On January 17th, members of the Working Alliance for a Just Economy held a press conference to kick off the campaign to raise the minimum wage in the city of Santa Cruz. Campaigners will circulate petitions to city voters to place the initiative on the ballot to be voted on in November.

Speakers were introduced by MC David Sweet, board member of the Community Action Board, a non-profit organization working to abate poverty and its impact in the County of Santa Cruz.

Speakers included: Tim Fitzmaurice, John Briley, Emily Riley, Julian Posadas, Sharlene Cece, and Tony Madrigal. Tony repeats his comments in Spanish after his english comments.

Audio: Download the mp3 (14:42 minutes / 6.7 MB)

For more info or to get involved call Nora at 359 0952.

On Tuesday, November 15, students involved with the New Sweat Free Campus Campaign at the University of California Santa Cruz posted clothing with anti-sweatshop messages around campus. Their efforts were part of a national day of action aimed at increasing awareness about the use of sweatshop labor to produce collegiate apparel.

The campaign, spearheaded by United Students Against Sweatshops, is demanding that university administrators back up their Codes of Conduct with an actual program of enforcement, the Designated Suppliers Program. These Codes of Conduct are official documents requiring that all university licensees have their goods made in factories that are not operated under sweat-shop conditions.

Currently, while Presidents and Chancellors across the country are meeting with students and expressing interest in adopting this program, Chancellor Denton continues to stall meeting with UCSC students and refuses to take a stand on the issue.

UCSC students and workers will continue to make sure that this campaign is at the forefront of campus issues and will not tire until the university makes a concrete commitment to guaranteeing that our clothing and uniforms are not produced in sweatshops.

previous coverage: Students and Workers Demand a Sweat-Free UC || Creative Activism Raises Issues at Denton's Investiture

California voters will soon decide the fate of a slew of ballot measures in the most expensive election in state history. Called for by Governor Schwarzenegger in mid-June, the measures had early support, but according to several recent opinion polls, opposition is growing, and many of them appear to be headed for defeat on November 8. WIN reporter Vinny Lombardo examines what's at stake in this election for unions in California.

Audio: Download the mp3

see also: FRSC: No On Prop 73 Interview with Cynthia Mathews || Proposition 73 would create a "hit list" of California judges || (Freedom Socialist Party) California Voter Recommendations || Schwarzenegger's Dreams of Dictators (Read Before You Vote!) || Cabrillo College Voter Rally (11/8)

Read more on Indybay's Government page || En Español

a commenter writes: "For the time being, the people have defeated a few of the worst plans that the capitalists have come up with. This is a victory and it was largely due to the campaigns carried out by workers through the unions. For those who want more, work for more, but don’t deny a victory when we get it."

On September 8th United Transportation Union (UTU) Local 23 signed a state-mediated agreement with the Santa Cruz Transit District’s negotiating team to ensure there was no disruption in service to the Metro’s 23,000 customers. The drivers, knowing that a strike would mean working-class members of the community as well as students would be without transportation, decided to work under the Metro Board’s rules until June 30, 2006, allowing plenty of time to work out negotiations over a new contract. The deal was no strike, no lockout.

On September 23rd UTU members were shocked to hear that the Metro Board had voted to renege on their side of the agreement and that all worker protections had been removed. The state-mediator said that in all of his years overseeing contact negotiations, he had never seen a public sector employer turn down a state-mediated agreement. Under these conditions, the drivers were forced to call an indefinite strike on September 26.

This is an unfair labor practices strike and is not about wages. It’s about dignity and respect. The drivers are not asking for a raise, they simply want to keep what they have. They want to keep their benefits, which were immediately revoked when the Metro Board threw out the no-strike agreement. One main issue on the table is a system of general leave, where senior drivers would be permitted to take a month-long unpaid vacation once a year that would actually save the district money. The Board refuses to budge.

previous coverage: Students, Workers and Community Unite to Support Bus Drivers || Students and Workers Teach Republicans a Lesson in Solidarity || Santa Cruz Bus Drivers on Strike

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

Audio: Student Solidarity March

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

By opposing taxes on unearned increases in land values, property owners block the financing of infrastructure that would increase their wealth and income.

The Resource Center for Nonviolence invites you to join us for a conversation with John Harrington regarding his new book, "The Challenge to Power," a thoughtful analysis of the influence corporate power has on democracy.
John will be at Capitola Book Cafe on Monday, Jan. 23rd at 7:30pm
Capitola Book Cafe is located at 1475 41st Avenue Capitola, CA
Call 831-462-4415 for more info

At noon today, 1/17/06 members of the Working Alliance for a Just Economy held a press conference to kick off the campaign to raise the minimum wage in the city of Santa Cruz. Campaigners will circulate petitions to city voters to place the initiative on the ballot to be voted on in November.

Again gasoline prices are soaring out of control and the petroleum giants are back on track to make record profits. Washington will not act so Californians need to protect their interest by boycotting the petroleum industry.