Posted on 04/25/2006 1:27:47 PM PDT by calcowgirl
Readying for a massive national rally on May 1, organizers are calling on employers not to punish employees who skip work to protest, while state legislators are expected to vote this week on a resolution that would formally recognize a boycott.
For weeks, organizers have been calling for a massive mobilization on May 1, Labor Day in the United States or International Workers Day abroad, to show the force of the undocumented immigrant community across the U.S. - an estimated 5 percent of the U.S. work force.
Though organizers have been split about whether the protest should include a work, school and economic boycott - they have been carefully working to broaden their coalition over the past two weeks.
"This whole movement is snowballing not just in the size but also in the composition of the coalition. It's diversifying, it's not just Latinos," said Nativo Lopez, the president of the Mexican American Political Association. In the coming days, he expects Filipino, Muslim and African immigrant organizations to announce they will join the boycott.
In the Korean community, some employers have been bracing for the boycott, expecting many of their Latino workers to call in sick, said Danny Park, executive director of the Korean Immigrant Workers Alliance.
ome small businesses plan to close for the day.
Last week, the Korean Apparel Manufacturers Association sent out letters to its 1,000 members who employ an estimated 30,000 workers asking them not to retaliate against workers who don't show up for work that day.
"We don't want a confrontation between employers and employees," said Mike Lee, the association's president. "We want to stand together."
Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, said she expects most of those participating to be students and longtime Latino activists.
"Day laborers and low-wage workers can't give up their day of work. It's not that they don't support this, it's economic."
I'm listening now, GunnyBob, thanks to the magic of internet feeds.
"The only term I know for someone who will break the law to make a buck is a criminal. A criminal can break into a house and fence the stolen goods, that doesn't make him a capitalist."
A crime is based on the given morality of the current culture.
Slavery was once lawful, which didn't make it right. Many people used slaves to do jobs 'that Americans wouldn't do' [sorry to use the wrongful cliche]. Crime at that point in time was to give quarters to an escaping slave, but I'm quite sure that wouldn't be a crime or mentality of current standards. Most be find slavery sickening.
That was the line of thinking I was going through when writing that. Standards change with time,...but there's many people that have act like capitalists, but were/are really thieves underneath...they've done more to unsettle and discredit liberty than any other.
Darn. I sent the link to Jon Flesichman in the hopes he would point it out on the Flashreport. I did, however, create a pdf of the story in the event they fixed it. I'm assuming all of yesterday's print editions would have that error too.
Good old CA, God I hate this state now. I used to love living here back in the 50s and 60s but it is sh** now! If our legislature passes this bill they need to be fired immediately if not sooner.""
IF the stupid Marxist legislature in Sacramento passes this law, then I would fire ALL my employees who leave work to "protest" and take the case to court.
This is a very small step away from skipping work for any reason and demanding to get paid and not lose my job. That attitude has all but bankrupted Sweden, and we all have seen the "protests" in France where people want a legilated lifetime job. At this rate, there will be no more EMPLOYERS and everyone will have to be self-employed.
Not to worry -- the original article is still there. Here's their correction.
http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_3751434
For the record
Due to an editing error, a story Tuesday incorrectly identified May 1 as Labor Day. In fact, Labor Day is the first Monday in September.
Due to an editing idiot error, a story Tuesday incorrectly identified May 1 as Labor Day. In fact, Labor Day is the first Monday in September.
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