July 30, 2005

CHICAGO — Six unions withdrew from participation in the national AFLCIO convention held here July 25-28 and hinted at the formation of a second labor federation. The break in labor unity cast a pall over the opening of the federation’s quadrennial convention, but rank and file members and leaders alike struggled to move beyond their anger and bitterness in order to chart a course for the struggles facing this country’s working class.

LOS ANGELES — A fiery Out of Iraq Town Hall/Teach In drew a standing-room-only, overflow crowd of 1,000 to Inglewood’s Covenant Worship Center here July 23. The multiracial crowd packing the church cheered calls for a stepped up struggle to end the U.S. occupation of Iraq and bring the troops home “sooner rather than later.”

Erika, 19, is about to engage in her first political act. A Chicana student from the Los Angeles area, Erika will be attending the World Festival of Youth and Students in Caracas, Venezuela, Aug. 6-13. This reporter will be following her as she takes part in the festival. Here are her thoughts as she gets ready for the trip.

CHICAGO (PAI) - Following a rousing speech by the Rev. Jesse Jackson, delegates to the AFL-CIO Convention here voted on July 26 for a resolution demanding the U.S. “bring the troops home rapidly” from Iraq.

Despite a hasty Supreme Court nomination that many say was timed to distract from the scandal surrounding Karl Rove, calls from the American people are steadily growing: “Fire Karl Rove!”

NEW YORK — Under a new policy that many say is unconstitutional and sure to lead to greatly increased racial profiling, anyone entering New York City’s subway system is now subject to random police searches.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.: SCLC opens convention; WASHINGTON, D.C.: Teach Wal-Mart a lesson; NEW YORK, N.Y.: Vets to gov’t — Release Abu Ghraib photos; TUCSON, Ariz.: Raging Grannies busted at Army recruiting station; LAS CRUCES, N.M.: Hundreds defend immigrant workers

Harry Belafonte’s “Day O” lament typifies the plight of the banana worker who labors long, arduous hours and receives some of the lowest pay among agricultural workers. Yet, as exploitative and laborious as it is, the banana industry has provided livelihoods for thousands of peasant farmers in the Caribbean basin, especially the Windward Islands — the four island states of Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada.

Pastors for Peace claimed a huge victory July 22 as a tired but excited group of 130 U.S. citizens crossed the U.S./Mexico border just before daybreak en route to Cuba with almost all of the 140 tons of humanitarian aid that had been collected by the Pastors for Peace Friendshipment Cuba Caravan. The group arrived in Cuba on July 23.

VANCOUVER, B.C. — Canada now joins Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain as the fourth country in the world to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry. On July 19, the Canadian Senate passed Bill C-38 that gives same-sex couples the same right to marry as opposite-sex couples.