Aug 9, 2003

BRANFORD, Conn. – Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro often speaks about growing up when her mother worked in a sweatshop, bent over her sewing machine. But on July 29, standing on the platform of the Teamsters’ truck outside the Cintas Corp. plant here, the story brought the crowd to a hush.

A broad coalition of labor, immigrant rights, and faith-based organizations is coming together to plan a grand welcome for the Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride when it reaches Tucson on Sept. 24.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is an advocate for the poor and working people, enjoying the votes of over half of his countrymen and women in every election. This infuriates the wealthy and powerful in Caracas and Washington, D.C., as does his friendship with Cuban President Fidel Castro.

As of this writing negotiations are continuing between the Communications Workers of America (CWA), International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), and Verizon Communications management.

In North Texas, we worry about Sal, our soldier friend in Iraq. So far the silent periods haven’t meant any of the horrible things we imagined, and we got another message from him last week.

In the early 1980s, public health, children’s advocates and pro-people politicians won passage of a law that required the elimination of all lead-based paint, where it exists, in New York City residential housing. It was known a Local Law No. 1.

Raid Fahmi is a member of the Central Committee of the Iraqi Communist Party (ICP). He represented the ICP at the International Meeting of Communist and Workers’ Parties in Athens, Greece, June 19-20, 2003.

U.S. should lead in nuclear disarmament / GLBT progress tempered by new attacks

Opinion

It fills my heart with hope to be with you at the 2003 World Conference against A and H Bombs. To meet with the representatives of peace movements from here and around the world is not only an honor, but also a new opportunity to strengthen the movement for peace and justice in the United States. “A Peaceful World Without War and Without Nuclear Weapons” is possible!