Portside

Cecily McMillan Trial Update; Reader Comments - Palestinian-Israeli Talks; Walmat, Living Wage, Minimum Wage of $15; Syria; Turkey; Pulitzer and Snowden; Paul Robeson; Russia, Ukraine, Crimea; Immune Systems; New book - What Did You Learn at Work Today? Announcements - Howard Zinn Symposium - Apr 24 - New York; 78th Celebration Abraham Lincoln Brigade & ALBA/Puffin Award for Human Rights Activism - Apr. 27 - New York; 45th Contingent of the Venceremos Brigade

In the long-term, the Technological Revolution may prove to be a giant leap forward in freeing humans from being chained to jobs that are unsafe, unhealthy, physically taxing, and mentally unsatisfying. In the short-term, new technologies are contributing to structural unemployment, rising inequality, job insecurity, and micro-management of workers as these two news stories illustrate.

Jewish educator in Boston speaks out: "The lesson should be - and historically has been - that we Jews must always support any group that is unfairly targeted. That's why Jews in the US have overwhelmingly supported the rights of minorities and persecuted communities."

Matt Taibbi discusses his new book, "The Divide: American Injustice in the Age of the Wealth Gap." The vast majority of white-collar criminals have avoided prison since the financial crisis began, while an unequal justice system imprisons the poor and people of color on a mass scale. Taibbi explores how the Depression-level income gap between the wealthy and the poor is mirrored by a "justice" gap in who is targeted for prosecution and imprisonment.

New study concludes that contracting out is undemocratic and leads to corruption as well as lowers wages and benefits.

"When workers stand together in solidarity they can still win against one of the biggest corporations in America."

Union officials said that while the contract will expire in about a year and a half, they are well positioned to negotiate future agreements. “We have one year to regroup, and we will continue on with some of the things we didn’t get this time,” said. UIC English Professor Lennard Davis, “We have shown the university what we can do when we organize."

Philadelphia's only Latino City Council member, Maria Quinones-Sanchez, became emotional while talking about the executive order. "This victory is so huge, not only for the city of Philadelphia but for rest of the country," she said. "And for those of you who do immigrant work and know the faces behind the stories, the people who have suffered who we couldn't save before."

The AFL-CIO’s Solidarity Center’s Colombia representative still adheres to the old policy of taming Colombia’s radical unions and encouraging them to follow the AFL-CIO’s business unionism approach.

In a country where relations between Muslims and Christians can be fraught and sometimes escalate into bloodshed, the 5-year-old insurgency is encouraging extremists from both religions and widening the gulf as never before.