New Haven Calls for an End to 60 year Blockade against Cuba

New Haven has joined a growing number of cities across the country from Hartford to Chicago calling upon the Biden administration to “build a new cooperative relationship between the United States and Cuba and to immediately end all aspects of the United States economic, commercial, and financial embargo against Cuba.”

The urgent need for international cooperation was underscored during the pandemic when Cuba was early to develop a vaccine but, due to the blockade, lacked the syringes necessary to administer the vaccine to its population.

Following a public hearing process, the New Haven Board of Alders adopted the resolution brought forward by the City of New Haven Peace Commission.. New Haven is a United Nations Peace Messenger City.

Joelle Fishman, acting chair of the City of New Haven Peace Commission emphasized the mutual benefit of opening up trade and exchange, citing possibilities for New Haven's economic development and job creation through sharing bio-medical research and breakthroughs as well as best practices in sustainable food production for which Cuba is known.

On Saturday, September 10 at 2 pm Pedroso Cuesta, Cuban Ambassador to the United Nations,will speak at the New Haven Free Public Library in a special community conversation, “New Horizons for US - Cuba Relations.” The event will be held in the community room of the Ives main branch, 133 Elm St.

“Despite the blockade, no Cuban families, unlike in New Haven, are homeless. Despite the blockade, all Cubans, unlike New Haveners, enjoy fully covered first-class healthcare,” said Henry Lowendorf, chair of the Greater New Haven Peace Council.

“We have much to learn from how Cuba manages to guarantee its citizens these rights despite the U.S. noose around its neck. That noose is intended not only to reverse these rights in Cuba but to prevent us from visiting Cuba, seeing for ourselves, and demanding the same rights for ourselves from our own government,” he added.

Resolutions were also passed in Pittsburgh, St. Paul, Minneapolis, Cleveland, Detroit, Cambridge, Sacramento, Oakland, Berkeley, Richmond and Helena, Montana, State legislative bodies passed resolutions in Alabama, Michigan, California, and Minnesota.

In June 2021 the United Nations, for the 20^th year in a row, in near unanimous vote, called for an end to the 60-year U.S. embargo against Cuba

Vernon Starbucks Baristas Vote Yes for a Union

Baristas at the Starbucks in Vernon won their union election 13-1 on July 14, two weeks after a new law went into effect in Connecticut preventing employers from disciplining employees who refuse to sit through mandatory anti-union meetings.

Connecticut labor leaders had fought to ban "captive audience" meetings for more than a decade. A bill was first introduced in 2005. Each year management groups lobbied against it.

This time the bill passed on an 88 to 56 vote, generally along party lines.

Connecticut is now one of only two states with laws to protect workers from being forced to listen to anti-union speeches. Oregon is the other state.

When they voted yes for the union the Vernon Starbucks the workers became the second Connecticut Starbucks to unionize, joining workers at Corbin's Corner Starbucks in West Hartford who won their union earlier this year. They are organizing with the union "Workers United".

The workers cite low pay, lack of affordable health benefits, and pressure to come in to work sick.

“Enough is enough,” Salwa Mogaddedi, a barista at the Vernon location, said. “Frankly, we are tired of the intimidation and the lies against our unionizing efforts, unfolded during captive audience meetings, under fear of discipline.”

Mogaddedi thanked Connecticut labor lobbyists for their support, saying the law is "an important first step in the right direction resolving the policies that make it difficult for workers to organize in the first place."

"We hope this gives confidence to other workers who are seeking to gain concessions from the goliaths of industry. If we regular working class people can take on one of the most impermeable companies and win, then workers everywhere can win as well,” she said.

"We stand in solidarity with Starbucks workers everywhere. We will not allow ourselves to be intimidated any longer and we will continue to fight for better standards. Labor is entitled to all it creates. All power to the working class," Mogaddedi concluded.

State Senator Gary Winfield, chair of the Judiciary Committee, said the law has "given a little bit of relief to workers and I hope we continue in this vein".

Justice for Randy Cox Demands Police Accountability

An outpouring of support for the family of Randy Cox has emerged as a powerful community-wide movement in New Haven. The hope is that the case becomes a national catalyst for police accountability, health care Miranda rights, and an end to racist police culture.

Cox, 36, is hospitalized and paralyzed after his head slammed into the back wall of a police van during a sudden stop. There were no seat belts. Despite Cos's calls for help, the arresting officer continued to drive to lockup where Cox's cry “Help I can't move” was cruelly dismissed. He may never be able to move again.

His family, the CT NAACP and State Rep Robyn Porter, called in national civil rights attorney Ben Crump. Following a packed mass meeting, New Haven's new police chief Karl Jacobson and Mayor Justin Elicker instituted policies requiring seat belts for all transport; health care Miranda rights requiring arresting officers to ask if medical attention is needed at the time of arrest and wait for medics to arrive..

The family says this is not enough. They want the five officers involved fired, arrested, and facing federal charges on the basis of violation of his fourth, eighth and sixteenth amendment rights.

Hundreds turned out for a march, gathering at Dixwell and Ashmun Streets in front of the newly built Stetson Library at the Q House and led by the CT NAACP, the Cox family, Crump and Black Lives Matter organizer Tamika Mallory..

During the two mile walk, marchers chanted “ If I say my neck is broke, Don’t take it as a joke”, and “No Justice No Peace, No Racist Police.” Voices from the young to the old rang out in the New Haven streets. Other community supporters including the Newhall Communist Party Club held signs saying “Justice For Randy Cox.”

When the crowd arrived at police headquarters, Cox’s family, Crump, and elected officials all took to the steps and spoke on the police inhumanity and the justice they are seeking. Family members said Randy watched the rally by livestream from the hospital, with tears coming down his face, as the crowd shouted in solidarity.

A required state police investigation is underway, to be followed by a required Internal Affairs investigation, before action against the officers can be determined.

Beating The Extreme Right!

By Len Yannielli

How can we beat the extreme right? The grassroots just did that in Naugatuck.

Aaron McCool (R) was elected to the local board of education by a few hundred votes in 2021. He immediately went to work dissing diversity efforts and fighting racism in educational settings.

McCool kept trying to shift the focus of the local school board to teacher evaluations. It didn’t work. Why? He’s gone!

Here’s how it happened.

Following the 2020 defeat of the extreme right nationally, a trend was clearly visible. There were elements energized by the January 6^th raid on the Capital. The direction the extreme right took was to go local.

That is what happened in Naugatuck. George Mudry (R) , who was at the march to the Capital, ran for a local Burgess seat. Aaron McCool (R), who moved to Naugatuck two years ago from New York, ran for school board with a “back to basics” message. Both won.

As with so many local elections, races were determined by a few hundred votes.

As of 2019-20, the high school population was 40% students of color. There was only one Black teacher in the entire school system.

The school board adopted a policy of hiring educators with an eye on diversifying its overwhelmingly white staff. Once elected, McCool political and racist meanness surfaced. He actually claimed that this policy was pitting community members against each other. He wanted the emphasis placed on teacher evaluations.

The grassroots would have none of this. When it was revealed that McCool, as an adult, had posted young women in compromised poses, people moved into action.

There were two important outcomes of the massive George Floyd march in Naugatuck. A group called Naugatuck Peaceful Protests formed (https://www.facebook.com/groups/286402645741519/, communicating mostly by facebook. A Diversity, Equality and Inclusiveness group organized on the ground.

This latter group issued a petition online for McCool’s ouster. CTPW supporters contacted the Mayor’s Office directly.

McCool resigned the following day!