The Rebellion in Baltimore is an uprising against austerity, claims top US academic. Gentrified cities, the fall of manufacturing, the filling of jails with black men - all fueled the violence that followed the killing of Freddie Gray.
Earlier this year, Los Angeles Black Worker Center was interviewed to discuss our experiences and reflections on the importance of organizing black workers here and across America. More than thirty leaders from community organizations, national groups and foundations were also interviewed, and their insights have been released in the new report: #BlackWorkersMatter. Asserting that black lives matter also means that the quality of those lives matters.
The trigger for the protest was the video that was made public last week, showing police officers beating an Ethiopian-Israeli man, a young man serving in the Israel Defense Forces and in uniform, but it was preceded by years of frustration. “It’s a pressure cooker that exploded. There are hundreds of young Ethiopians the police open case files against for no reason, and that ruins their lives."
Pleas from Simon, Andre Royo and Wendell Pierce, among others, are an acknowledgement of the real-world authority we’ve granted to “The Wire,” one of the most venerated shows ever to air on American television.
When workers feel collectively trapped in poorly performing unions that do not properly represent them, the most union-minded among them often believe that changing unions is their only hope. If switching to another union is not a viable option because of AFL rules or incumbent union manipulation of Labor Board procedures, the result will be more workplace anger, frustration, and resentment.
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