On February 27, at least 300 people took part in demonstrations focusing on the sweatshop conditions in the Florida fields where Taco Bell's tomatoes are picked. People rallied at the Mission St. Taco Bell before marching through parts of downtown Santa Cruz and on to the Laurel St. Taco Bell. A large number of UCSC students took part in the demonstration, as well as various labor organizations such as the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) and United Farm Workers (UFW).

There were puppets, megaphones, poi dancing, and even a critical mass bike ride which included a critical drive-thru.

An important message of the day was, "Farmworkers Feed America! Stop the Exploitation!"

more photos: [ 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 ]

[ Coalition of Immokalee Workers - Boycott the Bell I Student Farmworker Alliance I Taco Bell Truth Tour ]

This article describes a labor arrangement that affects many thousands of people in Santa Cruz County. The employer is not the University, the County Government, or even the Seaside Company, owners of the Boardwalk. Most of the people affected aren't employees, for that matter.

What follows is an analysis of a contract. It's a real contract, in effect today, right here in our county.

The rules are from the contract between Local 23 of the United Transportation Union (UTU) and the Lift Line division of Community Bridges. The contract covers paratransit van drivers. Half of their work involves transporting the 3,400 people who are currently registered for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) paratransit. The rest of their work involves transporting clients of other programs, such as Medi-Cal (medical insurance for the very poor).

UTU, for its part, doesn't seem to want us to know what's in the contract. I mentioned, at a recent Metro board meeting, that the UTU/Lift Line contract was on the UTU Local 23 Web site. The files were gone within hours, replaced by a dummy screen saying that the information was password-protected (by permission only!). It is a dummy because, unlike the other password-protected parts of UTU's site, this one does not have a place for you to enter a password. Even before the contract was removed, UTU had deleted Appendix A, the pay scale. What could UTU be hiding from the public? Since we pay for and/or use the service, shouldn't we be allowed to see the document?

On February 27, the Taco Bell on Mission St. will be the starting point for the National Day of Action in solidarity with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, to highlight the sweatshop conditions in the Florida fields where Taco Bell's tomatoes are picked. This action is expected to have over 300 participants, with speakers, music, and art-in-action. This is the second largest planned action next to the Coalition of Immokalee Workers' demonstration in Kentucky. Marchers will gather at 3:30 PM on Friday, February 27 at the Mission St. Taco Bell and march to the Pacific Ave. Taco Bell. This will be a big, action-oriented event that is not to be missed.

Coalition of Immokalee Workers

Two months after Safeway CEO Steve Burd forced 70,000 families to strike against healthcare and pay cuts, the Bush administration appointed him as a presidential advisor on domestic terrorism. On February 11, about 150 people gathered at the Mission St. Safeway in Santa Cruz to send George Bush a message that, "Healthcare IS Homeland Security... and Steve Burd is a Domestic Terrorist.

Check Indybay for more photos from the Santa Cruz Demonstration!
>> photos by watching them

Audio: Rockin' the Boat: Safeway Pickets Continue in Santa Cruz!

Earlier in the day, approximately 500 people gathered outside the Pacific Stock Exchange in San Francisco demanding shareholders drop their Safeway stock in solidarity with the striking Southern Californian grocery workers.

Boycott Safeway Rally at UCSC on Friday, February 20

[ MBCLC's Grocery Strike Solidarity Page I UFCW I Indybay's Labor Page ]

Two months after Safeway CEO Steve Burd forced 70,000 families to strike against healthcare and pay cuts, the Bush administration appointed him as a presidential advisor on domestic terrorism.

At 5:00 PM on Wednesday, February 11, we will gather at the Mission St. Safeway in Santa Cruz to send George Bush a message:

Healthcare IS Homeland Security…
and Steve Burd is a Domestic Terrorist.

Our peaceful, legal, disciplined, creative action will effectively shut down the store.

HELP US HOLD THE LINE!: download, print, copy, and distribute this flyer! thanks! (.pdf)

Grocery Strike Reality Check >> "Safeway is not entirely wrong and the UFCW is far from being right. The goals of my remarks are (1) to encourage other "progressives" to research both sides of an issue and (2) to introduce economics into the "progressive" discourse. What I'm about to say will be very unpopular in Santa Cruz. As has happened in the past, I will be branded as "anti-labor" when in fact I am speaking up for workers. What we want in the short term is not necessarily good for us in the long term. People will also attack me for not being a true "progressive." What labor leaders want is not necessarily good for us as consumers, taxpayers, or even workers." >> introduction from: Grocery Strike Reality Check

Students and Workers Take Protest to Sentinel's Door

Friday, Oct. 7, 2005 - Continuing the hard-fought struggle to support local bus drivers on strike, hundreds of students and workers from UC Santa Cruz, as well as many community members, held a brief rally at the base of the UCSC campus before embarking upon a highly visible and chant-filled march to the downtown Metro Center.

Once at the Metro Center, a rally and speak-out was held to discuss the bus drivers' struggle and the great deal of solidarity between various sectors of the community. After many complaints of the Santa Cruz Sentinel's poor coverage of the strike, the community marched over to the Sentinel's offices to greet the origins of their frusteration.

Friday's action, organized by the Student and Worker Coalition for Justice (SWCJ), has been the strongest show of support in the almost two week-old strike.

Photos: Solidarity Rally at Campus || Solidarity March || March from UCSC to the Metro Center || Community Response to UTU March || Solidarity Rally at Metro Center || Rally at the Metro Center to Support Bus Drivers || Students and Workers Take Protest to Sentinel's Door || March from the Metro Center to the Sentinel

Early last week, students and workers descended on Mike Rotkin's office, leading to his denouncement of the Transit Board's decision that led to the strike. A few days later, a College Republican attempt at an anti-worker rally sank amidst overwhelming UTU solidarity.

Rotkin has called for an emergency Transit Board meeting Tuesday.

see also: Metro Rally Turns Out Well Oct 7, 2005

previous coverage: Students and Workers Teach Republicans a Lesson in Solidarity

Part 3 of 5 - UTU Solidarity Rally - Metro Center.

Friday, Oct. 7, 2005 - Continuing the hard-fought struggle to support local bus drivers on strike, hundreds of students and workers from UC Santa Cruz, as well as many community members, held a brief rally at the base of the UCSC campus before embarking upon a highly visible and chant-filled march to the downtown Metro Center.

Once at the Metro Center, a rally and speak-out was held to discuss the bus drivers' struggle and the great deal of solidarity between various sectors of the community. After many complaints of the Santa Cruz Sentinel's poor coverage of the strike, the community marched over to the Sentinel's offices to greet the origins of their frusteration.

Friday's action, organized by the Student and Worker Coalition for Justice (SWCJ), has been the strongest show of support in the almost two week-old strike. Early last week, students and workers descended on Mike Rotkin's office, leading to his denouncement of the Transit Board's decision that led to the strike. A few days later, a College Republican attempt at an anti-worker rally sank amidst overwhelming UTU solidarity.

Rotkin has called for an emergency Transit Board meeting Tuesday.

Part 4 of 5 - Students and Workers Take Protest to Sentinel's Door

Friday, Oct. 7, 2005 - Continuing the hard-fought struggle to support local bus drivers on strike, hundreds of students and workers from UC Santa Cruz, as well as many community members, held a brief rally at the base of the UCSC campus before embarking upon a highly visible and chant-filled march to the downtown Metro Center.

Once at the Metro Center, a rally and speak-out was held to discuss the bus drivers' struggle and the great deal of solidarity between various sectors of the community. After many complaints of the Santa Cruz Sentinel's poor coverage of the strike, the community marched over to the Sentinel's offices to greet the origins of their frusteration.

Friday's action, organized by the Student and Worker Coalition for Justice (SWCJ), has been the strongest show of support in the almost two week-old strike. Early last week, students and workers descended on Mike Rotkin's office, leading to his denouncement of the Transit Board's decision that led to the strike. A few days later, a College Republican attempt at an anti-worker rally sank amidst overwhelming UTU solidarity.

Rotkin has called for an emergency Transit Board meeting Tuesday.

On October 12, a March and Rally to End the Bus Strike by Supporting Workers was organized by the Student and Worker Coalition for Justice (SWCJ) at UC Santa Cruz. The demonstration began with a rally at the base of UCSC followed by a march to the Metro Center in downtown Santa Cruz. After a rally at the Metro Center, demonstrators took their message directly to the Santa Cruz Sentinel. The Sentinel is living up to their reputation by providing terrible, pro-establishment, coverage of the metro strike. It could not be anymore clear that a large section of Santa Cruz, especially students and workers at UCSC, are in solidarity with striking bus drivers.

Part 1 of 5 - UTU Solidarity Rally - Campus.

Friday, Oct. 7, 2005 - Continuing the hard-fought struggle to support local bus drivers on strike, hundreds of students and workers from UC Santa Cruz, as well as many community members, held a brief rally at the base of the UCSC campus before embarking upon a highly visible and chant-filled march to the downtown Metro Center.

Once at the Metro Center, a rally and speak-out was held to discuss the bus drivers' struggle and the great deal of solidarity between various sectors of the community. After many complaints of the Santa Cruz Sentinel's poor coverage of the strike, the community marched over to the Sentinel's offices to greet the origins of their frusteration.

Friday's action, organized by the Student and Worker Coalition for Justice (SWCJ), has been the strongest show of support in the almost two week-old strike. Early last week, students and workers descended on Mike Rotkin's office, leading to his denouncement of the Transit Board's decision that led to the strike. A few days later, a College Republican attempt at an anti-worker rally sank amidst overwhelming UTU solidarity.

Rotkin has called for an emergency Transit Board meeting Tuesday.