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<ol><li><h2 class="ReadMsgSubject" style="line-height: 24px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><font size="3">Rights Fight Unites Unions, Immigrants </font></h2></li><li><h2 class="ReadMsgSubject" style="line-height: 24px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><font size="3">Larry Itliong: The Farm Workers' Filipino Champion</font></h2></li><li><h2 class="ReadMsgSubject" style="line-height: 24px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><font size="3">'There's a Ripple Effect': A Chicago Librarian Speaks Out About Cutbacks</font></h2></li><li><strong style="line-height: 34px; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><a href="http://action.ufw.org/page/m/3bed9c17/14563619/46839d47/2b46a526/3052128756/VEsF/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><font size="3">Something else you can do to keep farm workers safe from methyl iodide</font></a></strong></li><li><h2 class="ReadMsgSubject" style="line-height: 24px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><font size="3">Walmart - Alabama Anti-Immigrant Enforcer </font></h2></li><li><h2 class="ReadMsgSubject" style="line-height: 24px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><font size="3">Can Apple be ethical and innovative? </font></h2></li><li><h2 class="ReadMsgSubject" style="line-height: 24px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><font size="3">National LCLAA calls members out to Alabama</font></h2></li><li><h2 class="ReadMsgSubject" style="line-height: 24px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><font size="3">Locked-Out Workers Journey for Justice</font></h2></li><li><h3 style="line-height: 15px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; color: rgb(0, 110, 18) !important; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/22/us/hersheys-packer-fined-by-labor-department-for-safety-violations.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha23" target="_blank" style="line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 110, 18) !important; cursor: pointer; "><font size="3">Hershey's Packer Is Fined Over Its Safety Violations</font></a></h3></li><li><h2 class="ReadMsgSubject" style="line-height: 24px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><font size="3">Poisoned: Guo Rui-Qiang and Jia Jing-Chuan, worked in an Apple factory in Suzhou, China cleaning iPhone touch screens</font></h2> </li></ol><div><br></div><div>@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@</div><div><br></div><div><div id="mpf0_bodyHdr" style="line-height: 15px; 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background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><div class="SandboxScopeClass ExternalClass" id="mpf0_MsgContainer" style="line-height: normal; font-size: 10pt; display: inline-block; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; "><table width="626" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" align="center" style="line-height: 17px; "><tbody><tr><td bgcolor="FFFFFF"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="1" align="center" width="626" style="line-height: 17px; "><tbody><tr><td><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" width="100%" style="line-height: 17px; "><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=I5sAPpj5HibNBUujOP7sFRXYw2ogKJQ5" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><img height="71" border="0" width="626" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/c/18/images/banner_afl-cio_now_blog_626.jpg" alt="" style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; "></a></td></tr><tr><td><table cellpadding="13" border="0" width="100%" style="line-height: 17px; "><tbody><tr><td><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><span style="font-size: 13px; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; "><b style="font-weight: bold; ">Feb. 21, 2012</b></span></span></p><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="7" border="0" align="right" style="line-height: 17px; width: 22px; height: 38px; "><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center; "><a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=ON7wrefVlCubtqj48rLYshXYw2ogKJQ5" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><img border="0" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/c/18/images/nih.jpg" title="Health care" alt="Health care" style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; "></a><br><span style="line-height: 13px; font-size: 10px; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; "><a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=6NSfLW4mF1RAYBDWmhvFSnTyKMXN2H9Z" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; ">Health insurance consumers will see $1 billion in premium rebates this year, thanks to the Affordable Care Act</a>.</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><span style="font-size: 13px; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">The AFL-CIO stands “shoulder to shoulder” with immigrant workers to “beat back the enforcement of anti-immigrant initiatives on the state and local level that are a threat to the rights of all workers,” AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka told the National Day Laborer Organizing Network conference in Los Angeles this morning.</span></span><br></p><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" style="line-height: 17px; "><tbody><tr><td height="24px" valign="bottom"><a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=Mb8e6iGVsAilFhIgvIcnZBXYw2ogKJQ5" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><img border="0" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/c/18/images/read_more.gif" alt="Read More" style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; "></a></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "></p><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><span style="font-size: 13px; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">Got comments? Post them at </span></span><a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=ZVp%2BBgS6ytGw19R%2B%2BuqiXRXYw2ogKJQ5" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "></a><span style="font-size: 13px; "><a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=QcZzfk2dNGIrqEyDe0/3rBXYw2ogKJQ5" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; "><b style="font-weight: bold; ">blog.aflcio.org</b></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">.</span></span></p><p align="left" style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><font face="Arial" color="navy" style="line-height: normal; font-size: 13px; "><img height="12" border="0" width="16" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/c/18/images/blog_arrow-blt.gif" alt="" style="line-height: 17px; "> <a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=FLdaAihRbq5oiJKnIwutwRXYw2ogKJQ5" target="_blank" style="line-height: 17px; color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><font face="Arial" color="navy" style="line-height: normal; "><strong style="line-height: 17px; font-weight: bold; ">Affordable Care Act Means Premium Rebates for Consumers</strong></font></a></font></p><p align="left" style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><font face="Arial" color="navy" style="line-height: normal; font-size: 13px; "><img height="12" border="0" width="16" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/c/18/images/blog_arrow-blt.gif" alt="" style="line-height: 17px; "> <a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=YlY3sBg35oOBlGcLm53UURXYw2ogKJQ5" target="_blank" style="line-height: 17px; color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><font face="Arial" color="navy" style="line-height: normal; "><strong style="line-height: 17px; font-weight: bold; ">German Delegation Here to Support T-Mobile Workers</strong></font></a></font></p><p align="left" style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><font face="Arial" color="navy" style="line-height: normal; font-size: 13px; "><img height="12" border="0" width="16" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/c/18/images/blog_arrow-blt.gif" alt="" style="line-height: 17px; "> <a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=ulpx55KPEiIFbjSD1I7G1hXYw2ogKJQ5" target="_blank" style="line-height: 17px; color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><font face="Arial" color="navy" style="line-height: normal; "><strong style="line-height: 17px; font-weight: bold; ">Alabama Law Dictates ‘Who to Be Friends With</strong></font></a><strong style="line-height: 17px; font-weight: bold; ">’</strong></font></p><p align="left" style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><font face="Arial" color="navy" style="line-height: normal; font-size: 13px; "><img height="12" border="0" width="16" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/c/18/images/blog_arrow-blt.gif" alt="" style="line-height: 17px; "> <a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=9sqTc7Qed8h9eQVSZZaK5RXYw2ogKJQ5" target="_blank" style="line-height: 17px; color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><font face="Arial" color="navy" style="line-height: normal; "><strong style="line-height: 17px; font-weight: bold; ">Bill Closes Tax Loophole for the 1%</strong></font></a></font></p><p align="left" style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><font face="Arial" color="navy" style="line-height: normal; font-size: 13px; "><img height="12" border="0" width="16" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/c/18/images/blog_arrow-blt.gif" alt="" style="line-height: 17px; "> <a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=xe0/REufp3pCe0yMEvNMLhXYw2ogKJQ5" target="_blank" style="line-height: 17px; color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><font face="Arial" color="navy" style="line-height: normal; "><strong style="line-height: 17px; font-weight: bold; ">Work—and Laughter—Connect Us All</strong></font></a></font></p><p align="left" style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><font face="Arial" color="navy" style="line-height: normal; font-size: 13px; "><img height="12" border="0" width="16" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/c/18/images/blog_arrow-blt.gif" alt="" style="line-height: 17px; "> <a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=ANgXGRFhwaZey21F02l/shXYw2ogKJQ5" target="_blank" style="line-height: 17px; color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><font face="Arial" color="navy" style="line-height: normal; "><strong style="line-height: 17px; font-weight: bold; ">1912 San Diego Free Speech Fight Has Lesson for Today</strong></font></a></font></p><p align="left" style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><font face="Arial" color="navy" style="line-height: normal; font-size: 13px; "><img height="12" border="0" width="16" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/c/18/images/blog_arrow-blt.gif" alt="" style="line-height: 17px; "> <a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=mNLTaEfwX2DkGZStYC6PBxXYw2ogKJQ5" target="_blank" style="line-height: 17px; color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><font face="Arial" color="navy" style="line-height: normal; "><strong style="line-height: 17px; font-weight: bold; ">34th Great Labor Arts Exchange Set for June</strong></font></a></font></p><p align="left" style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><font face="Arial" color="navy" style="line-height: normal; font-size: 13px; "><img height="12" border="0" width="16" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/c/18/images/blog_arrow-blt.gif" alt="" style="line-height: 17px; "> <a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=KCX3Ox3GrJCDo5dy3ptcXBXYw2ogKJQ5" target="_blank" style="line-height: 17px; color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><font face="Arial" color="navy" style="line-height: normal; "><strong style="line-height: 17px; font-weight: bold; ">Advocacy Roundtable Rebukes Voter Suppression Laws</strong></font></a></font></p><p align="left" style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><font face="Arial" color="navy" style="line-height: normal; font-size: 13px; "><img height="12" border="0" width="16" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/c/18/images/blog_arrow-blt.gif" alt="" style="line-height: 17px; "> <a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=uJ6//XVtMacD95yIR2jHyRXYw2ogKJQ5" target="_blank" style="line-height: 17px; color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><font face="Arial" color="navy" style="line-height: normal; "><strong style="line-height: 17px; font-weight: bold; ">The Draconian Effort to Impose Restrictions on Unemployment Insurance</strong></font></a></font></p><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; text-align: left; "><span style="font-size: 13px; "><a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=k7jH9pcC0TNjd/RsAtSxfRXYw2ogKJQ5" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; "><strong style="font-weight: bold; ">Read more important news</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; "> of the day on the issues working families care about.</span></span></p><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="7" bordercolor="#cccccc" border="1" align="center" style="line-height: 17px; "><tbody><tr><td><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" align="center" width="100%" style="line-height: 17px; "><tbody><tr><td align="center" valign="middle"><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><nobr><span style="font-size: 13px; "><span style="font-family: Arial; "><strong style="font-weight: bold; ">Follow the AFL-CIO:</strong></span></span><strong style="font-weight: bold; "><br></strong><a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=Ts36vd/3G3T0DNPZ%2Bkyt6RXYw2ogKJQ5" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); 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cursor: pointer; "><img border="0" title="RSS" alt="RSS" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/images/icon_24x24_rss.jpg" style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; "></a></nobr></p></td></tr><tr><td><p align="center" style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><span style="font-family: Arial; "><span style="font-size: 13px; "><em><nobr>Take the next step. Become a mobile activist</nobr><br><nobr>by joining the AFL-CIO Rapid Action Text Team.</nobr><br><nobr>Text <strong style="font-weight: bold; ">NEWS</strong> to <strong style="font-weight: bold; ">AFLCIO (235246)</strong> to receive action alerts and more.</nobr><br>(Message and data rates may apply.)<br></em></span></span></p></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><p align="center" style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; "><span style="font-size: 13px; ">To find out more about the AFL-CIO, please visit our website at <a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=xtE2XMU1EbSSSsszIwlsqRXYw2ogKJQ5" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><b style="font-weight: bold; ">www.aflcio.org</b></a>.</span></span></p><p align="center" style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; "><span style="font-size: 13px; "><br></span></span></p></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div></div><div>@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@</div><div><br></div><div><p style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Georgia; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">The Farm Workers' Filipino Champion<br><br>By Dick Meister<br><br>The birth date of Cesar Chavez, the late farm workers'<br>leader, will be celebrated next month, and rightly so.<br>But it's well past time we also celebrated the life of<br>probably the most important of the other leaders who<br>played a major role in winning union rights for farm<br>workers and otherwise helping them combat serious<br>exploitation.<br><br>That's Larry Itliong. He died 35 years ago this month<br>at age 63. Itliong got involved in the farm workers'<br>struggle very early in life, not long after he arrived<br>as a 15-year-old immigrant from the Philippine Islands.<br>He was among some 31,000 Filipino men who came to<br>California in the late 1920s.<br><br>They migrated throughout the state doing low-paying<br>farm work, isolated from the rest of society and<br>discriminated against because of their race. They were<br>prohibited from marrying Caucasians, from buying land<br>and otherwise integrating into the community at large.<br><br>The Filipinos were perhaps the most isolated of the<br>groups of penniless workers that growers imported from<br>abroad. That, however, caused the Filipinos to band<br>closely together. They formed extremely efficient work<br>crews to travel the state under the direction of their<br>own leaders, at times even forming their own unions.<br><br>They actually struck - a rarity for farm workers at the<br>time when grape growers in Southern California's<br>Coachella Valley rejected their pay demands in 1965.<br>The strike was led by Itliong, who was then working for<br>the AFL-CIO's recently-formed Agricultural Workers<br>Organizing Committee. The strikers got what they wanted<br>in just ten days.<br><br>Elsewhere, however, the Filipinos were forced to accept<br>growers' terms, initially after brief strikes at<br>several vineyards to the north. But their fortunes<br>changed after they struck grape growers in the Delano<br>area of Kern County, where many Filipinos lived.<br><br>Again, they called on Itliong to lead them. He clearly<br>understood the deep anger and frustration that<br>motivated his fellow Filipinos an understanding based<br>on his own long experience. Soon after he came to<br>California from the Philippines, he turned to farm work<br>and, while still in his teens, was involved in an<br>unsuccessful tomato pickers strike in Washington State.<br><br>After that, Itliong traveled up and down California,<br>trying, as he said, "to get a job I could make money on<br>. . . Whatever money I made from one job was not enough<br>for me to live on until I got to the next job." He<br>barely made enough to pay for food and the cigars he<br>seemed to be endlessly chomping. School was out of the<br>question. But Itliong did learn plenty.<br><br>Like Chavez, he said he learned that farm workers could<br>not improve their wretched working and living<br>conditions, could not win any rights, if they did not<br>band together to demand decent treatment.<br><br>Itliong did not have the intellectual and philosophical<br>bent of Chavez. Nor did he share Chavez' deep distrust<br>of outside unions and their orthodox tactics. But<br>Itliong was as convinced as Chavez of the need for<br>unionization. And the depth of his conviction made<br>Itliong a natural leader among the Filipinos.<br><br>He was readily hired as a full-time organizer by the<br>AFL-CIO's Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee,<br>eventually leading the strike against Delano grape<br>growers that drew worldwide attention, much of it<br>focused on Chavez.<br><br>The vineyard strikers were seeking no more than a pay<br>raise of 15 to 20 cents an hour. But growers refused to<br>negotiate with Itliong and meanwhile evicted strikers<br>from the grower-owned camps where they lived.<br><br>Growers relied on animosity between Mexican-American<br>and Filipino workers, caused in large part by the<br>growers' practice of setting up separate camps and work<br>crews for various racial and ethnic groups.<br><br>But Chavez, who was then forming a union in Delano for<br>Mexican American workers, did not hesitate when Itliong<br>asked him for help. Chavez felt that his group, then<br>called the National Farm Workers Association, wasn't<br>ready to strike itself, but would honor the picket<br>lines of the striking Filipinos.<br><br>Yet if they were to honor the picket lines of Itliong's<br>group, Chavez' members asked, Why not strike<br>themselves? Why not? And so they did.<br><br>That became the grape strike of 1965 that drew<br>worldwide attention and support and ultimately led to<br>the unionization, at long last, of California's farm<br>workers. It was Larry Itliong and his Filipino members<br>who started it all, and who played an indispensable<br>role throughout the struggle.<br><br>Without them there could not have been a strike.<br>Without them, there could not have been the victory of<br>unionization, without them no right for the incredibly<br>oppressed farm workers to bargain with their employers.<br><br>Within a year of the strike's launching, Chavez and<br>Itliong's organizations merged to form what became the<br>widely acclaimed United Farm Workers union the UFW.<br>Chavez was president, Itliong vice president. Chavez<br>and the UFW's far more numerous Mexican American<br>members were in firm control.<br><br>Itliong never really accepted this situation. He<br>finally resigned from the UFW's executive board in<br>1971. He complained that the union's outnumbered<br>Filipinos "were getting the short end of the stick"<br>from the Anglo lawyers, clergymen and other activists<br>who were Chavez' chief advisors.<br><br>Itliong preferred the more orthodox tactics of the<br>AFL-CIO organizing committee, apparently not realizing<br>it was the unorthodox tactics of Chavez' group that<br>finally led to unionization boycotts, non-violence,<br>use of religious and student groups and all manner of<br>other help from outside the labor movement.<br><br>But this is not to detract from the extremely important<br>role Itliong played in bringing farm workers a union of<br>their own. He may not have clearly understood the need<br>for new tactics, but he most certainly understood the<br>paramount need of farm workers for unionization, and<br>the great needs of Filipino Americans generally.<br><br>Larry Itliong devoted most of his life to seeing that<br>they got much of what they badly needed.<br><br><br>Dick Meister has covered labor and politics for more<br>than a half-century. He's the co-author of, "A Long<br>Time Coming: The Struggle To Unionize America's Farm<br>Workers." Contact him through his website,<br><a href="http://www.dickmeister.com/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(30, 102, 174); cursor: pointer; font-family: Verdana; ">www.dickmeister.com</a><br><br>__<br></p><blockquote class="ecxgmail_quote" style="line-height: 17px; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Georgia; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br>Portside aims to provide material of interest to people<br>on the left that will help them to interpret the world<br>and to change it.</blockquote><b style="line-height: 17px; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Georgia; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></b></div><div><b style="line-height: 17px; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Georgia; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br></b></div><div>@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@</div><div><br></div><div><pre style="line-height: 17px; white-space: normal; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">'There's a Ripple Effect': A Chicago Librarian Speaks<br>Out About Cutbacks<br>BY KARI LYDERSEN<br>TUESDAY FEB 21, 2012 12:40 PM<br><a href="http://www.inthesetimes.com/working" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; ">http://www.inthesetimes.com/working</a><br><br>"John," 67, has been a librarian since 1973, much of<br>that time spent in Chicago's currently embattled library<br>system. Working in a branch in a low-income<br>neighborhood, John--who asked his real name not be used<br>since he's not authorized to speak to reporters--sees<br>firsthand the important role the city's libraries play<br>and how library workers and residents have been affected<br>by more than recent 100 layoffs and cuts in service<br>hours.<br><br>As I wrote previously, the libraries have become one of<br>several high-profile battlegrounds between Mayor Rahm<br>Emanuel and public-sector unions, including AFSCME<br>Council 31, which represents library workers. Although<br>past retirement age, John keeps working in part because<br>he loves the job and the interaction with local<br>residents. He especially enjoys working with youth--"they<br>keep me feeling younger than my actual years," he says.<br>But he's frustrated that the city's administration<br>doesn't seem to respect the importance of libraries<br>today, or the needs and well-being of library workers<br>and patrons. I recently talked with him about the<br>issues:<br><br>How have the layoffs and cuts affected librarians who<br>are still working?<br><br>Almost all the library staff at all levels feel somewhat<br>demoralized. There's seeming indifference, and a lack of<br>appreciation of the important role libraries have in the<br>city and their communities.<br><br>What role do libraries play in Chicago communities these<br>days, especially low-income communities like the one<br>around your branch?<br><br>In the economically depressed areas there's an even<br>greater need for the services libraries provide. I have<br>community college students and elementary and<br>high-school students who come in to do their homework<br>assignments. We serve preschoolers up through community<br>college and college graduates and beyond.<br><br>People are increasingly turning to libraries to borrow<br>books instead of paying at a bookstore--people say they<br>don't have money in their budget for buying books<br>now--it's a symptom of the economic times. Over the past<br>few years, increasingly people are turning to the<br>library as a cheap resource for just recreational<br>reading or viewing of movies.<br><br>Does the library provide a refuge for youth, given the<br>violence in many neighborhoods?<br><br>It's a place where young people trying to get away from<br>activity on the street come in after school. They find a<br>relatively safe environment until a parent who's working<br>gets home. We do care for a fair number of students who<br>aren't able to go straight home because a parent is at<br>work.<br><br>We also have older users who are a little<br>needier--especially in a community like mine, some people<br>are feeling a little out of place in the library<br>setting. They have to be helped along a little more than<br>if you were working in a different community with a<br>higher education level.<br><br>Citywide, how have the cuts affected the public?<br><br>It has an impact in so many ways. In the morning many<br>branches would have preschool story hours--in my branch<br>we'd have 10 to 20 kids for each story hour. Now because<br>we don't open until 12 on a couple days, story hours are<br>being reduced. In some places the librarian conducting<br>story hours was laid off, so that's had an effect.<br><br>I've got a concept I call "intellectual capital."<br>There's frequently talk about how there's need for<br>capital expenditures, the mayor is talking about the<br>need for infrastructure. Well there's also the<br>intellectual infrastructure--libraries are part of that.<br>It's another resource being diminished by this reduction<br>in hours and by lesser staff, lesser service.<br><br>We also have a lot of community groups we serve, we have<br>CAPS (Community Alternative Policing) meetings. These<br>have all been hampered by the reduction in library<br>hours. There aren't as many evenings we can offer up for<br>meetings.<br><br>Each year we have a summer reading program to help<br>students on summer break continue reading...it's an<br>attempt on the part of libraries with the schools to<br>maintain a level of retention. That is being scaled back<br>considerably this year. There are a lot of things that<br>are not going to get done just because of lack of<br>staffing.<br><br>What do you think of hours being restored on monday<br>afternoons?<br><br>Since the library staff is being asked to volunteer to<br>work that sixth day in a week--I volunteered for the<br>first one - according to our union contract we're being<br>compensated in overtime. That's one of the advantages of<br>having a union contract. But from an economic standpoint<br>it makes no sense to be paying overtime when you had<br>your lower-paid workers and part-timers (before the<br>layoffs) to open the branch.<br><br>You have to have a certain number of people in a branch<br>to open up each day. After the layoffs they couldn't<br>open up each day because of the reduction in numbers. At<br>the West Pullman branch, where the mayor announced we<br>would open Monday afternoons, there are only two<br>regularly assigned people. In order to open they'll have<br>other people substituting from other branches.<br><br>But that means the branches they're coming from are a<br>little short-changed--you're robbing from Peter to pay<br>Paul. We're getting by on a shoe-string budget at this<br>point. It's only because most of the staff is<br>cooperating and trying to provide the library services.<br>Library employees are very dedicated and want to provide<br>the best level of service possible.<br><br>A page who has been laid off told us that Monday<br>mornings--when libraries are now closed--were the most<br>popular time for people to come in searching for jobs.<br>Is that true?<br><br>The 9 o'clock opening for Mondays was really important<br>for the adult users. We would have people lined up<br>outside the library in the morning; now they have to<br>wait until 2. We have a lot of adult users who would<br>prefer to be able to get on computers when children are<br>not around. Access to computers is crucial for those who<br>are jobless -- you can't apply for a city job without<br>getting on a computer; libraries are primary job search<br>areas now. Books have become somewhat secondary; access<br>to the computers, especially for those who don't have a<br>computer at home--this is maybe their only way of getting<br>free access to a computer.<br><br>People can bring in laptops for access to Wi-Fi if don't<br>have an Internet connection at home. Increasingly even<br>in economically depressed areas like my branch, people<br>will bringing laptops and use. Some branches have a<br>position called cyber-navigator where individuals can<br>get private classes--how to set up an email account, how<br>to use the computer for searching on the Internet, even<br>helping getting directions through Mapquest.<br><br>Has your job become more taxing since the cuts?<br><br>Every single library page was laid off, so the other<br>staff have to take away from their normal<br>responsibilities to shelve books. I shelve books on a<br>daily basis. That means I'm taking away from my<br>day-to-day responsibilities. We're being forced to do<br>the work of other people who were laid off. It's become<br>more stressful because we all want to do the best job we<br>can. If I choose to do one thing, it means I'm taking<br>away from another.<br><br>Have you heard what kind of effect the layoffs are<br>having on pages and other staff?<br><br>Oh yeah, there's a ripple effect. The library has a<br>private security firm. Because their hours are being<br>reduced, you have one security officer talking to me<br>about how she only got 17 hours in that week because of<br>the reduction in library hours. Not only are library<br>employees being affected, other companies that provide<br>services to libraries are being impacted. She was<br>talking about how she'd have to move to Indiana or<br>someplace else because she can't afford the rent now.<br><br>What do you think of the high-profile battle between the<br>mayor and AFSCME on this issue?<br><br>The union is trying to stand up for the employees. My<br>own perspective is the mayor doesn't seem to recognize a<br>lot of the issues involved here--he seems to be blaming<br>the union for the problems. It's really not the union<br>creating the problems, it's the layoffs and the attitude<br>that libraries aren't that important.<br><br>The mayor is talking about his commitment to children<br>and trying to lengthen the school day. I don't think a<br>day goes by without one library user saying it doesn't<br>make sense to cut library hours while they're increasing<br>school days. Almost all librarians feel we supplement<br>and work together with the schools in providing<br>educational resources.<br><br>Many of the schools don't even have adequate school<br>libraries--that includes the community colleges--so<br>students come in for resources they don't have at their<br>own library. It's all connected, and now we're just<br>weakening one of those strands that holds the whole<br>community together.<br><br>____________________________________________<br><br>PortsideLabor aims to provide material of interest to<br>people on the left that will help them to interpret the<br>world and to change it.</pre><pre style="line-height: 17px; white-space: normal; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br></pre></div><div>@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@</div><div><br></div><div><div id="mpf0_bodyHdr" style="line-height: 15px; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><div id="mpf0_details" aid="toggleDetails" class="DetailToggle FB ClearBoth" title="Show details" style="clear: both; height: 11px; background-image: url(https://gfx6.hotmail.com/mail/w4/pr04/ltr/fadeBarCenter1.gif); background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; padding-top: 7px; position: relative; top: 0px; cursor: pointer; margin-top: -7px; background-position: 0px 7px; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; "><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div class="FBR" style="height: 11px; width: 80px; background-image: url(https://gfx5.hotmail.com/mail/w4/pr04/ltr/fadeBarRight1.gif); background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; float: right; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; "></div><div class="FBA" style="margin-top: 4px; position: absolute; right: 80px; width: 13px; height: 7px; background-image: url(https://gfx5.hotmail.com/mail/w4/pr04/ltr/r_strip.png); background-color: transparent; background-attachment: scroll; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; background-position: -23px -1px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; "></div></div><div class="ClearBoth" style="clear: both; "><div id="mpf0_wideMsgBarPlaceholder" class="WideMessageBarContainer"></div></div></div><div class="ClearBoth" style="line-height: 15px; clear: both; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></div><div id="mpf0_readMsgBodyContainer" class="ReadMsgBody" style="line-height: 15px; padding-top: 8px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 12px; overflow-x: hidden; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><div class="SandboxScopeClass ExternalClass" id="mpf0_MsgContainer" style="line-height: normal; font-size: 10pt; display: inline-block; "><div align="center" style="line-height: 17px; "><a href="http://action.ufw.org/page/m/3bed9c17/14563619/46839d47/2b46a5d9/3052128756/VEsH/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><img longdesc="http://www.ufw.org/" src="http://www.ufw.org/images/unitedfarmworkerswrapper.jpg" border="0" alt="wrapper" width="633" height="85" style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; "></a><br><a href="http://action.ufw.org/page/m/3bed9c17/14563619/46839d47/2b46a526/3052128756/VEsE/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><img longdesc="https://secure.ufw.org/page/contribute/methyliodide?source=b" src="http://www.ufw.org/images/donatebar.gif" border="0" alt="donate" width="633" height="28" style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; "></a><br></div><table align="center" border="2" bordercolor="#000000" width="632" style="line-height: 17px; "><tbody><tr><td height="799" valign="top"><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><span style="line-height: 34px; font-size: 26px; "><strong style="font-weight: bold; "><a href="http://action.ufw.org/page/m/3bed9c17/14563619/46839d47/2b46a526/3052128756/VEsF/" target="_blank" style="font-weight: inherit; color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; ">Something else you can do to keep<br>farm workers safe from methyl iodide</a></strong></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><span style="line-height: 15px; font-size: 12px; ">As the UFW begins our 50th anniversary year, we want you to know how much we appreciate the crucial role you have played in the work of the United Farm Workers. Together, we face many challenges and see important opportunities on the horizon. <strong style="font-weight: bold; ">A critical challenge is to <a href="http://action.ufw.org/page/m/3bed9c17/14563619/46839d47/2b46a526/3052128756/VEsC/" target="_blank" style="font-weight: inherit; color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; ">protect workers and their families from the pesticide methyl iodide</a></strong>—which has been called one of the most toxic chemicals on earth.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><span style="line-height: 15px; font-size: 12px; ">In December 2010, under pressure from the pesticide industry, this poison was approved for use in California agriculture. It is an equally objectionable substitute for methyl bromide, one of the five deadly pesticides that César Chávez fought so hard to get banned.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><span style="line-height: 15px; font-size: 12px; ">When the UFW spoke to strawberry workers who will be among those most seriously affected, we found them to be well-informed and afraid.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><span style="line-height: 15px; font-size: 12px; "><img align="left" alt="" height="247" src="http://action.ufw.org/page/-/fr/Abeldaughter.jpg" width="175" style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; "></span><span style="line-height: 15px; font-size: 12px; "><strong style="font-weight: bold; ">Oscar Soriano</strong> stated: “<em>Farm workers like me, who work in the strawberries, are the ones who are going to be exposed; we will be more likely to get cancer...I understand that this chemical is so toxic that it is being used in labs to create cancerous cells to be studied.”</em></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><span style="line-height: 15px; font-size: 12px; ">As Oscar’s brother, <strong style="font-weight: bold; ">Abel Soriano</strong>, pointed out, <em>“This chemical will contaminate water and may cause pregnant women to have premature babies and may even cause malformation of the fetus....Even if people don’t work in the strawberries we are all at risk</em>... <em>Here in Monterey County it’s almost all strawberry cultivation and it’s around the schools. I think that it’s very bad and damaging to the community....We all breathe the air that’s around us."</em></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><span style="line-height: 15px; font-size: 12px; ">Workers, scientists, and environmentalists are especially concerned about the potential effects of methyl iodide on children like Abel’s two-year-old daughter,<strong style="font-weight: bold; ">Jackeline.</strong></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><span style="line-height: 15px; font-size: 12px; ">Jackeline’s Uncle<strong style="font-weight: bold; "> </strong>Oscar told us, <em>“This chemical can get our children sick, especially the ones whose schools are close to the fields. It will contaminate the air and get to our cities.”</em></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><span style="line-height: 15px; font-size: 12px; ">Methyl iodide will be applied as a gas to fields from which it can drift onto nearby homes, schools and businesses. It will also likely pollute groundwater.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><span style="line-height: 15px; font-size: 12px; ">We have been circulating a petition to California's new head of Pesticide regulation and Gov. Jerry Brown calling on them to ban Methyl Iodide. In addition, we have been taking local action, including being successful getting the Santa Cruz and Monterey County Boards of Supervisors to pass resolutions calling for a state ban of Methyl Iodide. Keep the momentum going. <strong style="font-weight: bold; "><a href="http://action.ufw.org/page/m/3bed9c17/14563619/46839d47/2b46a526/3052128756/VEsD/" target="_blank" style="font-weight: inherit; color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; ">Your contribution</a> will help us keep up the pressure on growers and lawmakers alike to protect farm workers, rural residents and the environment from this deadly chemical.</strong></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><span style="line-height: 15px; font-size: 12px; ">Farm worker families like Oscar, Abel and Jackeline will be deeply grateful to know that you continue to care about them and want to <a href="http://action.ufw.org/page/m/3bed9c17/14563619/46839d47/2b46a526/3052128756/VEsA/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; ">help</a>.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><span style="line-height: 18px; font-size: 14px; "> <a href="http://action.ufw.org/page/m/3bed9c17/14563619/46839d47/2b46a526/3052128756/VEsB/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><img alt="" height="30" src="http://action.ufw.org/page/-/alerts/donatebutton.gif" width="102" style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; "></a><br><br><strong style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 15px; font-size: 12px; "><a href="http://action.ufw.org/page/m/3bed9c17/14563619/46839d47/2b46a526/3052128756/VEsO/" target="_blank" style="font-weight: inherit; color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; ">https://secure.ufw.org/page/contribute/methyliodide</a></span></strong></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><span style="line-height: 18px; font-size: 14px; "><strong style="font-weight: bold; "><br></strong></span></p></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div></div><div>@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@</div><div><br></div><div><div align="center" style="line-height: 17px; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><table bgcolor="#FFFFFF" border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="line-height: 17px; "><tbody><tr><td valign="top" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="center"><table border="0" width="600" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="1" style="line-height: 17px; width: 600px; "><tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="100%" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left"></td></tr><tr><td bgcolor="#FF9900" valign="top" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left" style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0); "><table bgcolor="#FFFFFF" border="0" width="600" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="line-height: 17px; width: 600px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="120" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left" style="width: 129px; "><table width="100%" id="ecxcontent_LETTER.BLOCK1" aria-posinset="0" aria-setsize="0" border="0" tabindex="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" aria-level="0" height="99" style="line-height: 17px; "><tbody><tr><td height="99" bgcolor="#FF9900" valign="top" width="129" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left" style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0); "><img height="99" border="0" width="129" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/1101093164665/cardsbus_arrow.gif"></td></tr></tbody></table><table bgcolor="#ff9900" border="0" width="100%" tabindex="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" id="ecxcontent_LETTER.BLOCK2" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 6px; background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0); "><tbody><tr><td valign="top" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left" style="text-align: left; "><a shape="rect" href="http://visitor.constantcontact.com/email.jsp?m=1101040629095" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><img height="24" vspace="5" border="0" width="127" alt="Join The NiLP Network" src="http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs057/1101040629095/img/396.jpg" style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; "></a></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" width="100%" tabindex="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" id="ecxcontent_LETTER.BLOCK4" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 6px; "><tbody><tr><td valign="top" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left" style="line-height: 20px; text-align: left; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(204, 102, 0); font-size: 12pt; "><div style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0); font-size: 12pt; "><span style="line-height: 17px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 10pt; "><div style="line-height: 20px; color: rgb(255, 153, 0); font-size: 12pt; "><span style="line-height: 17px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 10pt; "><p style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; "><strong style="font-weight: bold; ">National Institute for Latino Policy (NiLP)</strong></p><div>25 West 18th Street<br>New York, NY 10011</div><div>800-590-2516</div><div><a shape="rect" href="mailto:info@latinopolicy.org" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; ">info@latinopolicy.org</a><br><a shape="rect" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1109339813039&s=20724&e=001zNK9yujZ1tRgNUXeG4k82DEjtlTEffwz--FsCm7zyJ6c6hHuXrtyeY0YN9VELDLXdNAXcNzfhNm5yA6ftT95X3Lab0aQx_r_QD3a7Dq5e6G6_iAD9dQQ1A==" target="_blank" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer; ">www.latinopolicy.org</a> </div> <BR><div style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; "><strong style="font-weight: bold; ">Board of Directors</strong></div><div>José R. Sánchez</div><div><em> Chair</em></div><div>Edgar DeJesus</div><div><em> Secretary</em></div><div>Israel Colon</div><div><em> Treasurer</em></div><div>Maria Rivera</div><div><em> Development Chair</em></div>Hector Figueroa<BR><div>Tanya K. Hernandez</div><div style="font-size: 10pt; "> Angelo Falcón</div><div><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><div style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0); "><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><div><em> President <br></em></div></span></div> <BR><div><strong style="font-weight: bold; ">To make a donation</strong>,</div><div><a shape="rect" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1109339813039&s=20724&e=001zNK9yujZ1tQusAbAxRktyjWn5AU5WuWhSgazCrupBjbX4Y4Ge1qaP7fWYYmDmwpxrdsoWVgvAYt6x0v87tL6svZgqTNBQAeiSzT0I0zVaPoftj1f5y5ks2JcJUx7qrTDvv6eVlAxQFDOy5qdLEGgRQ==" target="_blank" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer; ">click here</a></div><div> </div><div><strong style="font-weight: bold; ">Follow us on<a shape="rect" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1109339813039&s=20724&e=001zNK9yujZ1tQqNfByE3MRt1Yo6wRni6_6N-hUiH8jCjyRv_qzUcyTqxWX5SVBjISFL3jSkIegDzg0nyM5i6pyYmc4PqZye2VjQ0hKXMk1bSKwXLVQXMB2XzWcvp3Qrn8_I5MCMeGXcEg=" target="_blank" style="font-weight: inherit; color: blue; cursor: pointer; ">Twitter</a> and</strong></div><div><strong style="font-weight: bold; "><a shape="rect" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1109339813039&s=20724&e=001zNK9yujZ1tQqt3rkK1RaG62yWMIxaUklOLNv3yWzwesuGaozw8xeMK5p6kzTkor31In0N3iQGW1kzn_tNISOF6PWYZ30kIyKmCEb58FTPa7Q4JlMXEcSCKDbvlmhp8IIB7ZY69ycP8w=" target="_blank" style="font-weight: inherit; color: blue; cursor: pointer; ">Angelo's Facebook Page</a></strong></div></span></div></span></div><span class="ecx_mcePaste" id="ecx_mcePaste" style="display: inline; ">.</span> </span></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td><td valign="top" width="471" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left" style="width: 471px; "><table border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="line-height: 17px; "><tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="100%" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left"><table border="0" width="100%" tabindex="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" id="ecxcontent_LETTER.BLOCK3" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 6px; "><tbody><tr><td valign="top" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left" style="text-align: left; "><div align="left"><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><img height="62" border="0" width="343" alt="NiLP FYI" src="http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs057/1101040629095/img/340.jpg"> <br><span style="line-height: 15px; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9pt; "><b style="font-weight: bold; ">Immigration law</b></span></p></div><div><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><span style="line-height: 31px; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18pt; "><b style="font-weight: bold; ">A state of enforcers</b></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10pt; ">by J.F. | ATLANTA</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><i><a shape="rect" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1109339813039&s=20724&e=001zNK9yujZ1tS7UUAOIRGsDq5ybu-wkaGL5iB1zph2LdKCDuG51dJKP9OxRAXeFr_LHDqbSabSF901zjZdo2TG5JZx3MlYUsM9f5FE7-C-ECEabah1FgKkd0137w_mqM-aoRvB3LJNsOYG6nlJ1DZ9tvVUtPi1WCQcllyFNCa_b-Li_qgwKcwvohKONWn5_WU5" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); cursor: pointer; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10pt; ">Economist</a></i><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10pt; "> (February 15, 2012)</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10pt; "> </span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10pt; ">JACK HITT had </span><a shape="rect" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1109339813039&s=20724&e=001zNK9yujZ1tSqnDBh823lCbRC-g8dWUl0vNRzCl8xfywtPK2BSmmJ7YL_wF1pw3zMqvLXU3tgslwj-0sadBsrRVCsBghb8g9w8H9AqxXu6bnKDRUH9X4_9_NuIhVL1YCcUrhWUeO4_eyQ3COjS5Uv1srwSFHIxICqEMBLAeyA3isH0GCSQe0yZ-wTc3fHoh6jT9_tlLzWKhE=" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); cursor: pointer; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10pt; ">a wonderful, chilling piece on "This American Life</a><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10pt; ">" a couple of weeks back, about Alabama's immigration law, </span><a shape="rect" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1109339813039&s=20724&e=001zNK9yujZ1tS7UUAOIRGsDq5ybu-wkaGL5iB1zph2LdKCDuG51dJKP9OxRAXeFr_LHDqbSabSF901zjZdo2TG5JZx3MlYUsM9f5FE7-C-ECEabah1FgKkd0137w_mqM-aoRvB3LJNsOYG6nlJ1DZ9tvVUtPi1WCQcllyFNCa_b-Li_qgwKcwvohKONWn5_WU5" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); cursor: pointer; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10pt; ">a subject we've written about before</a><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10pt; ">. Mr Hitt calls laws such as this a "third way", between those who want to create a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants, and those who want to chuck everybody out. The part of the piece you may have heard before (especially if, ahem, you've been reading us) concerns the unintended consequences of the law: the burden placed on police officers, the frightening away of foreign investment, businesses deciding to locate elsewhere, fruit rotting in the field, Latino children being kept home from school. David Bronner, who runs the state's retirement system, claims that a Spanish bank cancelled an $80m office tower in Birmingham, while Chinese owners of a new copper mine in southern Alabama were reconsidering. The chief of police in Tuscaloosa, where the law ensnared a German Mercedes-Benz executive, all but called it a waste of his time and resources, which of course it is: there is actual crime, the kind that hurts people, in his city. Gerald Dial, the Republican Senate whip, helped shepherd the bill through Alabama's legislature; now he says he would support repealing it.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10pt; "> </span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10pt; ">All of that is old news. The chilling part comes from interviews with Latinos in Alabama. A woman called Carolina complains that clerks at Wal-Mart refused to give her money that her mother had transferred to her-money she used to get just by showing ID and typing in a PIN number-unless she proved she was in the country legally. She also said the Wal-Mart cashiers refused to sell her groceries without proof of her legal status. Wal-Mart is a private business; they are not bound by Alabama's immigration law to check customers' legal status, and yet their clerks seem only too happy to do so, knowing that those to whom they deny service are hardly in a position to go to the police. Then there is the provision of the law making contracts with illegal immigrants unenforceable in court; employers have used that provision to deny payment for services rendered. Others, says Mr Hitt, "said they've created an underground railroad of information about sympathetic folks." Yes, it's 2012, and Alabama is still forcing a group of its most vulnerable citizens to rely on an underground railroad.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10pt; "> </span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10pt; ">Defenders of the law may claim such attitudes are themselves a regrettable, unintended consequence. They are not. They are, to use a phrase well on its way to cliche status, a feature, not a bug. If the goal is "self-deportation", then anything is fair. The idea is to make life so intolerable for illegal immigrants that they simply leave; anything to further that goal must be worthwhile. Mr Hitt asks Kris Kobach, the law's creator, whether he accepts that it has unleashed some ugly racial attitudes in Alabama. His response is revealingly blithe: "You can't legislate what is in people's hearts. And if people have those twisted ideas of the world and have those ill feelings toward people who have a different skin colour, I don't think you can say that the law has caused that. And I don't think you can say that the law can ultimately stop that." Well, no. But laws can certainly encourage such bigotry, by implicitly encouraging the citizenry to pick on one class of people: in this case, Latinos. Yes, we know Mr Kobach insists the law targets illegal immigrants of any shade, but as the women interviewed by Mr Hitt can testify, we also know how it is applied in practice.</span></p></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td valign="top" width="100%" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left"></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td height="10" valign="top" width="100%" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left"><br><br></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><div>@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@</div><div><br></div><div><p align="center" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Verdana; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img alt="" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/c/18/images/banner_basic_short_blank_aflcio2_626.jpg"></p><table width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="7" border="0" align="center" style="line-height: 17px; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><tbody><tr><td><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" align="right" width="231" style="line-height: 17px; "><tbody><tr><td> </td><td><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" bordercolor="#cc0000" border="4" align="right" width="215" style="line-height: 17px; "><tbody><tr><td><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="8" border="0" align="right" width="100%" style="line-height: 17px; "><tbody><tr><td valign="top"><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px; ">Apple is under intense scrutiny right now. But rather than genuinely addressing the problems in its supply chain, we believe the company is trying to stop the outcry by brushing its problems under the rug.<br><br><b style="font-weight: bold; ">We’re demanding that Apple do what it takes to ensure the people who manufacture its products are treated ethically.</b> And we’re joining a global movement to deliver hundreds of thousands of petitions from activists worldwide at Apple’s annual shareholder meeting this Thursday. <br><br><span style="font-weight: bold; "><a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=exNwPXRkqQJt4vRjlAfUsM/M8IVFRhEd" target="_blank" style="font-weight: inherit; color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; ">Sign our petition: Tell Apple to transform its industry by being ethical and innovative</a>.</span></p></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td></tr></tbody></table><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Verdana; "><br><br>Not that long ago, I switched from a BlackBerry to an iPhone. It’s been a great switch. The iPhone is intuitive and powerful—it’s an incredible piece of machinery. If you don’t use an Apple product yourself, you probably have friends or family who do.<br><br><b style="font-weight: bold; ">When it comes to technology, Apple has revolutionized its industry and set a standard other companies aspire to meet.</b> The company has been richly rewarded for its success. It is now the biggest publicly traded company in the world, worth a whopping $465 billion. The company made $17.5 billion in the fourth quarter of 2011 alone—just shy of a 40 percent profit margin.<sup style="line-height: 14px; ">(1,2)</sup><br><br><b style="font-weight: bold; ">But Apple’s record-breaking success comes at a back-breaking price.</b> According to news reports, workers who assemble iPhones, iPads and iPods at Foxconn, Apple’s largest supplier in China, have needlessly suffered lifelong injuries and even died from avoidable tragedies, including <b style="font-weight: bold; ">suicides, explosions and exhaustion from 30- to 60-hour shifts</b>. And there are stories of workers suffering such awful repetitive motion injuries that they permanently lose the use of their hands.<sup style="line-height: 14px; ">(3)</sup><br><br><b style="font-weight: bold; "><a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=DKH7G0mf6wOyNXJHNC6y/M/M8IVFRhEd" target="_blank" style="font-weight: inherit; color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; ">Sign our petition to Apple’s CEO Tim Cook. Tell him to ensure that people integral to Apple’s success—workers who manufacture Apple’s electronics—are treated fairly</a>.</b><br><br><b style="font-weight: bold; ">Apple is under intense scrutiny right now. But rather than deal with that by genuinely addressing the problems in its supply chain, we believe the company is trying to stop the outcry by brushing its problems under the rug.</b><br><br>Recently, Apple joined the Fair Labor Association (FLA) to arrange for inspections of its factories. We believe these inspections will not expose—or begin to solve—Apple’s problems. The FLA is funded and controlled by the multinational corporations it oversees, which means it is not at all independent. As Scott Nova of the Worker Rights Consortium (WRC) recently said, independence “means an organization is not funded and governed by the companies it is charged with investigating.”<sup style="line-height: 14px; ">(4)</sup><br><br>A couple days ago, Foxconn also announced a recent raise for some of its workers. But we believe that, too, is a PR smokescreen. According to Students & Scholars Against Corporate Misbehavior, “The new basic wage…only applies to the workers in Shenzhen. In inland provinces, where two-thirds of production workers are based, basic salary remains meager. Given that the inflation in China is high, Foxconn is just following the trend of wage increase in the electronics industry in China.”<br><br><b style="font-weight: bold; ">We call on Apple to immediately allow genuine unions, with truly independent factory inspections and worker trainings.</b> Trying to brush this under the rug—or hide behind a front group like the FLA—only will make Apple’s PR problems worse.<br><br><b style="font-weight: bold; "><a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=w3SUCbmHzQiWHyHXkRcfS8/M8IVFRhEd" target="_blank" style="font-weight: inherit; color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; ">Tell Apple’s CEO Tim Cook: Get to work to ensure people who manufacture Apple electronics are treated ethically</a>.</b><br><br>One anonymous Apple executive told <i>The New York Times</i> there’s a trade-off between working conditions and innovation: “You can either manufacture in comfortable, worker-friendly factories,” or you can “make it better and faster and cheaper, which requires factories that seem harsh by American standards.”<sup style="line-height: 14px; ">(5)</sup><br><br><b style="font-weight: bold; ">We disagree with the idea that Apple can’t be both ethical <i>and </i>innovative. Apple needs to ensure the quality of its working conditions matches the quality of its products. </b><br><br>As one anonymous Apple executive told <i>The New York Times</i>, “[s]uppliers would change everything tomorrow if Apple told them they didn’t have another choice.”<sup style="line-height: 14px; ">(6)</sup><br><br>Please <b style="font-weight: bold; "><a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=yC6bL34wHZbjN3z7NfYoSc/M8IVFRhEd" target="_blank" style="font-weight: inherit; color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; ">sign our petition to Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, urging him to treat all of the workers who make Apple’s electronics fairly—no matter where they live</a>.</b><br><br>Thank you for standing in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in China.<br><br>In Solidarity,<br><br>Richard L. Trumka<br>President, AFL-CIO<br>Twitter: <a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=ymsF8F7piyaemfHCBEx3UC67%2BPPO/WwE" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; ">@richardtrumka</a><br><br>P.S. What leaders do matters. And Apple is now the leader in its industry. That’s why the AFL-CIO will be watching Apple closely to make sure the company does right by the workers who make its products—no matter where they live. <br><b style="font-weight: bold; "><br>Apple has the resources it needs to do this right.</b> Manufacturing costs are only a very small portion of Apple’s expenses: Workers are paid just $8 to manufacture a $499 iPad, for example, while Apple pockets $150 of the retail price. And the company is sitting on nearly $100 billion in cash.<sup style="line-height: 14px; ">(7,1)</sup><br><br><b style="font-weight: bold; "><a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=OIavuBkMJEkq2mpe%2B7Nucc/M8IVFRhEd" target="_blank" style="font-weight: inherit; color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; ">Sign our petition to Apple’s CEO Tim Cook, telling him to make Apple’s products ethically</a>.</b><br><br><sup style="line-height: 14px; ">(1)</sup> <a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=lUof/b285JObNxP1gVBvcc/M8IVFRhEd" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; ">www.google.com/finance?q=NASDAQ:AAPL&fstype=ii</a><br><sup style="line-height: 14px; ">(2)</sup> <a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=%2BcyVpPS3lMgdZxGVBtFG48/M8IVFRhEd" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; ">http://money.msn.com/top-stocks/post.aspx?post=f7428a06-dd15-4076-bec0-4204c437c814</a><br><sup style="line-height: 14px; ">(3)</sup> <a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=FLvWL6uZug5w%2BR8t0LDlGM/M8IVFRhEd" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; ">http://sumofus.org/campaigns/ethical-iphone/</a><br><sup style="line-height: 14px; ">(4)</sup> <a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=R75x0fipgIjahzS/6v/GKM/M8IVFRhEd" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; ">www.cnn.com/2012/02/17/opinion/nova-apple-foxconn/index.html</a><br><sup style="line-height: 14px; ">(5,6)</sup> <a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=ymsF8F7piybJQeinBrPkny67%2BPPO/WwE" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; ">www.nytimes.com/2012/01/26/business/ieconomy-apples-ipad-and-the-human-costs-for-workers-in-china.html</a><br><sup style="line-height: 14px; ">(7)</sup> <a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=gDsKJzGhlUvuD5MXE0QsfM/M8IVFRhEd" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; ">www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2012/02/15/chinese-workers-get-only-8-from-each-apple-ipad-2/</a></p></td></tr><tr><td><hr><p align="center" style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Verdana; ">To find out more about the AFL-CIO, please visit our website at <a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=/Ph1H3UXiiRPWChUWzwRQM/M8IVFRhEd" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><b style="font-weight: bold; ">www.aflcio.org</b></a>.</p><p align="center" style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Verdana; "><br></p></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@</div><div><br></div><div><p class="ecxMsoNormal" align="center" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: center; "><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; "><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><img width="384" height="99" id="ecxPicture_x0020_6" src=""></span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; "></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; "> </span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><i><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; color: gray; "> </span></i></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" align="center" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: center; "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><i><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; color: gray; ">Re-Enactment of 1965 Selma to Montgomery March & Rally</span></i></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" align="center" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: center; "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><i><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; color: gray; ">Alabama has launched an all-out coordinated assault on our democracy by attacking workers’ rights, voting rights, public education</span></i></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" align="center" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: center; "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><i><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; color: gray; ">and comprehensive immigration reform. This is a crucial and opportune moment in history to remind</span></i></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" align="center" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: center; "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><i><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; color: gray; ">the nation that the rights of many in our community are under attack.</span></i></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; "> </span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: justify; "><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; ">National LCLAA calls for all LCLAA members to attend and support our fellow brothers and sisters on the Selma to Montgomery March and Rally in Alabama on March 7<sup style="line-height: 15px; ">th</sup>- 9<sup style="line-height: 15px; ">th</sup>, 2012. As you might already know leaders of several progressive state and national organizations including the AFL-CIO and other Labor Unions are planning to re-enact the historic 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery, with all of its powerful symbolism. </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; color: black; ">Today, 47 years later, many states have launched an all-out coordinated assault on our democracy by attacking workers’ rights, voting rights, public education and comprehensive immigration reform. In 1965, the Selma to Montgomery March made history and changed</span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; "> </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; color: black; ">America. </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; color: rgb(0, 112, 192); ">In 2012, we march again…for the 99%. </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; color: black; ">History will be on our</span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; color: rgb(18, 90, 255); "> </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; color: black; ">side</span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; "></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="ecxHeading2Char" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; color: rgb(79, 129, 189); font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 22px; font-size: 13pt; color: rgb(23, 54, 93); ">The National LCLAA Delegation is planning to be in Alabama on March 8<sup style="line-height: 18px; ">th</sup> for the Immigrants’ Rights day and March 9<sup style="line-height: 18px; ">th</sup> for the Rally. </span></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="ecxHeading2Char" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; color: rgb(79, 129, 189); font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 22px; font-size: 13pt; color: rgb(23, 54, 93); ">If you or your members plan to be there for any of the days and need LCLAA posters please contact our National Office at (202) 508-6919 and ask to speak to Diana Arguello or email her at </span></span><a href="mailto:darguello@lclaa.org" style="color: purple; cursor: pointer; "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 22px; font-size: 13pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; color: rgb(23, 54, 93); ">darguello@lclaa.org</span></b></a><span class="ecxHeading2Char" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; color: rgb(79, 129, 189); font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 22px; font-size: 13pt; color: rgb(23, 54, 93); font-weight: normal; "> .</span></span><span class="ecxHeading2Char" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; color: rgb(79, 129, 189); font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 22px; font-size: 13pt; color: rgb(23, 54, 93); "></span></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="ecxHeading2Char" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; color: rgb(79, 129, 189); font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 22px; font-size: 13pt; "> </span></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="ecxHeading2Char" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; color: rgb(79, 129, 189); font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 22px; font-size: 13pt; ">Schedule of Daily Events:</span></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><u><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; ">Sunday, March 4, 2012</span></u></b><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; "> Commemoration of Bloody Sunday / Voting Rights</span></b><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; "></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; ">Marchers will gather in front of Brown Chapel AME Church, 410 Dr. Martin Luther King Street at 1:30 for the pre-march rally. The march starts at 2:30. Travel to the Edmund Pettus Bridge crossing the Bridge at 3:30. Leave the foot of the Bridge mile marker 85 at approximately at 4:00. Travel east of US Highway 80 to Economy Inn, Essie’s Place Restaurant 2 ½ miles at mile marker 87 ½ .</span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; "> </span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><u><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; ">Monday March 5, 2012</span></u></b><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; "> Education / Voting Rights</span></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; ">March starts at 9 at US Highway 80 east; just pass the intersection of US 80 and US 41 south, mile marker 88. Travel 11 miles down highway 80 east to mile marker 99. Stop at 3:00 p.m. (Landmark) Warren Oil and Industrial Park, left side of highway. Just inside Lowndes County line.</span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><i><u><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; ">Evening:</span></u></i><i><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; "> Tabernacle Baptist Church, Selma. <u>Camp:</u> John & Mary McGuire Farm</span></i></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><i><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; "> </span></i></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><u><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; ">Tuesday, March 6, 2012</span></u></b><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; "> Black Farmers / Healthcare – Child care / other / Voting Rights</span></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; ">March starts at 9. from end point, mile marker 99. Travel 11 miles to mile 110, third small bridge highway 80 east, Lowndes County. Stop at 3 @ Viola Liuzzo Memorial one mile up mile marker 111, right side of highway.</span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><i><u><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; ">Evening:</span></u></i><i><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; "> First Baptist Church, Selma. <u>Camp:</u> Same as Monday</span></i></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="ecxHeading2Char" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; color: rgb(79, 129, 189); font-weight: bold; "><i><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; color: windowtext; font-weight: normal; "> </span></i></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><u><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; ">Wednesday, March 7, 2012</span></u></b><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; "> Worker’s Rights / Voting Rights</span></b><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; "></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; ">March starts at 9 from end point, mile marker 110. Travel 11 miles to mile marker 121, one mile inside Montgomery County line, 2 churches, one on each side of highway 80. Dowdle Gas one mile up highway 80. Stop at 3.</span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><i><u><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; ">Evening:</span></u></i><i><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; "> Jackson-Steele Community Ctr., White Hall. <u>Camp:</u> Robert Gardner Farm</span></i></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><i><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; "> </span></i></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><u><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Thursday, March 8, 2012</span></u></b><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "> Immigrant Right’s / Voting Rights</span></b><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; "> <i>(National LCLAA will be present)</i> </span></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; ">March starts at 9. from end point, mile marker 121. Travel 7 miles down Hwy 80 East to mile marker 128. Exit Hwy 80 to US Highway 31 North Turn Left on Hwy 31 N and Mobile Hwy. Travel 2 miles on Mobile Hwy, turn into W Fairview Ave. Travel 2 miles on W Fairview Ave. to St. Jude’s Educational Institute 2080 W Fairview Ave. Stop at 3.</span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><i><u><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; ">Evening:</span></u></i><i><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; "> St Jude Catholic Church, Montgomery. <u>Camp:</u> Same as Wednesday</span></i></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><i><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; "> </span></i></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><u><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Friday, March 9, 2012</span></u></b><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "> Culmination of all issues / activities</span></b><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; "> <i>(National LCLAA will be present)</i></span></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; ">March starts at 9 from St. Jude’s Educational Institute 2080 W Fairview Ave. Travel 4 miles to Alabama State Capitol, 600 Dexter Ave. Montgomery. ASU march from campus @ 11. State Capitol Rally @ 11:30.</span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><i><u><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; ">Evening:</span></u></i><i><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; "> Dexter Av Baptist, Montgomery or ASU.</span></i></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; color: red; "> </span></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; color: red; ">March is 9AM-3PM each day.</span></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="ecxHeading2Char" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; color: rgb(79, 129, 189); font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; color: red; "> </span></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="ecxHeading2Char" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; color: rgb(79, 129, 189); font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 22px; font-size: 13pt; ">LODGING:</span></span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; "></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; "> </span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; ">Recommended Hotels in Montgomery, AL</span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; ">Both Hotels are just 15 minutes from the airport. Online booking is recommended.</span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; "> </span></p><table class="ecxMsoTableGrid" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="737" style="line-height: 17px; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-collapse: collapse; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; "><tbody><tr><td width="169" valign="top" style="width: 126.9pt; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-color: windowtext; border-right-color: windowtext; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-left-color: windowtext; border-top-width: 1pt; border-right-width: 1pt; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-left-width: 1pt; border-image: initial; padding-top: 0in; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; "><p class="ecxMsoNormal" align="center" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center; "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; ">Hotel</span></b></p></td><td width="114" valign="top" style="width: 85.5pt; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-top-color: windowtext; border-right-color: windowtext; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-top-width: 1pt; border-right-width: 1pt; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-color: initial; padding-top: 0in; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; "><p class="ecxMsoNormal" align="center" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center; "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; ">Airport Shuttle</span></b></p></td><td width="82" valign="top" style="width: 61.3pt; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-top-color: windowtext; border-right-color: windowtext; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-top-width: 1pt; border-right-width: 1pt; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-color: initial; padding-top: 0in; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; "><p class="ecxMsoNormal" align="center" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center; "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; ">Self-Parking</span></b></p></td><td width="126" valign="top" style="width: 94.3pt; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-top-color: windowtext; border-right-color: windowtext; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-top-width: 1pt; border-right-width: 1pt; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-color: initial; padding-top: 0in; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; "><p class="ecxMsoNormal" align="center" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center; "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; ">Valet Parking</span></b></p></td><td width="96" valign="top" style="width: 1in; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-top-color: windowtext; border-right-color: windowtext; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-top-width: 1pt; border-right-width: 1pt; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-color: initial; padding-top: 0in; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; "><p class="ecxMsoNormal" align="center" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center; "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; ">Distance to State Capitol</span></b></p></td><td width="150" valign="top" style="width: 112.7pt; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-top-color: windowtext; border-right-color: windowtext; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-top-width: 1pt; border-right-width: 1pt; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-color: initial; padding-top: 0in; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; "><p class="ecxMsoNormal" align="center" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center; "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria, serif; ">“Corporate Account #” for 12% off</span></b></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 65.2pt; "><td width="169" style="width: 126.9pt; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-left-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-left-width: 1pt; border-image: initial; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: initial; border-top-color: initial; padding-top: 0in; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; height: 65.2pt; "><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><a href="http://hamptoninn.hilton.com/en/hp/hotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=MGMDNHX" target="_blank" style="color: purple; cursor: pointer; "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; ">Hampton Inn & Suites Montgomery -Downtown</span></b></a><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; "></span></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; ">100 Commerce St Montgomery, AL 36104</span></p></td><td width="114" style="width: 85.5pt; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; padding-top: 0in; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; height: 65.2pt; "><p class="ecxMsoNormal" align="center" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center; "><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; ">N/A</span></p></td><td width="82" style="width: 61.3pt; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; padding-top: 0in; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; height: 65.2pt; "><p class="ecxMsoNormal" align="center" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center; "><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; ">$5</span></p></td><td width="126" style="width: 94.3pt; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; padding-top: 0in; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; height: 65.2pt; "><p class="ecxMsoNormal" align="center" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center; "><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; ">N/A</span></p></td><td width="96" style="width: 1in; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; padding-top: 0in; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; height: 65.2pt; "><p class="ecxMsoNormal" align="center" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center; "><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; ">0.6 miles</span></p></td><td width="150" style="width: 112.7pt; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; padding-top: 0in; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; height: 65.2pt; "><p class="ecxMsoNormal" align="center" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center; "><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; ">560012406</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 67.9pt; "><td width="169" style="width: 126.9pt; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-left-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-left-width: 1pt; border-image: initial; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: initial; border-top-color: initial; padding-top: 0in; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; height: 67.9pt; "><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><a href="http://embassysuites1.hilton.com/en_US/es/hotel/MGMESES-Embassy-Suites-Montgomery-Hotel-Conference-Center-Alabama/index.do" target="_blank" style="color: purple; cursor: pointer; "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; ">Embassy Suites Montgomery - Hotel & Conference Center</span></b></a><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; "></span></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; ">300 Tallapoosa St Montgomery, AL 36104</span></p></td><td width="114" style="width: 85.5pt; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; padding-top: 0in; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; height: 67.9pt; "><p class="ecxMsoNormal" align="center" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center; "><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; ">Complimentary</span></p></td><td width="82" style="width: 61.3pt; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; padding-top: 0in; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; height: 67.9pt; "><p class="ecxMsoNormal" align="center" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center; "><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; ">$10</span></p></td><td width="126" style="width: 94.3pt; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; padding-top: 0in; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; height: 67.9pt; "><p class="ecxMsoNormal" align="center" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center; "><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; ">$15</span></p></td><td width="96" style="width: 1in; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; padding-top: 0in; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; height: 67.9pt; "><p class="ecxMsoNormal" align="center" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center; "><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; ">0.8 miles</span></p></td><td width="150" style="width: 112.7pt; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-width: 1pt; padding-top: 0in; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 5.4pt; height: 67.9pt; "><p class="ecxMsoNormal" align="center" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center; "><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; ">560012406</span></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; "> </span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><u><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; ">Discount codes available to use at other hotels in Montgomery and beyond:</span></u></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; "> </span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; ">10% off best available rate with AFL-CIO’s Intercontinental Hotels Worldwide Corporate Account Number (required at booking):</span></b><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; "> <b style="font-weight: bold; ">100199234</b></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; ">Available at the following hotel brands:</span></p><p class="ecxMsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0.75in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-indent: -0.25in; "><span style="line-height: 19px; font-family: Wingdings; ">§<span style="line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; "> </span></span><span style="line-height: 19px; font-family: Cambria, serif; ">Holiday Inn®</span></p><p class="ecxMsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0.75in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-indent: -0.25in; "><span style="line-height: 19px; font-family: Wingdings; ">§<span style="line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; "> </span></span><span style="line-height: 19px; font-family: Cambria, serif; ">Holiday Inn Express®</span></p><p class="ecxMsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0.75in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-indent: -0.25in; "><span style="line-height: 19px; font-family: Wingdings; ">§<span style="line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; "> </span></span><span style="line-height: 19px; font-family: Cambria, serif; ">Staybridge Suites®</span></p><p class="ecxMsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0.75in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-indent: -0.25in; "><span style="line-height: 19px; font-family: Wingdings; ">§<span style="line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; "> </span></span><span style="line-height: 19px; font-family: Cambria, serif; ">Candlewood Suites®</span></p><p class="ecxMsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0.75in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-indent: -0.25in; "><span style="line-height: 19px; font-family: Wingdings; ">§<span style="line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; "> </span></span><span style="line-height: 19px; font-family: Cambria, serif; ">Crowne Plaza</span></p><p class="ecxMsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0.75in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-indent: -0.25in; "><span style="line-height: 19px; font-family: Wingdings; ">§<span style="line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; "> </span></span><span style="line-height: 19px; font-family: Cambria, serif; ">InterContinental</span></p><p class="ecxMsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0.75in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-indent: -0.25in; "><span style="line-height: 19px; font-family: Wingdings; ">§<span style="line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; "> </span></span><span style="line-height: 19px; font-family: Cambria, serif; ">Hotel Indigo</span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; "> </span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; ">Travelers can book with the discount through the following methods:</span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0.75in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-indent: -0.25in; "><span style="font-family: Wingdings; ">§<span style="line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; "> </span></span><a href="http://www.ihg.com/" target="_blank" style="color: purple; cursor: pointer; "><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; ">www.IHG.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; "></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0.75in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-indent: -0.25in; "><span style="font-family: Wingdings; ">§<span style="line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; "> </span></span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; ">IHG call center: 877-424-2449</span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; "> </span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; ">12% off best available rate with AFL-CIO’s Hilton Worldwide Corporate Account Numbers (required at booking):</span></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0.75in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-indent: -0.25in; "><span style="font-family: Wingdings; ">§<span style="line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; "> </span></span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; ">Conrad, Hilton, Hilton Garden Inn, Doubletree and Waldorf Astoria hotels: <b style="font-weight: bold; ">N1016814</b></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0.75in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-indent: -0.25in; "><span style="font-family: Wingdings; ">§<span style="line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; "> </span></span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; ">Hampton Inn, Homewood Suites and Embassy Suites: <b style="font-weight: bold; ">560012406</b></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0.75in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-indent: -0.25in; "><span style="font-family: Wingdings; ">§<span style="line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; "> </span></span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; ">International Hilton Properties: <b style="font-weight: bold; ">D000300438</b></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; "></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; ">Travelers can book with the discount through the following methods:</span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0.75in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-indent: -0.25in; "><span style="font-family: Wingdings; ">§<span style="line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; "> </span></span><a href="http://www.hilton.com/" target="_blank" style="color: purple; cursor: pointer; "><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; ">www.Hilton.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; "></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0.75in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-indent: -0.25in; "><span style="font-family: Wingdings; ">§<span style="line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; "> </span></span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; ">Hilton’s call center: 1-800-445-8667</span></p><h2 style="line-height: 19px; font-size: 13pt; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; color: rgb(79, 129, 189); page-break-after: avoid; font-family: Cambria, serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">TO RSVP Contact:</h2><p class="ecxMsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; ">RSVP by 12pm Thursday, March 1<sup style="line-height: 15px; ">st</sup> to Guadalupe Hernandez </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">●</span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; "> 202.508.6917 </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">●</span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; "> </span><a href="mailto:ghernand@lclaa.org" style="color: purple; cursor: pointer; "><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; ">ghernand@lclaa.org</span></a><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; "></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> </p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> </p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 24px; font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Teen Light'; color: rgb(255, 102, 153); ">Guadalupe “Lupita” Hernandez</span></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><i><span style="line-height: 24px; font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Goudy Old Style', serif; ">Programs Associate</span></i><i><span style="line-height: 24px; font-size: 14pt; "></span></i></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Goudy Old Style', serif; color: rgb(0, 112, 192); ">Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA)</span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Goudy Old Style', serif; ">Direct: (202)508-6917 Main: (202)508-6919 Fax: (202)508-6922</span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Goudy Old Style', serif; ">Email: <span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 153); "><a href="mailto:ghernandez@lclaa.org" style="color: purple; cursor: pointer; "><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 153); ">ghernandez@lclaa.org</span></a></span></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Goudy Old Style', serif; "><a href="http://www.lclaa.org/" target="_blank" style="color: purple; cursor: pointer; "><span style="color: windowtext; ">www.lclaa.org</span></a></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Goudy Old Style', serif; "> </span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Goudy Old Style', serif; "><br></span></p></div><div>@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@</div><div><br></div><div><table width="626" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" align="center" style="line-height: 17px; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><tbody><tr><td bgcolor="FFFFFF"><table align="center" width="626" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="1" style="line-height: 17px; "><tbody><tr><td><table width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" style="line-height: 17px; "><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=zf%2B7oPTk0e4nPeFHjjga9eTGzrcjVfvR" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><img width="626" height="71" border="0" alt="" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/c/18/images/banner_afl-cio_now_blog_626.jpg" style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; "></a></td></tr><tr><td><table width="100%" cellpadding="13" border="0" style="line-height: 17px; "><tbody><tr><td><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><span style="font-size: 13px; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; "><b style="font-weight: bold; ">Feb. 22, 2012</b></span></span></p><table align="right" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="7" border="0" style="line-height: 17px; width: 22px; height: 38px; "><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center; "><a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=mjub2slZT%2B4J5RcZUtrWIN3BFCy0XhCg" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><img border="0" alt="Carwash workers" title="Carwash workers" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/c/18/images/rlt2.jpg" style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; "></a><br><span style="line-height: 13px; font-size: 10px; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; "><a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=Rl4wNNYm%2Byuxn4CGA056d93BFCy0XhCg" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; ">Workers at two more Southern California carwashes won their first union contracts through the CLEAN Carwash Campaign</a>.</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><span style="font-size: 13px; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">Locked-out workers from American Crystal Sugar and Cooper Tire start a 1,000-mile Journey for Justice today from Fargo, N.D., to Findlay, Ohio. The journey, by members of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers and the United Steelworkers, will highlight the corporate greed that marks their lockouts and the growing drive by corporate CEOs to push down wages and benefits to pad their own pockets.</span></span><br></p><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" style="line-height: 17px; "><tbody><tr><td valign="bottom" height="24px"><a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=gIjF6FGEQkcaheWPvQd0S93BFCy0XhCg" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><img border="0" alt="Read More" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/c/18/images/read_more.gif" style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; "></a></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "></p><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><span style="font-size: 13px; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">Got comments? Post them at </span></span><a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=yfQQQbExgIN/lVxUH5zSOt3BFCy0XhCg" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "></a><span style="font-size: 13px; "><a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=7P5uR3kS8UqYbKRTsWps2t3BFCy0XhCg" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; "><b style="font-weight: bold; ">blog.aflcio.org</b></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">.</span></span></p><p align="left" style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><font face="Arial" color="navy" style="line-height: normal; font-size: 13px; "><img width="16" height="12" border="0" alt="" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/c/18/images/blog_arrow-blt.gif" style="line-height: 17px; "> <a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=El1GxKEvogZ3Hllek2oqGd3BFCy0XhCg" target="_blank" style="line-height: 17px; color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><font face="Arial" color="navy" style="line-height: normal; "><strong style="line-height: 17px; font-weight: bold; ">Workers at SoCal Carwashes Win First Contracts</strong></font></a></font></p><p align="left" style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><font face="Arial" color="navy" style="line-height: normal; font-size: 13px; "><img width="16" height="12" border="0" alt="" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/c/18/images/blog_arrow-blt.gif" style="line-height: 17px; "> <a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=5DBkYK4cQS2HlYlfv1RH/t3BFCy0XhCg" target="_blank" style="line-height: 17px; color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><font face="Arial" color="navy" style="line-height: normal; "><strong style="line-height: 17px; font-weight: bold; ">Join Occupy College Teach-Ins</strong></font></a></font></p><p align="left" style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><font face="Arial" color="navy" style="line-height: normal; font-size: 13px; "><img width="16" height="12" border="0" alt="" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/c/18/images/blog_arrow-blt.gif" style="line-height: 17px; "> <a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=Z28mrfWqtiDksskuWixmNN3BFCy0XhCg" target="_blank" style="line-height: 17px; color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><font face="Arial" color="navy" style="line-height: normal; "><strong style="line-height: 17px; font-weight: bold; ">Colbert Will Have a Job After Family Medical Leave. Will You?</strong></font></a></font></p><p align="left" style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><font face="Arial" color="navy" style="line-height: normal; font-size: 13px; "><img width="16" height="12" border="0" alt="" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/c/18/images/blog_arrow-blt.gif" style="line-height: 17px; "> <a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=WlYiLw9ky93YVTe16TbURd3BFCy0XhCg" target="_blank" style="line-height: 17px; color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><font face="Arial" color="navy" style="line-height: normal; "><strong style="line-height: 17px; font-weight: bold; ">Laughter and Activism Work Together in Portland</strong></font></a></font></p><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; text-align: left; "><span style="font-size: 13px; "><a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=saEaXBe5ROOc4v3wpwgOLt3BFCy0XhCg" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; "><strong style="font-weight: bold; ">Read more important news</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; "> of the day on the issues working families care about.</span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "></p><table align="center" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="7" bordercolor="#cccccc" border="1" style="line-height: 17px; "><tbody><tr><td><table align="center" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" style="line-height: 17px; "><tbody><tr><td align="center" valign="middle"><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><nobr><span style="font-size: 13px; "><span style="font-family: Arial; "><strong style="font-weight: bold; ">Follow the AFL-CIO:</strong></span></span><strong style="font-weight: bold; "><br></strong><a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=7sOyeU7bsHIZjZo4Yg4Rhd3BFCy0XhCg" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><img border="0" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/images/icon_24x24_facebook.jpg" alt="Facebook" title="Facebook" style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; "></a> <a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=eyjxMJUR4itw3MNKc14Xq93BFCy0XhCg" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><img border="0" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/images/icon_24x24_twitter.jpg" alt="Twitter" title="Twitter" style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; "></a> <a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=tSvaYRjN1xJ%2BFIKHCNoyMN3BFCy0XhCg" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><img border="0" src="http://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/c/18/images/icon_24x24_googleplus.jpg" alt="Google+" title="Google+" style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; "></a> <a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=lrQD8V1NdMJG8yqd4SnnVN3BFCy0XhCg" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><img border="0" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/images/icon_24x24_youtube2.jpg" alt="YouTube" title="YouTube" style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; "></a> <a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=Oky6wpYRHzkyPKG2ceIVyt3BFCy0XhCg" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><img border="0" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/images/icon_24x24_rss.jpg" alt="RSS" title="RSS" style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; "></a></nobr></p></td></tr><tr><td><p align="center" style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><span style="font-family: Arial; "><span style="font-size: 13px; "><em><nobr>Take the next step. Become a mobile activist</nobr><br><nobr>by joining the AFL-CIO Rapid Action Text Team.</nobr><br><nobr>Text <strong style="font-weight: bold; ">NEWS</strong> to <strong style="font-weight: bold; ">AFLCIO (235246)</strong> to receive action alerts and more.</nobr><br>(Message and data rates may apply.)<br></em></span></span></p></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><p align="center" style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; "><span style="font-size: 13px; ">To find out more about the AFL-CIO, please visit our website at <a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=X2MUyBbxheAWYX72ElKsJt3BFCy0XhCg" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><b style="font-weight: bold; ">www.aflcio.org</b></a>.</span></span></p><p align="center" style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; "><span style="font-size: 13px; "><br></span></span></p></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@</div><div><br></div><div><h3 style="line-height: 15px; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; color: rgb(0, 110, 18) !important; font-family: georgia, serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/22/us/hersheys-packer-fined-by-labor-department-for-safety-violations.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha23" target="_blank" style="line-height: 18px; font-weight: inherit; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 110, 18) !important; cursor: pointer; ">Hershey's Packer Is Fined Over Its Safety Violations</a></h3><h6 style="font-size: 10px; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; color: rgb(153, 153, 153); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">By JULIA PRESTON</h6><p style="line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">The Labor Department investigation was prompted by complaints from foreign student workers over conditions at the plant in Palmyra, Pa.</p><p style="line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br></p></div><div>@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@</div><div><br></div><div><p style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Georgia; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><i>The letter below was written by Guo Rui-Qiang and Jia Jing-Chuan, and translated from Chinese for SumOfUs.org members. They worked in an Apple factory in Suzhou, China cleaning iPhone touch screens until their nerves were permanently damaged by chemicals used during cleaning.</i></p><hr style="line-height: 17px; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Georgia; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><div style="line-height: 17px; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Georgia; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img alt="Image of Rui-Qiang and Jing-Chuan, two men who worked at an Apple factory in China" height="300" width="200"><p style="line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-style: italic; font-size: 12px; text-align: center; ">Photos of Jing-Chuan (top) and <br>Rui-Qiang(bottom).</p><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; background-color: rgb(0, 171, 189); text-align: center; "><a href="http://act.sumofus.org/go/137?akid=163.136488.Rb2rNx&t=1" target="_blank" style="line-height: 18px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(30, 102, 174); cursor: pointer; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14px; ">Add your name &<br>Share their message</a></p></div><p style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Georgia; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Dear SumOfUs.org Members and Friends -</p><p style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Georgia; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">You don't know us but you have seen our work. Until recently, we worked long hours cleaning Apple’s iPhone touch screens in Suzhou, China.</p><p style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Georgia; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">In early 2010, it was independently confirmed that <b style="font-weight: bold; ">137 workers, including us, were poisoned by a chemical called n-hexane which was used to clean iPhone screens. </b>N-hexane is known to cause eye, skin and respiratory tract irritation, and leads to persistant nerve damage. Apple admitted to gross labour rights violations more than a year later.</p><p style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Georgia; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; ">If more people know about what we went through, Apple will feel pressured to change so other workers don’t have to suffer like we did.</b></p><p style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Georgia; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><a href="http://act.sumofus.org/go/137?akid=163.136488.Rb2rNx&t=2" target="_blank" style="font-weight: inherit; color: rgb(30, 102, 174); cursor: pointer; font-family: Verdana; ">Can you join over 100,000 others in calling for Apple to reform working conditions at their factories, and then help publicize our story to your friends?</a></b></p><p style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Georgia; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">We have been pressuring Apple, and its new CEO Tim Cook, for years to compensate those of us who were injured working for them, and demanding reform of working conditions at their Chinese factories so that their workers don’t suffer like we do. Now we need your help as customers or potential customers of Apple.</p><p style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Georgia; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">It has been over two years since many of us were hospitalized and treated but our debilitating symptoms continue. Rui-Qiang still can't find work because he can no longer stand for the long hours most jobs require. Jing-Chuan has to spend nearly $100 a month on health supplements (in a place where workers make approximately $300 a month).</p><p style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Georgia; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><a href="http://act.sumofus.org/go/137?akid=163.136488.Rb2rNx&t=3" target="_blank" style="font-weight: inherit; color: rgb(30, 102, 174); cursor: pointer; font-family: Verdana; ">Will you help us show Tim Cook we need real action to address working conditions by adding your name to the petition today?</a></b></p><p style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Georgia; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">With all of us working together to pressure Apple to change, we can make sure what happened to us doesn’t happen to others too.</p><p style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Georgia; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">- Guo Rui-qiang and Jia Jing-chuan</p><img style="line-height: 17px; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Georgia; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Georgia; line-height: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> </span>
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