Subject: M-G: Fw: AGITPROP NEWS_11.24.97
From: Labor Art and Mural Project <lamp-AT-igc.apc.org>
Date: Mon, 24 Nov 1997 06:18:34 -0800 (PST)
Forwarded by Liam R.Flynn <trinity-AT-hot-shot.com>
---------------- Original message follows ----------------
From: Labor Art and Mural Project <lamp-AT-igc.apc.org>
To: Recipients of conference <iww-news-AT-igc.apc.org>
Date: Mon, 24 Nov 1997 06:18:34 -0800 (PST)
Subject: AGITPROP NEWS_11.24.97
--
Please post & distribute:
LaBOR aRT & MuRAL PRoJECT
AGITPROP NEWS
11.24.97
In this issue:
1. Dirty Tricks
2. The Life and Death of the Pathfinder Mural
3. Chicago Labor Arts Festival (belated)
4. Saul Landau Chiapas Film
5. Disney Workers Fired
6. Jesus and St. Peter
7. The War Against the Greens
8. Berkeley Supports Iraqi Children
9. Roisin McAliskey
10. American Newspeak
11. Right-to-Work for Less on a UPS Truck
12. Computer Acronyms
13. No Mail to Canada
__________________________________________________________
1. Dirty Tricks
Copyright =a9 1997 The Associated Press
WASHINGTON --
At the height of the Cold War, American military strategists
recommended a string of bizarre events intended to harass and
humiliate Fidel Castro or get him overthrown, newly released Defense
Department documents show.
Some 1,500 pages of Pentagon memos show that military strategists
cooked up plans to fake photos of Castro "with two beauties in any
situation desired"; to simulate the downing of American planes or the
sinking of a U.S. ship to provide the pretext for a Cuban invasion; to
use Cuban refugee pilots to provoke a "distracting" in-flight argument
with a Cuban pilot over the radio; or to distribute valid one-way
airline tickets to Mexico City or Caracas, Venezuela, "to create
unrest and dissension amongst the Cuban people."
The memos were generated at a time when U.S. policy-makers were
preoccupied with the threat they thought Castro posed. Many were
written after the aborted April 1961 American-sponsored Bay of Pigs
invasion and before the October 1962 showdown between the United
States and the Soviet Union over the placement of missiles just 90
miles off American shores.
One plan, called "Operation Dirty Trick," was intended to pin the
blame on Castro in the event that the Feb. 20, 1962, Mercury-Atlas
flight of astronaut John Glenn, America's first orbital flight, ended
disastrously.
The objective, said a 1962 memo entitled "Possible Actions to Provoke,
Harass or Disrupt Cuba," was "to provide irrevocable proof that,
should the Mercury manned orbit flight fail, the fault lies with the
Communists et al Cuba."
"This would be accomplished by manufacturing various pieces of
evidence which would prove electronic interference on the part of the
Cubans."
The "Dirty Trick" memo was among a number of previously classified
military documents from 1962 to 1964 that were released by the
Pentagon at the instigation of the Assassination Record Review Board.
The board is a small agency created by Congress to make available any
records related to the assassination of President Kennedy.
"These documents further expand the historical record by illustrating
the United States government's deep interest in developing a policy
that would force Castro from power during the early 1960s," said
historian Anna Nelson, a member of the board. When Kennedy was killed,
Cuba was immediately suspected of involvement.
The documents show that:
On April 10, 1962, the Joint Chiefs of Staff proposed to Defense
Secretary Robert S. McNamara that the United States overthrow the
Castro government.
"In view of the increasing military and subversive threat to the
United States and the nations of the Western Hemisphere posed by the
communist regime in Cuba, the Joint Chiefs of Staff recommend that a
national policy of early military intervention in Cuba be adopted by
the United States," said a memo signed by the late Army Gen. Lyman L.
Lemnitzer, chairman of the Joint Chiefs. The military leaders offered
the opinion that this could be done "without risk of general war."
The month before, the Joint Chiefs' "Cuba Project" suggested staging
"a 'Remember the Maine' incident" by blowing up a U.S. ship in
Guantanamo Bay and blaming Cuba or by staging the disappearance of an
Air Force plane and blaming Cuban MIGs for downing it. "Remember the
Maine" was the slogan Americans adopted when they blamed Spain for
sinking that American warship in Cuban waters and went to war against
Spain in 1898.
To disillusion ordinary Cubans, a memo recommended that a faked
picture showing "an obese Castro" with two women "and a table brimming
over with the most delectable Cuba food" be airdropped or circulated
in Cuba. The caption would say something like, "My ration is
different."
Said the Pentagon plan: "This should put even a Commie Dictator in the
proper perspective with the underprivileged masses."
A memo written by Army Chief of Staff Earle G. Wheeler a month after
Kennedy's assassination said the new president, Lyndon Johnson,
opposed "sabotage and harassment" and opposed any "high-risk actions."
By MIKE FEINSILBER, The Associated Press
____________________________________________________
2. The Life and Death of the Pathfinder Mural
(This comment is being reprinted due to several recent requests for
information)
Inspired by revolutionary struggles in Cuba, Nicaragua and South
Africa, the
Pathfinder Mural Project was initiated by Mike Alewitz in 1988 as an
international collaboration of artists. Dozens of artists would eventually
participate in what would be one of the largest political murals in the
world.
Pathfinder Press is the publishing house of the Socialist Workers
Party, of
which Alewitz had been an active member for two decades. In 1988 he began to
receive a series of sectarian and sometimes bizarre demands to paint the"
right line." This included convoluted political demands ( such as how big
Trotsky's head should be) as well as strictly aesthetic questions (what
colors should be used.) Alewitz responded by writing an article in the
internal pre-convention party bulletin criticizing this policy of
interference into artistic freedom. The convention was cancelled. A short
time later Alewitz was expelled by the central leadership of the party, and
subjected to a slander campaign that included charges of anti-semitism,
egotism, racism, homophobia, etc. He was not permitted to respond to any of
these charges.
The history of the mural was re-written, and Alewitz became a
non-person.
He was officially shunned by the party membership. To this day his
authorship of the project is not acknowledged by Pathfinder. Following his
removal from the project, party officials altered the mural by removing many
surreal, humorous and auto-biographical elements. This included the removal
of the Kent State martyrs (where Alewitz was a student protest leader),
frame-up victim Mark Curtis, Nicaraguan birds, etc. Other elements were
"corrected."
In their haste to have a "correct" mural, party officials forgot
that the
original mural proposal was for a changing piece that would be repainted
periodically. In the years after its completion, the mural began to fade
into the wall, even as the revolutionary traditions of the SWP had faded from
the memories of its members. The SWP abandoned more and more of its past
traditions, abstaining from the anti-Gulf War movement and reversing its
support for a Labor Party. Recently the mural was completly removed, clearly
an embarassment to the current organization.
___________________________________________________________________
3. Chicago Labor Arts Festival (belated)
Dear Folks,
Thank you for your interest, support and participation in the Chicago Labor
& Arts Festival. We are pleased with the success of this inaugural
endeavor. The festival included an art exhibit, poetry reading, video
screenings, and participation in the mural project of the UE and the
Mexican union the FAT. In launching this festival, we had three goals.
First was to recognize and exhibit the work of artists who represent the
joys and struggles of workers, out-of-workers, and other members of the
class formerly known as working.
Secondly, we hoped that the Chicago Labor and Arts Festival would stimulate
other artists to work within the contextual frame of workers' interests. In
celebrating workers' accomplishments, recognizing workers' dignity and
express- ing workers' solidarity, we hope to engender a greater
consciousness of class unity.
Finally, our third goal was to begin a planning process for the
continuation of the Chicago Labor and Arts Festival into an annual event.
To this end we invite your participation on the planning committee for the
1998 Chicago Labor and Arts Festival. The planning committee will meet:
Saturday, November 22, 2:00 - 4:00 pm,
at the studio of Roman Villareal,
8632 S Houston Ave.
Chicago.
(87th and Houston is about 4 miles east of
the Dan Ryan, near the lake front.)
Please let us know if you will attend. And please feel free to bring
someone you know who would also like to participate.
Sincerely,
Diana Berek, Rogers Park artist
John Donohue, Executive Director, Chicago Coalition for the
Homeless
Lew Rosenbaum, Board Member, Guild Complex
Francis Scudellari, Ravenswood videographer
Michael Warr, poet and Executive Director, Guild Complex
Sue Ying, Wicker Park artist, Board Member, Guild Complex
(The 1997 Chicago Labor and Arts festival was convened by the Guild Complex
and the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless and was co-sponsored by the UE,
UNITE, and Labor Beat. It was funded entirely by individual donations,
volunteer performances, in kind contributions and admissions.)
______________________________________________________________
4. Saul Landau Chiapas Film
>From: dreier-AT-bobcat.oxy.edu
>SAUL LANDAU WILL DISCUSS AND SHOW HIS NEW FILM ON CHIAPAS
>On Monday, Jan. 26th, at 7 p.m., internationally-acclaimed writer and
filmmaker SAUL LANDAU will screen and discuss his new documentary film, "The
Sixth Sun: Mayan Uprising in Chiapas" at Occidental. Please mark your
calenders. The co-sponsors of this event -- IPAC, Public Policy, DWA,
Politics, and Mecha/Alas -- will remind you of the place, time, and date of
this event at the beginning of next semester. In the meantime, please do NOT
schedule other meetings that conflict with this event.
>
>"The Sixth Sun" is a fascinating documentary that goes to the heart of
today's U.S./Mexican relations. It traces the roots of the Chiapas uprising
-- where thousands of Mayan peasants from Mexico's poorest and most southern
state, led by their leader known as "Subcomandante Marcos," forced both
national governments to take notice. "The Sixth Sun" offers an
unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at this rebellion. The film features
insightful interviews with Marcos and other key Zapatista leaders. It
presents the Chiapas people themselves, from the teenage peasant warriors
who pursue the life of revolutionaries to the families who must live with
the necessary hardships of everyday life in the jungle. Land barons,
ranchers, farmers, and politicians comment on the issues involved in the
Chiapas rebellion.
>
>SAUL LANDAU, who will discuss the film after the screening, served as its
writer, director and co-producer. He is a Senior Fellow at the Institute for
Policy Studies and an author, filmmaker, radio commentator, and frequent
lecturer. His film, "Paul Jacobs and the Nuclear Gang" won the Emmy, the
George Polk Award for Investigative Journalism, the First Amendment Award,
and the Best Documentary at the Mannheim Film Festsival. His other films,
many of which have also won awards, include, "The Uncompromising Revolution"
(about Cuba), "The Jail," "Song for Dead Warriors," "Conversation with
Salvador Allende," "Target Nicaragua," "Nicaragua: Inside a Covert War,"
"Brazil: Report on Torture," "Quest for Power: Sketches of the New Right,"
and "Fidel." His many books include ASSASSINATION ON EMBASSY ROW, THE NEW
RADICALS; GUERRILLA WARS OF CENTRAL AMERICA; and THE DANGEROUS DOCTRINE. He
has written for THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE WASHINGTON POST, THE NATION, and
other publications. His article on the Chiapas rebellion, "In the Jungle
with Marcos," appeared in THE PROGRESSIVE, March 1996.
>
>The cinematographer for "The Sixth Sun" was Haskell Wexler, who has earned
Oscars for "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" and "Bound for Glory" and who
has been dominated five other times for Oscars, including for "One Flew Over
the Cuckoo's Nest, and "Matewan." Among his other film credits are "American
Graffiti," "In the Heat of the Night," "The Thomas Crown Affair," and "The
Secret of Roan Inish." He directed two groundbreaking features, "Latino" and
"Medium Cool." He has directed over 50 documentaries.
>
>Contact Peter Dreier in the Politics Department and Public Policy Program
for further information
_____________________________________________________________
5. Disney Workers Fired
Labor Alerts/Labor News
a service of Campaign for Labor Rights
1247 "E" Street SE, Washington, DC 20003
clr-AT-igc.apc.org (541) 344-5410 http://www.compugraph.com/clr
150 DISNEY WORKERS FIRED IN L.V. MYLES PLANT!
URGENT CALL FOR SOLIDARITY WITH HAITIAN FACTORY WORKERS
[Information in this alert comes from the Disney / Haiti Justice
Campaign, Village Station, P.O. Box 748, NY, NY 10014 - (212) 592-
3612; and Batay Ouvriye, P.O. Box 13326, Delmas, Port-au-Prince, Haiti
(W.I.) Tel. 011 (509) 22-67-19.]
Urgent Update:
The Disney/Haiti Justice Campaign has received information from Batay
Ouvriye that the situation at L.V. Myles in Haiti has worsened. Out
of about a 500 person workforce, more than 150 workers have already
been fired in an intense campaign to stamp out worker protest and to
intimidate workers. Although workers are still protesting, this has
come as a serious blow. The replies received from L.V. Myles in New
York concerning this situation state that this is not the case and
that workers have not been arbitrarily fired, it seems improbable that
they can continue to deny this. The Disney/Haiti Justice Campaign
strongly encourages all actions that can be taken to protest and
denounce this injustice.
Send your letters or faxes to:
L.V. Myles
135 Madison Ave, 10th floor
NY, NY 10016
NOTE THESE NEW NUMBERS--Tel: (212) 725-0900 or (212) 696-8420
Fax: (212) 268-1845
Mr. Michael Eisner, C.E.O.
The Walt Disney Company
South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521
Tel: (818) 560-1000
Fax: (818) 846-7319
This is an urgent call. Please act now in support of these workers.
_________________________________________________________
6. Jesus and St. Peter
It was time for St Peter's annual three-week vacation, and Jesus
volunteered to fill in for him at the Pearly Gates.
"It's no big deal," St Peter explained. "Just sit at the registration
desk, and ask each person a little about his or her life. Then, send them to
housekeeping to pick up their wings."
On the third day, Jesus looked up to see a bewildered old man standing in
front of him. He asked the old man to tell him something about himself.
"I'm a simple carpenter," said the old man. "And once I had a son. He was
born in a very special way, and was unlike anyone else in the world. He went
through a great transformation even though he had holes in his hands and
feet. He was taken from me a long time ago, but his spirit lives on forever.
All over the world people tell his story."
By this time, Jesus was standing with his arms outstretched. There were
tears in his eyes, as he embraced the old man. "Father," he cried. "It's
been so long."
The old man squinted, removed his glasses, stares blankly for a moment while
he wiped the glasses, returned the glasses to his head, looked at Jesus again
and said, "Pinocchio?"
Gag-O-Mactic Joke Server 2.0
______________________________________________________________
7. The War Against the Greens
http://www.sierraclub.org/books/459.html
Sierra Club Books
Protect America's Environment: For Our Families, For Our Future
-------------------------
The War Against the Greens
The War Against the Greens The "Wise-Use" Movement, the New Right and
Anti-Environmental Violence
by David Helvarg $25 cloth ISBN 0-87156-459-9 (1994)
The "Wise Use Movement" is the euphemistic name for an overzealous,
well-financed, anti-environmental movement that arose out of the Reagan
era. This coalition of business interests and archconservatives views
environmentalism as a major threat to America. The stated goals of the
"Wise Use Movement" are to facilitate extensive use of natural
resources--timber, oil, gas, rangeland--and to eliminate the National
Park Service, but a significant off-shoot of the movement has been the
reign of terror that has descended upon the ecological activists it
opposes.
The War Against the Greens details the roots of this movement in the
Reagan years; its rise to prominence--and covert support from key
administration figures--during the Bush years; its major funding
sources; and its ties to multinational corporations, major media
personalities, right-wing fringe groups, and western politicians. In
hard-hitting prose, enlivened by a keen reportorial eye, David Helvarg
documents the growing use of violence--arson, bombing, rape, assault,
attempted murder, intimidation--against grassroots environmentalists, as
well as the failure of the law-enforcement community, especially the
FBI, to address the problem adequately.
The War Against the Greens is a sobering reminder of just how high the
stakes can be in the effort to conserve our environment.
Sierra Club, 85 Second St., Second Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105-3441,
USA. Telephone (415) 977-5500 (voice), (415) 977-5799 (FAX). Sierra Club
=ae is a registered trademark of the Sierra Club.
e-mail to: webmaster-AT-sierraclub.org.
__________________________________________________________
8. Victory in Berkeley for the Children of Iraq!
ON WAR AND HOMELESSNESS
Why has the US government slashed housing funds and other social programs
so drastically since Carter was president? A big part of the reason is the
hugh hunk of our tax dollars that the Pentagon takes.
You probably know that our country is at the brink of war with Iraq again,
in the hope of toppling a dictator--who we backed when he invaded Iran and
gassed his own people (with chemicals sold Iraq by US corporations, with
state department approval).
Somehow, he stopped taking orders from our government and picked his own
dictatorship to invade. Our government meant to send him a termination
notice, but had some trouble delivering the message. (However, our
soldiers we did get back some of our US made nerve gas components.)
As the last war against Iraq began, homeless people and other concerned
citizens were occupying the student center at MIT to call for homes and
Food Not Bombs. We could not have picked a better place in the Boston area
to symbolize the arms industry, to which MIT is closely tied. Yet the war
went by so fast that it semed impossible to stop.
End of comment--and on to the next war. Or to peace and justice, depending
on what we do.
"BERKELEY CITY COUNCIL VOTES AGAINST IRAQ SANCTIONS
In response to citizens concerns about the death toll on Iraqi civilian
population, the Berkeley City Council put itself on record last night in
calling for a lifting of sanctions against the people of Iraq. The
council approved a resolution directing the Berkeley City Manager to:
(1) Send a letter to the President of the United States, UN Secretary
General Coffi Anan and the President and permanent members of the
Security Council, calling for immediate lifting of any sanctions that
hurt the civilian population of Iraq,
(2) Send to UNICEF a symbolic sum of $1000 to be earmarked for relief of
Iraqi children
(3) Send communications to all Bay Area City Councils encouraging them
to take like actions.
(4) Remove the limit on oil revenues for humanitarian needs.
(5) Adopt alternatives to comprehensive sanctions on Iraq."
>From: wgcp-AT-earthlink.net (Tom Boland)
______________________________________________________________
9. Defend Roisin McAliskey
>From: Edward C Whyte[SMTP:ewhyte-AT-online.no]
Dear Friends,
Below is a letter drafted by the Britain and Ireland Human Rights
Center in London. The Center recently coordinated the International
Commission (led by Ramsay Clarke) which is currently investigating
Roisin's case. On November 20th it will be a year since Roisin's
arrest.
It is important that as many people as possible take the time to e-mail
and free fax the British and German authorities on the day in
question. Please feel free to use the standard letter below or write
your own.
I would also urge everyone who receives this e-mail to SEND IT ON
to other lists, friends and family with access to e-mail requesting that
they do the same.
The British Prime Minister can be reached at
labour-party-AT-geo2.poptel.org.uk
The British Home Secretary at
<remote-printer.Hon_Jack_Straw-AT-441712733965.iddd.tpc.int>
The German Minister of Justice at
<remote-printer.Dr_Edzard_Schmidt_Jortzig-AT-49228584525.iddd.tpc.int>
The German Minister of Foreign Affairs at
<remote-printer.Dr_Klaus_Kinkel-AT-49228173402.iddd.tpc.int>
For more information the Britain and Ireland Human Rights Center
can be reached at <rapporteur-AT-compuserve.com>
Thank you for your support.
=3d=3d=3d=3d=3d=3d=3d=3d=3d=3d=3d=3d=3d=3d=3d=3d=3d=3d=3d=3d=3d=3d=3d=3d=3d=3d=3d=3d=3d=3d=3d=3d
10 Downing Street, London SW1A 2AA
November 20, 1997
Dear Prime Minister,
It is a year ago today that Roisin McAliskey was arrested by the
RUC and subsequently had an extradition warrant issued against her
in connection with the bombing of a British Army barracks in
Osnabruck, Germany. In that time she has been interrogated for six
days at Castlereagh Interrogation Centre and held for six months
while pregnant in prison as a high risk Category A prisoner. As you
will recall, it was widely feared at the time that she would have to
give birth while in shackles and have the baby taken from her.
As a result of the consequent damage to her mental and physical
health she is now confined to a mother and baby unit at a psychiatric
hospital pending the outcome of legal proceedings. Independent
observers have said that the evidence presented by the German
authorities is so weak that the case would not get past committal
stage in a court of law. Of the four prosecution witnesses only one
said he recognised Roisin and he later retracted his identification on
German Television. The single fingerprint alleged to be Roisin's is
on a moveable object and therefore lacks the provenance to be
admitted as evidence in court. That is the sum of the case against
Roisin McAliskey. Roisin has no previous criminal record, has never
been to Germany and can provide alibi evidence for the period she is
accused of being there.
As a result of this injustice, the horrific and vindictive nature of her
treatment over the last 12 months and the threat of having to spend
years in a German prison awaiting her trial, this innocent woman has
suffered a breakdown. Her doctors believe it will take her years to
recover. Unsurprisingly this case has caused great anger in Ireland
and internationally. This first anniversary of her arrest will be
marked in many cities around the world. At a time when confidence
building is so vital and miscarriages of justice like the Birmingham
Six and the Guildford Four are still remembered, there could be
severe implications for the peace process if this injustice is
prolonged. We, the undersigned, call on you, Prime Minister, to
re-assert the basic principles of British justice that this case so clearly
defies. Roisin McAliskey has no case to answer. Her extradition
would not serve the interests of justice. By calling on your
government to reject this extradition warrant against her we ask you
to help bring this tragic episode to a speedy conclusion.
Yours Sincerely,
____________________________________________________________
10. AMERICAN NEWSPEAK
Hoarded at http://www.scn.org/newspeak
Celebrating cutting edge advances in the Doublethink of the 90's
Written by Wayne Grytting
History Rewriting 101
One of the common myths of the 90's has been put to rest. Cynics complain
that when book publishers are bought out by large corporations, their work
is inevitably compromised. Just the opposite was demonstrated by attorney
Gary Reback at a conference on Microsoft sponsored by Ralph Nader.
Recently the Gates monolith bought out Funk & Wagnell's Encyclopedia to
use for their on-line "Encarta" version. Funk and Wagnell's originally
had an entry on none other than Bill Gates himself, describing him as a
"tough competitor who seems to value winning in a competitive environment
over money." A terrible sentence. After the takeover, this same phrase was
improved to "known for his corporate contributions and educational
organizations." Obviously a much better version of history. (Seattle P-I,
11/14)
Life in the Fast Lane
The defeat of fast track authority for the President set off warning bells
in our leading newspapers. The Wall Street Journal warns that the
Democrats have become "a wholly owned subsidiary of the trade unions,"
bought outright with "cash, pure and simple." Even worse, they warn "what
is going on at the AFL-CIO is a takeover by the American Left." This last
remark came as a surprise to the American Left, last seen at a 1991
Anti-Gulf War rally. Meanwhile, the New York Times produced a lasting
rebuttal to the "flagrantly false rhetoric" spurred on by "labor's
campaign money." Reverting to a killer syllogism, they said, and listen
carefully: "But American wages closely mirror American productivity. Trade
can not threaten productivity, so it does not threaten the wages of most
American workers." Good to see the old carnival shell game still has
practitioners. (NYT 11/13, WSJ 11/11)
Selling Culture
Want to see dinosaur fossils? A major touring dinosaur exhibit now affords
you the opportunity to view not only real fossils but anatomically
incorrect replicas made for the movie "The Lost World." All of this is
thanks to a growing partnership between public museums and corporate
sponsors. Faced with declining public funding, museums are earning praise
for the fine job they are doing marketing themselves to major sponsors.
For example, the Smithsonian's 150th anniversary exhibit has displays by
Intel, Discover Card, MCI and Trans World Airlines. Business Week reports
that "Corporate America has become bolder in turning galleries into an
extension of their marketing plans." (BW 11/10)
Dispassionate Objectivity
The German government has taught nations worldwide a valuable lesson in
objectivity. It recently came to the attention of the German parliament
that former war criminals have been drawing pension benefits for the past
50 years for injuries incurred in World War II. This has been occurring
while many Holocaust victims still have not received compensation. Why?
Because the appropriate officials felt that injuries and war crimes were
two "separate issues," best handled by different departments. Our quiz
question: how many years of education does it take to comprehend such
distinctions? (Reuters 11/13)
Who's on First?
The transit system in Washington DC has finally solved the problem of high
rush-hour fares. Responding to complaints that Washington's high rush-hour
fares did not bring better service, assistant general manager Peter
Benjamin is reported as responding that the bus service no longer had
special "rush-hour" fares. These were now their "regular" fares. And the
fares during off peak times were no longer "regular" fares, but the
"discount" fares. The upshot is that bus service customers could not
expect better service during rush hours because they were now only paying
regular fares. A brilliant solution. (WP 11/13)
Reasons to Buy American
In Oakland, nine bison escaped from the city's zoo. I know you are
probably thinking "So what," but you obviously haven't heard the rest of
the story. Before the bison could wreak havoc in the streets of Oakland,
clever employees found a way to lure them back. First they tried putting
some mouth watering hay in front of them. When that failed they went to a
tried and true American product. Yes, they put slices of Wonderbread in
front of the dumbfounded bison and stopped them in their tracks. The bread
that builds strong bodies 12 ways proved to be 100% more effective than
hay in attracting the half ton mammals. What an endorsement. Can't wait to
see Langendorf's next ad campaign. (Reuters 11/13)
Special thanks this week to Marie Birnbaum and Tom Langdon. Newspeak is
posted weekly and can be had by e-mail by telling the author what a great
guy he is at wgrytt-AT-blarg.net
______________________________________________________________
11. Right-to-Work (for Less) Rides Again - This time on a UPS truck!
Lawsuit by three UPS workers calls Teamsters Union unfair, Wilmington, DE News
Journal 11/21/97
Three Delawareans who work for United Parcel Service in Harrington, DE,
backed by attorneys from the National Right to Work Legal Defense
Foundation, have filed a claim with the National Lagor Relations Board
against the Teamsters Union. The three charge the Teamsters Union with
unfair labor practices because, they claim, they were illegally required to
be union members in order to work for UPS. The Right-to-Work (for less)
Legal Defense Foundation claimed, "None of these people voluntarily were
members of unions. They've been coerced that they had to be members of the
union in order to work at UPS." Officers of Teamsters Local 355 in
Baltimore, which represents more than 100 workers at UPS' Harrington
distribution center, could not comment until the document was reviewed, but
a national Teamsters spokesperson in Washington, referring to the National
Right to Work (for less)Legal Defense Foundation, said: "UPS' fingerprints
are all over this. They are steering members to this anti-union,
antiworkers group."
To protest this attempt to undermine the Teamsters' recent strike victory,
call Denis Taylor, President, Teamsters Local #355, 1030 S. Dukeland St.,
Baltimore, MD 21223; phone: 410/566-5700.
In solidarity, Lee
____________________________________________________________
12. Computer Acronyms
PCMCIA People Can't Memorize Computer Industry Acronyms
ISDN It Still Does Nothing
APPLE Arrogance Produces Profit-Losing Entity
SCSI System Can't See It
DOS Defunct Operating System
BASIC Bill's Attempt to Seize Industry Control
IBM I Blame Microsoft
DEC Do Expect Cuts
CD-ROM Consumer Device, Rendered Obsolete in Months
OS/2 Obsolete Soon, Too.
WWW World Wide Wait
MACINTOSH Most Applications Crash; If Not, The Operating System Hangs
Gag-O-Mactic Joke Server 2.0
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>From: Henry Noble, hnoble-AT-eskimo.com
Subject: Canada mail strike, no mail to Vancouver
NO MAIL TO CANADA!! SUPPORT THE POSTAL WORKERS STRIKE!!
Please forward this message for me.
On November 19, 1997, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) went on
strike following long confrontational negotiations ending with an early
morning physical assault by a management negotiator on a CUPW negotiator.
Members wildcatted and the management negotiator resigned. The strike
could be quite long.
Please do not send mail to Canada until further notice.
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ARTISTS AND WORKERS OF THE WORLD UNITE...
YOU HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE BUT BAD TASTE!
LaBOR aRT & MuRAL PRoJECT
Labor Education Center
Rutgers University
Ryders Lane & Clifton Avenue
New Brunswick, NJ 08903
Phone: 732-220-1472 - Fax: 732-296-1325
Email: lamp-AT-igc.apc.org - Website: http://www.igc.apc.org/laborart
Subscribe to AGITPROP NEWS at this address
Spanning the Globe to: ORGANIZE - AGITATE - EDUCATE - INSPIRE
Mike Alewitz, Artistic Director
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