Sept. 29, 2007

Against the background of the historic Jena Six march in Louisiana, deepening poverty in African American neighborhoods, a raging war in Iraq and a growing prison population, over 20,000 political activists, students and clergy will converge on Washington for the annual Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Legislative Conference.

UNITED NATIONS — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and President Bush both arrived in New York last week to speak at the opening of the UN’s 62nd General Assembly, bringing with them a storm of controversy.

“We are united with the same end in common — the independence of our motherland,” Elma Beatriz Rosado told several thousand people who gathered on Sept. 23 in the Plaza of the Revolution in Lares, Puerto Rico, to commemorate the 139th anniversary of the island’s rebellion against Spanish rule.

MEXICO CITY — The Federal District (DF), the area that encompasses Mexico City, continues to be in the forefront of progressive social change in Mexico, as the district’s left-wing government has announced plans to set up an unemployment insurance program. And its passage in the Legislative Assembly here seems likely.

Nepal: Maoists leave government
Paraguay: Youth demand social change
Syria: Israeli incursion meets resistance
Nigeria: South Korea, China buy oil rights
Hungary: Communist leaders go on trial

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Defending immigrant rights, ending the war in Iraq, winning quality health care and organizing the unorganized topped the agenda of the 50th anniversary convention of the Connecticut AFL-CIO here last week.

As union leaders emphasized that the struggle will continue, the AFSCME negotiating committee at the University of Minnesota decided last week to call off the union’s strike and submit the administration’s contract offer to the membership without a “yes” recommendation.

NEW YORK — The state Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) held three simultaneous hearings this week in Manhattan, White Plains and Mineola on Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s proposal to close a loophole in the housing laws that allowed landlords to raise rents drastically when they leave the Mitchell-Lama affordable housing program.

Labor takes aim at key 2008 races
Unions and lawmakers fight corporate bankruptcy dodge
House panel overturns NLRB rulings
Four senators go after ‘independent contractor’ loophole
Supreme Court to tackle on-the-job issues this fall
Labor welcomes first African American to top AFL-CIO post
A lesson learned about sticking together
Cooling-off period at Farmer Joe’s

YSCLOSKEY, La. — In a shower of sparks, Ricky Robin was repairing hurricane damage to “Lil’ Rick,” his 56-foot steel-hulled shrimp boat, when he spotted an out-of-town reporter snapping photos. “I built her with my own hands in 1974, 33 years ago,” he said proudly, setting aside his welding torch