National

ORLANDO, Fla. (PAI) — Re-uniting the U.S. labor movement after last year’s AFL-CIO-Change to Win split is critical to “ending the madness” of the GOP government of George W. Bush, declared Coalition of Black Trade Unionists President William Lucy at CBTU’s May 25 annual convention here. Lucy blasted the Bush administration for everything from the racism shown in responding to Hurricane Katrina to the deaths in the Iraq war.

Labor’s potential strength is mighty, greater than any other social force on earth, because of what workers produce worldwide and because labor represents the interests of the overwhelming majority of humanity. The current attacks on labor are driven by capitalism’s deepening contradictions, its growing weakness, not strength.

WORCESTER, Mass. — Massachusetts may be well on its way to getting its first African American governor after the state Democratic Party convention endorsed Deval Patrick, with 58 percent of the delegates’ votes, on June 3. Massachusetts Attorney General Thomas Riley received 27 percent while venture capitalist Christopher Gabrielli squeezed through with slightly over 15 percent, the minimum needed to qualify for the Sept. 19 primary election ballot.

Labor and progressive forces scored significant victories and mounted important challenges in California’s June 6 primary election.

A variety of progressive, issue-oriented forces are at work in the Ohio elections, trying to build a political movement capable of ousting the ultra-right from control of state government in November.

Fifty-seven million Americans say they’d join a union if they had a chance. And due to a hard-fought, close to the ground campaign, legislation to give them that right is now within striking distance of victory.

A huge conventional bomb test — ironically named “Divine Strake” — has been postponed “indefinitely,” but the struggle goes on. That was the message June 3 as protesters gathered in Reno, Nev., to continue their opposition to plans to detonate 700 tons of ammonium nitrate and fuel oil at the Nevada Test Site, where over 900 nuclear tests took place between 1951 and 1992.

CHICAGO — Over 100 community supporters, including religious leaders and elected officials, rallied here in front of the immigration court building June 1 as about two-dozen former employees of IFCO Systems, who were arrested as part of a nationwide raid by federal agents in April, went to their first deportation hearing.

Because Congress has refused to raise the $5.15 an hour minimum wage since 1997, coalitions of labor, religious and community groups are organizing voters to do so, one state at a time. So far 21 states and Washington, D.C., have done so. Similar campaigns are under way in another dozen states.

HOUSTON – Enron workers who lost billions in pension benefits when the company collapsed are voicing satisfaction that at last top Enron executives have been found guilty of a long list of crimes that plunged the company into bankruptcy.