OBITUARIES
Norman Leonard, 92; Labor Lawyer Was at Forefront of Political Turmoil in U.S.
By Valerie J. Nelson, Times Staff Writer
March 17, 2006
Norman Leonard, a chief legal architect for the longshoremen's union whose eloquent legal brief was critical in persuading the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a perjury conviction against union founder Harry Bridges in the 1950s, has died. He was 92.
Leonard, a leading labor and civil rights lawyer, died of heart failure March 7 at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in San Francisco, said his son, Eric. [link]
Rescuers trying to free 65 trapped in Mexican mine [link]
Welcome to the Working World [link]
www.kpfalaborcollective.org
kfpaflaborcollective@yahoo.com
(510)848-6767x606 KPFA
Labor Collective
Box 69, 1929 MLK Dr. Berkeley CA 94704
The KPFA Labor Collective which has produced labor programming for KFPA for over 3 years is
launching a labor portal on the MLK weekend. This portal at http://www.kpfa laborcollective.org will contain links to labor programming on radio and video, labor history and culture as well as a labor calendar.
It will include labor history and programming including the Oakland General Strike, the San Francisco General Strike, Black workers in the bay area, Women workers and the history of May Day,. It will also have links nationally and internationally that bring together labor radio and video programming.
If you want your labor event listed please contact us at kpfalaborcollective@yahoo.com. Also please send us your labor pictures, radio programs and video shows.
The KPFA Labor Collective is training working people to produce labor programs on their issues
and struggles.
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The Corporation Locked Them Out
In February 2005 Celanese, a major transnational corporation, bought a
chemical plant in the small town of Meredosia, IL. Celanese demanded up
to a 33% cut in pay and a reduction of health care benefits. When the
workers asked for an extension and more information, the corporation
locked them out and replaced them with unskilled workers.[Link]
"Lockout 484"[help &information]
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The Golden Gate Bridge
Our National Treasure
Like the Statue of Liberty, the Golden Gate Bridge is a symbol of the open arms Americans have for visitors and immigrants. Unlike the Statue of Liberty, it is a structure that is both practical and elegant. It is important to the people, who daily, are going from place to place in and around San Francisco and yet at the same time, in crossing this bridge day or night, sun or rain, wind and fog, it is always and experience between this work of art and us.
This practical experience with art says more about the potent nature of working Americans than almost any other structure in the United States of America. This structure is a symbol of the average American’s dream of working hard to build a country in which one can be proud. What American would not find great joy in showing off the Golden Gate Bridge to any visitor from anywhere is the world. We, Americans, built this in a time of great hardship in our country and in a time of great despair in the world. We built this to use daily and we built this to bring beauty into the lives of those that use it.
As then and still now there are many who fear the present and dread the future. This is the habit of people isolated from one another seeing the world as it is and not seeing it as it could be. We had then, as we have now the ability to create practical beauty. We remember that it was the collective vision and the collective labor of working Americans that made the grandeur of the Golden Gate Bridge come true. Today we can rejoice in the work of these men and women and thank them for building a dream through their collective action. We are ready for the challenges ahead.
Tired of the Grind and Mandatory Overtime
It is Sunday in the neighborhood. It's a clean neighborhood with reasonable well maintained bugalow houses. The kids are playing soccer in the street just after noon. Many of the people in this mixed melting pot of an American neighborhood have just come home from church while others are sharing stories with their neighbors. The custom here is to gather together for a summer picnic with the neighborhood on Sunday. Everyone talks; everyone listens. The kids tease and play with one another. It's nothing special just another Sunday in the neighborhood.
(A few thoughts on the value of living a life with neighbors and friends in a more just way)
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