the U.S. and Canada. We just don't understand
the double standard Walmart has. How come those in other countries get to
have a voice, yet not in the U.S., its home country?"

Walmart spokesman Dan Fogleman disputed Le's charges, claiming that most
employees have "repeatedly rejected unionization.

"They seem to recognize that Walmart has some of the best jobs in the
retail industry — good pay, affordable benefits and the chance for
advancement," he said in a telephone interview with ABC News.

Walmart and its practices have made the news a lot lately. In
mid-September, warehouse workers in Southern California were on a 15-day
strike that included a six-day, 50-mile pilgrimage for safe jobs. Around
the same time, hundreds of people marched in Dallas and San Diego,
demanding better work conditions.

On Monday, Chicago police dressed in riot gear arrested 17 peaceful
protesters blocking the entrance to a warehouse operated by an outside
contractor that supplies Walmart stores, in Elwood, Ill. The protestors
were there to show support for workers who had been on strike since Sept.
15, the Chicago Sun Times reported. What's more, the company faces yet
another sex discrimination lawsuit, filed on behalf of 100,000 women in
California and Tennessee.

According to Dan Schlademan, director of Making Change at Walmart, Walmart
employees across the U.S. have recently filed more than 20 charges of
unfair labor practices with the National Labor Relations Board. "Workers
find how Walmart has tried to retaliate by cutting their hours and not
scheduling them for certain shifts when they tried to speak out, and
they're tired of it," he said.

But the $16 billion company sees it differently, arguing that the
California rally was simply a "publicity stunt by the UFCW to seek media
attention in order to further their political agenda and financial
objectives," said Fogleman.

Cruz, who makes $13.20 an hour — up from $7.40 when she started – begs to
differ. "We just wanted to be treated like humans, not robots. We do have
health insurance, but in most cases, you're not even making enough to live
on, let alone take anyone to the hospital." And though she worries about
losing her job, she didn't see another option but to voice her anger.

"We are still worried that they might retaliate," said Cruz. "We know
exactly how they operate. They wait until you feel confident, or put down
your guard, and then they come after you one way or another. But that's
how tired we are of what's going on in the stores."

Saturday, October 06, 2012

[olympiaworkers] SUNDAY! ALL DAY MUSIC AND SPEAKERS AT SYLVESTER PARK!

October 7th, is the 11th anniversary of the Afghanistan occupation & the 1st anniversary of the Movement that will END IT! 11 years ago, America used its collective pain from 9/11 to begin an occupation in Afghanistan. At the time no-one assumed it would go this long, cost this much or inflict this much suffering. 10 years later, Occupy Wall Street was born & Occupy Olympia sprung forth in solidarity.

Localization Not Occupation is a gathering that connects the dots between the Afghanistan occupation, the increasing inequality at home & the movement towards greater local responsibility. By itself, demanding that the politicians and corporations, both of whom are profiting from the war, end the war, is not enough. Localization builds community strength & demands we the people end the war & occupation directly.
https://www.facebook.com/events/396399460423317/

SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE!!
12:45 Music Begins in Gazebo
1PM Opening Ceremony Event Begins, MC Jusby the Clown
1:10 Welcome to event: Swaneagle Harijan
1:20 Glen Anderson
1:30 Bill Moyer
1:40 Music: Olympia Peace Choir
2:00 Chris Stegman
2:10 Music: Mailhotia with guest poets
2:50 Larry Mosqueda
3:00 Music: Calvin Johnson
3:35 Zahid Shariff
3:45 Music: Violet Flame Meditation
4:05 MC Kayla Perez introduce's Peter Bohmer
4:15 Music: Betsy Holt
4:30 Lady Liberty: Mary Spokane
4:35 Music: 1985
5:05 Music: Brian McKracken
5:20 Patty Imani
5:25 Music: Monica Peabody
5:40 Music: Jacob Meyer
6:00 Elissa Goss
6:10 MC: Thank you, last words, reminder that continuing in the Olympia Ballroom will be a very special skype session, brought to us by Doug Mackey, with Afghan youth in the ballroom!
FINALLY A DANCE PARTY!
Clean up and out by dark!

Tuesday, October 02, 2012

Re: [olympiaworkers] End the Occupation of Afghanistan, celebrating the localization of resistance, Sun., Oct. 7, Sylvester Park, 1-7PM

I said I'd give out flyers but I haven't heard from youDBK

On Mon, Oct 1, 2012 at 4:52 PM, Bruce Wilkinson <bwildleaf@gmail.com> wrote:
Localization NOT Occupation, this Sunday, October 7, 1-7pm, at Sylvester Park, is the 11th anniversary of the Afghanistan Occupation and the 1st anniversary of the Occupy Wall Street Together Movement that will end it! The 1% profit off wars and then profit off the occupations afterwards. This demonstration is joining together the 99% and localizing our efforts at resistance to the Afghanistan Occupation. Sylvester Park, the birth place of Occupy Olympia, will feature music, speakers, poetry, artwork, tabling organizations, street theater, artful activism, solidarity calls with Afghanistan people, veterans against the war and breakout workshops put on by knowledgeable local people.

Facebook event! SHARE IT! https://www.facebook.com/events/396399460423317
Demanding politicians and war profiteers end the military occupations is not enough. Localization builds community strength, by working on developing the grassroots organizations we are creating the mechanisms for a popular movement that can take direct action aimed at ending the Afghanistan Occupation. When the people lead the leaders follow. Come down to Sylvester Park and be part of something that is great!

WEBSITE: http://www.localizationnotoccupation.org/
Welcome! It is time that we end this war and occupation once and for all! Thanks to Jusby the Clown, Kayla Perez and Terry Zander for MC'ing the event! Thanks to our speakers and musicians who are listed online. Special thanks to the many people who have volunteered to make this happen. You are the messengers of hope that another world is possible and by your actions you are ensuring that another world is happening! THANK YOU!

***MORE INFO ON WHY YOU SHOULD COME AND INVITE YOUR FRIENDS***

October 7th, is the 11th anniversary of the Afghanistan war: the unhappy day when America used its collective pain from 9/11 to inflict suffering and occupation upon the poor people of Afghanistan. Eleven years later, with 42% of their population below the age of 15 and their access to information severely restricted, ninety percent of Afghan people have never even heard of 9/11. Within this country the reasons for the war is similarly confused. Not one of the 9/11 hijackers were from Afghanistan and the former Taliban government did not participate in 9/11 either. With US soldier deaths in the Middle East surpassing the number who were killed that day, it is time to end the war and occupation.

On the main stage, speakers will share much more about the enduring reasons why the US government has made the choice to stay far too long there. US corporate interests are making lucrative profits off of oil pipelines, mineral deposits and development work while the indigenous Afghanistan people are treated as second class citizens of their own country that they are severely restricted and suffering in. The continuing racism and stereotypes in the US against the Afghanistan people serve to back up their continued oppression. While the 1% grow wealthy off of Afghanistan, including those profiting off the 90% of the world's opium that is produced there, the US and NATO troops face extensive deployments, increasing danger, PTSD, increasing numbers facing a lifetime with severe war injuries, suicide and other brutal ways of death.

Finally, demanding an unresponsive government end an unconscionable war and occupation is not enough to absolve us from responsibility. We are the 99%, this disgraceful occupation in Afghanistan ends with the soldiers refusing to fight backed by the support of the people. It ends with the people blockading the mechanisms of war with support of the soldiers. It ends with the corporations and banks that profit off of the military industrial complex brought to their knees for their crimes against humanity by the community that has resolved itself to finally acting responsibly when their representatives have refused to.

In the United States many adults now were children when this war started. Some who were adults have children who have never lived in the US without it being at war. The war has had a severe and lasting effect on our society and it effects our children the most. Protecting the children of today and the children we raise of tomorrow from a lifetime of living in a country responsible for the injustice of the Afghanistan occupation is our strongest motivation for change. Though the Afghanistan war is the very definition of extreme violence, resistance to war and occupation within the US doesn't have to be violent and the long lasting restorative change that we need to heal this country, Afghanistan and the world will be a process that is overall restorative. We are going to demonstrate in a way that creates bonds, ensures space for diverse conversation, respects personal boundaries and supports the long high road to a just peace through community building and restorative change. Come prepared to listen, chant, learn and become involved. Leave feeling empowered, informed, activated and with a greater responsibility to a loving community.

Thanks and solidarity!

Bruce Wilkinson
bruce@afgj.org
360-742-0864

Monday, October 01, 2012

[olympiaworkers] End the Occupation of Afghanistan, celebrating the localization of resistance, Sun., Oct. 7, Sylvester Park, 1-7PM

Localization NOT Occupation, this Sunday, October 7, 1-7pm, at Sylvester Park, is the 11th anniversary of the Afghanistan Occupation and the 1st anniversary of the Occupy Wall Street Together Movement that will end it! The 1% profit off wars and then profit off the occupations afterwards. This demonstration is joining together the 99% and localizing our efforts at resistance to the Afghanistan Occupation. Sylvester Park, the birth place of Occupy Olympia, will feature music, speakers, poetry, artwork, tabling organizations, street theater, artful activism, solidarity calls with Afghanistan people, veterans against the war and breakout workshops put on by knowledgeable local people.

Facebook event! SHARE IT! https://www.facebook.com/events/396399460423317
Demanding politicians and war profiteers end the military occupations is not enough. Localization builds community strength, by working on developing the grassroots organizations we are creating the mechanisms for a popular movement that can take direct action aimed at ending the Afghanistan Occupation. When the people lead the leaders follow. Come down to Sylvester Park and be part of something that is great!

WEBSITE: http://www.localizationnotoccupation.org/
Welcome! It is time that we end this war and occupation once and for all! Thanks to Jusby the Clown, Kayla Perez and Terry Zander for MC'ing the event! Thanks to our speakers and musicians who are listed online. Special thanks to the many people who have volunteered to make this happen. You are the messengers of hope that another world is possible and by your actions you are ensuring that another world is happening! THANK YOU!

***MORE INFO ON WHY YOU SHOULD COME AND INVITE YOUR FRIENDS***

October 7th, is the 11th anniversary of the Afghanistan war: the unhappy day when America used its collective pain from 9/11 to inflict suffering and occupation upon the poor people of Afghanistan. Eleven years later, with 42% of their population below the age of 15 and their access to information severely restricted, ninety percent of Afghan people have never even heard of 9/11. Within this country the reasons for the war is similarly confused. Not one of the 9/11 hijackers were from Afghanistan and the former Taliban government did not participate in 9/11 either. With US soldier deaths in the Middle East surpassing the number who were killed that day, it is time to end the war and occupation.

On the main stage, speakers will share much more about the enduring reasons why the US government has made the choice to stay far too long there. US corporate interests are making lucrative profits off of oil pipelines, mineral deposits and development work while the indigenous Afghanistan people are treated as second class citizens of their own country that they are severely restricted and suffering in. The continuing racism and stereotypes in the US against the Afghanistan people serve to back up their continued oppression. While the 1% grow wealthy off of Afghanistan, including those profiting off the 90% of the world's opium that is produced there, the US and NATO troops face extensive deployments, increasing danger, PTSD, increasing numbers facing a lifetime with severe war injuries, suicide and other brutal ways of death.

Finally, demanding an unresponsive government end an unconscionable war and occupation is not enough to absolve us from responsibility. We are the 99%, this disgraceful occupation in Afghanistan ends with the soldiers refusing to fight backed by the support of the people. It ends with the people blockading the mechanisms of war with support of the soldiers. It ends with the corporations and banks that profit off of the military industrial complex brought to their knees for their crimes against humanity by the community that has resolved itself to finally acting responsibly when their representatives have refused to.

In the United States many adults now were children when this war started. Some who were adults have children who have never lived in the US without it being at war. The war has had a severe and lasting effect on our society and it effects our children the most. Protecting the children of today and the children we raise of tomorrow from a lifetime of living in a country responsible for the injustice of the Afghanistan occupation is our strongest motivation for change. Though the Afghanistan war is the very definition of extreme violence, resistance to war and occupation within the US doesn't have to be violent and the long lasting restorative change that we need to heal this country, Afghanistan and the world will be a process that is overall restorative. We are going to demonstrate in a way that creates bonds, ensures space for diverse conversation, respects personal boundaries and supports the long high road to a just peace through community building and restorative change. Come prepared to listen, chant, learn and become involved. Leave feeling empowered, informed, activated and with a greater responsibility to a loving community.

Thanks and solidarity!

Bruce Wilkinson
bruce@afgj.org
360-742-0864