At some point we must come to understand that a White, Male, Landed
Oligarchy will flood us with bald-faced lies in order to protect
itself.
A $5 billion dollar wall will keep no one out of our Promised Land.
We happen to have three very long, basically exposed borders in
addition to Mexico, as well as all that air space. $5 billion dollars
will only be the Feed money.
And if we just wait about 6 more years, we'll be so stripped of our
wealth, that no one will want to sneak in. In fact, that wall might
be keeping Americans from rushing into South America.
Carl Jarvis
On 1/2/19, Roger Loran Bailey <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
https://socialistaction.org/2019/01/01/money-for-workers-not-the-wall/
Money for workers, not the Wall!
/ 21 hours ago
$Below, we present a statement by the Young Workers Committee of the
Milwaukee Area Labor Council, AFL-CIO. Socialist Action believes that
this statement is an excellent contribution to a discussion in the labor
movement of what to do next in the fight against Trump’s government
shutdown. One real strength of this statement is that it does not
emphasize electoral action as the solution to Trumpism.
Some 800,000 federal workers are currently locked out, with 420,000 of
them being forced to work without pay. A union leader told the
Philadelphia Inquirer that members in federal government jobs have to
choose whether to feed their “children or pay for gas to go to work.”
Trump dismisses the impact on federal workers and accuses them of being
Democrats. The government has advised locked-out workers to barter odd
jobs, like yard work or carpentry, to landlords in exchange for rent.
We understand that some of these employees are part of the national
security apparatus. We have no sympathy for FBI agents, ICE agents, or
Border Patrol goons, but the character of these forces should not
distract us from solidarity with federal workers. Many of those affected
by this shutdown are charged with tasks like safeguarding our food
supplies, keeping our waters clean, and ensuring that our workplaces are
safe.
The unions must take action in solidarity with the locked-out federal
workers. The AFL-CIO at the local, state, and national levels should
immediately open union halls as centers for mutual aid, with meals and
other support provided to workers and their families. This would include
legal advice and taking action to stop foreclosures or evictions.
Another urgent step would be organizing a mass action to call for “Money
for workers, not racist walls!” A Million Worker March on Martin Luther
King Day, which mobilized hundreds of thousands of workers, would help
shift the terms of debate in Washington, and the balance of class
forces. The teacher strikes in the U.S. in 2018 and the yellow vest
protests in France point to the potential for radically shifting the
political situation through mass mobilizations independent of the bosses.
Such a mass-action approach would put labor at odds with their “friends”
in the Democratic Party. The temptation among the union bureaucrats
would be to moderate demands, or demobilize workers, to appease the
Democrats. During the Wisconsin protests against Gov. Walker’s union
busting, union tops diverted the energy of the movement into a
disastrous recall campaign.
In truth, the Democrats have not been friends to workers and oppressed
people. From mass incarceration, to union busting and austerity, to
imperialist war, Democrats can be counted on to support Wall Street
first. A fighting Labor Party, based on the unions and organizations of
the oppressed, would chart an independent course forward for working
people.
Money For Workers, Not The Wall!
The Young Workers Committee of the Milwaukee Area Labor Council, AFL-CIO
stands in solidarity with the nearly one million federal government
workers who are paying the price for Trump’s government shutdown as he
demands $5 billion for a border wall with Mexico.
420,000 federal workers are being forced to work without pay, with
another 380,000 currently laid off without pay, and with no guarantee
that they will receive back pay when the shutdown ends. Most of these
dedicated public servants are union sisters and brothers. Ernie Johnson,
a furloughed federal employee, went to Twitter to say “If no backpay,
I’ll likely be evicted by Feb 1,” using the trending hashtag
#ShutDownStories.
Billionaire Trump has put hundreds of thousands of families in a
financial bind to pay rent and bills, but ironically, under US law it
would be unlawful for the same government workers to strike and shutdown
the government for any reason. This is a sad illustration of the
anti-worker laws championed by the likes of Trump and other employers
that make the collective action of unionists difficult or unlawful. We
support the inherent and fundamental right of federal government
workers, and all working people, to go on strike. No worker should be
forced to work without pay, or denied the right to strike.
Trump’s demand for a border wall is a major piece of his anti-immigrant
and anti-worker agenda, which includes the mass detention of children,
raids and deportations, increased border militarization, and stoking of
racist fears of immigrants and minorities. Trump’s agenda works to
undermine solidarity by pitting workers in the US against each other and
against workers from other countries looking for employment and a better
life.
The refugee caravans headed toward the US border are made up not of
terrorists as Trump claims, but of working families that have been
devastated by corporate policies like NAFTA. We stand with workers
fleeing violence and poverty created by US foreign and economic
policies, and therefore strongly oppose the border wall and border
militarization targeted towards these refugees.
We can make the world a better place by spending that $5 billion not on
a wall and border militarization, but on good union jobs and education
programs that actually lift up working and oppressed people. This
country has more than enough wealth to take in refugees and invest in
wages, benefits, and resources for working people.
•We oppose Trump’s attacks on workers, immigrants, and refugees.
•We support the right of federal workers to strike
•We demand Trump end the shutdown and pay all federal workers
•We call for five billion dollars to be allocated to programs that help
working people, not to attack refugees looking for a better life.
We call on unions everywhere to pass similar statements in order to
strengthen the fight against Trump’s attacks and build a united,
fighting worker’s movement. “Working Class, Unite & Fight!”
Young Workers Committee, Milwaukee Area Labor Council, AFL-CIO,
YWC@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Share this:
Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
27Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)27
Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
January 1, 2019 in Labor, Trump / U.S. Government.
Related posts
GM shareholders get boost and workers get the boot
Stamford hotel workers launch union drive
‘We need a general strike to fight Macron and his administration’
Post navigation
← Help us make 2019 a year of struggle! Contribute to our fund drive.
Get Involved!
Donate to help support our work
Get email updates
Join Socialist Action
Newspaper Archives
Newspaper Archives Select Month January 2019 (1) December 2018 (12)
November 2018 (15) October 2018 (10) September 2018 (8) August 2018
(12) July 2018 (13) June 2018 (11) May 2018 (19) April 2018 (15)
March 2018 (17) February 2018 (14) January 2018 (13) December 2017
(13) November 2017 (13) October 2017 (16) September 2017 (15) August
2017 (16) July 2017 (17) June 2017 (16) May 2017 (17) April 2017
(14) March 2017 (13) February 2017 (19) January 2017 (13) December
2016 (12) November 2016 (19) October 2016 (12) September 2016 (10)
August 2016 (10) July 2016 (14) June 2016 (14) May 2016 (9) April
2016 (12) March 2016 (14) February 2016 (8) January 2016 (11)
December 2015 (11) November 2015 (9) October 2015 (8) September 2015
(10) August 2015 (7) July 2015 (13) June 2015 (9) May 2015 (10)
April 2015 (12) March 2015 (9) February 2015 (11) January 2015 (10)
December 2014 (12) November 2014 (11) October 2014 (9) September
2014 (6) August 2014 (10) July 2014 (11) June 2014 (10) May 2014
(11) April 2014 (10) March 2014 (9) February 2014 (11) January 2014
(11) December 2013 (10) November 2013 (11) October 2013 (17)
September 2013 (13) August 2013 (10) July 2013 (11) June 2013 (15)
May 2013 (14) April 2013 (14) March 2013 (12) February 2013 (10)
January 2013 (17) December 2012 (7) November 2012 (8) October 2012
(19) September 2012 (2) August 2012 (27) July 2012 (18) June 2012
(3) May 2012 (19) April 2012 (14) March 2012 (17) February 2012 (19)
January 2012 (17) December 2011 (3) November 2011 (33) October 2011
(14) September 2011 (13) August 2011 (34) July 2011 (24) June 2011
(19) May 2011 (19) April 2011 (15) March 2011 (15) February 2011
(15) January 2011 (15) December 2010 (17) November 2010 (1) October
2010 (6) September 2010 (3) August 2010 (8) July 2010 (7) June 2010
(2) May 2010 (10) April 2010 (3) March 2010 (8) February 2010 (3)
January 2010 (9) December 2009 (6) November 2009 (5) October 2009
(16) September 2009 (3) August 2009 (2) July 2009 (5) June 2009 (2)
May 2009 (7) April 2009 (6) March 2009 (16) February 2009 (9)
January 2009 (10) December 2008 (11) November 2008 (8) October 2008
(16) September 2008 (14) August 2008 (18) July 2008 (12) June 2008
(3) May 2008 (2) April 2008 (3) March 2008 (14) February 2008 (11)
January 2008 (11) December 2007 (8) November 2007 (1) July 2007 (1)
June 2007 (1) April 2007 (1) March 2007 (1) February 2007 (3)
December 2006 (11) November 2006 (11) October 2006 (13) September
2006 (15) August 2006 (11) July 2006 (18) June 2006 (7) May 2006
(14) April 2006 (6) March 2006 (14) February 2006 (5) January 2006
(2) December 2005 (9) November 2005 (8) October 2005 (13) September
2005 (12) August 2005 (9) July 2005 (16) June 2005 (16) May 2005
(16) April 2005 (12) March 2005 (14) February 2005 (19) January 2005
(15) December 2004 (14) November 2002 (17) October 2002 (19) September
2002 (22) August 2002 (21) July 2002 (15) May 2002 (21) April 2002
(21) February 2002 (15) January 2002 (15) December 2001 (17) October
2001 (24) September 2001 (18) July 2001 (19) June 2001 (18) October
2000 (17) September 2000 (21) August 2000 (19) July 2000 (16) June
2000 (26) May 2000 (21) April 2000 (22) March 2000 (28) February
2000 (18) January 2000 (20) December 1999 (20) November 1999 (26)
October 1999 (25) September 1999 (18) August 1999 (40) July 1999
(38) June 1999 (24) May 1999 (27) April 1999 (25) March 1999 (26)
February 1999 (29) January 1999 (24) July 1998 (12)
Search
View socialistactionusa’s profile on Facebook
View SocialistActUS’s profile on Twitter
View SocialistActionCT’s profile on YouTube
Subscribe to Our Newspaper
Upcoming Events
No upcoming events
Category Cloud
Actions & Protest Africa Anti-War Arts & Culture Black Liberation Canada
Caribbean Civil Liberties Cuba East Asia Economy Education & Schools
Elections Environment Europe Immigration Indigenous Rights International
Labor Latin America Latino Civil Liberties Marxist Theory & History
Middle East Palestine Police & FBI Prisons South Asia Trump / U.S.
Government Uncategorized Women's Liberation
View Calendar
Blog at WordPress.com.
Follow
--
_________________________________________________________________
J.K. Rowling
“ I mean, you could claim that anything's real if the only basis for
believing in it is that nobody's proved it doesn't exist! ”
― J.K. Rowling
