The 22nd Annual Western Workers Labor Heritage Festival Jan. 18-20

The 22nd Annual Western Workers Labor Heritage Festival will be held Jan. 18-20, 2008, in San Francisco at SEIU Local 1021/Five to One building, across the street from 350 Kansas Street. The festival is held on the weekend of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and honors Dr. King’s contribution to the civil rights and labor movements.

The weekend of solidarity in an era of war, racism, and hard times features music, drama, visual arts, spoken word, poetry, photography and more. The event kicks off with a Friday evening Song, Story, and Poetry Circle and features Workshops and Presentations, a Sunday Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and a Benefit Concert Sunday evening at 7 p.m.

The Western Workers Labor Heritage Festival has become a vibrant Northern California tradition. Union artists, activists and supporters celebrate the diverse culture of the labor movement. The festival provides an entertaining and exciting environment in which participants explore the heritage of working people and discuss the vital issues facing today’s workers.

Festival registration for the whole weekend is $50 and includes admission to the Sunday benefit Concert. Saturday only registration is $30 and admission to the Sunday concert is on a sliding scale, $10 - $20 per person. (No one will be turned away for lack of funds.)

Volunteers are needed to help with transportation, housing, and food in exchange for registration fees. Contact coordinator Kendyll Stansbury (kendyll_s [at] yahoo.com). Sponsors include the AFL-CIO Central Labor Councils & Unions of the greater Bay Area, the Labor Heritage Foundation, and others.

For more information, (including hotels and transportation) check http://www.docspopuli.org/WesternWorkers.html.


• 2008 festival program

Workshops and presentations

Art Display: photographs of farmworkers and Martin Luther King, Jr. by Jon Kouns; display on labor's history of war opposition by Lincoln Cushing and Mike Eisenscher; Richard Bermack’s photographs of Spanish Civil War veterans.

• Friday, January 18
6 pm Registration opens

7-10 pm Solidarity Circle (song, poetry, and story swap)

• Saturday, January 19
9-10 am Muffins, juice, coffee available – donations please; informal songswap/arts exchange

10-noon Workshops:

* “School of the Americas Watch: The Most Singing Movement” with Jon Fromer and friends; Excerpts from the Bay Area Rockin’ Solidarity Labor Heritage Chorus’s new performance piece on immigration; and "Work Tales” by the Labor Drama Workshop, City College of San Francisco, Labor and Community Studies department.

* Jon Kouns “Social Justice Photography,” with Richard Bermack, "The Spanish Civil War and the war against Globalization"

* Film (to be announced)

Noon – 1 pm Lunch – Sandwiches and salad available at a reasonable price

1:15 – 1:45 pm Roy Zimmerman performs topical satire

2-3:30 pm Workshops:

* Spoken Word Workshop with Civil Defense Poetry (formerly Molotov Mouths).

* “Labor Landmarks and a Look Back to 1968”, Labor Archives Research Center

* Film (to be announced)


4-5:30 pm Workshops:

* “New Generation Labor Organizing” with Alex Tom, Chinese Progressive Association and Sonya Mehta, Young Workers United, with videos on Monster Workers and “Eyes on the Fries”.

* “Songwriting” with Jon Fromer, Bev Grant, and Roy Zimmerman

* “Preserving Labor Culture: Two Initiatives” Art/Works : American Labor Posters by Lincoln Cushing and Tim Drescher & American Labor Movement & Working Class Museum in Sacramento by Joe and Shirley Moore

* Film: To be announced

5:30-7 pm Dinner – Hot meal available at a reasonable price

7-10 pm Arts Exchange

* Featured performers: Freedom Song Network; Jack Hirschman, immediate past Poet Laureate of San Francisco.

7:30-8:30 Bumper Sticker workshop with Lincoln Cushing (concurrent with Arts Exchange)

• Sunday, January 20

9-10 am Muffins, juice, coffee available – donations please; informal songswap/arts exchange

10-11:30 Workshops:

* Drama workshop, leading to performance in evening concert

Noon – 1 pm Lunch - Sandwiches and salad available at a reasonable price

1:30-2:30 pm Mid-Day Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Featured performer: Jimmy Collier

3-4:45 pm Practice for concert performance by
Drama group from morning workshop; chorus group, led by Jon Fromer

5-6 pm Dinner – Hot meal available at reasonable price

7 pm Benefit Concert, with Aya de Leon, MC

* Featured performers: Vukani Muwethu, Jimmy Collier, Bev Grant

* Labor Art award to Vukani Muwethu

* Proceeds going to Young Workers United to assist low-wage workers and the Chinese Progressive Association for work with Monster Cable workers.

http://www.docspopuli.org/WesternWorkers.html