Not a bad word
With reference to Michael Feldman’s story on Marymount College (4/27), how did ‘cowboy’ become a pejorative? Most of the cowboys I have known have been honest but badly exploited working men. Let’s not allow the word to become a synonym for reactionary.
Jack Blawis
Tucson AZ
Workers Memorial Day
On April 28, several hundred workers attended a rally at Elizabeth Park here to honor the 213 Michigan workers who lost their lives in workplace fatalities in the year 2001. This Workers Memorial Day rally, which was sponsored by United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 3000, also reminded us of the national toll of 60,000 plus workers who die and the 6 million who are injured annualy from work related injuries and illnesses.
Speakers included UAW Health and Safety Director Frank Mirer, United Steelworkers of America (USWA) District 2 Director Harry Lester, Michigan State AFL-CIO Director of Safety and Health Derrick Quinney, several state representatives, Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), Gubernatorial candidate Rep. David Bonior (D-Mich.) and PACE International Representative Al Cholger, who all asked us to remember those who were killed on Sept. 11.
The rally, which was endorsed by the UAW International, the USWA, Region 1 UAW, PACE, Michigan AFL-CIO and several UAW locals, emphasized the need to strengthen health and safety laws to protect all workers, union and non-union alike from this annual slaughter and to elect pro-labor candidates.
The ceremony ended with several of the speakers calling on those assembled to ‘Remember the dead and fight like hell for the living,’ a reading of the names of the 213 deceased workers and the bagpipes playing ‘Amazing Grace.’
Jim Gallo
Trenton MI
Activism begets activism
I was at the San Francisco march on April 20 and the 40,000 people were a power to be reckoned with.
I read Joelle Fishman’s (‘We can defeat the ultra-right in Nov.’) and Terrie Albano’s (‘Another world is possible but what is it called?’) pieces in the People’s Weekly World (both 4/20). These articles touched a nerve.
I am writing a general note for advice. Back home, the activism of mine needs some bolstering. I am in the Screen Actors’ Guild and Actor’s Equity. These being two unions, I am curious if I could create a committee that is in touch with the workers of the world, and union-busting that governments participate in? Could you please give me some advice?
Philip Watt
Los Angeles CA
Uplifting
It’s uplifiting to know that there are still people fighting for the poor and oppressed of the world, trying to bring justice and denouncing the corruption of the majority and powerful groups that enjoy opulence at the expense of millions of honest people.
Jose Cordolina
Westbrook CT
A new movement
Karim Lopez’ article ‘A New Peace Movement is Born’ (4/27) was excellent. I wasn’t able to go to the demonstrations in Washington, D.C., and his article gave me a feel for how great it was.
I was also glad to read that the March to Stop the War at Home and Abroad is just the beginning for this new movement.
A reader
New York NY
Battle for education
The front page photo on your May 11 issue showing a huge rally in Nashville, Tennessee, on the issue of demanding more financial support for public education is truly worth one thousand words. Public education is a bread-and-butter issue that motivates and affects millions of working people around the country.
When Bush ran for president he tried to say he was the education president. The question is, education for who?
Clearly his agenda on education goes to more privatization, segregation and inequality, which will all lead to leaving millions of children behind.
I hope the PWW/Nuestro Mundo does more coverage on this pressing issue and the fightback which is occuring around the country, like your front page photo showed.
Michelle Lerner
Jacksonville FL
Comments