Our future depends on full employment and raising the Minimum Wage to a real living wage.

Using the figure of $11.19 an hour to distinguish a poverty wage is an insult to all working people. Just as supporting a $10.10 an hour Minimum Wage is an insult to all working people.

This report is very typical of the foundation-funded outfits whose staff making these reports are very well compensated for pushing this kind of crap.

Why should any worker be forced to work for any less than a real living wage based on all "cost of living factors?"

People who write and publish these kinds of reports should be paid the Minimum Wage they advocate for poverty waged workers.

This report does not even include the wage and jobs situation of Native American Indians in Milwaukee because to report these facts would be an embarrassment to Milwaukee and the Nation.

The Minimum Wage should be legislatively tied to all cost of living factors as tracked by the United States Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics and indexed to inflation.

There are good facts and figures in this report but the conclusions are intended to not ruffle the feathers of the philanthropists funding the foundations which finance these report--- the same philanthropists who reap fabulous super-profits from paying workers poverty wages and the racism involved in poverty wage jobs and racist unemployment.

We need to get rid of "At-will hiring and At-will firing" (At-will Employment enforced by corporate legislation) to help free workers to organize.

We need legislation prohibiting employer lockouts and we need anti-scabbing legislation.

We need national legislation that enforces full employment by making the President and Congress responsible for attaining and maintaining full employment which would push all wages up.

We need to see to it that Affirmative Action is enforced on all government funded and financed projects in order to create a level playing field in the area of employment.

We need to get rid of this thoroughly stupid idea that the "free market" and "private enterprise" system will create jobs when this very capitalist system is responsible for this massive unemployment in the first place with a government that refuses to create jobs by creating universal social programs intended to solve the problems of the people--- like creating National Public Health Care and Child Care Systems which, combined, would create some 18 million jobs... instead of paying for Wall Street's militarism and dirty imperialist wars.

Obviously this report which presents some of the harsh reality--- with much hidden--- is intended to be a slick attempt to back up the Democrats with their nice sounding "progressive policy directives" which never offer any specific solutions as has been suggested in my comment here.

In fact, it is fairly obvious to any thinking person with an ounce of common sense that working people are going to have to break free from Wall Street's two-party trap in order to get politicians who will tackle this issue of unemployment, underemployment, racism and poverty wages.

Obama came into office promising to raise the Minimum Wage just a miserly amount yet he has been in office one complete term, now well into his second term, and he hasn't raised the Minimum Wage one plug nickel.

Instead of jobs at real living wages and real universal social programs required to help working people cope with this collapsing capitalist economy we get dirty imperialist war after dirty imperialist war--- dirty imperialist wars that kill our jobs just like they kill people.

Any school child understands you can't eliminate poverty by forcing people to work in poverty wage paying jobs.

See the report here:

Future of Milwaukee Depends on Raising Poverty Wages

wisconsinjobsnow.org

Writing about how to improve the future of Milwaukee, the Center on Wisconsin Strategy took a straight-forward approach with their new report. Raise the Floor Milwaukee: Better Wages and Labor Standards for Low-Wage Workers, examines what led Milwaukee from its place a...

Say "NO" to war on Syria.

United Statement and Call for Action to Oppose

U.S./NATO and Israeli War on Syria

No more wars – U.S. out of the Middle East!

(please see the links at the bottom of the page to endorse the call and provide information on actions)

National Days of Action, June 28- July 17, 2013 

The White House’s June 13th announcement that it would begin directly supplying arms to the opposition in Syria is a dramatic escalation of the U.S./NATO war against that country.  Thousands of U.S. troops and intelligence personnel are training opposition forces and coordinating operations in Turkey and Jordan.  Israel, the recipient of more than $3 billion annually in U.S. military aid has carried out heavy bombing raids against Syria. The Pentagon has developed plans for a “no-fly” zone over Syria, threatening a newU.S. air war.

The pretext for this escalation is the assertion, presented without any actual evidence, that the Syrian government has used chemical weapons in the conflict that has been raging for more than two years.  Like their predecessors, President Obama and other top U.S. officials pretend to be concerned about “democracy” and “human rights” in Syria, but their closest allies in the campaign against Syria are police-state, absolute monarchies like Saudi Arabia and Qatar.  Once again the so-called ‘Responsibility to protect’, R2P, is used as a pretext for NATO to dominate this region.  

Just as the false claim of “weapons of mass destruction” was used as justification for the invasion and occupation of Iraq in 2003, the allegations that chemical weapons were used by the Syrian military is meant to mask the real motives of Washington and its allies. Their aim is to carry out “regime change,” as part of the drive to create a “new Middle East.”

The invasion of Iraq in 2003, the U.S.-backed Israeli war in Lebanon in 2006, the 2011 NATO bombing of Libya, the now-escalating war in Syria and the growing threats against Iran are part of a coordinated regional effort by the United States, Britain and France to dominate this oil-rich and strategic region.

The U.S. government cuts basic services and has eliminated hundreds of thousands of public sector workers jobs in the last three years in the name of  a discredited austerity which has destroyed the economy, but has unlimited billions available for wars of aggression and NSA surveillance of almost every American.

We join together to call for National Days of Action, June 28- July 15, 2013, to demand:

StoStop the U.S./NATO/Israeli war and all forms of intervention against Syria!

·        Self-determination free from outside intervention for the Syrian people!

·        Fund people’s needs, not the military!

·        U.S. Out of the Middle East!

Endorsers:

• United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC)
• ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism)
• United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ)
• AFI3RM
• All-African People’s Revolutionary Party (GC)
• Alliance for a Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines
• Arab Americans for Peace
• Arab Americans for Syria - AA4S
• BAYAN USA
• CRI-Panafricain
• Freedom Road Socialist Organization
• Global Network Against Nuclear Power in Space
• Green Party of the United States
• Honduras Resistencia USA
• International Action Center
• International Coalition to Free the Angola 3
• Iran Working Group VFP
• KmB Pro-People Youth
• March Forward!
• May 1 Workers and Immigrant Rights Coalition
• Pakistan USA Freedom Forum
• Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL)
• Revival of Panafricanism Forum
• SI Solidarity with Iran
• Socialist Action
• Syrian American Forum
• The Green Shadow Cabinet
• U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN)
• U.S. Peace Council
• Ugnayan (Linking the Children of the Motherland)
• Veterans For Peace
• World Can't Wait
• Akbar Muhammad, International Representative, Nation of Islam
• Ardeshir Ommani, President, American Iranian Friendship Committee (AIFC)
• David Swanson, RootsAction
• Glen Ford, Black Agenda Report (organization for identification purpose only)
• Heidi Boghosian, Executive Director, National Lawyers Guild
• Jill Stein and Cheri Honkala, candidates, Green Party
• Jim Lafferty, Executive Director, National Lawyers Guild/Los Angeles
• Margaret Flowers & Kevin Zeese, PopularResistance
• Margaret Kimberley, Black Agenda Report (organization for identification purpose only)
• Nada Khader, WESPAC
• Prof. Jared Ball, radio host
• Ramsey Clark, former U.S. attorney general
• Ron Jacobs, journalist
• Sami Ramadani, journalist and scholar
• Advocates for Indigenous California Language Survival
• ANAKBAYAN Los Angeles and San Diego
• BAYAN-SOCAL
• Bob Carter, Justice for Palestinians, Houston (organization for identification purpose only)
• Coalition to Stop $30 Billion to Israel
• Community Futures Collective
• Eugene E Ruyle, Peace and Freedom Party
• Habi Arts
• Kevin Akin, California State Chair, Peace and Freedom Party
• LEF Foundation
• Los Angeles Peace Council
• Maine Code Pink
• Peace and Freedom Party, Santa Cruz County
• Peoples Video Network
• Puerto Rican Alliance-LA
• RI Peoples Assembly
• RI SOS Save Our Schools Coalition
• RI Unemployed Council
• Sabah Jawad, Iraqi Democrats Against Occupation
• School of the Americas Watch - LA (SOA Watch-LA)
• SiGAw-GABRIELA USA
• Southern California Immigration Coalition (SCIC)
• Stop the War Machine, New Mexico
• Teach Peace Foundation, Sacramento, Calif.
• The Dream Team 2013, RI
• Union of Progressive Iranians
• West County Toxics Coalition, Richmond, Calif.

To endorse the call and actions, click here: https://www.unacpeace.org/No_Syria_War_support.html

For your local information on actions, click here:  https://www.unacpeace.org/Syria_actions.html

Transcript Clare Daly: Ireland Pimped Out Like Prostitutes for Obama, A War Criminal

Subject: Transcript Clare Daly: Ireland Pimped Out Like Prostitutes for Obama, A War Criminal

 

Note: See video in post below.

 

Transcript

Clare Daly: Ireland Pimped Out Like Prostitutes for Obama, A War Criminal

Posted on June 22, 2013 by dandelionsalad

Image by ElvertBarnes via Flickr

Dandelion Salad

Páraic Gallagher on Jun 19, 2013

***

Transcript

Deputy Clare Daly: It is important to take this opportunity to bring some balance into the discussion surrounding the visit of the US President and his wife, given the almost unprecedented slobbering over the Obama family to which the nation has been exposed in recent days. It is difficult to decide which is worse, the outpourings of President Obama and his wife or the sycophantic fawning over them by the political establishment and sections of the media. While we had separate and special news bulletins by the State broadcaster to tell us what Michelle Obama and her daughters had for lunch in Dublin, there was very little questioning of the fact that they were having lunch with Mr. tax exile himself. The statement that Mrs. Obama was glad to be home was barely challenged even though “home” is a country she has been in for less than one week and to which her husband has only tenuous links.

The greatest irony of the visit was the protestations of President Obama in his speech about peace to children in Northern Ireland, in which he stated the following:

To those who choose the path of peace, I promise you, the United States of America will support you every step of the way. We will always be a wind at your back.

Is the US President seeking the hypocrite of the century award? We must call things by their right names. The reality is that by any serious examination, this man is a war criminal. He has just announced his decision to supply arms to the Syrian opposition, including jihadists, which will fuel the destabilisation of the region, continue to undermine secularism and set back conditions for women. President Obama is, in essence, stalling the Geneva peace talks by trying to broker enhanced leverage for the Syrian opposition by supplying it with arms and to hell with the thousands more Syrians who will lose their lives and the tens of thousands who will be displaced as the war continues. This is the man who facilitated a 200% increase in the use of drones which have killed thousands, including hundreds of children.

The Taoiseach has turned a blind eye to these activities. He spoke of the G8 summit being an opportunity to showcase Ireland. Is it not the case that he has showcased us a nation of pimps prostituting ourselves in return for a pat on the head? We were speculating this morning about whether the Taoiseach would deck out the Cabinet in leprechaun hats decorated with stars and stripes to mark our abject humiliation.

Deputy Tom Hayes: Bring back Mattie.

Deputy Clare Daly: What steps will the Taoiseach take to follow the correct decision made by his colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Eamon Gilmore, to vote against a proposal to lift the arms embargo on Syria? What steps will he take to ensure no weapons destined for Syria will be transported through Shannon Airport in breach of our international duties as a neutral State? What steps will he take to showcase this country, not as a lapdog of US imperialism but as an independent nation with an independent foreign policy, one which takes a lead in international diplomacy to outlaw the use of drones, the favourite method of extermination of the Taoiseach’s friend, President Obama?

Deputy Anthony Lawlor: Madame Putin.

The Taoiseach: Let me first confirm to Deputy Daly that President Obama did not inquire about her whereabouts or well-being. The Deputy’s comments are disgraceful and do down the pride of Irish people all over the world who were more than happy to see Ireland host the G8 summit of the leaders of the most industrialised nations of the world. For the Deputy to criticise the American President for offering his continued support for the fragile peace process in Northern Ireland where more than 3,000 people lost their lives in 30 years is a disgraceful doing down. If she represents the Deputies on the back row of the benches opposite, the comments she made were beneath her. Even the comments made by her colleagues, in their brilliance, have never matched what the Deputy has said here.

I remind Deputy Daly that communities in Northern Ireland, various Irish and British Governments and politicians from Northern Ireland have put together a very fragile peace. Far be it for her to criticise somebody who wants to support this process visibly, personally and by providing the assistance of the United States. Some 35 million Irish Americans want the peace process to continue. The young student who introduced President Obama in Belfast put her finger on the matter when she stated that Northern Ireland has both a past and a future. That future is one where peace should abound in and across communities. It is beneath the Deputy to state the American President should not be a party to keeping the peace process alive and visible.

In so far as Syria is concerned, there was a serious discussion among members of the G8 at the summit. I am not sure whether Deputy Daly favours the Russian intervention or the position put forward by the European Union. While there was division among the countries of Europe about the lifting of the arms embargo on Syria, Ireland took a very clear position on the matter, one which was articulated by the Tánaiste, namely, that the embargo should not be lifted. The conclusion of the G8 summit was that the Geneva peace talks should proceed. Nobody wants to see wanton slaughter and the exodus from Syria of hundreds of thousands of people. Far from a warmongering discussion, the question is what can be done to bring about discussions and negotiations that will restore peace and a structure to allow Syria to continue in the time ahead without the obscenities and humanitarian crisis we have witnessed in the past two years.

Deputy John Halligan: The Americans are warmongering in Afghanistan, Iraq and South America. Hezbollah is using American arms.

Deputy Clare Daly: I did not say anything about the Northern Ireland peace process. While everyone supports the peace process, that does not give one a licence to do whatever one likes anywhere else around the globe. There is not much peace in Iraq where 26 people lost their lives yesterday, Afghanistan, Pakistan or Syria. My position on Syria is one of agreement with Oxfam, which issued the following statement on the issue:

Sending arms to the Syrian opposition won’t create a level playing field. Instead, it risks further fuelling an arms free-for-all where the victims are the civilians of Syria. Our experience from other conflict zones tells us that this crisis will only drag on for far longer if more and more arms are poured into the country.

This is essentially what the Americans have done in Syria. I can only assume from the Taoiseach’s failure to answer my question that he will not take steps to ensure arms are not sent through Shannon Airport in breach of our neutrality.

Deputy Clare Daly: He said here last week that no arms ever came through Shannon Airport. How does he know that given that no investigations take place? In 2012, 548 US planes landed in Shannon Airport. How does he know what was on them if they were never examined? In reply to a parliamentary question, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport revealed that 239 civilian planes that landed in Shannon Airport sought permission because they were carrying munitions of war or dangerous goods on civilian aircraft. What steps will the Taoiseach take to intervene in this situation?

People in this country are very fond of our American brothers and sisters. We stand far more shoulder to shoulder with them by making valid criticisms of their President who has broken his election promises rather than just pimping this nation as a tax haven for their corporations. I am sure the Americans would far prefer their multinationals to pay their taxes at home rather than offshore here so that they could develop their health care and would not be wasting money on arms being sent to slaughter people in other countries.

Obama "greeted" in Ireland.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=QIMucHfUMyg

Obama called "war criminal" & "hypocrite of the century" in Irish ParliamentClare Daly in Irish Parliament.

http://www.africanjournalist.com/news/stop-obamas-visit-africa-nobama-coalition

STOP OBAMA'S VISIT TO AFRICA - NOBAMA COALITION

Sat, 06/22/2013 - 20:49 tmgudlwa

By Thandisizwe Mgudlwa

THE Nobama Coalition Cape Town (NCCT) is calling on the South African Government to stop United States president Barack Obama's visit to Africa.

On Thursday 20th June 2013 a growing group of organisations gathered at Community House in Salt River, Cape Town to form the 'Nobama Coalition Cape Town'.

The group is aligning itself to the already formed Nobama Johannesburg.

The aim of the Coalition is to mobilize widespread protest against Obama’s visit to Africa while exposing US imperialism.

So far activists from the following organisations are part of the Coalition:

Gugulethu Anti Eviction Campaign, Newfields Village Anti-Eviction Campaign, Zilleraine Heights Community in struggle, Consumer Fair, Concerned Education Forum, Anti-War Coalition (Cape Town), Muslims against Illegitimate Leaders, Muslims Against Global Oppression, Struggle Veterans, Mitchell’s Plain activists, Workers International Vanguard Party.
 
NCCT has also noted that the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) also supports the campaign and is discussing how to broaden its specific support.

The NCCT also remarked that the Nobama Campaign in Johannesburg consist of the following organisations:

South African Communist Party (SACP), the Young Communist League of South Africa (YCL), the South African Students Congress (SASCO), the Muslim Students Association(MSA), the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union(NEHAWU), the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), Friend of Cuba Society (FOCUS), Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel in South Africa (BDS South Africa), the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) the UJ Coalition.

On the Basic Platform: The USA under the leadership of Obama has escalated its assault on human rights, militarization of international relations and continuing galloping of world resources at the absolute expense of the environment and oppressed peoples of the world.

· Monopoly capitalists and banks, mainly from the US are responsible for the ongoing plunder of trillions of dollars of wealth from Africa each year. This is the main reason why most of the youth have no future - the masses are unemployed and the few who work, earn starvation wages. Much more is stolen from Africa than is received in ‘aid’. We demand all the stolen wealth to come back; In fact US and other imperialism are responsible for the plunder of the world

· Africom out of Africa; end the drone wars and imperialist wars of plunder such as in DRC; stop warmongering and genocide in Syria and elsewhere

· Free all the prisoners in Guantanamo Bay prison- shut it down;

· Free the Cuban 5

· End the blockade on Cuba

· We reject the Freedom of Cape Town and the Honourary Doctrate awarded by the University of Johannesburg to Obama with the contempt it deserves.

· Any diamond sent to Israel by Anglo American and others, are blood diamonds; end all support for Israel; we demand 1 Palestine, no Bantustan

· Free Bradley Manning (the United States Army soldier who was arrested in May 2010 in Iraq on suspicion of having passed classified material to the website WikiLeaks. He was ultimately charged with 22 offenses, including communicating national defense information to an unauthorized source and aiding the enemy).

NCCT also demands that Imperialists must:

Stop snooping on our e-mails, phone calls and social networking! Halt the unleashing of your Al Qaeda forces on the World’s people!
The United States of America is the single largest contributor to global warming which is condemning the world into catastrophic environmental disasters.
"We also support the call by the Muslim Lawyers Association for the arrest of Obama, their complaint was made in terms of international customary law, as well as the implementation of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, Act 2002 (the ICC Act).

 

 "The [drone] programme is responsible for extra-judicial killings of both innocent civilians as well as US citizens abroad. The drone strike policy has continued unabated with total disregard for territorial sovereignty and this is cited as the primary reason that Obama should be investigated and tried for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide," A proposed programme of action includes:
· Mobilise and invite other progressive organizations to join the Nobama Coalition

· We support the petition against University of Johannesburg giving an award to Obama

· Saturday 22nd June at 12 noon, meet at Community House in Salt River to prepare placards

· Wed and Thursday 26-27 June from 12 noon to 14h00 meet at the taxi rank opposite entrance to Civic Centre in Cape Town to claim freedom of the City for the masses and to reject freedom of the city for Obama

· Friday 28 June, picket at parliament from 12 noon to 14h00 to protest the government’s role in inviting Obama to SA and their complicity in allowing plunder by US monopolies

· For those who cannot make it to Cape Town centre on these 3 days, we call on to mobilise for lunchtime pickets at these times, to either hold education programmes about the role of US monopolies in the plunder of the world, or to take to the streets, to picket forming human chains outside your workplaces, or at a selected point, to show rejection of the visit and of US imperialism

· We call for the masses across Africa to also mobilise protest actions against the Obama visit

· We call for the masses to ready themselves at a moment’s notice to come to the areas where Obama may appear, so we can protest and issue our own warrant of arrest for Obama NCCT added, The Freedom of the City is for the people of Cape Town not for OBAMA, he is not welcome!!

Breaking free from the two-party trap...

Conference call today for all those interested in an alternative to the two-party trap--- here are the details:

[Uniting_People] for Peace, Equality, Full Employment, Universal Health Care and Environmental Protection - Conference Call, June 23
Inbox
x


Georgia Williams georgiam@csufresno.edu via lists.riseup.net
11:27 PM (6 hours ago)

to uniting_people
Friends,

This is coming to you through a new listserv for those involved in working to unite Left groups (Uniting Progressives and/or Uniting People for Peace, Equality, Full Employment, Universal Health Care and Environmental Protection).

At our initial meeting on May 19, we scheduled a second meeting for Sunday, June 23, at 2:00pm PDT, 5:00pm EDT.  The call-in information is as follows:

Call-in number:  626 677-3000
Access code: 498531

Notes taken by Casey Peters, Peace and Freedom Party of California member, for the May 19 meeting are attached. A proposed agenda for tomorrow's (June 23) call is attached and pasted below.

If you have questions about tomorrow's conference call, please email this list (uniting_people@lists.riseup.net) or me (georgiam@csufresno.edu). If you have questions about this listserv, please email me.

Looking forward to talking with you tomorrow.

Georgia Williams

*************
Uniting People for Peace, Equality, Full Employment, Universal Health Care and Environmental Protection

Proposed agenda
June 23, 2013 conference call

Introductions
Selection of facilitator
Selection of recorder for call
Adoption of agenda
Minutes
Schedule next meeting
Expanding membership
Outreach
Report from United Front against Austerity (UFAA) – Adam Rodriguez
Other
Set goals
Draft legislation – full employment and health care
People’s lobby
Other
Moral Monday
Other
Adjourn


notes from May 19 conference call

Uniting Progressives for Peace, Equality, Full Employment,
Universal Health Care and Environmental Protection
Michael McGee facilitating
Casey Peters note-taking
In attendance:
Will Crane MT Green Party
Adam Rodriguez PA United Front Against Austerity
Casey Peters CA Peace and Freedom Party
Georgia Williams CA Peace and Freedom Party
Kevin Akin CA Peace and Freedom Party
Michael McGee France Justice Party
CT Weber CA Peace and Freedom Party
Lenny Brody IL Justice Party
Sally Soriano WA Justice Party
Devon Nola NY Justice Party
Mohammad Arif CA UMMA 4 Peace
Rikka Wallin KY unaffiliated
Darcy Richardson FL Peace and Freedom Party
Alan Maki MN Midwest Casino Workers
Maureen Smith CA Peace and Freedom Party
Pancho Valdez TX Green Party
Michael Cavlan MN Open Progressives
Tony Noel NC New Progressive Alliance
Richard Becker CA Party for Socialism and Liberation
Cindy Henderson CA Peace and Freedom Party
Robin Hensle MN Occupy
AGENDA: Georgia proposed additions to agenda, adopted by consensus
1) Adoption of agenda for this meeting
2) Introduction of participants
3) Discussion of participation and plans for building a coalition
4) Political goals of UNITING PROGRESSIVES meetings
    - National Political Campaigns:
      * Defending Social Security
      * Opposition to U.S. Military interventions and Obama's War budget
      * Full Employment and a progressive budget
      * Universal Health Care vs "Obama care"
      * Protecting our environment
    - United Front for future elections
      * New Jersey...
    - Ballot access for the 2014 election cycle
5) Future enlargement of participating organizations
    * What other organizations should be contacted and by whom ?
6) Proposed date and agenda for next UNITING PROGRESSIVES meeting
INTRODUCTION OF GROUPS
The following individuals gave introductory remarks on the following organizations:
    Kevin Akin    Peace and Freedom Party of California
    Darcy Richardson    Peace and Freedom Party of Florida
    Lenny Brody and Sally Soriano    Justice Party
    Tony Noel    New Progressive Alliance
    Pancho Valdez and Will Crane    Green Party
    Mohammad Arif    United Moderate Muslims 4 Peace
    Adam Rodriguez    United Front Against Austerity
    Michael Cavlan        Open Progressives of Minnesota
    Alan Maki          Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council
    Richard Becker    Party for Socialism and Liberation
    Rikka Wallin    unaffiliated
    Devon Nola     Justice Party
GENERAL DISCUSSION
    Attention:  These notes reflect snippets of a much broader, more detailed conversation.  If anyone feels that their comments are misreported or have serious omissions, please do not hesitate to contact the meeting secretary to provide corrections for a subsequent version of notes.  Thank you.
Georgia: What are our plans for building a coalition?  How do we go about it?
Tony: Know who your enemies are.  I have no time for Move On, PDA, etc.  We must find people like us.  Occupy was small but effective.
CT: Hopefully we will be building the Left, both progressives and socialists. 
Michael Cavlan: Solidarity is a 2-way street, not just us supporting more mainstream groups.
Cindy: We must take control from the corporations.  The working poor are marginalized.
Kevin: Democrats are controlled by the corporate rich.  We need electoral forms/methods to confront them.  As Eugene Debs said, “I’d rather vote for what I want and not get it than to vote for what I don’t want and get it.”  We all need to support ballot access for every alternative.
Georgia: I don’t consider myself a “progressive”.  I agree that solidarity must be reciprocal, and a primary focus.  Corporate power must be curbed. 
Adam: We need to support Senator Elizabeth Warren’s bill called Bank on Students to lower student loan rates to 0.75% interest and its House equivalent, HR1979.  It’s something we can all rally around. 
Tony: Don’t label ourselves as “Left”.  Most people don’t know what “progressivism” is.  We can’t be afraid to get in peoples faces and call them out for bullshit.  As much as I dislike marketing, we must approach this task with marketing to our potential supporters in mind. 
Casey: I agree with Tony’s earlier remark that we are under a 24/7 Big Media onslaught.  We need to develop our own media to communicate openly among ourselves and others who want to break from the capitalist paradigm.  There are no accurate definitions for “progressive” or “socialist” so despite our self-labeling, we should eschew those terms as a coalition.  We should also avoid “Left” as it indicates we are on the fringe.  We are not – we represent the mainstream of American political thought.  I have two words to say – Proportional Representation.  Without an election system that allows voters to have a voice in government, no third party movement can succeed.  We must first do our groundwork by legally establishing proportionality.
Michael M.: Today is a first step. We need a critical mass for credibility.  We on the Left have considered ourselves as impotent, and must get over that self-delusion.  We speak for many millions in opposing militarism, subsidies to bankers, and supporting universal health care and environmental protection.  We must appeal to people like my mother who is not a “progressive”. 
Kevin: Don’t try to convince socialists to abandon their self-chosen label. 
NEXT MEETING
Set for Sunday June 23 at 2pmPDT, 5pmEDT
CHOSING A NAME
There was a long discussion, but only a few remarks are reported here.
CT: To my mind, the word “progressive” means a call to reform, not replace, capitalism.
Robin: I like “United Americans: Common Table”  We should make everyone feel welcome.
Rikka: I don’t care what you call it.  I like the ideas.
Cindy: The problem with “progressive” or “socialist” is that most Americans misappropriate the meaning.  Instead of spending time on what name we should use, we should be working on outreach with every call participant volunteering to contact at least 2 additional groups. 
Casey: I propose changing the word “progressives” to “people” in the headline to our outreach letter.
Georgia” I propose changing the title to “United People for Peace and Social and Economic Justice”.
A roll call vote was taken with 8 in favor of Georgia’s proposal, 2 opposed, 1 abstaining and 9 having already left the call.  The proposal was deemed to have passed. 
For contact purposes, two email addresses were given:
        Georgia Williams    georgiam@csufresno.edu
        Michael McGee        michael.mcgee.1@gmail.com
Respectfully submitted,
Casey Peters, secretary
Peace and Freedom Alliance

Click to enlarge; feel free to copy, share and distribute. Write a "Letter to the Editor" about peace and full employment.

Why has the AFL-CIO restricted discussion of its "white paper?"

How is it that the AFL-CIO has called for discussion of its "white paper" on how to build the trade union movement but these issues are not included in the "white paper" and any discussion of these issues is banned from the discussion?

• Peace and the need for a peace dividend.
• Breaking free from Wall Street's two-party trap.
• The need for anti-scab, anti-lockout and full employment legislation discussed.
  
  Here is the link to the "white paper:"
  http://www.aflcio.org/content/download/78851/1929111/file/prosperity-for-all.pdf

Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton manages to get over the 50% hump in his approval rating...

Billionaire Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton is all smiles these days because polls show he has a 57% approval rating.

But... Were Minnesotans satisfied with Dayton's refusal to raise the Minimum Wage? I bet if Mark Dayton had to rely on a Minimum Wage job for his income instead of the billions he inherited from his family whose wealth has been derived from paying workers poverty wages he wouldn't be smiling.

Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton manages to get over the 50% hump in his approval rating... but what do poverty waged employees get? A kick in the ass from this Democratic Governor.

Must we go to media outside the United States to get the facts?

Canadian peace activist Paul Graham interviews David Barsamian in Winnipeg... excellent interview:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Msj5YFfuAzY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkWK-f6NK3c

David Barsamian: Israel, the United States & Mideast Policy

Speaking at the National Campus & Community Radio Conference in Winnipeg, June 14, 2013, award-winning US journalist David Barsamian traced the evolution of ...

From John Beck at Michigan State University

Steve Ashby, a labor studies professor at the School of Labor and Employment Relations at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, posted the following list of labor films available on the web. He made this for a workshop handout at the LAWCHA conference. What a wonderful service Steve has done for all of us.

Grand Army of Starvation, 1877 rail strikes, 10 minutes (picture quality is low)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nzol0ms895k

1886 Haymarket. Excerpts from a PBS film on anarchism in America.

Part 1  (5 minutes)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OQxncb2ihQ

Part 2  (5 minutes)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8w-z8ud_9QU

Part 3 – the trial  (5 minutes)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKkEl9XzjFc

Homestead 1892  (history channel, 15 minutes)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NljbZAGk0w&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PLB3827C16AFA01AE2

Andrew Carnegie and the Homestead Strike, 5 minutes

http://www.history.com/videos/history-of-labor-day#andrew-carnegie-and-the-homestead-strike

Andrew Carnegie, the richest man in the world, PBS American Experience, 2 hours

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76S2rYEb6y8

Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle, 8 minutes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfPQ4qLS6Do

Taylorism and Fordism, 8 minutes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PdmNbqtDdI

1911 Triangle Fire YouTube 3 minutes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf9GVbzf7Q4&feature=related

1911 Story of Us: Triangle, 7 minutes, YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdNYqBP_5q4

“Century of Women” on garment workers, 1909 strike, Triangle, 15 minutes

http://www.vimeo.com/9551312

Bread and Roses 1912 strike, 6 minutes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xKnqhGpc8M&feature=em-uploademail

Mother Jones, 9 minutes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4dICZsNXBE

Miles of Smiles: Years of Struggle, Pullman Porters, 3 minutes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuL6bFSVcs0

Anti-racism excerpts from the film Matewan on 1920 miners’ strike, YouTube, 4 minutes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzjWbag6zxQ&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwEMIvDEFy4  (6 minute version but lower picture quality)

1932 veterans “bonus march,” newsreel, 3 minutes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkmo4ygPTjc

1932 veterans bonus march, 3 parts, 10 minutes each

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiMuzkpT8Xs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlegmV5OJtM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s13NlsmLODc

1934 San Francisco general strike, possibly PBS, 3 minutes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dku-MFnIxaU

Also newsreel coverage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmkAr2Fr7Ng, 2 minutes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pURNXMlUHuU, 1 minute

1937, Flint, PBS, Walter Reuther and the Rise of the UAW, 15 minutes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aLUNW4zoPQ&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL95BA98A901568FBB

With Babies and Banners, women and the 1937 auto sit-down strikes, 45 minutes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pa75V-tdBko

Union Maids, women in the 1930s labor struggles, 51 minutes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74gvcvXlgnM

1937 Memorial Day Massacre, Chicago Republic Steel (10 minutes, YouTube, Illinois Labor History Society)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Q3RUGLfFv0

A Job at Ford’s, PBS Great Depression series, 50 minutes incl Ford hunger march

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjH4pCatx0I

Mean Things Happening, PBS Great Depression series, 51 minutes, 1930s SFTU tenant farmers and steelworkers organizing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4RRf5T-bMM

Other episodes in PBS documentary series on Great Depression

The Road to Rock Bottom, 53 mins, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGc8rNV3HNY

New York, New York, 53 mins, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5n4u4cF4Pg

We Have a Plan, California, 53 mins, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BcShxauDgk

To Be Somebody, civil rights, 53 mins, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdEHPaQ4li4

Arsenal of Democracy, WWII, 53 mins, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIJhGH2GNEY

AFL and CIO 1935 split, newsreel, 7 minutes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CibsdhzZhY

John L. Lewis speaking to Congress, newsreel, 4 minutes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9WryLrVvFo&feature=related

1946 strike wave, newsreel, 6 minutes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jb-1IqaQSq8

1946 strike wave, 21 minutes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8b1GhULdmU&feature=related

Seeing Red, film, part 1 –documentary on radicals and anti-communism with many interviews  10 minutes (entire film 11 parts on YouTube)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJ62NDsFPI0

Salt of the Earth, feature length film, 1954

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7ZoomADDOI

1968  “I am a man,” AFSCME,  (YouTube, 10 minutes)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBDgH435oaU

Nixon Intervenes in 1970 Postal Strike, TV coverage, 8 minutes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcDqDxrY5lg

The Story of OSHA, 29 minutes, OSHA documentary

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWhYD6Xwqpo

1973 Harlan County strike, Harlan County USA, 80 minute film

http://www.ovguide.com/harlan-county,-usa-9202a8c04000641f8000000000335925

ABC Nightline on 1980s union-busting, 8 minutes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4f9DGgRZeA

1989 Pittston miners’ strike, 10 minutes  (civil disobedience)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1VJUqgKAAE&list=PL8863ACF32B8FA9AF

Deadly Corn, 1992-95 Staley lockout, 25 minutes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMhBSeKEOu0

Struggle in the Heartland, 1992-95 Staley lockout, 25 minutes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VR63B80nvX0

1997 Teamsters strike against UPS, produced by Teamsters, 8 minutes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m87w4yD8X0Y

Enjoy!!