Distributed via OtherWords.org
That America’s income distribution has grown dramatically more unequal in the past 40 years is beyond debate. The share of the top 1 percent has doubled since 1980, to over 20 percent of all income.
Could it get any worse? A look at America’s large, privately held corporations suggests it could.
West Virginia public school teachers decided “enough is enough” and staged a statewide strike. “Over 15,000 teachers and school support employees in all 55 West Virginia counties have been out on strike for [nine] days, as they and supporters from around the state [flooded] the capitol in Charleston, W.V., demanding higher pay and affordable healthcare.” West Virginia Teachers Are Now Out on a Wildcat Strike. The Labor Movement Should Follow Their Lead.:
Bucking a deal struck between the West Virginia Education Association (WVEA) and the state government, school workers have defied both union leadership and state law, which affords them no right to strike and does not recognize their right to collectively bargain. These restrictions haven’t stopped West Virginia educators from leading what may be one of the most important labor actions in years.
With “right-to-work” laws spreading across the country, and a Janus Supreme Court decision that could decimate public-sector unions on the horizon, striking teachers are offering a blueprint for how to win when the odds are stacked against labor: Strike, win and then keep striking to win more—no matter what union leaders say.
The walkout in West Virginia has now become what’s known as a wildcat strike: A mass work action carried out by the rank-and-file and without the express consent of union leadership. [Last] Tuesday, after agreeing to a five percent raise for teachers and three percent raise for other public-sector workers, WVEA leaders declared victory. But the rank-and-file weren’t having it, breaking out into chants of “We are the union bosses!” and “Back to the table!”
Tucson Festival of Books: March 10 and 11, 2018 — 9:30 to 5:30 p.m. both days on UA Mall, west of Campbell Avenue. Now in its 10th year.
Complete schedule of authors’ presentations: http://tucsonfestivalofbooks.org/?id=466
Famous authors coming in 2018 are Amy Tan (author of Joy Luck Club), political analyst John Nichols of The Nation, and Pulitzer Prize winner Luis Alberto Urrea.
And don’t miss free concert Saturday night at Jefferson Field:
“The Festival is thrilled to announce that the self-proclaimed “hard-listening” band The Rock Bottom Remainders will once again be playing and singing their hearts out at the Festival. This year, all attendees of the Festival are invited to hear the band’s performance for free!
Time once again for the “silly wild ass guess” (SWAG) list of candidates who are running for the legislature and statewide offices in Arizona. This list is subject to revision as candidates enter races or decide to withdraw. The candidates listed below have filed with the Arizona Secretary of State. There may be some errors as to current status, so if you have information about the current status of a candidate, please post the information in the comments.
The candidate petitions filing deadline is May 30, 2018. You can sign a candidate’s petition and/or make a $5 contribution to a Citizens Clean Elections (CCE) candidate on the Arizona Secretary of State’s E-Qual page.
The primary election is Tuesday, August 28, 2018.
Arizona Legislature
District 1
Jo Craycraft (D) Senate (CCE)
Karen Fann (R) Senate
Ed Gogek (D) House (CCE)
Jan Manolis (D) House
Noel Campbell (R) House
Jodi Rooney (R) House
David Stringer (R) House
Stephanie Snyder (GRN) House
Matthew Daniel (IND) House (CCE)
District 2
Andrea Dalessandro (D) Senate (CCE)
Bobby Wilson (R) Senate (CCE)
Rosanna Gabaldón (D) House (CCE)
Daniel Hernandez, Jr. (D) House
Anthony Sizer (R) House (CCE)
Time once again for the “silly wild ass guess” (SWAG) list of candidates who are running for federal offices in Arizona. This List is subject to revision as candidates enter races or decide to withdraw. The candidates listed below have filed with the FEC (with a few exceptions). I am not clear about who is still in and who is out in Congressional District 8 after the Special Election primary last month, and whether they are continuing on as candidates in the August primary. There may be some errors as to current status, so if you have information about the current status of a candidate, please post the information in the comments.
The candidate petitions filing deadline is May 30, 2018. The primary election is Tuesday, August 28, 20i8.
U.S. Senate
Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D)
Deedra Abboud (D)
Robert Grimes “Bob” Bishop (D)
Cheryl R. “Ché” Fowler (D)
Jim Moss (D) withdrawn
David Alan Ruben (D)
Dale Christopher “Chris” Russell (D)
Rep. Martha E. McSally (R)
Joe Arpaio (R)
Craig R. Brittain (R)
Christian “C.J.” Diegel (R)
Michelle Marie Griffin (R)
Nicholas Tutora (R)
Kelli Ward (R)
Eve Reyes-Aguirre (GRN)
Doug Marks (LIB)