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Bay Area NewsA legal victory for the SF8Cameron Sturdevant reports on a long-awaited decision in the prosecution of former Black political activists accused of killing a San Francisco police officer. July 14 Charges against four of the San Francisco 8—former Black community activists, Black Panthers and others accused of taking part in a 1971 killing of a San Francisco police officer—were dropped July 6 when prosecutors were forced to admit that they had insufficient evidence to go to trial.
Those cleared are Ray Boudreaux, Richard Brown, Hank Jones and Harold Taylor. Jalil Muntaqim pled no contest to a lesser charge—conspiracy to commit voluntary manslaughter. Muntaqim received credit for time served and three years' probation. He will return to New York to fight for parole. After consulting with the other defendants, Herman Bell entered a plea a week earlier. Francisco Torres, who maintains his innocence, still faces a court hearing on August 10. His attorney intends to file a motion to dismiss the charges against his client. The victory on July 6 was the result of years of unified resistance on the part of the San Francisco 8, backed by an impressive array of support organized through the Committee for the Defense of Human Rights (CDHR), based in Pasadena, Calif. Socialism Takes a Big StepAlan Maass reports reports from San Francisco on the second Socialism of the summer. July 14 The second Socialism 2009 conference took place last weekend in San Francisco with over 900 people coming from up and down the West Coast and across the U.S. to attend sessions during the three days of political education and discussion.
This was the first year that Socialism—an annual event sponsored by the Center for Economic Research and Social Change, and co-sponsored by SocialistWorker.org—was held separately in two cities. That decision clearly paid off—the total attendance between both conferences was nearly double that of last year. The 900-plus attendance in San Francisco was well beyond the most optimistic expectations. "We set a goal of 400 or 450 a few months ago," said Todd Chretien, one of the main organizers of the Bay Area event. Standing up against budget cutsJerald Reodica takes a look at the stakes in Tuesday's special election in California, and what workers and students are doing to oppose Schwarzenegger's attacks. May 18 San Francisco, CA — On May 14, students, faculty, and staff of San Francisco State University (SFSU) protested against continuing budget cuts as CA Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was "sounding the budget alarm, again" as one local newscaster put it. Why is Jesús Gutiérrez in jail?AFSCME Local 3299 member Kathryn Lybarger reports on the case of a fellow union member at UC-Berkeley who has been detained, unnecessarily and illegally, by ICE. May 12
Two days before May Day, Jesús Gutiérrez went to his job in a dining center at the University of California-Berkeley. But he never made it back home that night. Jesus' manager called him into the office during his shift to go over his summer schedule. There, two UCPD detectives arrested him for identity theft. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was contacted, unnecessarily and illegally. The charge of identity theft leveled by the campus police is a common form of intimidation used against immigrants, designed to convince detainees to accept voluntary deportation rather than be sent to prison for an extended sentence. BART still owes Oscar Grant justiceBy Alessandro Tinonga. May 11 OAKLAND, California—More than a hundred people gathered at a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) board meeting on May 2 to demand justice for Oscar Grant III, who was killed by transit police early on New Year's Day. BART officials called the public meeting to discuss possible models for a future civilian oversight commission to monitor the activities and practices of the BART police. Five months after his death, Grant's family has yet to receive the restitution they deserve from BART officials. Not one member of the BART administration has resigned or been disciplined, and besides the resignation of the officer who shot Grant, none of the other officers involved have been reprimanded. Prescription for a healthy unionCarl Finamore looks at the founding of the National Union of Healthcare Workers. May 8 IT'S NOT every day that a new national union is formed in the United States. But that's exactly what happened on April 25 in San Francisco. If the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW) turns out as planned, it will be a date for the history books. "You will be able to tell your grandchildren in years to come," NUHW leader Sal Rosselli boldly predicted to 700 cheering delegates, "that you attended the founding convention of a 5-million member health care workers' union." A fighting health care unionMichael Hoffman reports on the founding convention of a new union formed in response to the SEIU's takeover of its big California health care local. May 7
MORE THAN 700 health care union activists gathered in San Francisco April 25 for the founding convention of the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW) to formally launch their new union and consolidate ongoing organizing efforts. A provisional constitution and a leadership team were voted into place by union members, and workers from different localities met to discuss the issues and challenges facing their drive to build a democratic union. This new union is being founded by ex-members and officials of the United Healthcare Workers-West (UHW), which was put under trusteeship by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) in late January 2009 for opposing SEIU President Andrew Stern's plans to undemocratically restructure their union. The road to Tent CityJohn Green visits Tent City under a freeway in Fresno, California—and finds a very different picture than the mainstream media paints. May 5
THE LOCAL paper describes this place as "ground zero" for robbery, prostitution and intravenous drug abuse in Fresno, Calif., and that's enough to put outsiders on edge, walking alone into Tent City. But spend an afternoon with the hundreds of homeless in this bleak, dusty strip of land under a freeway, and a different story emerges: Of winners and losers in the busted economy, and of the bonds of solidarity between everyday people. May Day rallies link strugglesElizabeth Schulte reports on protests across the country on May Day calling for justice for workers. May 5
IN PROTESTS across the country on May Day, thousands of activists marched and rallied to demand the rights that all workers deserve--highlighting the abuses suffered by immigrant workers. Since the massive immigrant rights protests of 2006, May 1 has become a rallying point for immigrant rights activists every year, breathing new life into the workers' holiday that was born in the U.S., but is rarely celebrated here. Debating the future of UESFDavid Russitano, a member of United Educators of San Francisco, describes the debate at a recent UESF candidates' forum. April 30 To kick off a three-week mail ballot election, United Educators of San Francisco (UESF) held an "executive officers candidates' debate" on April 21. Nearly 100 people turned out to hear candidates from both the Progressive Leadership Caucus (PLC) and the newly formed Educators for a Democratic Union (EDU). This was the largest turnout for a candidates' forum that UESF has seen in many years, largely because the PLC-dominated executive board and officers are being challenged by a new caucus. |
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