FORUMS CHALLENGE LOCAL POLITICAL CANDIDATES
By: Mike Rhodes
In a series of candidate forums, progressive community groups will challenge "politics as usual" in Fresno. The Community Alliance has joined a coalition of groups that have invited candidates to answer questions about a wide range of issues. Candidates will have to defend their positions on such topics as immigrant rights, the environment, reproductive rights, and labor/wage issues.
In addition to the Community Alliance these forums are being sponsored by the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Fresno County Green Party, Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, National Organization for Women, Fresno Chapter, the Central Valley AIDS Foundation and several other groups. Working with this coalition signifies a significant change for the Community Alliance approach to electoral politics. In previous elections we have simply presented the Central Labor Council's list of recommendations. After much consideration it was decided that recommendations in this newsletter need to be based on a much wider set of criteria. Most of our readers care about more than just how a candidate will vote on labor issues. They want to know how candidates stand on a wide variety of progressive issues. In the March newsletter we will evaluate candidates based on their participation in these candidate forums and let you know their positions on the issues you care about so you can make an informed decision about who to vote for on March 7.
All of the Candidate Forums will take place at Wesley Methodist Church, 1343 E. Barstow (corner of 4th and Barstow). The first forum will be Thursday, February 10 at 7 PM and will feature candidates in City and Mayoral races. The second forum will be Wednesday, February 16 at 7 PM and will include candidates in County and State races. The last forum will be February 23 at 7 PM and will have candidates running for Federal Races.
Each participating group will ask candidates several questions. If there is time available audience members will also be given the opportunity to question candidates. Questions from the audience need to be submitted in writing to the Responsible Choices Candidate Forum 633 N. Van Ness, Fresno, CA 93728. Each person in the audience will receive a rating paper for their own use for the following topics:
For more information call (559) 488-4913.
Earth Day 2000!
April 22, 2000 marks the thirty-year anniversary of the first official Earth Day (of course every day is an unofficial Earth Day). Since its conception, Earth Day has been a day of celebration and giving something back to the Earth. What is the present environmental situation in Fresno? Are we where we want to be? Just last year the San Joaquin Valley was determined to be an area of 'severe noncompliance' of air standards and we now rate number three in asthma deaths in the country. Fresno's agricultural base is dependent on its surrounding environment and any degradation - whether it's the air, the water, or the soil - affects us all. It has been said that if we don't change our direction we will end up where we are headed... well the time has come to change the direction Fresno is headed.
Fresno suffers from a lack of communication between the diverse groups that have formed to address the social and environmental ills that affect our lives. Concerned citizens can feel helpless and many turn apathetic as a result. The underlying goal of Earth Day 2000 is to create a network which non-profits and citizens groups can use to inform the public and each other about current issues where activism is needed. It is time to unite!
The means to this end remains completely open and this is where everyone must lend a hand. Organizers for Earth Day 2000 are meeting to plan this year's activities. These meetings are open to anyone who has an interest in making change in Fresno. Come and share your ideas for events leading up to Earth Day and for Earth Day itself. For more information contact Jeremy Hofer at 498-3450.
MUMIA AND MAXIMUM SECURITY UNIVERSITY VIDEOS AVAILABLE
Why are people around the world demanding a new trial for convicted killer Mumia Abu-Jamal? The video "Mumia: A Case for Reasonable Doubt?" is available as a free rental at The Movies. A local Mumia info line is also available at 447-1258.
The video "Maximum Security University: A Documentary of Death and Cover-Up at America's Most Violent Prison" is a study of Security Housing Units at Corcoran & elsewhere and in particular, an examination, using prison video footage, of four shootings. All proceeds from the rental (or sale) of this video benefit California Prison Focus, a non-profit group dedicated to ending human rights abuses in Super-Maximum prisons.
Available exclusively at The Movies, 1435 N. Van Ness in Van Ness Village.
OVER 100 ATTEND IMMIGRANT RIGHTS CONFERENCE
By: Mike Rhodes
Participants came from all over the State to attend the first Immigrant Rights/Union Organizing conference held in the Central Valley. The goal of linking Immigrant Rights activists and Union Organizers was met as over 100 participants attended workshops, strategized on joint campaigns, and were inspired by the keynote address by Yanira Merino of the Laborers International Union.
Teamster Local 890 from Salinas, the Union which has been out on strike for 6 months at the Basic Produce plant in King City, brought several members to the conference.. A collection raised several hundred dollars for the striking workers and a canned food drive in Fresno was announced (see details on page 4).
"This was no ordinary conference," said Pam Whalen an organizer for Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 535. "You had an incredible number of experienced organizers in this room. Leaders from both Labor and Immigrant Rights groups came together to better understand each others issues. The benefits of this conference will be realized over a long period of time as these two groups work together to improve the lives of working people in the valley."
The conference was called by the Community Alliance (L/CA) and sponsored by numerous community groups and Union Locals. It was made possible by a grant from the James Irvine Foundation and a contribution by SEIU 535. The L/CA would like to give a special thanks to Gloria Hernandez from No Nos Vamos! for her tireless work on the conference and Luis Melendez for the great music provided during lunch.
A follow up meeting will take place Monday, February 28 at 6:30 PM at the Fresno Center for Nonviolence, 985 N Van Ness. Call 226-0477 for more information.
VALLEY LABOR CHATTER
BOYCOTT CHANNEL 21
On December 21, 1999 community support from various local Unions was strong on behalf of KFTV Channel 21 employees. It was a historical event. For the first time in more than 25 years that the station has been in the Central Valley, an informational picket line to initiate a viewer boycott was held in front of the station's premises.
The station's response was a peculiar form of hospitality - they ordered and delivered 15 pizzas for the demonstrators. Again on January 10, 2000 the support for this cause was evident.
Negotiations have been offensive to the newly unionized group of 21 employees that include Editors, Photographers, Reporters, Master Control Operators, Production Assistants, and the maintenance engineer.
Plan to join NABET-CWA, AFL-CIO members in welcoming the President of Univision, Henry Cisneros, on Thursday, February 4th. He will be the keynote speaker for the Valley Business Conference 2000 at the Convention Center from 8 AM to 2 PM.
For Boycott cards or more information contact Martin Castellano at (559) 876-7778 after 6 PM.
Y2K CRISIS TO PROVIDE RELIEF FOR STRIKERS
If you are one of the many people who stored a little extra food in anticipation of the Y2K crisis that never happened, allow us (The Community Alliance) to make a suggestion. The strike at Basic Vegetable in King City has gone on for over 6 months now, and the locked out workers need support. Let's show them that we understand the meaning of working class solidarity by donating our extra Y2K supplies to our brothers and sisters in King City. Teamsters Local 431 in Fresno is collecting donations at their office at 1140 W Olive. If you would like someone to pick up your donation call the Community Alliance at 226-0477.
BASIC VEGETABLE STRIKE UPDATE
It's Christmas season in King City, and the Basic Vegetable strike is deep into its sixth month, with little or no prospects for settlement in the immediate future. Basic management continues to maintain their position that they have permanently replaced the strikers and that their loyalty is to the scabs whom they have hired in the last few months, rather than to the strikers who have put decades of their lives into building Basic.
A few dozen strikers have been forced back across the line by economic necessity, but well over 90% of them remain solid and determined. Labor unions throughout California have continued to funnel support to the strikers, raising thousands of dollars for Christmas presents, food and hardship support. A hardship committee of strikers is allocating this money, dividing it among the strikers who are most in danger of losing their homes or being evicted.
Hundreds of strikers came a few weeks ago to a Christmas party at the union's strike headquarters at the VFW hall in King City, where workers distributed presents for over 700 of the strikers' children. Contributions to the hardship fund may be sent to Basic Vegetable Striker Relief Fund, c/o Teamsters Local 890, 207 North Sanborn Road, Salinas, CA, 93905.
Basic seems to believe that now all that they have to do is wait the strike out and they will have their pick of workers who want to return. Like most of the company's projections during the course of the strike, this is proving wildly optimistic. In fact, the union continues to increase the resources that it is putting into this battle, and will continue to do so. In the last few weeks, the 12,000 members of Teamsters Local 890, voting across California and Arizona, decided to tax themselves an additional $1 per week to fund a campaign to put economic pressure on Basic.
The campaign has begun by contacting key customers of Basic, asking them to reconsider their buying practices, as there are plenty of alternative sources of supply open. It is a good year to do this, as Basic's competitors, Gilroy Foods and Rogers Brothers, had bumper crops this year and are will stocked with product. The campaign is first focusing on Campbell's Soup Company, a major customer that has in the past often made efforts to be responsive to community concerns. Workers across the country at Campbell's facilities are signing petitions asking their employer to rethink its buying policy and Campbell's has indicated some willingness to consider the question.
Teamsters Local 890 is not calling for a boycott of Campbell's at this time, but are asking supporters to contact them on-line at http://www.campbellsoup.ca/CRS_Center/index2.html expressing concern about their buying practices and to ask them to respond to you when they have made a decision on whether or not to stop buying from Basic at this time.
Teamsters Local 890 anticipates that early this year we will be at the stage of trying to put more public pressure on selected Basic customers to get them to change their buying practices, and will be continuing to keep you informed.
About a month ago, Basic's window closed for running this year's onions, but they are continuing to dry garlic, and rumors are that they will do so for a few more months. This may cause them some problems, as the garlic tends to be darker in color and less flavorful when it is held for this long before drying. Also, the old garlic is often so light and dry that it tends to be difficult to separate the skins from the (normally heavier) meat of the garlic cloves, but Basic presumably feels that they have little choice, as the reported quantity of their useable output was so poor this year.
SEIU HOSPITAL STAFFING PROPOSAL SUBMITTED TO DHS
GROUNDBREAKING CALIFORNIA LAW WILL IMPROVE PATIENT CARE
On January 13 - Registered nurses and other health care employees submitted the first proposal for staffing guidelines under California's groundbreaking legislation requiring minimum staffing in hospitals.
The proposal, submitted to the California Department of Health Services by hospital workers who are members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), are designed to maintain and improve quality patient care under the nation's first legislation requiring minimum staff-to-patient ratios, which was signed by Governor Grey Davis in October.
"California's hospital patients should receive the safest and highest quality care. These staffing guidelines bring us a step closer to this reality," said Leila Valdivia, RN at Kaiser Permanente Sunset Medical Center in Los Angeles.
Nurses in the San Joaquin Valley will be asked to provide their input into this process. Surveys will be mailed to all Valley's RN's in the month of February, asking their ideas for safe staffing levels.
"Cost cutting in health care has threatened the kind of quality care that patients need and expect," said Sue Fendley, a LVN at a Sutter Healthcare hospital in Northern California. "The minimum ratios we've proposed will help ensure that appropriately trained caregivers are available at hospital patients' bedsides to help them heal."
In addition to minimum nurse-to-patient ratios, SEIU members' proposal requires:
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Over the next six months, SEIU members and other stakeholders will review staffing proposals with the Department of Health Services to prepare final ratios for implementation in California's private and public hospitals in 2002.
SEIU is the nation's largest health care union, with more than 700,000 health care members, including more than 105,000 nurses and 20,000 doctors.
STATE LABOR PLANS POLITICAL ACTION
FOR 2000
California unions are setting the pace for organizing new members, challenging legislators to stand up for working families, and holding elected officials accountable for their promises and their actions.
However, right-wing forces and our enemies stand ready to capitalize if labor fails to move forward. The stakes are higher in this election because of our past success.
In gearing up for the 2000 primary and general elections, the California Labor Federation has analyzed districts, assessed mobilization techniques and prepared an aggressive, member-based campaign that will win elections and build power for working people in California.
Our 10-5-1 Program for California Labor 2000 means the commitment and mobilization of all labor resources in the state to meet these numerical goals:
Local unions can make the difference in registering members and recruiting worksite leaders to communicate with members, support field campaigns through phone banks and precinct walks, and by planning now to release staff for campaign activities at central labor and building trades councils.
For more information call Political Director Rebecca Miller at (415) 986-3585 x 224.
CLINIC WORKERS WIN FIRST CONTRACT
Some 140 employees of the Golden Valley Health Clinics will be covered under a contract with Service Employees International Union Local 535. The agreement includes 19% in salary increases over 3 years through cost of living raises and additional steps at the top of the scale. Employees will also receive a 50% reduction in their healthcare premiums, significant improvements in the use of sick leave, and strong language protecting them from unjust termination. "I had not received a salary increase for ten years. I was not able to keep my car in good running order. Now I am going to be able to buy a car that runs, thanks to the Union", said bargaining team member Olga Pardon.
The Golden Valley Health Clinics are spread out over Merced and Stanislaus Counties and they serve predominantly farmworker populations.
FRESNO CENTER FOR NONVIOLENCE
HEY HEY, HO HO, WTO HAS GOT TO GO:
January's Second Tuesday (potluck at 6:30 p.m. program at 7:30 p.m.) has borne fruit. Inspired by video footage of The Battle in Seattle by George Elfie Ballis, and eyewitness reports by Pascual Carbone, Justin Ruben, Terry Anderson and Barbara Nelson, a committee has formed to explore Fresno actions to counter the corporate domination of the global agenda. It will hold an initial meeting in late January. Keep posted for future meetings and plans.
IRAQ REVISITED:
Former Board member Forrest Schmidt will return to Fresno to report on his just-concluded trip to Iraq, part of a delegation assessing the devastating impact of continuing U.S. sanctions. His presentation is scheduled for Sunday Feb. 6 at 2 p.m.
SECOND TUESDAY:
On Feb. 8th, the program will feature local folk who attended the MILLENNIUM 2000 anti-nuclear vigil in the Nevada desert. They will talk about the New Year event, which included the presence of Jonathan Schell and Daniel Berrigan, and discuss the perennial issues of U.S. nuclear policy. Join us at 6:30 p.m. for a potluck dinner, followed by the program at 7:30.
ANNUAL RETREAT:
The Center's yearly planning meeting was held on Jan. 8th at the home of Angela and Merlyn Price. One general theme was the need to build program around the issues that Center associates are personally concerned with. Without paid staff, we cannot respond to issues just because we "should". So, for example, Second Tuesdays will be hosted by Board members who want the opportunity to air a particular subject and see if there are others interested in creating an ad hoc committee to take action.
We did agree to continue working on a format for public discussion of Israel and its neighbors; to look into bringing a "big name" speaker; to retain the Alternative Veterans Day program as a signature event; and to continue the Peace Challenge if this year's goes well.
BLACK/WHITE GROUP:
Members of the dialogue group initiated by the Center 3 years ago will be making a presentation about their experiences at the 5th Annual Interprofessional Collaboration Conference at CSUF on Feb. 11th. They welcome the opportunity to address other groups. Their booklet of members' interviews with each other is also available for $2. Contact Richard at 266-2559 for information.
MUMIA:
As Mumia Abu-Jamal faces his last appeals in the federal courts, another round of demonstrations is being planned in large cities across the country. Are there any folks willing to organize new Fresno activities? The Center can offer meeting space, resources and support to people willing to take on this important piece of work.
The Welch Report
January 12, 2000
By Jack H. Welch, M.D.
Since President Clinton signed the comprehensive Test Ban Treaty in 1996, the US has continued to test and design nuclear weapons under guise of the Stockpile Stewardship and Management Program (SSM).
India and Pakistan point to the SSM as justification for their own testing. The US has developed the "bunker buster" for use against a crippled Iraq, our first new nuclear weapon since 1989. Five subcritical tests have been conducted at the Nevada Test Site, to which Russia reacted with its own test in December 1998.
The mission of the Nevada Desert Experience (NDE), a faith-based organization, is to proclaim the immorality of weapons of mass destruction and to stop nuclear weapons testing through a campaign of prayer, dialogue, and non-violent direct action. NDE's immediate goals are ending subcritical nuclear tests at the Nevada Test Site and curtailing the Stockpile Stewardship Program. (Source: Nevada Desert Experience brochure)
NDE conducted a Millennium 2000 gathering in Las Vegas Dec. 30, 1999 to Jan. 2, 2000, attended by an estimated 500 people, one of whom was Rose Rowe, local activist. The event was sponsored by several nuclear abolition organizations, including the Fellowship of Reconciliation; with which the Center for Nonviolence is affiliated. Keynote speakers were Jonathan Schell and Daniel Berrigan.
On New Year's Eve the climax of Millennium 2000 took place at the Nevada Test Site, where participants were welcomed to West Shoshone Lands. The ceremony began with a lighting of candles by several religious leaders. The Interfaith ritual continued with a half-mile walk from the Peace camp, point of origin, concluding as 331 people at mid-night crossed the line into the Test Site and were arrested (they were released).
The US nuclear weapons laboratories that designed and tested nuclear weapons for 50 years have not given up their efforts to develop new, more sophisticated weapons. Their new name is the SSM, which is the nuclear weapons design and development program taking place at the Department of Energy's (DOE) Los Alamos National Laboratories in New Mexico, Lawrence Livermore National Lab in California, and other sites. The nuclear weapons establishment claims that this program is needed to ensure the safety and reliability of our nuclear arsenal, but in fact the many new facilities being built have little to do with these concerns.
Since DOE admits the existing stockpile is both safe and reliable, a simple far less costly care taking approach can provide adequate certainty of its long-term stability.
The Administration is conducting a series of underground explosions in Nevada, called "subcritical" tests, which are designed to study changes in the plutonium metal used in bombs. These tests threaten the ratification by other nations of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. (Source: Military Production Network, Washington, DC)
Ms. Rowe said her Millennium 2000 experience is one she will never forget, and that words and pictures cannot capture its feeling and spirit.
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
By: Diane Scott
The primaries are almost upon us. There are many candidates for mayor and for the various council districts. What do we who inhabit this community want for our future? The persons we elect will be making far-reaching decisions that will affect each one of us. Decisions such as: Is farmland being "paved over" too much and too fast? What will we do for water? Can we continue to breathe our air? How large a population can our community support environmentally and economically?
The Fresno City Council recently voted unanimously to keep our boundaries at their present levels. That is a good beginning. But what specific actions will the candidates take to keep our environment livable? Running for Mayor, Dan Whitehurst wants to "control growth" responsibly. Jeff Argyilan to "reduce urban sprawl." Garry Bredefeld has fought against "urban sprawl and rampant development." Chris Peterson will "take control of planning and growth." Alan Autry says, "growth impacts everyone." Sal Quintero will protect "existing neighborhoods" and Dan Ronquillo touts remaking "downtown Fresno," creating 2,500 "acres of business and industrial parks for future jobs." Is he concerned with environment? We need that. We need specific, concrete plans for accommodating all the many vital pieces that form the base for our community. We want answers to questions such as: what action will you take to reduce pollution, provide sufficient clean water, promote living wages (including health care benefits), gender equity, adequate child care? What amount of growth is enough? Isn't it time to provide for the people who already live here instead of giving away taxpayers' property, discounting fees, providing power lines, water lines, other development perks to Fortune 400 companies when life long residents live in condemned housing?
And the Council seekers: For District 2, Brian Calhoon doesn't mention growth, environment, or any specifics for the financial security he offers. Bryn Forham concentrates on neighborhood services (protection), recreation, senior services, and somehow building a "strong local economy." Linda Calandra supports growth and "preservation of prime agricultural land." For District 4, Brad Castillo will "slow down development." Randy Reed is "committed to: sensible growth policies," whatever those are. In District 6, Michael Erin Woody has had formal education in infrastructure and land use and the impact it has on our public services." But what actions will he take? Jerry Duncan thinks we need a change but doesn't specify what change. Again we are being fed sound bytes, vague, unstudied, uninformed words that sound good but don't mean a thing.
Think seriously about the real needs of our community ask pointed questions needing specific answers from the candidates and, above all, GO VOTE!
Diane Scott is the Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Representative on the Community Alliance editorial board.
THE LOOPHOLE OF RETREAT
Ellen Driscoll FUGITIVE opened at the African American Museum on Wednesday, January 26, 2000. Fugitive features The Loophole of Retreat, a mixed media, interactive installation by contemporary artist Ellen Driscoll that recreates the true experience of 19th century fugitive slave Harriet Jacobs. In an attempt to flee her master, Jacobs remained enclosed in the eaves of a shed for seven years. Subsequently, she wrote her own story and the narrative serves as the catalyst for Driscoll's powerful work. The structure and interactivity of The Loophole of Retreat conjure for the viewer Jacob's captive experience.
Part of the African American Museum's 2000 changing exhibition schedule, Fugitive and its associated programs are also an effort to support and honor Black History Month (February) through art and education. Fugitive will be here from January 26 - March 18, 2000, Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, and admission is free on Saturday's, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. Ellen Driscoll will present a slide lecture, followed by an informal opening reception. Contact the African American Museum at (559) 268-7102 for information.
The story of Harriet Jacobs was published in 1861 under the pseudonym Linda Brent. "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Written by Herself, is an autobiographical recounting of her wrenching fight for freedom. Jacob's narrative outlines her enslavement and subsequent attempted escape from abusive master Dr. Flint; how her grandmother helped her hide in a crawl space over a shed nine feet wide and three feet high, for seven years. And of the small, vital hole Jacobs bore in the shed wall from where she could watch - unbeknownst to them - her children play in a small circle of dirt.
Ellen Driscoll, an internationally exhibited artist best known for sculpture and sculptural installations, responds to the fundamental aspects of Jacob's experience. Memories of isolation, oppression, courage and regeneration suffuse the installation. The Loophole of Retreat is comprised of architectural elements reminiscent of the ante-bellum south and objects symbolizing portions of Harriet Jacob's life: a window, a circle of dirt, a fragment of cloth possibly from a child's outfit. Excerpts from the original manuscript and a twenty-foot accordion book accompany the work.
The center of the installation is a large cone-shaped structure constructed of salvaged wood from demolished houses. Above the cone is a ten-foot rotating wheel from which hang objects that represent fragments of Jacob's story. The viewer enters the cone through a narrow door. The interior is a disconcerting combination of dark, flat air and an uneven floor. Faint images, created by the objects suspended from the wheel above, are glimpsed through a small pinhole in the wall. These apparitions engage the viewer, now a participant, through a phantom experience of the essential elements of Jacob's life. Ellen Driscoll comments "From the moment I Encountered Harriet Jacob's story in the midst of a long-range, intensive investigation of the fugitive theme, I wanted to pay homage to her particular courage in the face of unspeakable suffering. I hope this piece will draw others into her story".
The African American Museum's presentation of Ellen Driscoll FUGITIVE: The Loophole of Retreat, supported in part by the P G & E, The Bonner Foundation, and Union Bank, presents a unique association between a contemporary artist and a 19th century slave. A bond that transcends time and culture, respects and celebrates individual courage as well as the dauntless human spirit, and invites the viewer to take part in their extraordinary relationship.
The African American Historical Museum is located at 1857 Fulton St.