From Egypt to Wisconsin, Is NY Next?: Breaking the Silence, NYC’s Protests Against Budget Cuts Buoyed by the new spirit of rebellion flowing from Egypt to Wisconsin, thousands of students, workers & community members from a wide coalition of organizations rallied at City Hall Park, followed by a march on Wall Street to demand higher taxes on the rich, to prevent budget cutbacks. This was the first major NYC demonstration, in an otherwise muted budget debate despite the grim consequences of the State & City proposed cuts. **** Arrests Up The Ante On Albany Budget Negotiations with Barbara Bowen, President, Professional Staff Congress, CUNY and James Parrott, Deputy Director & Chief Economist, Fiscal Policy Inst. While Albany budget negotiators are reaching agreement, the real question for the public is how much pain and suffering are legislators prepared to hit us with. We’ll analyze the budget and especially, it’s likely impact on NYC, where Mayor Bloomberg,while sitting on a $3 billion budget surplus is threatening major cutbacks, & thousands of layoffs. Bloomberg, like the Governor refuses to consider a millionaires or a securities transfer tax to prevent a slash and burn policy. In otherwise subdued budget protests this year, the Professional Staff Congress of CUNY led an Albany protest in which 33 people were arrested. They sat down and blocked access to the New York State Capitol's Executive Chamber demanding that Albany not pass an austerity budget that pays for a hefty tax breaks for the wealthy. stream or download

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WBAI Radio's Building Bridges: Your Community & Labor Report
Monday, January 26, 2009, 7 - 8 p.m. EST, over 99.5 FM ****************************************
Black Workers And The UAW In Detroit
with
David Lewis-Colman, author Race Against Liberalism: Black Workers And The UAW In Detroit

The Citizens Budget Commission Lets Big Business Off The Hook And Scapegoats Public Workers
with
James Parrott, Deputy Director and Chief Economist,Fiscal Policy Institute

Chicago Strikers Stood Up for Justice by Sitting In
with
Ricky Maclin, VP Local 1110, United Electrical Workers

play or download

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Black Workers And The UAW In Detroit
with
David Lewis-Colman, author Race Against Liberalism: Black Workers And The UAW In Detroit

Too many blame the gain of autoworkers as responsible for the plight of the auto industry. Auto is one of the most critical sectors of our economy and the wages and benefits of unionized auto workers to date & how they achieved them is critical to the advancement of organized labor. We’ll probe with Lewis-Colman his careful history ofthe black labor movement in Detroit and its compelling contributions that shaped the politics of the labor movement.
*****
The Citizens Budget Commission Lets Big Business Off The Hook And Scapegoats Public Workers
with
James Parrott, Deputy Director and Chief Economist,Fiscal Policy Institute

The Citizens Budget Commission (CBC) released a report claiming NY City & State employees receive bloated compensation - unfair pensions and benefits. But, James Parrott corrects the record, explaining that a main cause of the economic crisis is the shift of income and assets to the wealthy, and that the cure must be to redistribute income to the people and not attack the benefits that they have.
*****
Chicago Strikers Stood Up for Justice by Sitting In
with
Ricky Maclin, VP Local 1110, United Electrical Workers

In December, in an electrifying action 260 workers at Republic Windows occupied their plant for 6 days in response to the closing of their plant. Their militancy and the national support they gained helped them win a partial settlement from Bank of America and Republic Owners, but the struggle continues to regain their jobs. Now, in a national tour they tell their story,

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