Circuit City Fires 3,400 "Overpaid" Workers

Circuit City fired 3,400 employees in stores across the country yesterday, saying they were making too much money and would be replaced by new hires willing to work for less.
-Washington Post

And this is just after the revelation that Citigroup plans to cut at least 10,000 jobs.
-NY Times, AP, Reuters

Boycott the LAX Hilton, Glendale Hilton

The Los Angeles City Council President is getting a lot of crap from anti-union right wingers for supporting the workers at the Century Boulevard LAX Hilton who are fighting for union recognition.
-LA Daily News

UNITE HERE is also calling for a boycott of the Glendale Hilton whose workers are in a similar struggle for union recognition.
-LA Daily News, Cincinnati Post

Check the union hotel guide for up-to-date listings of union hotels to patronize and anti-union hotels to boycott.

Radical Youth and the Return of the Black Bloc

Counterpunch

Edwards, Kucinich: Only Candidates w/ Specific Universal Healthcare Plans

Another high-ranking West Coast SEIU official, speaking to me off the record, said: "If the election were held today, we'd be supporting Edwards. When he comes into town he asks what he can do for us. Hillary asks us what we can do for her."
-Marc Cooper

Kucinich supports the ideal plan, which is obviously single payer national health insurance (aka medicare for all).

However, Edwards is the most progressive pro-union candidate to have a real shot of winning both the primary and general elections. His plan is a mixed lot, though his lit says it could gradually lead to a single payer type system.

Click here to see video clips of the SEIU healthcare forum.

Candidates Court Culinary Union in Vegas

Everyone (not just Edwards) is talking union when it's campaign time. With 60,000 union casino workers Culinary 226 is one of the strongest locals of UNITE HERE. Their current contracts expire in 2 months.
-Marc Cooper, AP

Colombian Blood Bananas

Chiquita paid over a million dollars to right wing death squads in Colombia.
-AP, Washington Post, Counterpunch

Viva, Chavez

What Argentines See In Chavez

Ken Loach's Wind That Shakes the Barley

NY Times review

Child Labor in Guatemala

NY Times, National Labor Committee report

(Update: Washington Post reports that CAFTA has done nothing to improve labor rights in Guatemala.)