Feature Archives

Reclaim the Streets is gearing up for a reclaiming of May Day at Justin Herman Plaza. Visit reclaimmayday.org for organizing info.

Conferences and films will commemorate the 130th anniversary of the Paris Commune.

In a recent visit to the Bay Area, a delegation of Charleston, South Carolina longshoremen raised $13,000 for the defence of the Charleston 5, who were arrested during a legal picketing action. The Charleston Longshoremen are fighting a legal battle against a non-union employer and the South Carolina Attorney General. Read more

On February 26th, staff workers at Washington ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) organized with the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), and asked employer Doug Bloch for recognition. Bloch refused to bargain with the union, despite its membership of nearly all workers, whose main demands included a forty hour week, paychecks on time and in full, a sexual harassment policy, job safety standards, and lunch breaks. Read more

Saturday, March 31 was the first official state holiday for Cesar Estrada Chavez, the American labor organizer who founded the National Farm Workers Association in 1962. Video of San Francisco parade and festival.

	March 2001: Marriott
Marriott Workers Fight for Union Contract	Marriott Suits Wear Ear Plugs
Marriott Security Ensures Customer Peace of Mind

The workers at the Marriott at 4th and Mission in San Francisco have been picketing since Labor Day, when the Hotel Employees Restaurant Employees (HERE) Local 2 announced its boycott of the property. This is the first Marriott hotel to be organized through a bottom-up organizing drive; the workers are fighting for a first time contract.

Students will rally at the University of San Francisco at 2 p.m. on April 4 for the Student Labor Day of Action. This year the Day of Action's focus is living wages. Leila Salazar from Global Exchange will speak on globalization, and Art and Revolution will perform. Hundreds of USF students are expected to attend the demonstration along with others from Santa Clara University. The demonstration is in support of fair working conditions for sweatshop workers all over the world. United Students Against Sweatshops members are seeking support for their appeal to USF food service contractors to rethink their reliance on prison labor.