LaborGroups News 16Jan04
www.laborgroups.org/LaborGroupsNews16Jan04.pdf
www.laborgroups.org/LaborGroupsNews16Jan04.doc

1) Chicago: Getting Ready for Regime Change
2) Chicago Media Action Alert
3) United Students Against SweatShops
4) LabourStart's Eric Lee: Urgent action appeal from South Korea
5) Bushisms
6) Chicago Events Calendar
7) URGENT ACTION: Mexican Labor Rights Activist Attacked and Brutally Beaten
8) Obama for Working Families
9) SOA Watch: Trials in Georgia
10) Voice@Work Update 1-14-04
11) SafetyOnline
12) Public Citizen Press Release
13) Chicago: DL21C
14) Teamster eDispatch
15) ACU sues Gephardt
16) Rob Sanchez's JOB DESTRUCTION NEWSLETTER
17) SW Online
18) ANSWER
19) The DISH
20) Illegal Immigration - The View From A Police Officer's Car - Pt 1
21) Smoke THIS !
22) Mexico Solidarity Network
23) Message to Labor Leaders
24) The New American - January 26, 2004 Issue
25) TruthOut
26) In this corner: A Champion, Mr. Paul Craig Roberts
27) Is Big McBrother invading workplace privacy?
28) Doctor links cancer cases to IBM plant
29) Nat'l tour: Venezuela Women's Development
30) Please help Gallo of Sonoma workers avoid a new Gallo wine boycott
31) Chicago: Stop the Disappearances Car Caravan
32) Al Gore speaks out on Bush's environmental record
33) Spare 175 Million?, MI vs MTBE, Inactive Approach, Open Air Market
34) "T-Cells"
35) Medicare Increase
36) Project USA Amnesty
37) EPA Case
38) Is your boss a 'corporate psycho'?
39) Campaign for Labor Rights !!!

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> Bush: Go Fetch Me A Burger --Dictator Bush interrupted a White House meeting to tell his chief of staff to go and get some cheeseburgers, it was revealed last night. After waiting in vain for an earlier food order, Bush called in White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card, and said: "You're the chief of staff. You think you're up to getting us some cheeseburgers?" The story is one of further allegations about Bush's behaviour in the Oval office from former US Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill's account.


www.legitgov.org/

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READ: searchwin2000.techtarget.com/newsItem/0,289139,sid1_gci944623,00.html

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1) Chicago: Getting Ready for Regime Change

Getting Ready for Regime Change:


A Conference on Working Towards Greater Peace & Justice During
the Next U.S. Presidency


Saturday, January 17 10 AM - 2:30 PM
Columbia College, 1104 S. Wabash, Rm 302, Chicago


Plenary Speakers from 10 AM to 11 AM

Jan Schakowsky
Member of Congress
Alice Tregay
Rainbow PUSH
Carl Davidson
Peace & Justice Voters 2004


Film Showing:
'Unprecedented' Democracy Undermined in the 2000 Election

Workshops:

* Registering Youth & Students
* Faith-based Voter Drives
* Black & Latino Outreach
* Neighborhood Precinct Organizing
* Working with Candidates
* Election Day Mobilizing


Become a Deputy Voter Registrar at the conference! Training and deputizing session 12 Noon to 1 PM


Sponsored by:
Chicagoans Against War & Injustice
Operation PUSH
Citizen Action
the Civic Engagement and Responsibility Committee of Columbia College Chicago
Michael Rabiger Center for Documentary, Film & Video Department of Columbia College Chicago

Please forward this announcement to whomever you feel may be interested in working for change.

from www.chicagodsa.org


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2) Chicago Media Action Alert

CHICAGO MEDIA ACTION ALERT, January 15, 2004
www.chicagomediaaction.org

Another reminder: Chicago Media Action is organizing a film and forum as part of its Public Education Forum series. The forum will be on Sunday, January 18, 3pm-6pm, at The Chicago Temple (77 W. Washington). The topic will be:

"Martin Luther King, Jr. Identified the real 'Axis of Evil' - Poverty, Racism, and War: What Did the Media Fail To Cover and Why?"

More details are listed below.

*** *** *** *** *** *** ***

Author Carol Bragg speculates "The vision, the analysis, and the agenda that King espoused, and we largely neglected, might have prevented those horrific events of 9/11". Many similarities can be drawn between the "neglected" points King made against the Vietnam War and the points being made today against the war in Iraq. This forum will examine the issue of media bias and what impact it has had on the current state of U.S. foreign and domestic affairs.

The program agenda is scheduled to include:
(1) Commentary by Cliff Kelley (radio talk show host and former Chicago alderman) and Salim Muwakkil (Chicago Tribune op-ed columnist and a senior editor at "In These Times").

(2) "At The River I Stand", a 56-minute award-winning documentary film on Dr. King's last labor organizing movement - the Memphis sanitation worker's strike. The film will be introduced by noted labor and civil rights activist Katie Jordan, President of the Chicago Chapter of Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW).

(3) Dr. King's "Why I Oppose The War in Vietnam" speech (a 23-minute excerpt from this speech given April 4, 1967 - one year to the day before his assassination). King warned that unless the "triple evils" of poverty, racism and militarism are seriously addressed, then global chaos will result.

(4) A question/comment/discussion period, where members of the audience can have an opportunity to voice their opinions and interact with the speakers.

(5) A celebratory hearing/singing-along-to Stevie Wonder's "Happy Birthday To You" (the hit song Wonder wrote to honor Dr. King and to pressure Ronald Reagan into signing the bill making Dr. King's birthday a federal holiday).

To read more about this event, please visit:

www.chicagomediaaction.org/news.php

A downloadable PDF flyer of the event is available here:

www.chicagomediaaction.org/pdffiles/mlkforum.pdf

Please forward this email, post the PDF flyer, and spread the word about this event. Thank you.

*** *** *** *** *** *** ***

This is an email from Chicago Media Action, a Chicago activist
group devoted to media issues.

Chicago Media Action, P.O. Box 14140, Chicago IL 60614-0140 Call toll-free: 1-866-260-7198 Web: www.chicagomediaaction.org
email: cma (at) chicagomediaaction.org


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3) United Students Against SweatShops

* CISPES Presidential Elections Delegation to El Salvador!
March 13-25, 2004

check the CISPES webpage for applications, materials, and additional information:
www.cispes.org/english/Delegations/index.html


(InformaciÃ3n sigue en español)

Over the last year, El Salvador has seen the largest mobilizations since the end of the civil war in 1992, including a ten-month long health care strike that brought people together across many sectors to oppose US imposed "free" trade policies. Still, the Bush administration is trying to create a US-controlled economic bloc throughout the Americas by passing free trade agreements like the FTAA (Free Trade Area of the Americas) and CAFTA (Central America Free Trade Agreement). Despite massive popular resistance to these agreements, the governments completed negotiations for CAFTA in December 2003.

Although there are five political parties active in El Salvador, there are really only two economic models competing for power: the model of corporate globalization and "free" trade, represented by the ruling ARENA party, and the alternative model of social and economic justice represented by the opposition party FMLN (Farabundo Marti Front for National Liberation). The FMLN is the only political party in Central America to come out against "free" trade, and are under attack because of it. In the months before the legislative and municipal elections of March 2003, seven FMLN activists were killed by members of a new death squad.

The Salvadoran people are calling upon international observers to accompany them in combating this climate of intensified violence and fear with revolutionary hope as they head to the polls next March to elect a new president. CISPES has participated in every election since the signing of the Peace Accords in 1992 as accredited international observers, and will be there again this year to accompany the Salvadoran people as the FMLN prepares for a real chance to win the presidency! Join us next March in El Salvador to observe the elections, and learn first-hand about the resistance and struggle for an alternative in El Salvador, the importance of El Salvador's struggle to all of Latin America, and how you can participate in the international campaign to stop CAFTA!

The itinerary is currently being developed. At a minimum, you will:

* Observe El Salvador's elections process as an accredited
international election observer * Meet with FMLN members and visit FMLN-governed municipalities * See examples of alternative models of development that put people,
not profits, at the center * Learn about how free trade agreements increase poverty for the
majority while making a few rich * Accompany the Salvadoran social and labor movement in their
struggle against privatization * Meet with union organizers and discuss building cross-border
resistance to neoliberalism * Meet with representatives from the women's movement * Help build global solidarity and the campaign to stop CAFTA and
the FTAA! * Join the Salvadoran people in commemorating the death of
Archbishop Oscar Romero on Romero Day, March 24 * Have fun!

The approximate cost of the delegation: Airfare ($400 - $700), $150 Administrative Fee, $550 In-country costs (meals, housing, election observer training, translation, local transportation, etc), and material aid to directly support grassroots organizing: ($300 - $500). Fundraising support is available!

write to alicia (at) cispes.org for more information, or call 212 465-8115.

*******************************************************************************************

Rights Action -- SPEAKING TOUR

GLOBALIZATION and HONDURAS:
Illegal dams and logging, destructive mining, repression & impunity

WHEN: February 2004
WHERE: Ontario & Quebec (Canada)
WHO: Sandra Cuffe, an activist currently collaborating with Rights Action
in Honduras, and Gilberto Flores, a community development activist from
Honduras.

INTERESTED IN HOSTING EVENTS: Grahame Russell, info (at) rightsaction.org /
416-654-2074

GILBERTO FLORES is a community activist from the municipality of Gualaco in
Olancho, Honduras. He is an outspoken member of CEPAVEG, a community-based
organization in Gualaco and La Venta, which was created to oppose the
construction of a hydroelectric dam on the Babilonia river in the region.
The dam, being built with international funding (from the Central American
Development Bank of Economic Integration) although the process has been
plagued with legal irregularities and repression, falls within the buffer
zone of the Sierra de Agalta national park and will have disastrous
consequences on both the park`s biodiversity and local communities`
community development.

He is also a member of the large Environmentalist Movement of Olancho (MAO),
addressing issues such as illegal logging, repression and impunity, and of
the regional Pastoral Social of the Catholic Church, which has been involved
with on-going struggles against poverty and in favour of community
controlled development. As a result of his outspoken activism, Gilberto,
along with many others, has been harassed and intimidated by local
authorities and other individuals suspected to be linked to the logging
industry.

Gilberto’s name was circulated on a `death list` which included an activist
assassinated in 2001. Carlos Flores, cousin of Gilberto and also an
outspoken opponent of the dam, was gunned down outside his home by the Dam
construction company`s security guards in June 2001.

SANDRA CUFFE is an activist currently collaborating with Rights Action in
Honduras. She has been working closely with the Civic Council of Indigenous
and Popular Organizations of Honduras COPINH in the western region,
especially with the communities of Montana Verde and their unjustly
imprisoned indigenous council leaders. She has also been working on other
issues dealing with human rights and the environment, such as the role of
Canadian mining companies in Honduras, and participated in an international
delegation to Olancho in July 2003.

SANDRA and GILBERTO (providing we can get him a visa to come to Canada on
this education trip) will speak about the history and on-going political
situation in Honduras, in the context of globalization and the unjust global
order, and the community based efforts of Hondurans to fight for and defend
their right to healthy and sustainable community development. They will
also speak about how Canadians can get more involved in working on and
supporting struggles for global justice.

CONTACT: Grahame Russell, 416-654-2074, info (at) rightsaction.org

===

The Latin American Solidarity Conference website can be found at www.lasolidarity.org

The following are instructions on using the Latin American Solidarity listserv:
1. If you need to unsubscribe at any time, send a blank email to: lasolidarity-unsubscribe (at) topica.com
2.To invite someone to join, tell them to send a blank message to: lasolidarity-subscribe (at) topica.com from the address that is being subscribed. (Doing it from another account won't work.)
3.To post a message to the list, send email to: lasolidarity (at) topica.com
4. Do not reply to the list-serve. If you need to reply to a message that comes over the list-serve, make sure that you reply to the sender.
5. All messages should be focused on Latin America Solidarity work. Please do not send news articles.
6. All messages should be national in focus. No local mobilizations or events, please.

**********************************************************************8*****

Check out "News from the Underground, a Festival of
Autonomous Media" to benefit Chicago Indymedia and
Hasta Cuando.

Friday January 16th @ 8 pm
Women in the Director's Chair - 941 W. Lawrence
&
Saturday January 17th @ 8 pm
Decima Musa on the 17th - 1901 S. Loomis

News from the Underground will celebrate all the news
and views that corporate interests marginalize. The
festival features a collaboration of independent and
grassroots media organizations coming together for the
purpose of promoting independent, non-corporate,
grassroots journalism and arts. The festival will
feature the premiere episode of Chicago Independent
Television, produced by the Chicago Indymedia video
collective, whose mission is to provide your corporate
news alternative.

Schedule:
JANUARY 16 @ WOMEN IN THE DIRECTOR'S CHAIR, 941 W.
LAWRENCE, 8 PM

video screenings:
"Independent Media in a Time of War"
"Live from Ground Zero" (WTO Cancun)
Chiapas Media Project
Chicago Independent Television, Episode 1

Additional events:
Photoexhibit from the Chicago Indymedia photogroup
Report back from FTAA protests (videos and speakers)
Musical guest CHUY NEGRETTE


JANUARY 17 @ DECIMA MUSA, 1901 S. LOOMIS, 8 PM

video screenings:
"Pollution at H. Kramer"
"Tierra y violencia" a video about Palestine
Werner Herzog's "Lessons od Darkness"
Un-cut video account of the FTAA protest in Miami
INFOWAR

Additional events:
Report back from FTAA protests (videos and speakers)
Musical guest TBA


Sponsors:
Ritual Multimedia, Labor Beat / Labor Express,
Nicaragua Solidarity Committee, Polvo Art Studio,
Producciones en el ojo, and Chicago Media Action

Contact:
Chicago Independent Media Center - Thomas Yun (312)
505-0764, mayday (at) riseup.net
Hasta Cuando - Tracy Kurowski (312) 282-6787,
tracykurowski (at) postmark.net
www.chicago.indymedia.org
www.subaltern.org/festival.htm

=====
News from the Underground, a Festival of Autonomous
Media --
www.subaltern.org/festival.htm
******************************************************************************************

Garment workers at the Tarrant Ajalpan factory in Puebla, Mexico
are again are calling your support! Please contact The Wet Seal,
urging them to take responsibility for worker rights violations
by Tarrant Apparel Group.

www.unionvoice.org/campaign/wetseal


*****************************************************************************************

Check out "News from the Underground, a Festival of
Autonomous Media" to benefit Chicago Indymedia and
Hasta Cuando.

Friday January 16th @ 8 pm
Women in the Director's Chair - 941 W. Lawrence
&
Saturday January 17th @ 8 pm
Decima Musa on the 17th - 1901 S. Loomis

News from the Underground will celebrate all the news
and views that corporate interests marginalize. The
festival features a collaboration of independent and
grassroots media organizations coming together for the
purpose of promoting independent, non-corporate,
grassroots journalism and arts. The festival will
feature the premiere episode of Chicago Independent
Television, produced by the Chicago Indymedia video
collective, whose mission is to provide your corporate
news alternative.

Schedule:
JANUARY 16 @ WOMEN IN THE DIRECTOR'S CHAIR, 941 W.
LAWRENCE, 8 PM

video screenings:
"Independent Media in a Time of War"
"Live from Ground Zero" (WTO Cancun)
Chiapas Media Project
Chicago Independent Television, Episode 1

Additional events:
Photoexhibit from the Chicago Indymedia photogroup
Report back from FTAA protests (videos and speakers)
Musical guest CHUY NEGRETTE


JANUARY 17 @ DECIMA MUSA, 1901 S. LOOMIS, 8 PM

video screenings:
"Pollution at H. Kramer"
"Tierra y violencia" a video about Palestine
Werner Herzog's "Lessons od Darkness"
Un-cut video account of the FTAA protest in Miami
INFOWAR

Additional events:
Report back from FTAA protests (videos and speakers)
Musical guest TBA


Sponsors:
Ritual Multimedia, Labor Beat / Labor Express,
Nicaragua Solidarity Committee, Polvo Art Studio,
Producciones en el ojo, and Chicago Media Action

Contact:
Chicago Independent Media Center - Thomas Yun (312)
505-0764, mayday (at) riseup.net
Hasta Cuando - Tracy Kurowski (312) 282-6787,
tracykurowski (at) postmark.net
www.chicago.indymedia.org
www.subaltern.org/festival.htm

=====
News from the Underground, a Festival of Autonomous
Media --
www.subaltern.org/festival.htm

------------------------------------------------------------------------
4) LabourStart's Eric Lee: Urgent action appeal from South Korea

In this week's mailing:

* Urgent action appeal from South Korea
* Labour website of the year: how your favorite site can win
* Global union denounces workers' rights violations in USA
* $50 worth of free books - we have a winner

URGENT ACTION APPEAL FROM SOUTH KOREA

One of the more interesting innovations in the Korean labour movement in recent years has been the creation of a nationwide trade union for migrant workers, known as the "Equality Trade Union - Migrants Branch". But the South Korean government is somewhat less impressed with this idea, and as part of its campaign to deport tens of thousands of migrant workers, it has apparently decided to crush their union, using immigration officers and armed police. Right now, activists from the union are engaged in a sit-in (now entering its third month) at the Myongdong Cathedral in the center of Seoul. They have put out an urgent appeal for help. Please show your support and send a message to the South Korean president by going here:

www.laborstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi

In addition to the online campaign, the union is also asking people to have a look at two short online videos showing the campaign -- and the police repression. They are viewable from here:

www.nodong.com/zero/view.php

www.nodong.com/zero/view.php

***

LABOUR WEBSITE OF THE YEAR: HOW YOUR FAVORITE SITE CAN WIN

With only 16 days to go until a winner is announced, thousands of you have already voted for your favorite labour website. We know that many of you are quite enthusiastic about your own union's site, and we've seen several examples of online discussions about how to improve the vote total for your union. Here are two proven ways to increase your site's chances of winning:

1. Use the 'Vote for this site' banner -- see www.labourstart.org/lwsoty/ for this single line of code which you copy and paste to your site

2. If you have a mailing list, let them all know that your site is competing for this year's award -- and send out a reminder mailing later on in the month.

If you haven't yet voted, remember that the deadline is 31 January 2004.

***

GLOBAL UNION DENOUNCES WORKERS' RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN US

The World Trade Organization (WTO) is currently conducting a review of the trade policies of the U.S. To coincide with this review, the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, representing over 151 million workers in 152 countries and territories, has issued a blistering report condemning workers' rights violations in the U.S. The report is available online, here:

www.icftu.org/displaydocument.asp

***

$50 WORTH OF FREE BOOKS - WE HAVE A WINNER

In late 2003 we asked our readers to recommend your favorite labour books -- the books that should be on every trade unionist's bookshelf. You recommended nearly 300 titles, many of which now appear on Labour's Bookshelf, here:

www.powells.com/cgi-bin/partner

We promised that one of you would be randomly picked to receive a $50 voucher to spend at Powells.com, the unionized online bookshop, and we're pleased to announce that the prize was won by Debbie D. Logsdon of Wichita, Kansas. Debbie is a member and the Mid West Chair of SPEEA (Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace) and a Vice President of the IFPTE (International Federation of Professional and Technical Employees). Our congratulations to her.

Have a great weekend.

Eric Lee

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5) Bushisms

• "Put The Off Button On."

• "Our Priorities Is Our Faith."

• "They Misunderestimated Me."

• "It's Your Money. You Paid For It."

• "I Think War Is A Dangerous Place."

• "I Don't Need To Be Subliminabable."

• "I'm A Follower Of American Politics."

• "The Future Will Be Better Tomorrow."

• "I Think We Agree- The Past Is Over."

• "I'm The Master Of Low Expectations."

• "For NASA, Space Is Still A High Priority."

• "I Am A Pitbull On The Pantleg Of Opportunity."

• "This Foreign Policy Stuff Is A Little Frustrating."

• "I Understand Small Business Growth. I Was One."

• "If We Don't Succeed, We Run The Risk Of Failure."

• "Welcome To Mrs. Bush And My Fellow Astronauts."

• "The French Don't Have A Word For 'Entrepreneur'."

• "It's Clearly A Budget. It's Got A Lot Of Numbers In It"

• "Will The Highways On The Internet Become More Few?"

• "We Need An Energy Bill That Encourages Consumption."

• "In My Sentences I Go Where No Man Has Gone Before."

• "I Am A Person Who Recognises The Fallacy Of Humans."

• "Rarely Is The Question Asked: Is Our Children Learning?"

• "Sometimes When I Sleep At Night I Think Of 'Hop On Pop."

• "Its Time For The Human Race To Enter The Solar System."

• "I Know The Human Being And Fish Can Coexist Peacefully."

• "The Indians And The Paki's Should Learn To Live In Peace."

• "I Know How Hard It Is For You To Put Food On Your Family."

• "We Are Ready For Any Unforeseen Event That May Not Occur"

• "Families Is Where Our Nation Finds Hope, Where Wings Take Dream."

• "It's A World Of Madmen And Uncertainty And Potential Mental Losses."

• "We're Going To Have The Best Educated American People In The World"

• "Low Voter Turnout Is An Indication Of Fewer People Going To The Polls."

• "Sure, I Know About Europe. I've Seen The TV Shows. I'm A Fan, Definite."

• "The Most Important Job Is Not To Be Governor, Or First Lady In My Case."

• ''I Had No Idea We Had So Many Weapons ... What Do We Need Them For?''

• "A Dictatorship Would Be A Hell Of A Lot Easier, There's No Question About It."

• "If Affirmative Action Means What I Just Described What I'm For, Then I'm For It."

• "We're Concerned About AIDS Inside Our White House- Make No Mistake About It."

• "It's No Exaggeration To Say That The Undecideds Could Go One Way Or Another."

• "The Point Is, This Is A Way To Help Inoculate Me About What Has Come And Is Coming."

• "One Of The Great Things About Books Is, Sometimes There Are Some Fantastic Pictures."

• "A Surplus Means There'll Be Money Left Over. Otherwise, It Wouldn't Be Called A Surplus."

• "I Have Made Good Judgements In The Past I Have Made Good Judgements In The Future."

• "We Cannot Let Terriers And Rogue Nations Hold This Nation Hostile Or Hold Our Allies Hostile.''

• "I Mentioned Early On That I Recognise There Are Hurdles, And We're Going To Achieve Those Hurdles."




Longer Quotes

• "I Do Not Believe We Have Put A Guilty- I Mean Innocent- Person To Death In The State Of Texas."

• "It Is Clear Our Nation Is Reliant Upon Big Foreign Oil. More And More Of Our Imports Are Coming From Overseas."

• "They Said This Issue Wouldn't Resignate With The People. They've Been Proved Wrong, It Does Resignate."

• "We're Going To Have A White House Forum There In Washington, D.C., Obviously- That's Where The White House Is ..."

• "I Believe We Are On An Irreversible Trend Towards More Freedom And Democracy. But That Could Change."

• "First, Let Me Make It Very Clear, Poor People Aren't Necessarily Killers. Just Because You Happen To Be Not Rich Doesn't Mean You're Willing To Kill."

• "We Spent A Lot Of Time Talking About Africa, As We Should. Africa Is A Nation That Suffers From Incredible Disease."

• "For Every Fatal Shooting, There Were Roughly Three Non-Fatal Shootings. And, Folks, This Is Unacceptable In America. It's Just Unacceptable. And We're Going To Do Something About It."

• "It Isn't Pollution That Is Harming Our Environment, Its The Impurities In Our Air And Water That Are Doing It."

• "Natural Gas Is Hemispheric. I Like To Call It Hemispheric In Nature Because It Is A Product That We Can Find In Our Neighbourhoods."

• "We Ended The Rule Of One Of History's Worst Tyrants, And In So Doing, We Not Only Freed The American People, We Made Our Own People More Secure."

• "This Is Preservation Month. I Appreciate Preservation. It's What You Do When You Run For President. You Gotta Preserve."

• "The War On Terror Involves Saddam Hussein Because Of The Nature Of Saddam Hussein, The History Of Saddam Hussein, And His Willingness To Terrorise Himself."

• "States Should Have The Right To Enact Reasonable Laws And Restrictions Particularly To End The Inhumane Practice Of Ending A Life That Otherwise Could Live."

• "Mr. Vice President, In All Due Respect, It Is- I'm Not Sure 80% Of The People Get The Death Tax. I Know This: 100% Will Get It If I'm The President."

• "I've Been Talking To Vincente Fox, The President Of Mexico... I Know Him.. To Have Gas And Oil Sent To Us... So We'll Not Depend On Foreign Oil."

• "I Have Said That The Sanction Regime [On Iraq] Is Like Swiss Cheese, That Meant That They Weren't Very Effective."

• "This Campaign Not only Hears The Voices Of the Entrepreneurs And The Farmers And The Entrepreneurs, We Hear The Voices Of Those Struggling To Get Heard."

• "It Was An Obscene Period In Our Nations History. I Mean In This Century's History. But We All Lived in This Century. I Didn't Live in This Century."

• "Actually, I-This Might Sound A Little West Texan To You, But I Like It. When I'm Talking About- When I'm Talking About Myself, And When He's Talking About Myself, All Of Us Are Talking About Me."

• "It's Important For Us To Explain To Our Nation That Life Is Important. It's Not Only Life Of Babies, But It's Life Of Children Living In, You Know, The Dark Dungeons Of The Internet."

• "Well, I Think If You Know What You Believe, It Makes It A Lot Easier To Answer Questions: I Cant Answer Your Question."

• "We Have A Firm Commitment To NATO, We Are A Part Of NATO. We Have A Firm Commitment To Europe. We Are A Part Of Europe."

• "The Fundamental Question Is, 'Will I Be A Successful President When It Comes To Foreign Policy?' I Will Be, But Until I'm The President, It's Going To Be Hard For Me To Verify That I Think I'll Be More Effective."

• "You Know, Let Me Talk About Al-Qaeda Just For A Second. I Made The Statement That We're Dismantling Senior Management, And We Are. Our People Have Done A Really Good Job Of Hauling In A Lot Of The Key Operators. Khalid Shaikh Mohammed. Abu Zubaida. Ramzi-Ramzi Alshibh Or Whatever That Guy's Name Was."

• "Mars Is Essentially In The Same Orbit. Mars Is Somewhat The Same Distance From The Sun, Which is Very Important. We Have Seen Pictures Where There Are Canals, We Believe, And Water. If There Is Water, That Means There Is Oxygen. If Oxygen That Means We Can Breathe."


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6) Chicago Events Calendar

mail.laborgroups.org/pipermail/nwrc2600_laborgroups.org/Week-of-Mon-20040112/000049.html

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7) URGENT ACTION: Mexican Labor Rights Activist Attacked and Brutally Beaten

URGENT ACTION ALERT:
Mexican Labor Rights Activist Attacked and Brutally Beaten

January 14, 2004

On December 30, at 9:30 a.m., Martin Barrios, Coordinator of the Human and Labor Rights Commission of the Tehuacan Valley was attacked and brutally beaten by an unknown assailant. Barrios was about to enter his house, which also serves as the Commission office, when he heard a voice behind him, turned and saw a man coming at him with a brick.

He was brutally beaten on the face and head, but managed to throw off the attacker who fled to a taxi driven by an accomplice that had been parked outside the house. Barrios suffered serious injuries to his face and skull as a result of the attack, and has laid a formal complaint with the local authorities.

It appears the attacker had been waiting for Barrios to return home, and that the attack had been planned ahead of time. The attacker made no effort to enter the house or to steal anything from Barrios. The Commission believes the attacker was paid to carry out the assault in order to intimidate Barrios, his family and other members of the Commission.

BACKGROUND

During the past year, the Human and Labor Rights Commission of the Tehuacan Valley has defended the rights of hundreds of workers who were unjustly fired from various blue jean factories owned by the Los Angeles-based Tarrant Apparel Group as well as workers from other smaller Tehuacan maquilas. It has succeeded in pressuring Tarrant and local labor authorities to ensure that fired workers received severance payments that are at least close to what is required by the Mexican Federal Labor Law.

The Mexico Solidarity Network (MSN) has been supporting the work of the Commission in Tehuacan as well as that of the Worker Support Centre (CAT) in Ajalpan where Tarrant workers were fired for attempting to organize an independent union. An international campaign has resulted in increased pressure from brand-name buyers and consumers on Tarrant to respect its Mexican workers' rights.

Also in 2003, the Commission and the MSN released a joint publication "Blue Jeans, Blue Waters and Worker Rights," exposing