> WW News Service Digest #35 > > 1) On the picket line: 2/3/2000 > by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > 2) WW members receive justice awards > by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > 3) Missiles that passed in the night > by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > 4) Will Haiti be new site of Navy's bomb tests? > by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >This digest is sent to you because you are subscribed to ><[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. >To unsubscribe, E-mail to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To switch to the non-digest, standard mode, E-mail to ><[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Send administrative queries to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > >Message-ID: <011d01b1f8f2$e694ce80$[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >From: "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: [WW] On the picket line: 2/3/2000 >Date: Mon, 1 Feb 1988 20:51:44 -0500 >Content-Type: text/plain; > charset="iso-8859-1" >Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > >------------------------- >Via Workers World News Service >Reprinted from the Feb. 3, 2000 >issue of Workers World newspaper >------------------------- > >ON THE PICKET LINE > >SNOW PLOW SICK-OUT > >"Everybody is glad we did it, nobody regrets it, and we >probably would do it again," said one of the New York State >highway-maintenance workers who called in sick Jan. 20. >What's more, said this member of the Civil Service Employees >Association, "We are happy that our message got out and that >picked up our spirits." > >What didn't get picked up was snow. The sick-out left Long >Island roads unplowed during the area's first snowfall this >winter. Many of the workers did report to work eventually-- >but by then, six hours into their shift, the job action had >made a dramatic impact. > >Although the sick-out was a wildcat, not officially >authorized by the union, CSEA leaders said it showed how >angry the workers are. Contract negotiations have dragged on >for more than a year. The state refuses to offer a decent >wage. > >So the workers raised the stakes. It took guts. The Taylor >Law makes it illegal for state employees to strike. When the >news reached Gov. George Pataki, he went ballistic. The >governor threatened massive fines against both the union and >every individual employee who called in sick. He also >quickly got a court injunction barring any further job >action by snow-removal workers. > >Nevertheless, rumors continue to fly that next time snow >falls highway workers in Westchester and Putnam counties may >follow the example set by their sisters and brothers in >Nassau and Suffolk. > >--Shelley Ettinger > >KAISER CITED FOR GRAMERCY EXPLOSION > >The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration has >slapped Kaiser Aluminum with 21 safety citations for a July >5, 1999, explosion at its Gramercy, La., plant. Some of the >more serious violations could be referred to the Justice >Department for criminal prosecution. The Steel Workers >union--whose members struck Kaiser in September 1998, ended >the strike and were locked out in January 1999--welcomed the >citations. > >"We're very pleased to see them," said Stanley Folse, >Local 5702 safety and health chairperson. "MSHA's citations >prove what we've said all along. Kaiser ran this plant in a >dangerous and irresponsible way, with badly trained >replacement workers, after locking out its experienced work >force." > >Scabs and supervisors were operating the plant at the time >of the explosion. The July 5 blast injured 29 employees, >according to MSHA. The explosion also destroyed much of the >plant. A caustic chemical dust sprayed over the neighboring >community, sickening 100 residents. After investigating, >MSHA charged Kaiser with 21 serious violations of mandatory >safety standards and other regulations. Thirteen of the >violations were "unwarrantable," the most serious type of >citation the agency can issue. > >Mine safety investigators found inoperative pressure >relief systems, blocked pressure-relief piping, routine >operation of pressure vessels beyond their design capacity, >inadequate safety training and lack of proper protective >equipment. As the Steel Workers had warned months before the >blast, Gramercy was an accident waiting to happen. MSHA said >the violations constituted "more than the ordinary >negligence." > >The mine safety agency also charged Kaiser with seven >counts of impeding or interfering with its investigation, >ignoring MSHA orders not to enter dangerous areas damaged by >the explosion, and falsely claiming that data MSHA requested >did not exist. The agency's investigation report and >proposed penalties against Kaiser will be released later. > >"Kaiser deserves the most severe penalties allowed by >law," said David Foster, who chairs the Steel Workers >union's Kaiser negotiating committee. "But in the long run, >we want this plant to reopen with a skilled work force of >steel workers under a fair contract. It's time for Kaiser to >end their lockout, bargain with us in good faith, and work >with us to make Gramercy a safe place to work." > >--Mary Owen > > - 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: <012301b1f8f2$fc5ad7a0$[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >From: "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: [WW] WW members receive justice awards >Date: Mon, 1 Feb 1988 20:52:21 -0500 >Content-Type: text/plain; > charset="iso-8859-1" >Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > >------------------------- >Via Workers World News Service >Reprinted from the Feb. 3, 2000 >issue of Workers World newspaper >------------------------- > >ROCHESTER, NY: >WORKERS WORLD MEMBERS RECEIVE JUSTICE AWARDS > >By Bev Hiestand >Rochester, N.Y. > >On Jan. 18, Workers World Party members Lydia Bayonetta >and Robert Tishler were given awards at the First Annual >Martin Luther King Memorial Banquet here. Sponsored by the >Monroe County Chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership >Conference, the event was meant to recognize the >contributions of activists against racism and social >injustice. > >David Preston, chapter president, reminded the audience of >the legacy of Frederick Douglass, Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X, >and W.E.B. Du Bois. He stressed that the struggle for human >rights and social justice continues--as shown by the >recipients of the evening's awards. > >Comedian Dick Gregory, champion of civil rights and social >justice, was guest speaker . > >Lydia Bayonetta was awarded the Rosa Parks Profile in >Courage Award. Bayonetta--a Workers World Party National >Committee member and a leader of its Rochester branch--was >herself born into struggle. She is a Filipina whose family >had to flee the Japanese occupation of their homeland. > >Since she joined Workers World Party in 1973, she has >involved herself with many struggles--from the struggle >against racism in Boston in 1974 to the support of the >United Farm Workers organizing. > >In 1984 she was the Workers World candidate for U.S. >Congress in the 35th Congressional District. In l988, she >was a candidate for U.S. Senate, receiving more votes than >any other third-party candidate at the time. > >She has been a leader in organizing anti-war opposition to >the Pentagon wars against Vietnam, Iran, Grenada, Panama, >Iraq and Yugoslavia. As coordinator for the International >Action Center, she has led efforts in Rochester to free >political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal. > >Bob Tishler received the Drum Major for Justice Award for >his long-time activist work in the struggle against war, >racism, gay, lesbian, bi and trans oppression, and many >other forms of oppression. > >The award especially recognized his years of work to free >Betty Tyson, a Black woman framed on charges of murder. >Tishler was one of the first to fight for her freedom. His >courage and contributions as a disabled activist were >especially recognized. > >After the awards dinner, Lydia said it was a great honor >to be recognized among so many brothers and sisters who had >led marches, civil disobedience and so many other forms of >struggle during the long history of the civil-rights >movement. She said that her accomplishments were realized >only through the guidance and support of her comrades in the >struggle. > > - 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: <012901b1f8f3$12840f60$[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >From: "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: [WW] Missiles that passed in the night >Date: Mon, 1 Feb 1988 20:52:58 -0500 >Content-Type: text/plain; > charset="iso-8859-1" >Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > >------------------------- >Via Workers World News Service >Reprinted from the Feb. 3, 2000 >issue of Workers World newspaper >------------------------- > >EDITORIAL: MISSILES THAT PASSED IN THE NIGHT > >Two missiles hurtled across the Pacific. One carried a mock >warhead. The other was aimed to collide with that warhead >and destroy it. They cleanly missed each other. > >The flop set off a debate in Washington and in the big- >business editorial pages over how to proceed with a program >whose research is costing $3.3 billion this year and has >already cost $55 billion since President Ronald Reagan >introduced "Star Wars"--the Strategic Defense Initiative--in >1983. > >The owners of the military-industrial complex are out to >rip off the U.S. treasury. They are itching to get their >hands on another trillion dollars of government spending to >build this anti-ballistic missile system. > >Pentagon officials looking for a cushy retirement job in >the war industry have even faked tests to make the weapon >look good. They cheated on the last anti-missile test by >aiming the interceptor at a big decoy and then swerving to >hit the target at the last minute. > >They set up this latest one by launching the mock warhead >from California. It would be easier to track it from there. >Still they flubbed it. And now they are trying to spin their >failure into a success. > >That they are thieves and liars is bad enough. But the >greatest threat to humanity is that they will still manage >to get Congress to fund the system and put it in place. This >is a threat, whether or not the system works. The U.S. >military will risk the wildest aggression if it believes it >is invulnerable. > >Building such a system is a clear violation of the 1972 >Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty. The Chinese government has >already condemned the U.S. tests. With dip lomatic >understatement, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhu >Bangzao told reporters the test "does no good to the global >and regional strategic balance and stability." Russian and >Chinese leaders have made it clear that if the United States >deploys such a system, this will launch a new arms race. > >The Pentagon tries to justify its war plans by claiming >the anti-ballistic missiles are aimed at "rogue states," >naming north Korea, Iran and Iraq as likely targets of U.S. >coercion that must be isolated. For anyone who hasn't caught >on yet, Washington defines a "rogue state" as one that still >refuses to submit to U.S. intimidation. > >But a U.S. anti-missile system is a threat to the whole >planet. The single super-rogue state has its headquarters in >Washington. And the task of anti-war forces in the United >States must be to stop the research, construction and >deployment of a U.S. anti-missile system. > > - 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: <012f01b1f8f3$3d252560$[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >From: "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: [WW] Will Haiti be new site of Navy's bomb tests? >Date: Mon, 1 Feb 1988 20:54:10 -0500 >Content-Type: text/plain; > charset="iso-8859-1" >Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > >------------------------- >Via Workers World News Service >Reprinted from the Feb. 3, 2000 >issue of Workers World newspaper >------------------------- > >AS VIEQUES STRUGGLE RAGES: >WILL HAITI BE NEW SITE OF NAVY'S BOMB TESTS? > >By G. Dunkel > >In the wake of mass protests in Puerto Rico against the >United States Navy's use of the Puerto Rican island of >Vieques for bombing practice, the Pentagon has made plans to >carry on similar bombing runs somewhere in Haiti. > >Miriam Ramirez de Ferrer, a right-wing senatorial >candidate in Puerto Rico of the New Progressive Party made >these plans public in El Nuevo Dia, the bigest Puerto Rican >daily newspaper. Ramirez de Ferrer has very close ties to >congressional Republicans in Washington. > >Haiti-Progres, a progressive and widely- read Haitian >newspaper, contacted Jean Rameau York, the Haitian consul in >Puerto Rico, and asked him about the Pentagon's plans. The >consul said he had sent the stories on to his embassy in >Washington. > >"In the meantime," he said, "for all those newspapers [who >ask for a response], I refer them to the government in Port- >au-Prince." > >When Haiti-Progres contacted the Ministry of Foreign >Affairs in Haiti and asked about the story, the secretary of >Foreign Minister Fritz Longchamp claimed to know nothing, >and not to have seen the articles. After Haiti-Progres faxed >the articles, the foreign minister still made no response to >the question of a U.S. base. > >Harold Joseph, the Haitian ambassador to Washington, had >the same response--at first saying nothing, and then after >Haiti-Progres faxed the articles making no comment. > >Spokespeople for the White House and the National Security >Council had heard of the El Nuevo Dia article, but would >neither confirm nor deny the report. > >There is no evidence yet that the Pentagon has decided to >turn Vieques over to the Puerto Rican people. > >According to Haitian lawyers, Haiti's constitution >prohibits foreign military bases. It also prohibits >stationing foreign troops on Haitian soil. But U.S. troops >have been in Haiti for years. About 200 U.S. soldiers are >still deployed in the northern city of Cap Haitien. > >The Pentagon has a new "configuration" for its forces in >Haiti. Troops will be rotated through all the different >regions of that country. Pentagon officials say this will be >a better "training experience." > >Should the Pentagon begin bombing practice in Haiti, it is >likely to meet the same kind of resistance from the Haitian >people as it currently faces in Puerto Rico, even if the >Haitian government goes along with the plan. > > - 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] ___________________________________
