Tucson

Tucson Black Friday Wal-Mart protest draws 50 activists, no strikers (video)

by

J-m-p-s-157-sm72by Pamela Powers Hannley

Approximately 50 Tucson activists protested Wal-Mart's labor practices at a southside store on Black Friday.

The usual left-wing groups were represented– Jobs with Justice, Occupy Tucson, Progressive Democrats of America (PDA), and college students. Who was absent? Wal-Mart workers and representatives of the United Food and Commercial Workers–the union that played an integral role in organizing the national day of protest. 

Although Wal-Mart is infamous for paying low wages, intimidating workers who want to unionize, discriminating against women in promotion practices, and avoiding offering health care insurance by manipulating employees' hours, the tipping point for yesterday's protest was requiring workers to start Black Friday work schedules on Thanksgiving at 8 p.m.

Video of the Tucson protest and other details after the jump.

Walmart, Papa Johns, & Hostess: Can capitalists afford to pay workers more? (video)

by

Working-011-sm72by Pamela Powers Hannley

Except for a few bumps in the road– like the crash of worldwide financial markets and the colapse of the housing industry– capitalists have had a great run in the past decade.

Profits are at record levels. Wages are down– except for CEO pay, which averaged $9.6 million/year in 2011. The Supreme Court says corporations are people with the right of free speech and the right to buy elections. Humans are desperate for work worldwide.

And thanks to multinational expansion, the demise of manufacturing, and a barrage of attacks on unions, major US corporations can pick and choose workers from a worldwide buffet of skills and salaries.

So, if the capitalists are doing so well, why are they being so stingy with their workers? Find out after the jump.

Black Friday: Capitalist holiday or day of protest?

by

Money02-bw-crop-sm72-300x217by Pamela Powers Hannley

Thanks to the tradition of giving salaried workers the Friday after Thanksgiving off as a vacation day + the availability of cheap credit + big sales and thousands of dollars in advertising, that Friday became the biggest US shopping day of the year decades ago.

Christmas season is a major money-maker in our capitalist society. In the cut-throat world of retail sales, Black Friday was the day that many retailers broke even– the day that wild sales brought frenzied consumers into the stores to buy Christmas presents a month early– the day their books moved "into the black". 

As a protest against this rabid consumerism and the commercialization of Thanksgiving and Christmas–- economic protesters re-invented the concept of Black Friday several years ago and promoted it as a day to stay home from the stores and not “shop ’til you drop”.

What is the true meaning of Black Friday today? Find out after the jump.

Immigration reform: What role will Ron Barber play?

by

The Republican vs Republican-lite Congressional District 2 race has finally been called. Congressman Ron Barber defeated Colonel Marthy McSally in a very tight contest.

With the special election primary, the special election, and the general election, Barber has been running for office for 10 months of this year. Now, he can finally relax into his new Capitol Hill seat.

But, wait, there’s more… now, he has to stand up and be our Congressman.

And immigration reform– a hot-button Southern Arizona issue, for sure– is at the top of President Barack Obama’s priority list, after his rainbow-hued election win. With his delayed deportation for Dreamers and his focus on deporting undocumented criminals (and not your housekeeper), Obama has been inching forward on immigration reform.

What will the role of Baja Arizona’s new Congressman be? Find out after the jump.

Read more

Election integrity: Why does Pima Board of Supes tolerate ‘anti-transparency’ in elections?

by

by Pamela Powers Hannley

Two local election integrity advocates–Jim March and Mickey Duniho–addressed the Pima County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, during the call to the audience. 

Pima, Maricopa, Cochise and other counties are still counting ballots from last Tuesday's presidential election. Hundreds of thousands of uncounted ballots have caused delays in finalizing multiple races and ballot propositions. Main stream news sources and blogs have been on fire with stories about Arizona's election incompetence and stories of voter suppression– before and after the election. 

Let's face it. We have systemic election problems in Pima County, in Arizona, and nationwide. In the 2010 election, hundreds of thousands of ballots were counted throughout the week after the election. Why weren't these election problems addressed and fixed before the 2012 election? The Board of Supervisors needs to man up and face election integrity issues instead of stonwalling.

Read Election Integrity Commissioner Duniho's comments after the jump.