Feature Archives

As demonstrations in Argentina and elsewhere herald the deepening "crisis of capitalism" in the US, workers across the Bay Area are unifying the struggle against employers attempting to eliminate jobs, cut healthcare and other benefits, attack workers' rights, and threaten public services.

Working under an expired contract, 10,000 West Coast longshore men and women face a threatened lockout by the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) — and now the danger that President Bush will invoke the Taft-Hartley Act to crush a strike or slowdown. With contract negotiations stalled for two weeks, Bush has urged dockworkers to accept a compromise with bosses. In the event of a lockout or strike, unofficial "action centers" in major ports around the world will support the ILWU workers. Bush's only potential trump card: taking the nation to war.

On Monday 8/12, portworkers and supporters will hold a "Stop Work Meeting" and rally at the Oakland Federal Building to demand that the government stop threatening workers' rights and stay out of contract negotiations, scheduled to resume on 8/13. Over 700 portworkers and supporters rallied on 7/24 at PMA headquarters in SF: Photo | details | portsolidarity2002.org

"Since 1975, practically all the gains in household income have gone to the top 20% of households...Long-term problems include inadequate investment in economic infrastructure, rapidly rising medical costs of an aging population, sizable trade deficits, and stagnation of family income in the lower economic groups." -CIA World Factbook

With the market currently seen in wealthy circles as the pinnacle of all human achievement, CEOs, pundits, and governments must now explain away yet another gargantuan corporate accounting scandal in the $7.6 billion (and climbing) WorldCom bankruptcy case.

In cases where orthodox, capitalist prescriptions are followed to the tee but still fail, such as with the so-called Asian "Tigers" and Argentina, the blame is layed squarely on the shoulders of those who didn't carry out the neoliberal measures far enough. And here in the US business transgressions are also written off as the fault of the individuals involved. But just as happened in the days of the 1929 and 1987 stock market crashes, the validity of the system itself is still taken as a God-granted given, at least by those who control it. How many more Enrons/Worldcoms will it take before the system itself is exposed for the shellgame it really is?

Enron 101 | Brokerman, by Weissman & Mokhiber | Analysis from wsws.org | Corporate media article | Mike Ruppert interview about the present economic condition

On 8/12, hundreds of ILWU portworkers and supporters held a "Stop Work Meeting" and rally at the Oakland Federal Building to demand that the government stop threatening workers' rights and stay out of contract negotiations. Background | portsolidarity2002.org Photos:1 | 2 Video: 1:

Working under an expired contract, 10,000 West Coast longshore men and women face a threatened lockout by the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) — and now the danger that President Bush will invoke the Taft-Hartley Act to crush a strike or work stoppage. With contract negotiations stalled for two weeks, Bush has urged dockworkers to accept a compromise with bosses. In the event of a lockout or strike, unofficial "action centers" in major ports around the world will support the ILWU workers. Bush's only potential trump card: taking the nation to war.

On 8/1, hundreds of hotel workers and supporters rallied and marched decrying the anti-union practices of the Claremont Resort & Spa's management. The demonstration, organized by the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Local 2850, saw 50 people arrested after blocking an intersection near the hotel. As one hotel worker said, “We are here today to fight for better wages and health care.” While offering the workers a meager contract, KSL Recreation, the hotel's owner, has hired the services of an anti-union consulting firm and a private security force, in addition to paying $116 million for a spa and resort in San Diego.
Photo and story | More photos | KSL Recreation Watch | Boycott the Claremont Hotel | 6/14 corporate media article

Inland, in Silicon Valley, janitors are trying to organize a union at Yahoo's headquarters for better wages, healthcare and respect on the job. Read more | boohooyahoo.com. On 6/29, a 1-day conference for Bay Area trade unionists to discuss and learn about the "War On Terrorism" and how it is effecting the democratic rights of working people took place at UC Berkeley. Details

On 6/14, approximately 50 day laborers left Cesar Chavez St., where they wait for work, to deliver handwritten Father's Day cards to Police Captain Gregory Corrales and Mayor Willie Brown. The workers have seen their source of income dry up in recent months as the Mission police station initiated a policy of ticketing workers and employers for minor traffic violations. Workers also report being told to move off of public sidewalks by police. "Principally, our children are affected. I have a child in college and another in junior high. They depend on me, and their mother does too. My family is affected because one comes to work with fear, the patrol cars pass 5-6 times every morning, and there is less chance of work," says day laborer Daniel Rosas. Details

Labor actions hit the streets in SF this past week. On 6/10 at SF City Hall, 800 workers protested Mayor Brown's proposal to lay off low-paid city workers. "We have no other avenue to pressure elected officials" a union organizer told Frontlines newspaper. Report