April 5, 2008

HYDERABAD, India — As I arrived at the Begumpet airport here, part of a two-person delegation of the Communist Party USA, we were greeted by a delegation of bank workers and members of their union.

DETROIT — More than 3,650 members of the United Auto Workers at American Axle have been on strike in Michigan, Indiana and New York since Feb. 26. The strike is affecting General Motors operations throughout North America.

The sounds of building construction at the University of Michigan were replaced March 25 by the jubilant chants of over 600 picketers demanding a fair contract between the university and the Graduate Employees Organization.

Every day immigrants trek across the dangerous U.S.-Mexico border and are forced to find work here because jobs in their home countries are scarce or nonexistent. Free trade agreements like NAFTA, globalization, neoliberalism, the outsourcing of jobs and small businesses, the exploitation of workers and a U.S. foreign policy that puts profits before people’s needs are a constant reality for immigrant families in their home countries.

HOUSTON — The beauty and genius of Black artists was readily apparent in a new exhibit titled “Art Official Intelligence” at the University Museum at Texas Southern University, which opened last February and ended March 22.

CHICAGO — Turning grief and shock to anger and action, nearly 1,000 Chicago public high school students, including teachers, administrators, parents, religious leaders and elected officials rallied here April 1 against the crisis of gun violence plaguing the city. The rally was called in response to the 21st shooting death of a public school student this school year.

CARACAS, (Tribuna Popular) – El diputado Carolus Wimmer, vicepresidente del Parlamento Latinoamericano, denunció hoy la constante y grave violación de los derechos humanos en Estados Unidos en 2007, en respuesta a los Informes por Países sobre Prácticas de Derechos Humanos en 2007 emitidos por el departamento de Estado estadounidense.

Cuatro trabajadores, víctimas de robo por las compañías de tarjetas de crédito, estaban sentados en silencio durante unas vistas públicas en el Congreso que bregaba con este mismo tema, con temor de compartir sus historias de horror con la gente que ellos eligieron para que los representaran.

Esta semana se cumple el 40 aniversario de la muerte de líder afronorteamericano por los derechos civiles, Martín Luther King. King fue asesinado en Memphis, Tenesí en abril 4, 1968. Él estaba en Memphis apoyando a los trabajadores de sanidad, en su totalidad afronorteamericanos.