On May 27, the fourth annual Youth and Power event took place at the Veterans Memorial Building in Watsonville. The theme was "Youth Empowerment Through Art, Education, and Music." About three hundred people, mostly teenagers, enjoyed an evening of music, dancing and great food!

On May 27, the fourth annual Youth and Power event took place at the Veterans Memorial Building in Watsonville. The theme was "Youth Empowerment Through Art, Education, and Music." About three hundred people, mostly teenagers, enjoyed an evening of music, dancing and great food!

Since after WWII we have been saddled with the "Biker" phenomenon. Every time the political situation gets tense the bikers are there acting as a warning from the powers that be to stay in line. The Armed Forces parade in Santa Cruz last Saturaday was a glaring example.

All around the state, the University Professional and Technical Employees (UPTE) working with the University of California staged a one-day strike to protest UC's bad faith bargaining, anti-union actions, and their lack of a contract. UPTE employees do important research trying to cure such deases as AIDS and cancer, yet due to UC's poor treatment, have a high turnover rate, harming their research.

There was strong support and solidarity by other unions (especially CUE, UAW and AFSCME) and students through the very-active Student and Worker Coalition for Justice (SWCJ).

Reasearchers at the University of California, represented by University Professional and Technical Employees Local 9119 held a one-day, system-wide strike Thursday to demand a raise, and better working conditions. 150 people held a noon time rally at the main entrance of UC Santa Cruz. WIN repoerter Vinny Lombardo has more.

Reasearchers at the University of California, represented by University Professional and Technical Employees Local 9119 held a one-day, system-wide strike Thursday to demand a raise, and better working conditions. 150 people held a noon time rally at the main entrance of UC Santa Cruz.

Late Wednesday afternoon, teachers, union members, parents, students, and others rallied across California to protest Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's education budget cuts. Tens of thousands turned out in Sacramento, and about 3,000 rallied in downtown LA, while smaller events were held around the state, including Watsonville, where about 120 people gathered in the Plaza.

Thursday June 2, the world famous church of anti-corporate-consumer-craze will be back in Santa Cruz with performances at UCSC and at a local union-busting behemoth. They will be singing down goliath, they may face the fierce fires of starbucks.

The schedule for June 2nd is
4-6 Performance / Talk at UCSU Media Theater
6-8 Possible Retail intervention at a local Chain Store
8-10 Performance followed by a THURSDAY NIGHT Guerrilla Bike-in Movie Showing of "Night of the Iguana" downtown (location TBA)

In this month's Critical Mass Radio Network broadcast, stations will focus on the theme Youth Activism. Free Radio Santa Cruz is scheduled for 7-9pm (PST). FRSC will have coverage of from the demonstrations against the Terminator which took place in Watsonville, Sacramento and LA on May 25, live updates from the fourth annual Youth and Power event taking place in Watsonville and much more.

We will be traveling to cities whose critical mass bike rides have, in the past ten years, encountered repressive interference from police, motorists, or media. We want to interview you.