Sept 25, 2004

Earlier this summer, on July 19, the House of Representatives passed HR 1587, the “Vietnam Human Rights Act,” by 322 votes to 45.

Hundreds of thousands of South African public workers held a one-day strike Sept. 16 over the government’s rejection of their demands for a 7 percent wage hike, an across-the-boards medical aid and housing allowance, and review of a provision linking salaries to inflation for the next two years.

Okinawa: Demonstrators protest copter crash / Cambodia: Raffles hotel workers win / N. Ireland: All-party talks resume / Cuba: UN praises hurricane safety measures / Canada: Steelworkers’ long strike continues

CHICAGO — The Teamsters trucked it up from downstate. The Chicago Federation of Labor had lobbied for the funding from the state of Illinois. The Illinois Labor History Society campaigned tirelessly for it.

“When you hear them say, tax the rich, be careful,” warned George W. Bush in a speech Sept. 16. “The rich hire lawyers and accountants for a reason, because they don’t want to pay. And you get stuck with the tab. But we’re not going to let him stick you with the tab.”

On the occasion of the first anniversary of the historic Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride, which reached 101 cities and culminated in a rally and Lobby Day in Washington and a rally of 200,000 in New York City, immigrants, advocates, and their allies are holding a series of actions across the U.S. to renew the push for progressive immigration system reform.

On Sept. 17, the Schwarz-enegger administration rejected California Secretary of State Kevin Shelley’s request for release of over $25 million in federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) funds in preparation for the November election.

CHICAGO (PAI) — Just months after it tried to ram two “supercenters” through the Chicago City Council, giant anti-worker retailer Wal-Mart has apparently thrown in the towel. The reason, though it denies it: The city’s new living wage law.

Jobs with Justice (JwJ), the national coalition of labor, community, student and faith-based groups, has declared Oct. 3-10 “Health Care Action Week: Affordable Health Care for All.”

The African American people from slavery to today have had to wage a hard, bitter and bloody struggle for the right to vote. The right to vote, therefore, is sacred; it is a basic part of achieving full democracy, including equality for all.