[Educationforall] spam con huevos labor news, views and concerns, 2.28.12-1

Wed Feb 29 07:20:54 UTC 2012

All-India strike hits banking, transport services‏ NDLON (National Day Laborers Organizing Network) 2012 National Assembly, February 19-23, 2012 Los Angeles, CA  To Autoworkers, Obama Turns Up Oratory Romney Calls for Auto Bankruptcy, Obama Bets on Workers‏Tax Cash-Hoarding Banks, Create Jobs and Protect Social Security  Paul Krugman | In the US, Stimulate Demand by Reversing Local Austerity  Chris Hedges | Ralph Nader: Occupy the Minimum Wage and Impact the Election  NiLP FYI: Civil Rights Abuses Against Latinos in Alabama Documented‏ Join the Effort to Repeal Alabama's HB 56!‏Two upcoming media skills workshops at the Labor Center‏  
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All-India strike hits
banking, transport services
Hindustan Times
February 28, 2012
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/All-India-strike-by-major-trade-unions-today/Article1-818173.aspx

New Delhi--Millions of workers of all political hues
have gone on strike across India on Tuesday to express
their anger at soaring prices and to back demands for
improved rights for employees, trade unions and political
activists said.

The strike, which includes workers from state-run phone
companies, bus drivers and postal workers, is a new
headache for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government
as it grapples with weakening economic growth and faces
elections in several states.

Workers linked to the ruling Congress party have also
joined the protest and have promised further action if
their demands are not met.

The protests are not expected to significantly affect
banks and financial markets in Asia's third-largest
economy, but traders said there could be some
volatility in the bond market if volumes are lower than
normal.

"Volumes could be lower, but settlement should happen,"
said a senior dealer at a state-run bank.

The strikers have a long list of demands. Among them,
they want the government to take measures to contain
inflation, provide universal social security cover for
workers in the vast unorganised labour sector, and to
stop selling stakes in state-run companies.

"We will have to think about our future course of
action if the government does not come forward with
proposals on how it will react to our demands," G.
Sanjeeva Reddy, president of the Indian National Trade
Union Congress, the ruling party's trade union, said.

Hit by high interest rates, stubborn inflation and a
stuttering reform agenda, India's economy is expected
to grow by about 7% in the fiscal year ending March,
compared with earlier expectations of about 9% growth.

Singh's government has faced a slew of protests since
winning a second term in 2009, denting the Congress
party's image as a defender of the poor.

The party is currently fighting five state elections,
including one in Uttar Pradesh, the country's most
populous state.

Tuesday's strike will be the 14th general strike since
India opened up its economy with major reforms in 1991.

Strike hits normal life in Kerala

Normal life was disrupted in Kerala on Tuesday due to
the country-wide strike called by central trade unions
to protest the "anti-labour" policies of the UPA
government.

Buses kept off the roads and shops were closed in the
state. The strike also affected functioning of banks
and offices as pro-Left unions in the state sector also
joined the protest against the "neo-liberal economic
and labour policies" pursued by the UPA Government at
the Centre.

The Congress-led UDF Government in the state has
enforced 'dies non' (no work-no pay) order against the
strike in government offices.

Early reports from across the state said in most places
the mobility of people was hit as the impact of the
strike was near total in the transport sector with
buses, taxis and autorickshaws keeping off the road.

The rail traffic, however, was not affected and no
blockade was reported from anywhere in the early hours.
There was no disruption in electricity or water supply
and the health sector exempted from the strike.

Normal life unaffected by strike in Kolkata

Normal life on Tuesday remained largely unaffected in
Kolkata due to the general strike called to protest
"anti-labour" policies of the government, with chief
minister Mamata Banerjee warning state government
employees that absence from duty will be treated as a
break in service.

State government-run buses, taxis, trams, trains and
Metro rail services were normal though private buses
were plying in fewer number.

Flight operations from NSC Bose international airport
here were normal. All morning flights of Air-India and
other private airlines left Kolkata airport as
schedule, sources said.

"Everything has been normal so far. Things are going on
well. Tight security arrangements are in place with 400
police pickets set up in various parts of the city,"
City police commissioner R K Pachnanda said.

Railway sources said the train services in Howrah,
Asansol and Malda division of Eastern Railway are
normal.

Major unions have called a countrywide strike to
protest the "anti-labour" policies of the government,
rising prices and disinvestment of PSUs.

Peaceful start to strike in Maharashtra

Employees of banks, insurance companies, central
government and local bodies as well as workers in
several private industries joined a 24-hour all India
strike of various trade unions in Maharashtra on
Tuesday.

However, the state government, railways and BEST (city
public bus service) employees have not joined the
strike on account of ongoing examinations while
essential services have been kept out, one of the
organisers in Maharashtra said.

"The strike response is total, spontaneous and
peaceful. This afternoon, thousands of striking workers
shall march to Azad Maidan for a rally which will be
addressed by top union leaders," All India Bank
Employees Association secretary Vishwas Utagi said.

The strike, which has secured the support of around
5000 unions affiliated to all the major trade unions
cutting across party lines, is to protest against price
rise, corruption, violation of labour rights, free
market policies and disinvestment which would result in
loss of jobs, Utagi said.

Delhi invokes ESMA on power companies

In view of Tuesday's nation-wide strike called by a
number of trade unions, Delhi government on Monday
clamped the Essential Services Maintenance Act on all
power companies in the city to ensure that there is no
disruption in electricity supply in the national
Capital.

"Delhi government has clamped ESMA on all power
companies including generation, distribution and other
power companies in view of the proposed strike
tomorrow," a statement issued by the chief minister's
office said.

It said the ESMA would remain in force for next six
months.

(With inputs from PTI, Reuters, IANS)

____________________________________________

PortsideLabor aims to provide material of interest to
people on the left that will help them to interpret the
world and to change it.

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NDLON (National Day Laborers Organizing Network) 2012 National Assembly, February 19-23, 2012 Los Angeles, CA
3 attachments (total 3.9 MB)DownloadDownloadDownloadView slide show (3)|Download all as zip2596:    Day Laborers march to Los Angeles Board of Supervisorsto denounce Sheriff Lee Baca and his support for HomelandSecurity's  "Secure Communities" deportation program.   2573:   AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka promisesfull support to day labor organizing efforts. 2584:   PBS commentator Tavis Smiley stresses the dignityof day labor work and supports their efforts to organize.    "Justice is what love looks like
in public." 

-- Cornell West

Mark R. Day
Day Productions
2434 Alta Vista Dr.
Vista, CA 92084
(760) 630-7398
mday700 at yahoo.com
www.dayproductions.com
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To Autoworkers, Obama Turns Up OratoryBy HELENE COOPERPresident Obama was in full campaign mode and resembled his 2008 self in a rousing speech at a United Auto Workers conference in Washington.
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Feb. 28, 2012
More than a dozen University of Virginia students are on a hunger strike for a living wage for campus workers, some of whom make just $7.25 an hour.Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney is not only spreading lies about the auto industry rescue that saved hundreds of thousands of jobs, he says President Obama should have let Chrysler and GM go bankrupt. This morning, Obama told the UAW legislative conference, “I placed my bet on American workers.”
Got comments? Post them at blog.aflcio.org. UVA Students, Football Player on Hunger Strike for Workers’ Living Wage USW Members Ratify Cooper Tire Pact, Journey for Justice Wraps Up Ariz. Lawmaker Wants to Pull the College Ladder Up Behind Her ‘Brotherhood Outdoors’ Takes IUOE Member on Montana Deer HuntRead more important news of the day on the issues working families care about.Follow the AFL-CIO:
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Text NEWS to AFLCIO (235246) to receive action alerts and more.
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To find out more about the AFL-CIO, please visit our website at www.aflcio.org.
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Tax Cash-Hoarding Banks, Create Jobs and Protect Social SecurityRobert Pollin, Truthout: "As the severe unemployment crisis drags into its third year, proposals for solving the crisis are proliferating. Still more ideas will be tossed into the mix as the 2012 election season intensifies.... The single worst idea in the mix, supported by deficit hawks in both the Democratic and Republican Parties, is that we are facing a fiscal train wreck and that we therefore, above all, need to cut government spending." Read the Article 

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Paul Krugman | In the US, Stimulate Demand by Reversing Local AusterityPaul Krugman, Krugman & Co.: "One question that arises when we talk about the possibility of reversing the disastrous push for austerity runs something like this: 'OK, you say you want more government spending, but what should it spend money on?' The truth is that I think the perceived lack of shovel-ready projects in the United States was overstated even in 2009, but it was a real concern. The point I want to make is that matters now are actually a lot easier." Read the Article 

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Chris Hedges | Ralph Nader: Occupy the Minimum Wage and Impact the ElectionChris Hedges, Truthdig: "The Occupy movement may be able to forge a powerful alliance with millions of working men and women around a national call to raise the minimum wage to $10 an hour. The drive to establish new encampments, while important, is going to be long and difficult. The ongoing efforts to stand up to the foreclosure and mortgage crisis, the marches to hold Wall Street accountable, the protests against stop-and-frisk policies in New York City or police brutality in Oakland, while vital, do not draw the numbers into the streets across the country needed to loosen the grip of the corporate state." Read the Article 

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National Institute for Latino Policy (NiLP)25 West 18th Street
New York, NY 10011800-590-2516info at latinopolicy.org
www.latinopolicy.org  Board of DirectorsJosé R. Sánchez   ChairEdgar DeJesus   SecretaryIsrael Colon   TreasurerMaria Rivera   Development ChairHector FigueroaTanya K. Hernandez Angelo Falcón   President 
 To make a donation,click here  Follow us onTwitter andAngelo's Facebook Page.  
Civil rights group accusesAlabama of abusing HispanicsBy Kelli DuganKFOR Newschannel 4 (February 27, 2012) MOBILE, Alabama (Reuters) - A civil rights group that sued the state of Alabama over an immigration law that is considered the toughest in the nation, said on Monday that it had compiled a list of what it called abuses against Hispanics since the law took effect last year. The report from the Southern Poverty Law Center, titled "Alabama's Shame: HB56 and the War on Immigrants," recounts stories of alleged harassment against Alabama's Hispanics, both legal and illegal, culled from more than 5,200 hotline complaints fielded since September. Alabama passed what is widely considered the nation's toughest anti-immigration law last June, requiring police to detain people they suspect of being in the country illegally if they cannot produce proper documentation when stopped for any reason, among other measures. A U.S. appeals court has blocked Alabama from enforcing parts of the law, including a provision that permits the state to require public schools to determine the legal residency of children upon enrollment. But the court left most of the law untouched. Oral argument over the law's constitutionality are scheduled to begin in Atlanta on Thursday before a U.S. Court of Appeals. Among the incidents reported by the center were a young girl who had to endure emergency surgery days after being refused medical care at a clinic. A day laborer asking to be paid reported she had a gun pointed at her by her boss who claimed he didn't have to pay her, according to the report. A Hispanic U.S. citizen describing being forced to provide "American" identification to make a simple retail purchase. "If lawmakers are unwilling to repeal (the immigration law) knowing this is the type of misery they have created, we can only assume they intended to inflict this cruelty all along," said Mary Bauer, legal director for the law center and author of the report. Republican Senator Scott Beason of Gardendale, Alabama, a sponsor of the law, dismissed the report as posturing. "I'm not surprised. They (law center) will say whatever, trying to get contributions. I really don't pay attention to what they say, and I'm not sure a lot of Alabamians or Americans do, anymore," Beason said. The law center was formed in the early 1970s to defend the legal rights of African Americans following the civil rights reforms of the 1960s. It was instrumental in some convictions of members of white supremacist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan for civil rights abuses against blacks. It has broadened to other discrimination issues in recent years. Beason said he had been unable to validate similar stories when confronted by them. The Alabama law has led to embarrassing incidents such as the brief detention of an executive of a German automobile company that has invested millions of dollars in Alabama and created hundreds of jobs. After this and other incidents, Alabama Governor Robert Bentley said the law would be reviewed by the Republican-led state legislature. A bill to repeal the law has been introduced in the state Senate, but it faces long odds given the broad support for last year's bill. There are an estimated 11.2 million illegal immigrants in the United States. Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, South Carolina and Utah have passed immigration crackdowns since Arizona blazed the trail in 2010 with a law requiring police to check the status of all those they arrested and suspected of being in the country illegally. States say that they have acted because the federal government has failed to agree comprehensive immigration reform. Courts have consistently blocked most of the provisions of the state laws, saying that the federal government has the right to regulate immigration under the U.S. constitution. (Additional reporting by Peggy Gargis in Birmingham; Editing by Greg McCune)Forward emailThis email was sent to cgpelayo at hotmail.com by info at latinopolicy.org |  Update Profile/Email Address | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ | Privacy Policy.National Institute for Latino Policy (NiLP) | 25 West 18th Street | New York | NY | 10011-1991
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NCLR in Action is a monthly communication from the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, which provides information on issues of importance to Latinos. Each email contains one action item, followed by updates on what's happening with other issue areas. Take a look below andmake your voice heard!JOIN THE EFFORT TO REPEAL ALABAMA'S HB 56!When Alabama removed the Confederate flag from the state capitol in 1993, the world noticed.  This declaration of a new day opened the door to international investment, bringing scores of good jobs to hardworking Alabamians.  It showed that Alabama had turned a page in its history, moving away from its dark past.  

But Alabama’s new anti-immigrant law, HB 56, has set Alabama back again.

This obvious attempt to drive immigrants and Latino families out of the state has left crops rotting in the fields and created a humanitarian crisis.  More than a thousand children were pulled out of schools after HB 56 brought immigration enforcement into Alabama’s classrooms.  

It has also cut consumer demand and created an unwelcoming business climate.  In an embarrassing move that local authorities do not want to repeat, a German Mercedes-Benz manager was detained and a Japanese Honda manager was charged for not carrying the required documents under the law.  Most recently, a new study by the University of Alabama shows that the state stands to lose up to $11 billion because of HB 56—an amount equivalent to seven years of state general fund expenditures.  

While the push to repeal this bill continues, on March 4–9, the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) and committed civil rights activists will embark on a historic march from Selma to Montgomery to honor those who marched as part of the Civil Rights movement 47 years ago, and to stand with Black civil rights leaders against Alabama’s draconian HB 56.  

Even if you are not able to make it to this historic event, you can still help the effort to repeal HB 56 by calling upon on Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai Motor Company, and Honda to join our effort to urge Alabama legislators to repeal HB 56. 

For Alabama workers and international manufacturers alike, it is imperative that “Made in Alabama” remain a mark of excellence to consumers around the world and that Alabama remains a stable and forward-thinking place to do business.  Alabama’s major auto manufacturers all have a strong commitment to the diverse communities who buy their cars and they represent the new investment opened to Alabama after the Confederate Flag was removed.  

Help us push for the repeal of HB 56 and urge Alabama’s major automakers to do the same!
This month in...Health  
Next month will bring us the second anniversary of the enactment of the Affordable Care Act.  At the same time, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in cases challenging key provisions of the health care reform law, including the historic expansion of Medicaid.  The National Health Law Program filed an amicus brief in support of the Medicaid provisions and the program in general, on behalf of NCLR and other health care reform advocates.  The Court’s decision on these issues has serious implications not only for Latinos’ access to the health care system, but also for civil rights law more broadly.  Stay tuned for updates from our health policy team.

Economic and Employment Policy   
You did it!  When we alerted you that some lawmakers wanted to rob four million Latino children of the Child Tax Credit, your response was so overwhelming that CBS News called it a “firestorm.”  In just two months, you turned up the volume so high on Capitol Hill that members of Congress chose to do the right thing.  On February 17, they voted for a clean payroll tax cut that protects access to the Child Tax Credit for all taxpayers, regardless of their immigration status.  Thank you!  Please take a minute to thank Senate Majority Leader Reid, who led the effort to defend children.

Wealth-Building
Thanks to you we had one of the greatest Home for Good successes yet!  Earlier this month, state Attorneys General made a $25 billion multistate settlement with the five largest mortgage servicers in the U.S.  Since the beginning of the housing crisis, we have sought lasting solutions like these for a sustainable housing market with true accountability.  While the settlement does not solve all problems, this is the first in a series of enforcement actions we hope to see.  With this settlement comes five great wins for Latino families (click here to read the five wins in Spanish).  Keep up the Home for Good fight!Education
In February, Congress called on NCLR's Delia Pompa to provide testimony to the House Education and Workforce Committee on Chairman John Kline’s education legislation.  Delia’stestimony illustrates how Chairman Kline’s bills miss the mark; the proposals don’t hold schools or districts accountable for students’ success and could reverse the progress we’ve made since Brown v. Board of Education, which helped make education more accessible and equitable for all children.  

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 Leadership Schools · Workshops · Research Reports · Publications  Media Skills Workshop Get camera-ready at this two-day media skills workshop for union communications directors, leaders, and organizers. The sessions feature essential lessons for developing a highly effective messaging campaign, including creating a comprehensive communications strategy, developing effective messages, understanding media outreach tactics and honing off- and on-camera spokesperson skills. Additionally, workshop participants will have the opportunity to meet with a panel of local journalists, practice effective media planning and outreach, and learn about new social media tools in this intensive dive into media relations.For more information, please visit us online or contact Clementina Jara at (510) 643-7048 or zenaida at berkeley.edu  April 25 & 26, 20129:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Cost: $350 UC Berkeley Labor CenterIRLE Building2521 Channing WayBerkeley, CA  Building Online Media Skills Participants will learn how to use online tools to organize workers and community members, and garner media attention.  This two-day workshop will cover best practices when using familiar online tools such as e-mail alerts, websites and online newsletters, and will introduce emerging online tools and tactics such as blogging, podcasting, and social networking, among others.  This class will be led by organizers from Aspiration, an organization with a mission to help unions and community groups better use technology to maximize their effectiveness.For more information, please visit us online or contact Muttika Chaturabul at (510) 643-0910 or mootix87 at berkeley.edu   June 28 & 29, 20129:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Cost: $350 UC Berkeley Institute of International StudiesMoses Hall, Room 223Berkeley, CA  Stay connected to the Labor Center DonateJoin our mailing listFollow usBecome a fan Center for Labor Research and Education, Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, University of California, Berkeley2521 Channing Way # 5555 · Berkeley, CA 94720-5555 · TEL (510) 642-0323 · FAX (510) 642-6432 If you do not wish to receive occasional emails from the UC Berkeley Labor Center, please reply to clre_unsubscribe at berkeley.edu and place UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line. 
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