DC Metro Action is a listing of local actions, entertainment, volunteer opportunities and the occasional rant on a wide range of socially just issues.
contact me at dcmetroaction@comcast.net
Action of the Day Many of these action alerts are found on the listservs and websites of organizations listed in our "Act Locally" section (Left).
Friday, April 30, 2004
The Right to Organize
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has issued an Unfair Labor Practices complaint against DC-based PMI Parking for alleged interrogation of and threats to a worker for union activity.
Louis Stokes, a 17-year PMI Parking employee, was allegedly interrogated and threatened by a PMI manager who presented Stokes with a photo of himself at a union rally. The NLRB complaint states that the PMI manager interrogated Stokes about his union activity and sentiment on three different occasions, and went on to threaten him with loss of overtime or wages and loss of his job.
Call the president of PMI Parking, Kingdon Gould III, at 202/785-9191, and tell him that PMI should sign a "Right to Organize" agreement – a fair and neutral process for workers to decide on union representation – rather than threaten workers when they stand up for their rights. Let him know that his parking customers will not stand for injustice at PMI.
The quality of lunches in DC public schools is under debate. Students often eat only a part of their lunch, if any at all, because of the poor taste and quality. This results in hungry students who are more likely to get sick and miss school because their diets are negatively affecting their performance, concentration and behavior. Contributing to the poor quality of meals at school is a new USDA policy that offers irradiated ground beef for school lunches.
In May 2003, despite the opposition of thousands of parents, teachers, students and concerned citizens, the US Department of Agriculture chose to make irradiated meat available for the National School Lunch Program. At 13 to 20 cents more per pound, the government is encouraging cash-strapped schools to spend more money for an unnecessary and potentially unsafe product. Irradiation creates unique chemicals in food and destroys up to 95 percent of the vitamin content. Research has revealed a wide range of health problems in laboratory animals that ate irradiated food, including promotion of cancer growth and genetic damage. Yet there is no research on the long-term health effects experienced by children who eat irradiated food.
The DC ad hoc school lunch committee is currently looking at these issues and will make a recommendation to the full school board soon. Please help show the school board that we care what kids eat in school! Take action now by clicking below to send an easy, quick e-mail to DC school board members.
Last week, George Washington University effectively dropped charges against 11 students arrested on March 29 as they demonstrated for a workers' rights code of conduct on campus. After the students' arrests, more than 1,000 community members, alumni and labor activists e-mailed and faxed GWU President Trachtenberg to demand that GWU drop the charges. The night before their trial, HERE Local 27 and students confronted Trachtenberg at an alumni event and demanded that he drop the charges and meet the students' demands.
When representatives of GWU failed to appear at the arraignment in DC Court, the charges were effectively dropped. But the struggle has not ended. GWU still has not agreed to a "Labor Code of Conduct" or to join the Workers' Rights Consortium, which were the students' original demands. The students have vowed to continue their fight for workers rights at GWU, and they thank all of those who have supported their struggle.
The Shaw EcoVillage trains young people to be effective leaders and catalysts for meaningful and sustainable change in Washington, DC's urban neighborhoods. The "youth fellows" of its EcoDesign Corps will present their work to make DC a more sustainable city, including a youth garden and demonstration projects to improve local water quality. The presentation will be Thursday, April 29, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., at the Vermont Avenue Church (1630 Vermont Ave. NW). For more information, call Josh Burch, programs director for the EcoDesign Corps, at 202/265-2019.
Internationally acclaimed journalist Amy Goodman – host of the national daily radio/TV program Democracy Now! – is on a national tour to mark the launch of her first book, The Exception to the Rulers: Exposing Oily Politicians, War Profiteers, and the Media that Love Them. Spend an evening with Goodman as she discusses her new book and support independent media at a benefit for WPFW, our local Pacifica radio station, on Wednesday, April 28, at the University of the District of Columbia (Auditorium, Bldg. 46; Van Ness Metro). Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. A pre-event reception starts at 5 p.m., followed by the discussion at 7 p.m. For tickets or more information, call WPFW at 202/588-0999 or log onto the station's website.
When organizers for the March for Women's Lives secured a permit for a march down the middle of Pennsylvania Avenue on April 25, the religious right sneered they had forgotten to get permits for the sidewalks. These right-wing zealots boasted that they had gotten the permit for a counter-demonstration on the sidewalks on either side of the avenue. They called for an enormous outpouring of their supporters to protest the march, to drown out the voices of the pro-choice lobby.
Associated Press
That was more than six months ago, more than enough time for the biggest names in the right-to-life movement to maximize participation. Yet despite billing itself as the "the largest pro-life activist event in over a decade (excluding the annual March for Life)," they managed to turn out only a couple of hundred protesters, compared with the 800,000 pro-choice marchers. Randall Terry, your bark is way bigger than your bite.
Here's Michael's first rule of counter-demonstrations: Never have more signs than you have people to hold them. Leaning placards against lampposts and trees doesn't count.
The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) takes the "Wal-Martization" of the economy straight to the blogosphere with its new Fight for the Future blog.
From the SEIU Justice at Work listserv:
"On Monday, SEIU kicks off the first phase in a new campaign, called Justice at Work, to mobilize the power of the web to stop what commentators have called the "Wal-Martization" of the American economy. We're starting this campaign with a cross-blog discussion, asking people to share their ideas about our strategy. In this experimental dialogue, we will raise questions, ask for feedback, and solicit creative ideas on SEIU's "Fight for the Future" blog, and ask that other blogs help spread the word."
While we don't yet have Wal-Mart inside the District, there certainly are big-box and chain stores. With them comes a new economy that creates scores of low-wage, no-benefits jobs. How does all of this impact us here in Washington, and what can we do about it? Use the "Comments" section below to discuss the DC-specific impact of this new economy.
The March for Women's Lives is on Sunday, April 25. What impresses me about this action is the breadth of co-sponsor support. In these times, when non-profits are forced to compete fiercely for membership, press and money, it's great to see the way so many groups have pulled together to focus on a single action.
The feeder marches I have heard about are the Radical Pro Choice Cheer Bloc, meeting at Stanton Park (C Street between Fourth and Sixth NE) for a potluck breakfast at 9 a.m., and the group leaving from the NARAL storefront (15th and M Streets NW) at 9 a.m. Check the links below for additional activities and schedules.
I'm not going to post on Friday, so if you have any information about other feeder marches or events, please use the "Comments" section below to spread the word. See ya' at the march on Sunday, and I'll be back here Monday morning.
The Water Justice Film Festival will feature seven films that explore the human struggle to access water in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and the United States. Festival selections include a range of films dealing with water justice: a hypnotizing and personal tale of water scarcity in Burkina Faso, a story of the campaigns against corporate privatization, edifying reports on the new role of water in geopolitics, and raw guerrilla films that portray the violence and emotions of civil struggle.
The festival runs from Wednesday, April 21, through Tuesday, April 27, and screenings will be held at several locations. For the complete schedule, see below.
Provisions Library (1611 Connecticut Ave. NW) is holding its First Annual Alternative Media Forum, which opens with an all-day fair of alternative media resources and concludes with a forum made up of representatives from print media, radio, public access TV, independent bookstores, media studies organizations, and Internet/new media outlets. The fair is free to the public on Wednesday, April 21, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; the forum will follow from 6 to 9 p.m., with a $5 admission. For more information, call 202/299-0460
For her commitment to defending women’s human rights in Turkey, Nebahat Akkoç is receiving the Amnesty International Ginetta Sagan Fund Award. Akkoç is one of Turkey’s most prominent human rights activists, and Ka-Mer, a women’s center she founded, is one of the leading non-profit organizations in the country.
Akkoç has demonstrated her commitment to women in Turkey by ensuring that Ka-Mer offers a wide array of services. In addition to supporting the first women’s shelter in Turkey, Ka-Mer provides hotlines for victims of domestic violence and honor crimes and consciousness-raising courses aimed at empowering women through knowledge of their political, economic and human rights.
Join Amnesty International DC Women's Human Rights Action Team for a discussion with Akkoç on Wednesday, April 21, at 7 p.m., at Teaism, Penn Quarter (400 Eighth St. NW; Archives/Navy Memorial Metro). RSVP to this e-mail by Monday, April 19.
Charles Ogletree Jr. will discuss his new book, "All Deliberate Speed: Reflections on the First Half-Century of Brown v. Board of Education," on Tuesday, April 20, at 7 p.m., at the University of the District of Columbia (David A. Clarke School of Law, 4200 Connecticut Ave. NW, Building 38, 2nd Floor, Van Ness Metro). Ogletree examines the personal ramifications of the landmark decision for him and his family – his childhood in the wake of the Brown decision, his student days at Stanford and Harvard Law, his immersion in the Boston busing crisis – and its meaning for all Americans. To RSVP or for more information, call Delores Jackson at 202/274-7349 or send an e-mail here.
"The B.A.D. Day Coalition will stand trial in DC Superior Court (Courtroom 212) on Monday, April 19, for their arrest on Oct. 1, 2003, while petitioning House Speaker Dennis Hastert's (R-Ill.) office. A rally will be held in front of DC Superior Court at 8 a.m. on April 19 to show support for the activists standing trial."
Celebrate National Library Week, April 18-24, at Provisions Library, which provides alternative and socially concerned resources for its users. Its mission is to foster a creative environment for DC's diverse international community to explore and be active in social change and justice.
Provisions has planned a series of events for each day of National Library Week, including an Alternative Media Fair and Forum on Wednesday, April 21. For the complete schedule of the week's activities, click here.
Welcome PMI management to work this Thursday, and picket for parking workers! Meet on Thursday, April 15, from 7:30 to 9 a.m., at the PMI Parking Garage at 1730 M St. NW. The March 24 picket line at Colonial Parking was a huge success. Let's make sure all parking companies feel the heat. For more information, send an e-mail here.
Last year, workers at the State Plaza Hotel in Foggy Bottom voted overwhelmingly for a voice at work with HERE Local 25, but management continues to stall contract negotiations. The housekeepers, bellmen, kitchen and restaurant employees at the hotel (mostly Latin American and Vietnamese immigrants) simply want to be treated with respect, but State Plaza owner Richard Bernstein refuses to recognize his workers' choice and negotiate with them. Join them in a rally at the State Plaza Hotel (2117 E St. NW) on Wednesday, April 14, at noon. For more information, call Josh Niederman at LOCAL 25 at 202/737-2225 or send him an e-mail.
Support workers' rights in Iraq at a "happy hour" fundraiser, the proceeds of which will go to the Iraqi Solidarity Fund of US Labor Against the War (USLAW) in support of Iraqi trade unions.
A USLAW delegation met with leaders of two Iraqi trade union federations and Iraqi workers in Baghdad last October. Since then, US forces ransacked a federation office, destroyed equipment and stole files. Funds are being raised so the next delegation can give much-needed money to the two federations. The money will be used for organizing and outreach to Iraqi workers facing privatization in Iraqi industries.
The happy hour starts at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 13, at Cafe Citron (1343 Connecticut Ave. NW). DC Poets Against the War, DC Guerrilla Poetry Insurgency, and special musical guests Jason Liebman and the Uprising will perform. The suggested admission is $5, and $1 from every "solidarity drink" you buy supports the campaign all night.
This event is sponsored by Solidarity DC, Code Pink, USLAW, DC Labor Committee for Peace and Justice and the Metropolitan Washington Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO. If you can't attend but would like to make a donation, send an e-mail here. For more information, call 202/321-2025.
Slavery was abolished in the District of Columbia on April 16, 1862, eight months before the enactment of the Emancipation Proclamation. DC will celebrate this historic milestone from April 12 to 18 with a series of special events, including a parade, concert and fireworks on Friday, April 16.
Working for global justice starts with your own choices as a consumer. Fair Trade provides farmers and artisans worldwide with fair wages, skills development and funding for schools and hospitals, while ensuring a healthier and more sustainable environment. You can support justice for farmers and artisans by purchasing Fair Trade coffee, tea, chocolate and crafts – and by educating others about the importance of Fair Trade.
Co-op America and All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church will host a Fair Trade Festival, where you can learn more about Fair Trade, purchase Fair Trade products, and get more involved in growing the market for Fair Trade in the DC area and throughout the country. The event will feature food, education tables, opportunities to get involved in local and national Fair Trade campaigns, and music from local performers.
The Fair Trade Festival will take place Saturday, April 10, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church (1500 Harvard St. NW). For more information about the festival or participating organizations and companies, contact Erin Gorman at 202/872-5337 or send an e-mail.
Provisions Library and Left Turn magazine will sponsor a screening of "Uncovered: The Whole Truth About the Iraq War," an in-depth look at the unsettling distortion of intelligence and the "spin and hype" presented by the Bush administration to Congress, the press and the American people.
This controversial and arresting documentary takes you behind the walls of government, as CIA, Pentagon and Foreign Service experts speak out, detailing the lies, misstatements and exaggerations that served as the reasons to fight a "preemptive" war that wasn't necessary.
"Uncovered" will be shown at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, April 12, at Provisions Library (1611 Connecticut Ave. NW). Admission is $5, and refreshments will be served. A discussion including speakers from Left Turn magazine and Organized Coup will follow. For more information, call 202/299-0460.
The UDC law school's chapter of OUTLAW and its American Constitution Society counterpart are hosting a teach-in about the state of gay marriage on Friday, April 9, at noon, at the UDC David A. Clarke School of Law (4200 Connecticut Ave. NW; Building 39, 2nd Floor; UDC/Van Ness Metro). Admission is free. To RSVP or for more information, send an e-mail.
If you haven't been there yet, check out Provisions Library (1611 Connecticut Ave. NW). Provisions, which bills itself as a "Resource Center for Activism and Arts," provides a wide variety of tools for DC's activist community. In addition to an activist collection and exhibits of multicultural and politically aware art, Provisions has available PC and MAC workstations with DSL Internet access as well as document and presentation hardware and software. And the library's monthly game nights provide a fun opportunity for networking with other activists in DC. For more information, call 202/299-0460.
"I'm looking for information about a youth-run/operated coffee house in the Georgia Avenue/Florida Avenue area. I don't know much about it other than it has a political slant… If you could give me any information I would be very grateful!"
If you know the answer to this one, please post it in the "Comments" section below.
Cindi and Craig Corrie, the parents of peace activist Rachel Corrie, who was bulldozed to death by the Israeli military in the Gaza Strip on March 16, 2003, will speak about their daughter’s witness and her unfinished work to end the Israeli occupation of Palestine. This teach-in, part of the Holy Week Faith and Resistance Retreat sponsored by Dorothy Day Catholic Worker and Jonah House, will be on Thursday, April 8, at 7 p.m., at the Festival Center (1640 Columbia Rd. NW). The talk will be followed by music by Pat Humphries and Sandy O. For more information, call 202/882-9649.
The Justice for Haiti Initiative will shed light on the current political and economic situation between the United States and Haiti at a town hall meeting at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 8, at the UN Conference Facility (1225 Connecticut Ave. NW, 4th floor). Join the open discussion on the historical context of the US embargo against Haiti and increased US intervention in the country; the humanitarian achievements of Haiti in the face of the US embargo; and the upcoming fact-finding mission to Haiti by US citizens to investigate US involvement in the ousting of President Jean Bertrand Aristide. For more information, call 202/332-0292.
As reported earlier this week, DC police arrested 11 student activists Monday afternoon as they urged George Washington University to take a stand on workers' rights. The students were charged with unlawful entry and released Monday night. They have a trial date of April 21.
Rally with Sen. Ted Kennedy in support of workers' and students' rights at the George Washington University Yard (H Street between 20th and 21st) on Friday, April 2, at 4:30 p.m. Join in to demand that GWU adopt a code of conduct that guarantees the rights of all direct, contracted and subcontracted employees to affordable health care, a living wage and the freedom to organize a union. Call on the university to affiliate with the Worker Rights Consortium to help ensure that GWU apparel is not made in sweatshops. Demand that GWU drop all charges against the students and publicly apologize for the arrests.
Titus Kaphar will discuss his meticulously crafted paintings derived from the portrayal of black people in 18th and 19th century Western art at Provisions Library: A Resource Center for Activism & Arts, where his show, "Erace-ing Art History (from the Visual Quotations series)," runs through May 30.
Much of black history recorded in Western art is summarized visually by three roles: enslaved, in servitude, or impoverished. But beyond this limited social order lies people of profound individual dignity and strength whose survival is nothing less than miraculous. Using well-known paintings by artists such as Delacroix, Blake and Eakins, Kaphar's Erace-ing Art History lets the viewer consider these familiar figures as individuals.
A reception for the artist will be held at Provisions Library (1611 Connecticut Ave. NW; Dupont Circle Metro) on Friday, April 2, from 6 to 8 p.m., and Kaphar will talk about his work on Saturday, April 3, at 4 p.m. For more information, call 202/299-0460.
DC Metro Action is published by Michael Schlesinger, a 32-year veteran of electoral and issue organizing who is committed to social justice and to increasing participation in the political process.
All original content (C) 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 Michael Schlesinger
