April 19, 2008

WASHINGTON — Demanding that he back a “GI Bill of Rights” that would allow millions of vets to attend college, Iraq war veterans here, April 14, delivered 30,000 signatures on petitions to John McCain, the Republican presidential candidate.

In their testimony before Congress this month, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, and Ambassador Ryan Crocker made it clear the Bush administration is passing its Iraq disaster on to the next administration. To make matters worse, their testimony indicated Bush intends to tie the new administration’s hands with a backdoor deal to lock in U.S. military, political and economic presence in Iraq.

The People’s Weekly World / Nuestro Mundo has added a new subscription rate, helping readers build the paper. Now, for only $45 per year, readers can get a “Solidarity Pack” subscription. With this offer, they get two papers a week—one to read, and the other to give to a friend or ally.

Labor is celebrating the 224-195 House vote April 10 to set aside the U.S.-Colombia “free trade” pact because of concern on Capitol Hill about the continuing murder of trade unionists in that country.

Sen. Edward Kennedy and AFL-CIO President John Sweeney announced a new economic stimulus plan that extends jobless benefits by 13 weeks. The April 10 announcement followed a meeting between labor and congressional leaders in Washington D.C., where the package was drawn up.

Nearly 100 delegates to the Longshore Caucus of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union voted last February to support an eight-hour daytime “stop-work” meeting at all West Coast ports May 1, calling for an immediate safe return of U.S. troops from Iraq.

Daniel Castellanos was lured from his native city of Lima, Peru, all the way to the U.S. Gulf Coast where, he was told, a construction job and a green card would be waiting for him. All he had to do to land the full-time, $11-an-hour job was pay $5,000 to a recruiter in Peru.

Unions abroad boost workers here

Senators criticize NLRB

Labor slams mortgage ‘rescue’ package

First responders need help

Over a month after Tibetan protesters launched demonstrations demanding independence, news reports and opinion pieces continue to appear daily. Many discuss issues of sovereignty, development and relations among nationalities. Others focus on responses, including protests and counter-protests over the Olympic torch relay, or calls to boycott the Beijing Olympics.

Venezuelan Vice President Ramón Carrizalez closed a last ditch meeting April 9 between officials of Venezuela’s giant Sidor steel plant and representatives of the United Steel Industry Workers Union (SUTISS) with the announcement that Sidor would be re-nationalized.