-Caveat Lector- [Fwd: [Activist_List]
Mike Italie, a garment worker, a long-time supporter of the Cuban Revolution, and the Socialist Workers Party candidate for Mayor in the recent election in Miami, was fired from his job at Goodwill Industries after publicly opposing Washington's war against Afghanistan recently. The Miami-Dade chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union declined to back Italie in his effort to obtain reinstatement, saying that discrimination based on political views is legal! Here are two articles from THE MILITANT newspaper. The case has received extensive media coverage in the Miami area and a national defense campaign is being organized by the SWP. It deserves the support of all who defend the Cuban Revolution. Miami Herald coverage, including some sympathetic coverage and letters is available by entering "Italie" in the search engine: http://www.miami.com/search =================================== THE MILITANT Vol.65/No.45 November 26, 2001 Socialist candidate in Miami wins support in fight against political firing (front page) BY CHARLES HUNTER MIAMI--"This firing is outrageous. I'll be at the Thursday night defense committee meeting," said Alexander Lopera, a young organizer for the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), when he learned about the political firing of Michael Italie, the recent Socialist Workers candidate for mayor of Miami. Lopera had met Italie at a recent Miami Jobs with Justice meeting, where the socialist garment worker was talking with union members about the First Amendment free speech fight. Young people like Lopera have been among the most outspoken supporters campaigning against the Socialist Workers candidate's unconstitutional firing. "This is an issue worth fighting for," Lopera added. "Youth are in the forefront of this battle and people should listen to what young people have to say." The SEIU member joined a team at Florida International University gathering signatures on petitions to protest the firing and passing out literature produced by the Committee to Defend Freedom of Speech and the Bill of Rights. Another young fighter, Heather Page, joined Italie passing out leaflets to workers at the plant gate in front of Goodwill Industries where he had worked as a sewing machine operator. Page helped petition for support at Miami Dade Community College. She is also joining the socialist candidate at a national meeting of Young Socialists and other political activists in Chicago the weekend of November 17-18 to report on the defense effort and encourage support. Goodwill Industries of South Florida fired Italie from his job as a sewing machine operator October 22. The company action came a few days after the socialist appeared on television in a debate with other mayoral candidates before some 400 people at Miami-Dade Community College in which he stated his opposition to the U.S. war in Afghanistan, his defense of the Cuban Revolution, and his support for union-organizing efforts. Italie appeared on the evening news after the campus debate, and for the next two days supervisors on the job began to ask him about his campaign. Four days after the debate, Italie's supervisor called him into the personnel office. There, the mayoral candidate was told by a company manager: "I have been assigned to tell you that because of your views of the U.S. government, you are a disruptive force and cannot work here any longer. Get your belongings and go." Goodwill chief executive officer Dennis Pastrana acknowledged that Italie had been fired because of his political statements, telling the Miami Herald October 30 that "we cannot have anyone who is attempting to subvert the United States of America" work at the plant. The company does not claim Italie was fired for his conduct on the job, such as quality of work, interfering with production, or for talking with co-workers. On the radio program "Sound Off" based in Fort Myers, Italie said supporters of the fight to defend the First Amendment "are winning a hearing from working people for the right to advocate views contrary to the policies of the government." The host, Sasha, invited Italie to speak after hearing him earlier in the week on the Francisco Aruca radio program in Miami. Aruca is a well-known opponent of the U.S. embargo of Cuba and supporter of a normalization of relations between the two countries. On the "Sound Off" program Italie explained that his firing comes in the context of other attacks on democratic rights in Florida and around the country. "The U.S. Congress has passed new legislation," said Italie, "that makes it easier for the FBI and other government agencies to spy on and harass opponents of government policy, in particular demonizing immigrants and targeting them for harsher restrictions on their rights." Black firefighters win reinstatement The socialist candidate added that in Miami a victory was won when three Black firefighters recently returned to work after a nearly two-month suspension for objecting to placing a large American flag on the truck they were assigned to. "These three firefighters--Terry Williams, James Moore, and William Clark--stood up to a storm of criticism and false press reports," stated Italie, "and showed the courage and determination all workers and farmers will need as we speak out against racism and war, and in defense of our right to oppose government policy in this country and around the world." In early November the Miami-Dade Fire Department cleared all three of any wrongdoing and the three returned to work. Opponents of the U.S. embargo of Cuba expressed their support for this free speech fight at meetings of the Alianza Martiana, a largely Cuban group in Miami. At a November 9 meeting, Andrés Gómez, who is a leader of the Antonio Maceo Brigade, introduced Italie to some 50 participants. "Michael Italie has a long history of speaking out in opposition to the embargo of Cuba and other hostile U.S. acts against Cuba," said Gómez. "As the Socialist Workers Party candidate for mayor of Miami, Mike defended the Cuban revolutionary process and he deserves our support." Italie explained to the meeting that Goodwill fired him not just for his opposition to the U.S. war in Afghanistan and his support of the Cuban Revolution, "but because I speak out about the importance of workers organizing unions to advance their conditions and rights on the job." Goodwill is a notorious antiunion company, said Italie, "In fact they take advantage of loopholes in the minimum wage laws to pay many workers as little as $1, $2 or $3 per hour. These bosses don't like any workers who speak up for their rights; they view us as a challenge to their power and profits." At the meeting Alianza Martiana activists collected 45 signatures on Committee to Defend Freedom of Speech and the Bill of Rights petitions that call on the mayor and city commissioners to "throw the full weight of the Miami city government behind Michael Italie's demand that his unjust firing be reversed and that he be reinstated to his job at Goodwill Industries." A truck driver at the meeting told Italie that he carries around a clipping from El Nuevo Herald about the socialist campaign as a tool to tell other workers about the fight against this political firing. He noted that El Nuevo Herald only has had this one brief article on the socialist campaign. In order to make Goodwill Industries pay the highest possible political price for the firing, supporters of Michael Italie will be taking to the streets during the annual Miami bookfair, handing out fact sheets and gathering petitions against the firing. "Winning the support of individuals as well as organizations is critical to maintaining momentum in this fight to defend workers' rights," Italie reported to the first meeting of the Committee to Defend Freedom of Speech and the Bill of Rights. The Miami committee has produced a "truth kit" with a fact sheet and press coverage on the firing and a statement that can be signed by those wanting to defend Italie's rights. The fact sheet is now available in English, Spanish, and French. To receive this packet, to obtain other information, and to send urgently needed contributions, contact the Committee to Defend Freedom of Speech and the Bill of Rights, P.O. Box 510127, Miami, FL 33151-0127. Tel: (305) 724-5965. Checks should be made out to the Free Speech Defense Fund. http://www.themilitant.com/2001/6545/654502.html ================================= THE MILITANT Vol.65/No.44 November 19, 2001 Miamians organize nationwide fight against political firing of candidate for mayor (front page) BY MARTÍN KOPPEL AND CINDY JAQUITH MIAMI--"Goodwill Industries has violated the First Amendment right to free speech by firing me for advocating political ideas the employer doesn't agree with," said Michael Italie, a garment worker and Socialist Workers candidate for mayor of this city, at a November 6 press conference in front of the plant. The only working-class candidate in the mayoral race, Italie has been speaking out against Washington's war on Afghanistan, defending the Cuban Revolution, and championing struggles by unionists, farmers, opponents of police brutality, and other working people. "They didn't claim that I was doing a poor job as a sewing machine operator, or that something I did on the job was disruptive," Italie said. "They fired me simply for running for public office in the city of Miami and expressing certain political positions--that is outrageous and unconstitutional. Reaching out for support "My supporters and I are reaching out for support here in Miami, in Florida, and across the country. We urge other defenders of freedom of speech--prominent civil libertarians, unionists, farmers, Black rights organizations, student groups, and others--to call on the city authorities, who are responsible for enforcing the law, to demand that Goodwill Industries reinstate me. We can get broad support, including among those who don't agree with me on different political issues." He added, "If Goodwill gets away with its victimization of a worker for the advocacy of ideas, other employers will try to do the same. This is an attack on the rights of all working people. Our goal is to make it harder for bosses to fire anyone for expressing ideas they disapprove of." Italie, who was interviewed in Spanish by Channel 51 across from the plant gate, talked with a number of his co-workers as they came out of work, and handed out a sheet explaining the facts and soliciting support. Dozens of workers took the fliers and many gave him a friendly response. "Mike is a good worker," said a 33-year-old sewing machine operator who is originally from Haiti. He said he had been surprised when he heard Italie had been fired October 22. "Bosses here sometimes yell at us, and then they claim we don't have a right to object to their abuse," said another worker, who said he too was against the U.S. bombing of Afghanistan. 'Trying to suppress certain views' A number of supporters of Italie's fight attended the press conference, including Kevin Blair, an organizer for the Farm Labor Organizing Committee in Florida; activists in the Miami Coalition to End the U.S. Embargo of Cuba and the Antonio Maceo Brigade; and other workers and young people. Andrés Gómez, national coordinator of the Antonio Maceo Brigade, stated, "It's important to coordinate this effort and make it national. It's outrageous for a candidate to be fired and deprived of his job for expressing political views. This action by Goodwill is a dangerous one." Sidney Royal, a retired health service worker who is Black, stated, "It's only certain views this company is trying to suppress." The company doesn't want workers to oppose the U.S. war on Afghanistan and anti-Arab chauvinism, he said. Italie said that although the general election is over, the fight against the political firing has just begun. The mayoral race will continue with a runoff election on November 13 between two wealthy Democratic politicians, Maurice Ferré and Manuel Díaz. The previous Saturday night, November 3, some 40 people turned out for a special Militant Labor Forum to protest Italie's firing. Volunteers began showing up at Italie's campaign offices early in the afternoon. Heather Page, 20, and Aldo Nahed, 24, who have been involved in the fight from the start, helped paint banners and signs and set up the meeting hall. Two students, Marcos and Janetsi Cutrera, showed up with their father, Tony Cutrera, a Puerto Rican worker who is a supporter of the Cuban Revolution. Tony and Janetsi, a high school student, helped translate defense literature while Marcos, a sophomore in college, designed a display of media coverage on the case and then videotaped the evening program. The crowd included other young people who had attended one or more of Italie's campaign events on campus. Participants also came from an ad hoc coalition that has called several protests against the U.S. war against Afghanistan; the Miami Coalition to End the U.S. Embargo of Cuba; and Alianza Martiana, a grouping made up mostly of Cuban-Americans who oppose the U.S. embargo against the island. Part of assault on working class Ernie Mailhot, a meat packer from Seattle and a leader of the Socialist Workers Party, noted that the Goodwill bosses' firing of Italie is part of the assault on workers' rights that is accelerating as Washington escalates its imperialist war against Afghanistan. To achieve its goal of imposing a stable U.S. protectorate in that Central Asian country, he said, Washington "is going to have to use ground troops. As they bring back bodybags, they will try to whip up a patriotic war campaign to a high pitch." The most important resistance to the U.S. rulers' war aims, Mailhot said, is the working-class struggles that are unfolding around the country, from the strike by meat packers in Toppenish, Washington, to the protests against police brutality in Florida. In targeting workers like Italie, he added, "what the bosses are concerned about is this resistance that's beginning among our class." Mailhot, who was active in the workers movement in Miami for more than a decade, recalled that he himself was fired from Eastern Airlines in 1987 after running for mayor of Miami on the Socialist Workers ticket. He received the support of his co-workers and his union and won his job back. Two years later, workers at Eastern waged an important battle against the company's union busting. Italie explained that Goodwill had sent workers home early the day of his first news conference, held October 29 outside the plant, so they wouldn't be able to talk to him or the press. "They went to workers in my old department individually and told them not to take any of my literature." The company sent guards and supervisors out to instruct workers to refuse Italie's handouts. Most workers ignored the order. Response to mayor's charge of 'treason' The socialist candidate responded to a statement by incumbent mayor Joseph Carollo that Italie's ideas are "treasonous." Italie said such a statement is an attempt to intimidate anyone sharing his views. "The advocacy of ideas--including socialist ideas--is not a high crime punishable by law. I call on the mayor to retract his statement and for all the other mayoral candidates to join me in that demand," he stated. "My party filed a lawsuit in 1973 against FBI spying and disruption. In more than 40 years of spying, they were never able to prove a single illegal act on the part of the Socialist Workers Party. Through the lawsuit, on the other hand, it was proved that the government's secret police had flagrantly violated constitutional rights." The audience watched a set of videos prepared by Nahed of the three television stations' coverage of Italie's fight. Orlando Collado, representing the Miami Coalition to End the Embargo of Cuba, told those present, "This is an attack not just on Michael, but on the working class. Michael's views did not interfere with his performance of his job." Also speaking was Max Rameau, representing Brothers of the Same Mind, an organization in the Black community that is fighting the state of Florida's denial of voting rights for former prisoners. Earlier that day, Italie and members of Brothers of the Same Mind joined a protest against the police killing of Alphaeus Dailey, shot in his wheelchair earlier this year. Firefighters' case Rameau pointed to the similarities between Italie's case and that of three firefighters in this city who are Black--William Clark, James Moore, and Terry Williams. The three were removed from their jobs and placed on paid leave shortly after September 11 when they removed a large U.S. flag from their truck. They said the flag was obstructing their view and noted it was a symbol of the oppression of Blacks and others. Rameau said it was a victory that the three firefighters were recently recalled to their jobs. Heather Page spoke about what she has learned about "democracy" in the United States through the war in Afghanistan, Italie's firing, and other events. "I was brought up thinking I was free," she began. "As I got older I saw the injustices this government carries out.... We're not free. They're not sticking by any of the rights they say we have. "They would like us to think that this reality cannot be changed. Go out and tell people we're not powerless." Sherie Bevel, a student at Florida International University South and chairperson of the campus Philosophy Club, spoke in a similar vein. "Keep speaking out!" she urged Italie. "Let's let young people know it's their birthright to speak and think." Juan Carlos Zamora, representing the Alianza Martiana, called for Italie to "exercise his right to speak his mind without fear." Supporters agreed to meet the following Thursday to draw up a plan of action to win broader support. More than $400 was raised for the defense effort in cash and pledges. A number of supporters of Italie's fight have begun circulating a petition, which was presented and discussed at the November 3 forum, to demand that the Miami mayor and city commissioners put pressure on Goodwill Industries to reinstate Italie. Among the dozens of initial signers are eight workers at a meatpacking plant in Ft. Lauderdale. Several of these workers signed even though they do not share Italie's stance on the U.S. war in Central Asia or on the Cuban Revolution. Italie was fired October 22 a few days after participating in a televised candidates' forum at Miami-Dade Community College, attended by 400 students and faculty. He was the only candidate to present a working-class platform and speak out against the imperialist invasion of Afghanistan. Goodwill CEO Dennis Pastrana told the Miami Herald in an October 30 article that Italie was fired "to preserve the integrity of the flag that we produce...without having influences in our organization that are contrary to the American way of life." The company, which calls itself a nonprofit establishment and received federal subsidies, manufactures military uniforms and U.S. flags. It is notoriously antiunion and pays many workers well below the minimum wage. A constitutional firing? The firing and the decision by Italie and his supporters to protest the political victimization have sparked a growing debate in the media and political circles. In an article in the October 31 Miami Herald, the president of the Greater Miami chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Lida Rodriguez-Taseff, was quoted as saying, "Employees don't have a First Amendment right to express their political views if they work for private employers. Employers have a First Amendment right to associate with people who have political opinions they approve of." Her assertion echoed Goodwill's position. On November 6 the Herald printed a letter to the editor from Marc Silverstein of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. "This political firing is a complete violation of our First Amendment rights," said Silverstein. The local ACLU chapter "has decided not to support Italie because it says it is not unlawful for an employer to fire a person for his or her political views. This is clearly unjust and must be changed. All civil libertarians and people concerned with free speech and the rights of workers should support Italie's campaign today." John Due, an attorney and longtime civil rights activist, issued a statement objecting to the local ACLU chapter's stance. "We cannot permit so-called private organizations, such as Goodwill, which is a public charity with federal tax exemption, which has a license from the city and county to operate, to hide behind claimed private property rights to chill the expression of free speech. To claim that such a case is not winnable is the same excuse used by the Justice Department for failing to protect the human rights of civil rights activists in Mississippi in the 60s." On November 7 the Herald published an article, titled "Forced patriotism is oppression," by columnist Robert Steinback, who has frequently written on issues of civil liberties and Black rights. Steinback wrote, "Italie's firing, in a word, stinks.... He was fired for what he chooses to believe" (see 'Forced patriotism is oppression'). The same day, radio commentator Francisco Aruca discussed Italie's firing during his popular morning program on Radio Progreso. Italie called in to speak about his fight and answer a few questions by Aruca. Several people who heard the program later called the Socialist Workers campaign offices to express their support. A talk show host in Ft. Myers, Florida, called Italie after hearing the program, and arranged to do a live interview with him November 10. Statements demanding Italie's reinstatement and donations to cover the costs of this campaign for justice should be sent to the Committee to Defend Freedom of Speech and the Bill of Rights, P.O. Box 510127, Miami, FL 33151-0127. http://www.themilitant.com/2001/6544/654402.html ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Universal Inkjet Refill Kit $29.95 Refill any ink cartridge for less! 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