> > WW News Service Digest #67 > > 1) Continuing solidarity with locked-out Kaiser workers > by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > 2) 'Ride for Justice' targets Coca-Cola board meeting > by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > 3) Leonard Peltier wins medical care > by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > 4) Mayors call for march to tear down slavery's flag > by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > >------------------------- >Via Workers World News Service >Reprinted from the Apr. 6, 2000 >issue of Workers World newspaper >------------------------- > >CONTINUING SOLIDARITY WITH LOCKED-OUT KAISER WORKERS > >By Jim McMahan >Tacoma, Wash. > >Scores of people defied hundreds of cops and marched on >the Kaiser Aluminum plant here on March 25 and March 26. > >They marched in solidarity with the locked-out Kaiser >workers, members of the Steel Workers union. The workers >have been on the picket lines fighting for a decent >contract since September 1998. They walked out to fight the >company's plan for wage and benefit cutbacks, job cuts, and >contracting out union work. > >In January 1999, when the union offered a return to work >while negotiations continued, Kaiser locked out the >workers. It is now one of the longest lockouts in U.S. >labor history. > >But the struggle against Kaiser has not waned. > >During the massive militant protests against the World >Trade Organization in Seattle last fall, an alliance was >forged between anti-corporate protesters from the Direct >Action Network and the Kaiser workers. > >A weekend of mass protest against Kaiser Aluminum/Maxxam >was planned. Maxxam owns both Kaiser Aluminum and Pacific >Lumber. In the 1980s corporate raider Charles Hurwitz >bought both companies and sold or closed half of Kaiser's >plants. > >Pacific Lumber, a large private holder of ancient redwood >forests in northern California, began accelerated >"liquidation logging" of the remaining redwoods. This >clear-cutting has sparked some of the biggest environmental >protests in the United States. And now Maxxam's joint >attack against the environment and workers has sparked an >important new alliance. > >In the days before the planned mass protests, the Tacoma >political establishment and police launched a campaign of >fear and intimidation against the demonstrators. Police >spokespeople, parroted by the local media, said that >"outside anarchists" bent on destruction were going to >disrupt the city. > >They warned that cops would be out in full force. A number >of local schools were scheduled to be closed. > >The campaign of lies forced the cancellation of several >protest meetings and activities that had been planned in >solidarity with the locked-out workers. It was an attack on >the Steel Workers union and against the alliance among >labor, students, and environmental and community activists. > >But the demonstration by the Steel Workers, Direct Action >Network members, Longshore workers, and other unionists and >activists forged ahead. For two days in a row, they marched >for a mile--past a massive police presence of cops from >eight jurisdictions, right up to the Kaiser mill gate where >they held a rally. They sang pro-union and anti-police >songs all the way. > >As the anti-WTO protests in Seattle showed, those willing >to struggle for the workers and oppressed peoples without >backing down are bound for victory. Here in Tacoma on March >25 and 26 the Steel Workers showed Kaiser that they aren't >backing down either. > > - END - > >(Copyleft Workers World Service. Everyone is permitted to >copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but >changing it is not allowed. For more information contact >Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] For subscription info send message >to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.workers.org) > > > >Message-ID: <007b01bf9b75$79f76ac0$[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >From: "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: [WW] 'Ride for Justice' targets Coca-Cola board meeting >Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2000 19:59:04 -0500 >Content-Type: text/plain; > charset="iso-8859-1" >Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > >------------------------- >Via Workers World News Service >Reprinted from the Apr. 6, 2000 >issue of Workers World newspaper >------------------------- > >"RIDE FOR JUSTICE" TARGETS COCA-COLA BOARD MEETING > >By Dianne Mathiowetz >Atlanta > >Starting the afternoon of April 15, several buses carrying >150 current and laid-off Coca-Cola employees and their >supporters will depart from Atlanta. Their final >destination is Wilmington, Del., where the giant soft-drink >company's annual shareholders' meeting is scheduled for >April 19. > >The caravan is headed up by Larry Jones, a 15-year >employee of the corporation. Many see his surprise layoff >in February as retaliation for his challenging Coke's >racist practices. > >Jones says the employees "have a story to tell the >stockholders and America about how corporate racism works." > >He and the other workers want substantive changes inside >Coca-Cola. The "ride for justice" seeks to pressure the >multi-billion-dollar company to settle a federal lawsuit >quickly and fairly. The lawsuit, filed originally by four >Black employees in April 1999, charges discrimination in >pay, promotions and performance evaluations. > >There are now eight plaintiffs in the case. They are >seeking class-action status, which would expand any >settlement to include an additional 2,000 people. > >Jones says the trip by the Campaign for Corporate Justice >will signal Coca-Cola and the rest of corporate America >"that business as usual can't be accepted." Along the way, >there will be rallies where bus riders will testify about >Coke's racist policies. > >On April 16, the caravan will stop in Greensboro, N.C., >the site of history-making sit-ins at Woolworth's that >galvanized the mass struggle to end Jim Crow segregation. >Events will also be held in Richmond, Va., on April 17 and >Washington on April 18. > >On April 19, as Coke stockholders, including billionaire >Warren Buffett, arrive at the Playhouse Theater in >Wilmington, caravan participants will be there to greet >them. Stockholders themselves, they plan to raise their >issues inside the meeting. > >These issues include the $120 million severance package >Coke paid ousted Chief Executive Officer M. Douglas >Ivester. And they include the layoffs of almost 40 percent >of the company's workers. > >In recent days, Coke has announced the appointment of two >African Americans to executive positions. Jones says these >promotions are attempts "to manipulate the situation" >instead of actually correct the injustices. He notes that >Coke has delayed any mediation talks on settling the >lawsuit, which says more than any public-relations >appointments. > >For more information on the Campaign for Corporate >Justice, readers can call (404) 371-0749. > > - END - > >(Copyleft Workers World Service. Everyone is permitted to >copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but >changing it is not allowed. For more information contact >Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] For subscription info send message >to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.workers.org) > > > >Message-ID: <008101bf9b75$92429820$[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >From: "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: [WW] Leonard Peltier wins medical care >Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2000 19:59:45 -0500 >Content-Type: text/plain; > charset="iso-8859-1" >Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > >------------------------- >Via Workers World News Service >Reprinted from the Apr. 6, 2000 >issue of Workers World newspaper >------------------------- > >AFTER 4 YEARS OF PAIN AND STRUGGLE: >LEONARD PELTIER WINS MEDICAL CARE > >By Leslie Feinberg > >Supporters of Leonard Peltier will be relieved to know >that this long-held political prisoner seems to have >finally gotten badly needed medical treatment that prison >officials denied him for four long years. A pressure >campaign by supporters in the United States and around the >world, and Peltier's own steadfastness in dealing with the >prison administration, wrested this important concession. > >Leonard Peltier has been dubbed the "Nelson Mandela" of >the United States because of his long years behind bars as >a political prisoner. He was convicted in 1977 for the >deaths of two FBI agents. But when formerly withheld >evidence that supported Peltier's insistence on his >innocence surfaced on appeal, the prosecutor admitted that >the government did not know who actually shot the agents. > >Yet the federal government refuses to release him. >Peltier's next parole review date is June 12. > >An alert traveled at lightning speed on the Internet when >Peltier was suddenly removed from his cell on March 20. >Neither Peltier nor his lawyers had been notified about the >transfer. Authorities are supposed to provide 48-hour >notice. > >Members of the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee issued an >emergency alert calling for urgent action after they >received a 10:30 a.m. phone call from a scheduled visitor >who had been told that Peltier was no longer inside the >prison. At the same time, a Leavenworth prisoner called the >LPDC to report that Peltier had been transferred that >morning. > >Guards packed Peltier's belongings. They were overheard >remarking that prison officials had known far in advance >that Peltier would be transferred. > >Supporters launched a telephone blitz of the Bureau of >Prisons, lighting up the state institution's phone lines with >queries about Peltier's whereabouts and well being. > >`FREE PELTIER NOW!' > >On March 22, the defense committee received a call from >Dr. E.E. Keller, a maxillofacial expert. Keller said he had >performed a five-hour operation on Peltier's jaw. Peltier >had undergone maxillofacial surgery that day at the Mayo >Clinic in Rochester, Minn. > >Peltier had been suffering for four years because his jaw >was literally frozen open 13 millimeters. He was in terrible >pain and could not eat properly. X-rays taken on March 20 >revealed that Peltier suffered from ankylosis on both sides of >his mandible, which is why his jaw was completely locked and >immobile, Keller said. > >The surgeon reported that the surgery went well and that >Peltier should recover the full use of his jaw. Peltier was >able to call the defense committee on March 23 to confirm that >he is recovering, although he is experiencing a lot of pain, >his face is swollen and he is still weak. > >Prison authorities barred Peltier's lawyers from calling >or visiting him after the surgery. And the Bureau of >Prisons offered no information on his condition until March >23. > >But a March 21 defense committee bulletin noted that the >officials at Rochester said they would arrange a legal >phone call, adding, "They have been instructed to cooperate >with this request in order to save the BOP any more floods >of phone calls." > >As a child Peltier contracted tetanus, which left him with >jaw problems. However, two surgeries performed at the >Federal Springfield Medical Facility in 1996 are said to >have far worsened his condition and resulted in the serious >condition known as ankylosis. While at Springfield, Peltier >was thrown in "the hole"--solitary confinement--to recover. > >Keller wrote to the warden at Leavenworth in 1997 offering >to treat Peltier. But prison officials demanded instead >that the prisoner undergo a third surgery at Springfield. >Peltier refused, even though he was in terrible pain and >unable to eat properly. > >In response to their callous rejection of Keller's offer, >prison authorities were hit with a barrage of demands that >Peltier be transferred to the Mayo Clinic. This pressure came >from individual supporters, members of Congress, United >Nations officials, human-rights organizations and others. > >In the last year, prison officials had stonewalled, >claiming that Peltier's condition was "stable" and did not >"warrant" x-rays or treatment. > >A March 22 LPDC press release concluded: "Enough pressure >from concerned individuals and human rights groups can have >an effect. Let's make that effectiveness free Leonard >Peltier before Clinton is out of office!" > >Supporters are asked to call the White House Comments Line >to demand justice for Leonard Peltier. That number is (202) >456-1111. > > - END - > >(Copyleft Workers World Service. Everyone is permitted to >copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but >changing it is not allowed. For more information contact >Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] For subscription info send message >to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.workers.org) > > > >Message-ID: <008701bf9b75$b9895f90$[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >From: "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: [WW] Mayors call for march to tear down slavery's flag >Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2000 20:00:51 -0500 >Content-Type: text/plain; > charset="iso-8859-1" >Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > >------------------------- >Via Workers World News Service >Reprinted from the Apr. 6, 2000 >issue of Workers World newspaper >------------------------- > >SOUTH CAROLINA: >MAYORS CALL FOR MARCH TO >TEAR DOWN SLAVERY'S FLAG > >By Dianne Mathiowetz > >The struggle to take down the Confederate battle flag now >flying over the South Carolina Capitol is gaining new >support. > >Mayor Joseph Riley of Charleston, S.C., has announced >plans for a five-day march from the seaport city to >Columbia, the state capital, "to put pressure on the >legislature to act and to act now" to remove the flag. The >march is to begin April 2. > >A boycott called by the NAACP in July 1999 has resulted in >cancellation of 54 large conventions and meetings at just >seven of the city's big hotels, according to the Columbia >Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau. Columbia's >mayor has joined Riley in calling for the flag to be taken >down from atop the Capitol. > >In 1962, in the midst of the growing civil-rights >struggle, South Carolina legislators voted to fly the >Confederate battle flag over the Capitol. Earlier, in 1956, >Georgia had incorporated the racist rebel stars and bars in >its state flag as a sign of defiance against the movement >to end segregation. Despite years of protest, the >legislature has refused to take down the racist emblem. > >When almost 50,000 marchers gathered on Martin Luther King >Day to demand that the flag be removed, however, the >movement took on a new dimension. Politicians have been >scrambling to strike a compromise that would not offend the >racist supporters of the flag. Other elected officials, >such as Mayor Riley, oppose placing the Confederate flag at >any prominent place at the State Capitol, saying "it's >wrong." > > > - END - > >(Copyleft Workers World Service. Everyone is permitted to >copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but >changing it is not allowed. For more information contact >Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] For subscription info send message >to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.workers.org) > > > > __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi ___________________________________ [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe/unsubscribe messages mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________
