public transit

By ReelNews - YouTube, August 10, 2015

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are not the official position of the IWW (or even the IWW’s EUC) and do not necessarily represent the views of anyone but the author’s.

Don't believe the lies from London Undeground management - this strike is about safety and work-life balance, as all four tube unions take unprecedented joint action against the imposition of night tube shifts which will endanger passengers and drastically reduce the time workers can spend with their family and friends.

By Paul Le Blanc and Jonah McAllister-Erickson - Socialist Worker, August 5, 2015

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are not the official position of the IWW (or even the IWW’s EUC) and do not necessarily represent the views of anyone but the author’s.

The authors of this article are long-time members of Pittsburghers for Public Transit; views expressed here are not necessarily those of the organization as a whole.

SINCE PORT Authority of Allegheny County (PAAC) cut 15 percent of its service, residents of Baldwin, Mooncrest and Groveton--working-class suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania--had to walk two miles, over roads with no sidewalks, just to catch the bus.

But on September 8, Baldwin residents active in the struggle of "Buses for Baldwin" and Groveton residents who pushed for service in their county housing authority will be riding the first restored buses, celebrating the sweetness of the victory.

The battle for public transit has been often been an uphill struggle under both Democratic and Republican administrations at the city, county, state and federal levels. Lessons from the Pittsburghers for Public Transit (PPT) campaigns might be useful for others struggling for economic justice today and tomorrow.

Amalgamated Transit Union President Larry Hanley has pointed to Pittsburghers for Public Transit as a model for those defending public transit throughout the country, especially for the ways the organization unites transit riders and workers in its campaigns.

Since the 1980s, business interests and the right wing have crusaded for even more aggressive policies of laissez-faire capitalism (sometimes called neoliberalism). Public services--won over the years through struggles by working people--have been the target of late. Their successful efforts have cut funding for public transit systems, public education, public housing, public parks and libraries, the public postal service and more.

This, combined with a push to lower taxes for the rich and stagnant or diminished wages of working people, resulted in a shrinking tax base that often made public services shabby and inadequate. Right-wing ideologues create the problem, then insist that "privatization" and "market mechanisms" are the solution. But this makes things worse--capitalism functions not to meet the needs of the majority of people, but to maximize profits for private business owners.

The Pittsburgh Port Authority, in consultation with an "economizing" Democratic County executive, Dan Onorato, had already made severe cuts in 2007, and in 2010 approved a new 15 percent cut in service. In autumn 2010, Tom Corbett, a conservative Republican candidate promising pro-business tax cuts and budget tightening, ran for governor of Pennsylvania. His Democratic opponent was the very same Allegheny County executive who had twice cut public transit service. The Republican won.

In January 2011, budget proposals by Gov. Corbett projected an additional 35 percent cut in Pittsburgh's transit service. Right-wing elements argued that transit workers had been too greedy, that public transit was inefficient and unsustainable, and that privatization would provide a solution.

Reposted by Karetelnik - Libcom.Org, July 31, 2015; original in Spanish at Notas

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are not the official position of the IWW (or even the IWW’s EUC) and do not necessarily represent the views of anyone but the author’s.

Bus drivers of the #60 line of Buenos Aires, which includes 10 popular bus routes, carried out a protest action on July 27 2015, disrupting traffic on a number of arterial roads. Helping the drivers to block roads were workers acting in solidarity, including activists of the FORA (Argentine section of the IWA-AIT). The picket on the Pan-American Highway at the intersection of Highway #197 was brutally dispersed by the National Police, injuring at least 18 people.

Workers of the #60 bus line have been fighting for more than a month with the company owner. They had previously announced that they were going to block the La Noria Bridge and the Pan-American Highway at General Pacheco (a city in Buenos Aires province). The first picket was held without major incidents, but the second, in the northern part of the capital region, was met with repression by the police.

The forces of “order” attacked the protesters around 7:20 a.m., and the drivers answered with a hail of rocks. Three workers were arrested. At least 18 people were injured, including journalists.

Around 10:00 a.m., the scene was repeated at the La Noria Bridge. The police used tear gas and rubber bullets, while the workers defended themselves with whatever they could get their hands on.

One of the workers’ delegates, Santiago Menconi, explained that the protest was held because “currently there is no dialogue” with the company and the Ministry of Labour. “Fifty-three comrades are still fired.” He demanded a signed agreement on working conditions and the rights of workers’ delegates, and also payment to the workers for all idle time since the beginning of the conflict.

The protesters blamed the clashes on the police and demanded the immediate release of three persons who were arrested.

The conflict began on June 25 2015, when the drivers, as a sign of protest, stopped collecting fares from the 250,000 passengers who use the #60 line everyday. They demanded the re-instatement of Ariel Alejandro Benítez, fired the day before without any explanation.

Compiled by x344543 - IWW Environmental Unionism Caucus, August 4, 2015

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are not the official position of the IWW (or even the IWW’s EUC) and do not necessarily represent the views of anyone but the author’s.

The following news items feature issues, discussions, campaigns, or information potentially relevant to green unionists:

Lead Stories:

• Beyond Extinction: Transition to post-capitalism is inevitable (A response to Margaret Atwood's, It’s Not Climate Change It’s Everything Change) - By Nafeez Ahmed, Medium.Com, July 28, 2015
• The Hurricane Katrina Pain Index: 10 Years Later - By Bill Quigley, Portside, July 20, 2015

Ongoing Mobilizations:

• Flood the System - Fall 2015: Flood, blockade, occupy and shut down the systems that jeopardize our future! | #FloodTheSystem
• People’s Climate Strike - November 26 - December 12, 2015
• Railcon15 - Chicago, Illinois Saturday, September 19, 2015 | #Railcon15
• Trade Union Climate Summit - September 14 & 15, 2015 Paris | #unions4climate

Bread and Roses:

• Strike Suspended in Potosi, Bolivian VP Declared "Persona non Grata" - By EFE, Earth First! Journal, August 3, 2015
• Farmworkers score big in new tomato deal - By Eve Andrews, Grist, July 29, 2015
• Farmworkers Walk Out Again in Organic Blueberry Fields Over Continuing Unattainable Production Standards Under Sakuma’s New Pay Scale - By Staff, Boycott Sakuma Berries, July 24, 2015

Compiled by x344543 - IWW Environmental Unionism Caucus, April 14, 2015

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are not the official position of the IWW (or even the IWW’s EUC) and do not necessarily represent the views of anyone but the author’s.

The following news items feature issues, discussions, campaigns, or information potentially relevant to green unionists:

Lead Stories:

• 4/18 March and Rally: Workers Memorial Day 2015 Remember The Dead and Fight for The Injured & Fight TPP - Transport Workers Solidarity Committee, April 13, 2015
• Fields of Toxic Pesticides Surround the Schools of Ventura County—Are They Poisoning the Students?; In some of California’s most heavily Latino communities, going to school can be a health hazard - By Christina Sarich, The Nation, April 6, 2015
• Monsanto Employee Admits an Entire Department Exists to “Discredit” Scientists; But no one knows about it - By Christina Sarich, Natural Society, April 6, 2015

May Day:

• Boston Mayday 2015! - Boston IWW, April 13, 2015
• Chicago May Day 2015 Schedule of Events & Official Posters - Chicago IWW, April 13, 2015
• May Day #Shut It Down Assembly (Bay Area) - Leaflet (not affiliated with any organization)

An Injury to One is an Injury to All:

• Harmony halts operations at Unisel mine after fatal incident - By Cecilia Jamasmie, Mining.Com, April 7, 2015
• New Evidence BP’s Spill Dispersant Caused Harm to Humans and Wildlife - By Andy Rowell, Oil Change International, April 7, 2015
• Union warnings ignored as rotten rail signal collapses - By RMT Press Office, RMT, April 8, 2015
• Workers now out after being trapped by fire in Manitoba mine - CBC News, April 6, 2015
• Workers strike at Anglo’s coal mine in South Africa - By Cecilia Jamasmie, Mining.Com, April 8, 2015

USW Refinery Strike:

• United Steelworkers reviewing contract proposal from Marathon Petroleum - By L.M. Sixel, FuelFix, April 7, 2015
• Union workers vote to end strike - By Mark Maynard, The Independent, April 6, 2015

Carbon Bubble:

• Noble Energy cuts 220 jobs - By Rhiannon Meyers, FuelFix, April 7, 2015
• Two coal plants in Ohio part of AEP closings - By Nick Mullins, The Thoughtful Coal Miner, April 8, 2015
• Wages for oil and gas workers are growing the slowest of any industry - By Ryan Holeywell, FuelFix, April 9, 2015

Just Transition:

• Australian Renewable Energy Industry Loses 2,300 Jobs, Labor Calls Abbott To Swallow His Pride - By Joshua S Hill, Clean Technica, April 13, 2015
• Coal Jobs Decline As Renewable Jobs Increase - By Joshua S Hill, Clean Technica, April 8, 2015
• European federation of Public Services Unions joins TUED - Trade Unions for Energy Democracy, April 8, 2015

1267-Watch:

• Sued by engineer of train that exploded, BNSF says it may be shielded by federal law - By Adrian Glass-Moore, WDAZ 8 ABC, April 12, 2015

Bread and Roses:

• Detroit Needs Water to Work - By Justin Wedes, Detroit Water Brigade, April 13, 2015
• Saving Seeds: Farmers Rise Up Against Industry-Backed Laws; New publication by Grain and La Via Campesina documents nefarious ways new laws criminalize seed sharing and the growing peasant movement resisting them - By Lauren McCauley, Common Dreams, April 8, 2015

Other News:

• Chevron Whistleblower Videos Show Deliberate Falsification Of Evidence In Ecuador Oil Pollution Trial - By Mike Gaworecki, DeSmog Blog, April 9, 2015
• Mass Extinction: Is the Enemy Us? - By Umair Muhammad, Great Transition Initiative, February 2015
• Oiling The Machinery Of Climate Change Denial And Transit Opposition - By David Suzuki, DeSmog Blog, April 7, 2015
• What If Uber Were a Unionized, Worker-Owned Co-Op? These Denver Cabbies Are Making It Happen - By Erin McCarley, Yes!, April 10, 2015

For more green news, please visit our news feeds section on ecology.iww.org; Twitter #IWWEUC

Compiled by x344543 - IWW Environmental Unionism Caucus, March 19, 2015; image by Jon Flanders

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are not the official position of the IWW (or even the IWW’s EUC) and do not necessarily represent the views of anyone but the author’s.

The following news items feature issues, discussions, campaigns, or information potentially relevant to green unionists:

Lead Stories:

• Register now for the Future of Railroads: Safety, Workers, Community & the Environment Conference: Olympia, Washington (March 21, 2015) - railroadconference.org
• Florida’s Climate Change Gag Order Claims Its First Victim - By Farron Cousins, DeSmog Blog, March 18, 2015
• A Rational Agriculture Is Incompatible with Capitalism - By Fred Magdoff, Monthly Review, March 2015
• Who Controls Our Food? - By Nick Dearden, New Internationalist, March 4, 2015

USW Refinery Workers Strike News:

• After 6-Week Strike, Oil Workers Say They Have “Won Vast Improvements in Safety and Staffing” - By David Moberg, In These Times, March 16, 2015
• All across Australia, solidarity with USW oil workers - United Steelworkers, March 17, 2015
• Holding the line against Big Oil - By Lee Sustar, Socialist Worker, March 18, 2015
• Minor fire extinguished at Shell Martinez, Calif. refinery - Reuters, March 13, 2015
• New Fire At Troubled Exxon Refinery Quickly Extinguished -By Sacha Feinman, Think Progress, March 12, 2015
• Refinery deal struck, Bay Area gasoline prices set to fall - By George Avalos, Bay Area News Group, March 13, 2015
• Solidarity in the heartland: Chicago Fight for $15 joins striking BP oil workers on the picketline - By Bob Simpson, Daily Kos, March 13, 2015
• Striking Motiva workers approve contract - By Sarah Scully, Houston Chronicle, March 16, 2015
• Striking oil workers emerge victorious thanks in part to green group solidarity - By Kate Aronoff, Waging Nonviolence, March 13, 2015
• Striking refinery employees could come back to work by end of March - By Andrea Rumbaugh, FuelFix, March 18, 2015
• Striking workers days away from returning to plants - By Sarah Scully, Houston Chronicle, March 16, 2015
• U.S. Refinery Strikes Now Turn to Local Negotiations - By Lynn Doan and Barbara Powell, Bloomberg, March 12, 2015

Carbon Bubble:

• Bakken Oil: The Anarchy of the Market - By Richard Mellor, We Know What's Up, March 17, 2015 [editor's note: the IWW EUC does not endorse the article writer's definition of "anarchy", so please do not send us angry letters!]
• Carbo Ceramics cuts jobs, dividend as oil plunges - By Collin Eaton, FuelFix, March 17, 2015
• ConocoPhillips to lay off 200 Canadian workers - By Robert Grattan, FuelFix, March 18, 2015
• Evacuate the Economy (or By the Way, Your Home Is On Fire) - By Rebecca Solnit, Common Dreams, March 11, 2015
• Faces of Coal - By Nuck Mullins, The Thoughtful Coal Miner, March 17, 2015
• Global Wave of New Coal Plants is Going Bust, New Report Finds - By Mary Anne Hitt and Nicole Ghio, The Sierra Club, March 16, 2015
• Legendary Coal Miner Says We Must Stop the Insane Practice of Mountaintop Removal - By Jeff Biggers, EcoWatch, March 16, 2015
• Oil producer Nexen cuts workforce by 400 - By Ryan Holeywell, FuelFix, March 17, 2015
• Texas Oil/Gas Industry Barometer Falling; Job Losses Climbing - By Joe Fisher, NGI Shale Daily, March 13, 2015

Health and Safety:

• America is literally on fire: How out-of-control oil spills are destroying our population centers - By David Dayen, Salon, March 10, 2015
• Amid Evidence of Illnesses, Activists Call on Electronics Industry to Boost Workplace Safety - By Nicki Lisa Cole, Truthout, March 17, 2015
• Cement-factory roof collapses in Bangladesh, dozens feared trapped - By Julhas Alam, Associated Press, March 12, 2015
• Dangerous Trains, Aging Rails - By Marcus Stern, New York Times, March 12, 2015
• Oilfield safety a concern as companies cut costs during downturn - Bloomberg, March 12, 2015
• Friday the 13th Nightmare for Workers on Chevron’s Barrow Island - By Ashleigh Telford, Maritime Union of Australia, March 13, 2015
• Kelowna man dies fracking - By Bill Everitt, Kelowna News, March 12, 2015
• Linc Energy alleged to have exposed workers to dangerous gases at experimental plant near Chinchilla, west of Brisbane - By Mark Willacy and Mark Solomons, Australian Broadcasting Company News, March 17, 2015
• McDonald’s Workers Nationwide File OSHA Complaints Alleging Hazardous Work Conditions - By Jennifer Baker, Revolution News, March 17, 2015
• Rail workers initiate forums to discuss fight for safety - By Jack Parker and Jim Altenberg, The Militant, March 23, 2015
• 10 Reasons Why BP Got Off and Offshore Oil Drilling Just Got More Dangerous - By Antonia Juhasz, Rolling Stone, March 12, 2015
• A Terrible, Terrible Choice; Gulf of Mexico Oil Industry Veteran Speaks Out - By Cherri Foytlin, Bridge the Gulf, March 13, 2015
• Union alleges Kitimat smelter emissions turn residents into 'guinea pigs' - The Canadian Press, March 17, 2015
• Union warnings of lethal overcrowding ignored - By RMT Press Office, RMT.ORG, March 13, 2015

Other News:

• Building people power before the Paris climate summit - By Jeremy Brecher, Waging Nonviolence, March 5, 2015
• Seattle doesn’t want Shell’s stinkin’ Arctic drilling fleet - By Ana Sofia Knauf, Grist, March 5, 2015

For more green news, please visit our news feeds section on ecology.iww.org; Twitter #IWWEUC

Compiled by x344543 - IWW Environmental Unionism Caucus, February 22, 2015

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are not the official position of the IWW (or even the IWW’s EUC) and do not necessarily represent the views of anyone but the author’s.

The following news items feature issues, discussions, campaigns, or information potentially relevant to green unionists:

Lead Stories:

• Register now for the Future of Railroads: Safety, Workers, Community & the Environment Conferences: Richmond, California (March 14, 2015) and Olympia, Washington (March 21, 2015) - railroadconference.org
• The Seeds of an Alternative; Thousands of oil refinery workers are striking for safer working conditions. Their fight is central to the struggle against climate change - By Trish Kahle, Jacobin, February 19, 2015

USW Refinery Workers Strike News:

• BP picketing outside, work inside continues - Karen Caffarini, Chicago Post-Tribune, February 17, 2015
• CBE Demands Safety from Chevron in Richmond during refinery workers strike - Communities for a Better Environment, February 17, 2015
• Fitch: Refinery strikes could send gasoline up if they extend into driving season - By Collin Eaton, FuelFix, February 18, 2015
• KPFA WorkWeek February 17, 2015; USW Oil Strike And PMA Lockout OF ILWU On West Coast Docks - KPFA [Soundcloud File]
• LyondellBasell: Strikers, come back to work - By LM Sixel, FuelFix, February 18, 2015
• Strike update: BP training additional replacement workers - By LM Sixel, FuelFix, February 18, 2015

We Just Come to Work Here; We Don't Come to Die:

• Blast hits Exxon Mobil refinery in Southern California [Video] - Associated Press, February 18, 2015
• Explosion at Exxon Mobil refinery in Torrance, California, injures four - By Nichola Groom, Reuters, February 18, 2015
• Explosion Rips Through Torrance Refinery, Shakes South Bay; Residents near the oil refinery said the ground shook and ash rained from above after the blast - By Jonathan Lloyd and Toni Guinyard, NBC Los Angeles, February 18, 2015
• Gas prices jump after Torrance refinery explosion - By Veronica Rocha, Los Angeles Times, February 19, 2015
• Huge Explosion Rips Through California Oil Refinery, Adding Fuel To Oil Worker Strike - Emily Atkin and Sacha Feinman, Think Progress, February 18, 2015
• Torrance ExxonMobil Refinery Rocked by Large Explosion; Earthquake-Like Shaking Reported - By Tracy Bloom, Melissa Pamer, Christina Pascucci, Erin Myers and Mary Beth McDade, KTLA TV 5, February 18, 2015
• USW: California Refinery Explosion Provides Further Evidence of Need for Safety Improvements; Union Calls on Industry to Negotiate Solutions to Protect Workers and Communities - By Wayne Ranick, PR News Wire, February 18, 2015

1267-Watch:

• After Oil Train Derailment, Will West Virginia Finally Protect Its Water Supply? - by Katie Valentine, Think Progress, February 17, 2015
• As Extreme Cold Engulfs Eastern U.S., Fossil Fuel Mishaps Leave Disaster Areas on Fire - By Amy Goodman, Democracy Now, February 19, 2015
• Citing government threats, Teamsters suppress Canadian Pacific rail strike - By Carl Bronski, World Socialist Website, February 17, 2015
• Company Whose Train Exploded Had Spent Millions on Lobbying, Campaign Contributions - By Andy Szal, Chem.Info, February 20, 2015
• Derailment highlights crude oil train, water safety issues - By Ken Ward Jr, Charleston Gazette, February 17, 2015
• Electrified rail one of best clean transport options - By Patrick Mazza, Cascadia Planet, February 17, 2015
• Exploding Trains, No New Regulations, Record Industry Profits: The Oil-by-Rail Story - By Justin Mikulka, DeSmog Blog, February 18, 2015
• Last-minute negotiations end strikes at CP Rail - By Ella Bedard, Rabble.Ca, February 17, 2015
• How Would You Like Your Oil Spilled Today Sir?; Oil Trains Spill More Often, But Pipelines Spill Bigger - By Emily Atkin, Think Progress, February 18, 2015
• ND oil train safeguards too little, too late [video] - by Rachel Maddow, Rachel Maddow Show, February 17, 2015
• Oil trains are blowing up all over the place - By John Light, Grist, February 17, 2015
• Report: Oil Trains Threaten 25 Million Americans, Iconic Rivers, Wildlife; Moratorium on ‘Bomb’ Trains Needed Till Safety Can Be Ensured [Notable: includes demands suggested by Railroad Workers United] - By Jared Margolis, Center for Biological Diversity, February 19, 2015
• Riverkeeper Calls for Immediate Steps to Protect Public From Danger of Crude Oil Trains - By Leah Rae, River Keeper, February 18, 2015
• Stephen Harper prepares to trample on workers' rights yet again - By Elizabeth May, Rabble.Ca, February 17, 2015
• Train that derailed in West Virginia had newer crude oil tanker cars - By Jeff Pegues, CBS News, February 17, 2015
• Trains Hauling Crude Oil Across North America Just Keep Exploding - By James West, Climate Desk, February 17, 2015
• Two More ‘Bomb Train’ Explosions Should Be ‘Wake-Up Call to Politicians to Stop These Dangerous Oil Trains’ - By Anastasia Pantsios, EcoWatch, February 17, 2015

Carbon Bubble:

• Marathon to lay off 350 to 400 workers - By Robert Grattan, FuelFix, February 19, 2015

Green Jobs and Just Transition:

• Analysis: Enercon affiliate loses labour dispute over weekend work - By Sara Knight, Wind Power Monthly, February 17, 2015
• Fossil fuel divestment backlash forces the question: Which side are you on? - By Kate Arnoff, The Ecologist, February 18, 2015

Greenwashing:

• The Bitter Twilight of Social Democracy: NDP, unions and enviro NGOs back transit referendum - By Aiyanas Ormond, The Mainlander, February 13, 2015
• Despite Claims of Progress, Labor and Environmental Violations Continue to Plague Apple - By Nicki Lisa Cole and Jenny Chan, Truthout, February 19, 2015

An Injury to One is an Injury to All!:

• Support the Injured Colombian Workers!!!  - By Paige Shell Spurling, Alliance for Global Justice, February 17, 2015

Other News:

• Doc Shows Canadian Police View Environmentalists, Not Climate Change, as Real Threat; RCMP document says 'small but violent-prone faction' of groups could pose 'a credible threat' to security - By Andrea Germanos, Common Dreams, February 19, 2015
• Ohio Farmers Union opposes proposed pipeline project - By Aaron Krause, Norwalk Reflector, February 16, 2015
• Thousands of Polish farmers march in Warsaw - By Julian Rose, La Via Campesina, February 19, 2015
• Trade Deals Should Come With Their Own Warnings for Public Health - By Chuck Idelson, National Nurses United, February 18, 2015

For more green news, please visit our news feeds section on ecology.iww.org; Twitter #IWWEUC