Feature Archives

Auctioned off in a foreclosure sale one year ago, San Francisco's Hotel Frank in Union Square is now being run by anti-union hotel management company Provenance Hotels. Provenance has not honored the existing union contract; amongst other things it does not to contribute to workers' medical care and pensions. The hotel is under boycott and workers are picketing the hotel regularly on Wednesdays from 3:00 to 5:30pm and Fridays from 1:00 to 5:30pm.

Around the world, workers united on May 1st for International Workers' Day — with marches and rallies. Across Northern California — from Berkeley to San Francisco, from Fresno to Sacramento — thousands of workers and supporters stood up for immigrant and labor rights on May Day 2011. Code Pink and others began an eight-day march from San Francisco to Sacramento to demand a just budget in California.

Supporters of International Longshore & Warehouse Union, Local 10 (S. F. Bay Area) rallied in downtown San Francisco on April 25th. The ILWU Local 10 had closed the ports of San Francisco and Oakland for twenty-four hours on April 4th, as part of a national day of action for solidarity with workers in Wisconsin, Ohio, and other states. The Pacific Maritime Association has filed a lawsuit against Local 10 for the April 4th closures. The PMA's suit seeks to prevent such future solidarity closures by the union.

Squatter's group Homes Not Jails took over a large long vacant apartment building at the corner of Divisadero and O'Farrell, off Geary, in San Francisco on April 11th. The building is owned by Kaiser Permanente. Kaiser Permanente had let it sit empty for years after evicting the families who lived there. Homes Not Jails took over the building and opened it up for people to live in. On the front of the building a large banner proclaimed, "Kaiser Thrives, People Die."

The San Francisco Labor Council has called for the full support of ILWU Local 10 after it was sued by the Pacific Maritime Association for a "We Are One" solidarity action with Wisconsin workers which shut down the ports in Oakland and San Francisco on April 4, 2011. On April 12th, ILWU members and supporter held a sit-in at the offices of the PMA in Oakland. The first emergency defense meeting to organize for action will take place on Thursday, April 14th.

"Some Angry Queers" write: Look around you! Some new benches have appeared on the streets of San Francisco! These benches are more than places to sit. They are a visible resistance to the privatization of public space.... We believe that public space should be for everyone, and right now it is being taken away from those of us who need it most.... Sometimes we need a place to sit down. Build your own benches! Find ways to take back public space! This city is for all of us!

An anti-war rally and march was held in San Francisco on April 10th in Dolores Park. Speakers from the stage spoke out against war and related political problems. Speakers included Afghan MP Malalai Joya, who was suspended from the Parliament of Afghanistan for denouncing the warlords and the US/NATO war and occupation. After the rally, protesters went on a mile-long march through the Mission, followed by a shorter group of speakers back in Dolores Park. Their message was clear: stop all the wars, bring all the troops home now.