RENEW UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE NOW! VIGIL DEC. 8TH

There will be a vigil at Senator Lieberman's Office to RENEW UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE NOW!

Date: Thursday, December 8th, 2011
Time: 5 PM
Place: Senator Lieberman’s Office - 1 Constitution Plaza, Hartford

Unless Congress acts to renew federal unemployment insurance by the end of the year, millions of unemployed workers will be cut off from this emergency lifeline.

Across the country, unemployed workers, community, religious, and labor will join together on Thursday, December 8th to call upon Congress to put partisanship aside and take urgent action to reauthorize the full federal unemployment insurance program through 2012.

Please join in calling upon Senator Joe Lieberman to make the right choice for Connecticut’s families and our economy by voting in favor of reauthorizing the extension.

Renew Unemployment Insurance Now!

For more information, please contact the Connecticut AFL-CIO at 860-571-6191
Posted by: Tom Connolly

Jobs for Youth - Jobs for All - Sun Dec 4 @ 4 pm

As the City of New Haven reels from the 31st death of a young person to gun violence this year, the movement for job creation is heating up as mobilizing begins for a rally and a large march next week.

Excitement is building for the “Jobs for Youth – Jobs for All” rally to be held on Sunday, December 4 at 4 pm at the Cooperative High School for Arts and Humanities, 177 College Street in New Haven where a video of the youth jobs march will be premiered and People's World Amistad Awards will be presented to three labor and community leaders.

“Here we will all come together, this will be powerful and exciting,” exclaimed one high school student from New Haven.

After having organized a march of 200 for youth jobs and against violence on November 2, and a press conference on November 17 of nearly 100 outside the closed Dixwell Community House youth center, calling for infrastructure jobs, the New Elm City Dream and the New Haven YCL are preparing to bring their energy and commitment to the rally.

Award recipients are Renae Reese, director of the Connecticut Center for a New Economy, Delphine Clyburn, 1199 union delegate and alderwoman-elect from Ward 20 in New Haven, and Pastor Abraham Hernandez, vice chair of the state-wide Interfaith Fellowship for Universal Health Care.

An array of youth performances, produced by poet Baub Bidon, will include an Hispanic dance group, hip hop dancers, several poets, a jazz combo, and song. Video and photos of the youth march for jobs will be shown.

“The spirit of the 99% is sure to fill the auditorium,” said Joelle Fishman, event organizer and chair of the Connecticut Communist Party USA whose 92nd anniversary is being celebrated at the rally in recognition of its long history in the fight for good jobs with union representation, equality and peace, and its vision of Bill of Rights socialism.

In the midst of a people's upsurge against corporate rule, deepening poverty and the largest economic divide since the great depression of the 1930's, the rally call to action will include the emergency need for massive public works jobs to restart the economy and aid communities, to be paid for by taxing the rich and ending the wars.

The youth groups have collected hundreds of signatures in support of the American Jobs Act and the Emergency Jobs to Restore the American Dream Act.

"By putting all generations of people to work there will be less violence, and a better economy in New Haven.” said first year college student Joseph Stoudmire Jr. at the Youth Jobs March.

A group of newly elected representatives on the New Haven Board of Aldermen, mostly union members, have been invited as special guests along with labor and community leaders who have been recipients of the People's World Amistad Awards over the last eleven years.

Two days later the unions at Yale, the New Haven Labor Council and community groups are joining with Occupy New Haven for a large march through downtown to demand more jobs for all residents.

The march will leave at 5 p.m. from City Hall on December 6 and go to the AT&T building on Orange street in support of the workers and their union, Communication Workers of America, as they begin contract negotiations. The march will then go to Chase Bank, and fill New Haven's Wall Street near the Yale campus to support Yale workers who are also starting contract negotiations.

Tickets for the December 4 Amistad Awards rally are $10, and $1 for youth. For more information call 203-624-8664 or e-mail ct-pww@pobox.com

RED CROSS ON STRIKE!

Photo Above: Part of the Red Cross picket line at the AFSCME Local 3145 location in Farmington, Ct. [Other photos below]

About 200 members of AFSCME Local 3145 went on unfair labor practice strike against the American Red Cross blood services division in Connecticut after negotiations failed to bring about a new contract. Today they where joined by their labor brothers and sisters and community supporters in a spirited rally and picket line.

The Red Cross workers worked nearly three years without a contract. An administrative law judge ruled in August that the CT Blood Services Region engaged in unfair labor practices, yet the company is still trying to eliminate the workers' right to bargain over health care, along with many other punishing proposals.
Photo above: Peggy Buchanan, center holding the megaphone, President of the Hartford Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO, gives unqualified support to the Red Cross workers and facilitated the rally.

Posted by Tom Connolly

RED CROSS WORKERS ON STRIKE! NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT

Yesterday about 200 members of AFSCME Local 3145 went on unfair labor practice strike against the American Red Cross blood services division in Connecticut after negotiations failed to bring about a new contract.

Our members have worked nearly three years without a contract. An administrative law judge ruled in August that the CT Blood Services Region engaged in unfair labor practices, yet the company is still trying to eliminate our workers' right to bargain over health care, along with many other punishing proposals.

Our sisters and brothers of Local 3145 need your support. Please join them on the picket line for any time that you can spare. Picketing is on-going at American Red Cross's main office at 209 Farmington Ave., Farmington. Please keep checking the Council 4 website for updates.

In Solidarity,

Sal Luciano, Executive Director
Council 4 AFSCME
Issued by the Greater Hartford Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO
Posted by Tom Connolly

Amistad Awards: Jobs for Youth – Jobs for All!

“Jobs for Youth – Jobs for All!” Is the theme of this year's People's World Amistad Awards rally to be held Sunday, December 4, 2011 at 4 pm at Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School, 177 College Street, New Haven.

Cultural presentations by New Haven high school students will be featured, including music, dance and poetry. Recognition will be made of the Youth March for Jobs held last week in New Haven.

The event will celebrate the contributions and example of three Connecticut leaders who challenge economic inequality and are in the forefront of organizing for jobs, health care and opportunities for youth:

Renae Reese, director of the Connecticut Center for a New Economy and past director of ConnectiCOSH.

Delphine Clyburn, New England 1199 steward, Newhallville neighborhood organizer and Alderwoman-elect in Ward 20,

Pastor Abraham Hernandez, Interfaith Fellowship for Universal Health Care, and a leader for jobs and political representation in the Puerto Rican and African American community.

The rally will bring people together in hope and unity to reject bigotry and fear and build the growing movement to pass national jobs legislation, rebuild the American Dream and put people before profits.
 
The annual awards are presented to allies by the People's World on the occasion of the 92nd anniversary of the Communist Party USA.

To reserve tickets or participate in the greeting book contact the event committee at 203-624-8664. The deadline for ad copy is November 19, 2011.