(New Haven) After a successful boycott against Cafe Goodfellas restaurant for refusing to pay employees a minimum wage, organizers will hold a press conference celebrating the victory. The event will take place at 5 pm at Cafe Goodfellas, 758 State Street in New Haven.

For more info and background, visit: http://ulanewhaven.blogspot.com/p/wage-theft.html

(Hartford) AIDS Awareness Day

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Hundreds of people with HIV/AIDS will be converging on the state capitol for a rally and to meet with their legislators on Wednesday, May 11th at 10 AM for the 11th Annual AIDS Awareness Day sponsored by the CT AIDS Resource Coalition (CARC). A number of public officials are expected to attend the rally including Lieutenant Governor Nancy Wyman, Comptroller Kevin Lembo and Deputy Secretary of OPM, Mark Ojakian. Speakers will include Shawn M. Lang and Leif Mitchell, co-chairs of the AIDS LIFE Campaign, Connecticut’s statewide AIDS policy group, as well as people living with HIV/AIDS, and poet-activist-educator Fredrick Douglass Knowles who will inspire the crowd with his very personal experience with HIV and his energetic style with the spoken word. Participants will be wearing provocative red T-shirts asking “HIV+? Get tested!” in order to raise awareness about the epidemic in our state and to spark discussion on the importance of getting tested for HIV in order to know your own HIV status. “If you haven’t been tested for HIV, then you don’t know your status and you could unknowingly be infecting others with HIV,” said John P. Merz, Executive Director of CARC. Nationally, someone is infected with HIV every 9 ½ minutes, and it is estimated that 25% of all those living with HIV don’t know it. The CT Department of Public Health 2006 HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report estimates that there are nearly 19,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in the state; yet only 10,574 people with HIV/AIDS have been reported and are in the state’s HIV/AIDS registry. Advocates are rallying to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS in our state and urging legislators to hold the line on AIDS funding. “Over the past decade, the number of people living with HIV/AIDS has doubled, yet funding has never kept pace.” said Shawn M Lang, Director of Public Policy for CARC. Lang went on to say, “We are painfully aware of the realities of the budget and believe we can live with the cuts to AIDS lines. We are here to thank the Governor and legislators who voted for the negotiated budget.”

Fore more info, please visit: http://www.ctaidscoalition.org/

(Hartford) On April 15th, 2010, about 400 workers at 4 Ct nursing homes began their strike against Spectrum Healthcare for unfair labor practices….1 year later, their struggle continues.

(Hartford) On Friday March 25th, a ceremony honoring the 146 workers who needlessly perished in a fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist factory in NYC will take place  at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford, First Floor Atrium. at 4:30 p.m..There will be speakers and a performance by the Colchester Community Theatre.

For more info on the tragedy, check out: http://homefront.homestead.com/Triangle.html

photo courtesy of Steve Thornton

(NihiloZero)

As impressive as the tens of thousands of Wisconsinites have been in protesting the harsh austerity bill being pushed through by Governor Scott Walker, let’s not overlook the fact that this battle is just getting started.  Any lulls in protest activity are still punctuated by huge protests on the weekends and literal signs for a general strike are appearing and being carried all over town.  Horns are still blasting around the Capitol building at any given hour and vigils are still being maintained.  There is a sense that the unions, and the rest of the populace, are preparing themselves for the next round.  And as hard as it might be to conceive of these huge recent protests as part of a rope-a-dope strategy… it is the general population that has been playing gently with the Governor thus far.  History has shown us that the masses ultimately have the power, if they are willing to use it, and it doesn’t appear that the right-wing has a very thoughtful tactician to guide them through the impending battles.

That said… the protest movement, particularly insomuch as it is being manipulated by mainstream politicians and self-appointed marshals, could falter.  It will be up to individuals, thinking for themselves and communicating their ideas horizontally, to prevent this movement from becoming too watered-down and compromising.  It should not be misunderstood — the power at this point is in the hands of the masses of protesters.  Not to put too much of fine point on it, but it’s somewhat reminiscent of the scene in Fight Club when Tyler Durden reminds the local politician…

“The people you are after are the people you depend on. We cook your meals, we haul your trash, we connect your calls, we drive your ambulances, we guard you while you sleep. Do not fuck with us.“

I’m not suggesting that union members should start fight clubs, and lord knows I wouldn’t want to go fisticuffs with a steelworker, but the point is that no one should allow their power or importance in society to be diminished — especially when considered collectively as part of mutually beneficial organization.  The people hold the real power in this world — as long as they are willing to use it.  They should not be looking to give concessions — they should be looking to take them, all of them.  And when the grassroots “leadership” starts talking about giving concessions… their megaphones should be shoved somewhere the sun doesn’t shine.  The notion of giving concessions at this point is beyond ridiculous — unless you’re willing to take yet another step towards giving everything away.

Continued…

CT is looking to save a few bucks by making pot possession simply an infraction, punishable by a fine instead of a criminal offense…what do you think?

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Poll closes March 24th…check back for results!