Solidarity with UE Local 1110 Photos

SDS Milwaukee Shows Support for Working Class Heroes

MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) demonstrated outside a Bank of America office in downtown Milwaukee on Dec. 9 in an afternoon show of support for the United Electrical Local 1110 Chicago workers.

The Chicago workers, largely Latino, were illegally laid off four days ago by their company Republic Window and Door after Bank of America refused to continue credit to the company, despite having just received a $25 billion taxpayer bailout. The workers have since occupied their work site, earned international attention, and called for a national week of action.

Armando Robles, President of UE Local 1110, spoke in front of the Fight Back! annual fundraising People's Thanksgiving on Saturday night, and stated, "We're not going to leave [Republic Window and Door] until we get every penny we deserve."

SDS members who attended the event visited the occupying workers at the company later that night. A 20-year company employee stated the place was his "home away from home" and that the fellow workers were "his family." Family members also accompanied the occupying workers. The occupying workers, arriving in 30-person shifts, seemed very pleased and encouraged by the local and national support of their occupation.

The National Working Committee of SDS has endorsed the worker's bold and militant occupation. Numerous student protests have since taken place all over the country to support these working class heroes.

Despite the blizzard, about 20 people attended the Milwaukee rally. SDS students who just got back from an over-night visit to the occupying workers spoke over a loud speaker. The crowd also chanted "Bank of America: you got bailed out, we got sold out!"

Natasha Morgan, an SDS organizer who visited the occupying workers and attended the rally, said, "This is the end of the Bush era!"

Learn how you can directly help the workers by donating and signing their petition here.

Jennifer Green - Center for Constitutional Rights, 12/2 @ 7pm

Growing Power Market Baskets

Greetings Friends!

So, some of you may be wondering what growing power is, and how can you order a market basket?

Here's the lowdown on why it's such a great thing:

Growing Power's mission is to provide people with safe, local, and healthy food, as well as volunteer and education outlets. The market basket is one great way that they can connect with members of the community, and it is also an excellent way for YOU to support local farmers while getting that extra boost of yummy nutrition!

While you can pick up a market basket at their Milwaukee location, they can also make deliveries within the city if you have at least 9-10 orders for every week that you would like to order. This is where we come in, and where you can pick up your order at the UWM Union.

Market baskets come in a variety of sizes and prices:

Junior/Senior basket: $9 (feeds about 2 people for 1 week)
Regular basket: $16 (3-4)
All-fruit basket: $16
Sustainable (all-organic) basket: $28 (3-4)

Each week you get a slightly different variety of fruits and veggies, and the fun part is that you don't know what you're going to get! But here's a preview of what you might get:

--Potatoes, sweet potato, beets, onion (both yellow and green)
--Apples, pears, bananas, oranges
--Leafy greens, beans, sunflower sprouts, cucumbers, carrots, cabbage

If you have any other questions, or if you want to make an order, (which you know you really want to now :D) please email us at growingpoweruwm@gmail.com.

Hope to hear from you, and stay healthy! :)

Danny Glover @ UWM, 11/7

When: Friday, November 7th, 7:30PM
Where: UWM Union Wisconsin Room

Join us for an “Evening with Danny Glover” as he shares his insight and passion for human rights in Latin America and the Caribbean. Once known only as a Hollywood actor, Glover has stepped effortlessly into the role of humanitarian and has been defending human rights for more than three decades. His work stretches the globe to raise awareness of several important issues: civil rights and apartheid, the death penalty, globalization, AIDS in Africa and now the Iraq situation. Glover will discuss a number of current, critical issues that affect us all.
Sponsored by UWM Union Programming, UWM Union Sociocultural Programming, Third World Action, Students for a Democratic Society, and others. Tickets may be purchased at the UWM Bookstore by calling 414-229-4201 or 1-800-662-5668. For more information, contact UWM Union Programming, 414-229-3728.

Advance Tickets available at UWM Bookstore:
$10 Students/$15 Faculty, Staff, Alumni/$20 General Public
Tickets at the Door: $15 Students/$20 Faculty, Staff, Alumni/$25 General Public

SDS @ Paid Sick Days Student Day

Roughly half of the students who volunteered for Paid Sick Days Student Day on 10/25/08 were from SDS. Remember to Vote Yes for Paid Sick Days if you live in the City of Milwaukee. Also see a recent editorial in the UWM Post on Paid Sick Days.

Michael Albert Photos

Thanks to Michael Albert for giving an engaging and thought provoking speech focusing on critical issues constricting the movement and our potential to win. Check out South End Press or ZNet's section on ParEcon for further information. We hope to have a video of the speech online. Albert's books and many South End Press books can be found at People's Books Cooperative in Milwaukee.

Direct Legislation for Worker's Rights: Paid Sick Days Milwaukee!

On November 4th, the Paid Sick Days ordinance will be on ballot as a binding referendum.

SDS has endorsed this campaign since before the petition drive last April. Much thanks to all the work SDS and UWM students have done so far.

We have only a few weeks left to let folks know about this minimum working right. Let's make Milwaukee a healthier place.

This is OUR legislation. Your help and support is needed to make sure this referendum question passes.

WE NEED YOU!

WHAT: STUDENT DAY!!!
WHEN: Saturday, October 25th, 2008
WHERE: UWM Ballroom
TIME: 10:30 AM – 2:00 PM

We’ll be “hitting the streets” to reach voters
in our neighborhood for Paid Sick Days. Pizza
party afterwards!

RSVP to Dana at dana@9to5.org
414-274-0921

Michael Albert speaking at UWM on October 15

Make UWM Sweatshop Free!

For almost two years SDS has asked the UWM Bookstore to show support for the Designated Suppliers Program (DSP) and drop programs which cannot verify that their products are not made in sweatshops. Local media reports can be found here, here, and here. UWM posted its own response on their main page following the demonstration.

SOIL Presentation

Thank you to everyone who came out to see Kevin and Sarah of Sustainable Organic Integrated Livelihoods speak. Please check their website for more information www.oursoil.org.

Event: Youth Empowerment in Haiti, 10/2 @ 7pm

Community Media Project Oct 3-5th

Please see the upcoming Community Media Project Events below.

Fall '08 Events and Meetings

Monday September 22: Meeting in Room 340 in UWM Union at 7pm.
Monday September 29: Meeting in Room 340 in UWM Union at 7pm.
Thursday October 2: Sarah Brownell and Kevin Foos of SOIL
Monday October 6: Meeting in Room 340 in UWM Union at 7pm.
Monday October 13: Meeting in Room 340 in UWM Union at 7pm.
Wednesday October 15: Michael Albert speaks in Fireside Lounge (in UWM Union) at 7pm. FREE.
Monday October 20: Monthly Monday Movie of 11th Hour in Fireside Lounge (in UWM Union)at 7pm. FREE.
Monday October 27: Meeting in Room 340 in UWM Union at 7pm.
Monday November 3: Meeting in Room 340 in UWM Union at 7pm.
Friday November 7: Danny Glover at UWM
Monday November 10: Meeting in Room 340 in UWM Union at 7pm.
Monday November 17: Monthly Monday Movie of The Yes Men in UWM Fireside Lounge at 7pm. FREE.
Monday November 24: Meeting in Room 340 in UWM Union at 7pm.
Monday December 1: Meeting in Room 340 in UWM Union at 7pm.
Monday December 8: Meeting in Room 340 in UWM Union at 7pm.

Independence Day

Members of Milwaukee Students for a Democratic Society paraded behind Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker. Walker has taken it upon himself to defund public spaces and public transit among other things.


For more images go to Indymedia.

A (school) Year In Review

On September 11, 2007, SDS presents environmental activist and former Vice Presidential candidate, Winona LaDuke.

On September 13, 2007, SDS shows the documentary The Ground Truth and Iraq Veterans Against the War member, Todd Dennis spoke.


On October 3, 2007, SDS presents Project Censored's Peter Phillips.



On October 27, 2007, SDS helps bring hundreds of Milwaukee students to Chicago for a mass anti-war protest.


On November 8, 2007, Weather Underground co-founder and veteran anti-war activist, Mark Rudd speaks.


December, 2007, SDS hosts Eyewitness: Iraq. Which presented various local Iraq veterans' stories of the war.
FULL VIDEO


On February 25, 2008, SDS presented Black Panther Party co-founder, Bobby Seale.



On March 10 through March 13, 2008, SDS holds a week of actions on the Fifth Anniversary of the War in Iraq. Ending with a rally outside the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee.



On March 11, 2008, SDS presents writer and activist Paul Street at UWM.


On March 15, 2008, SDS joined the city-wide rally against the Iraq War in Milwaukee.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dcMsVy0olY (sorry, couldn't embed the video).


On March 25, 2008, SDS presents activist, writer, and former lecturer, Norman Finkelstein



On April 14, 2008, SDS and Third World Action present activist and writer, Yves Engler to speak on North American intervention in Haiti


and much more to come...

Sgt. Carmelo Rodriguez

Sgt. Carmelo Rodriguez as he was and minutes before he died.

CBS News reported a story of the U.S. military neglecting the health of it's soldiers. Sgt. Carmelo Rodriguez asked CBS news to do an interview. As they prepared to do the interview, Sgt. Rodriguez died. CBS News' report can be seen here:


A New York Congressman has introduced the Carmelo Rodriguez Military Medical Malpractice and Injustice Act. A local station in New York gives some background on why military personnel cannot sue the U.S. government for medical malpractice.

Iraq Moratorium: Third Friday of Every Month

If you have time tonight (Friday, May 16th), head to Water St. and Wisconsin Ave. in downtown Milwaukee for the Iraq Moratorium from 5pm to 6pm.

If the third Friday of every month isn't enough for you, check out Peace Action Wisconsin. They have weekly vigils to end the war in Iraq.

Milwaukee Tops Another List

Milwaukeeans live in a city that ranks among the highest in the U.S. when it comes to teen pregnancy, segregation, and now racial disparities in drug sentencing.

Human Rights Watch and The Sentencing Project recently released reports outlinging the disparities in sentencing, arrests, etc. The New York Times and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel have run articles on both reports.

Human Rights Watch's report can be found here.The Sentencing Project's report can be found in PDF form here.

Labor and Immigration Film Series at UWM

Yves Engler Review

Thanks to everyone who came out to see Yves Engler speak. You can check the last post for where to pick up his books or read upcoming articles.

Yves Engler at UW-Milwaukee

Yves will discuss the roles the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) had in the 2004 coup of President Jean Bertrand Aristide of Haiti.

You can view some of Engler's articles at ZNet.

Engler coauthored a book called Canada in Haiti, which you should be able to order from People's Books Cooperative in Milwaukee.

Cosponsored by Third World Action and UWM SDS

Norman Finkelstein at UWM

Thanks to the approximately 250 people who attended Tuesday night's event on the Israel-Palestine conflict. We hope to have the entire lecture available online eventually. For now, a few clips:

Norman Finkelstein at UWM, 3/25

* March 25, 2008: Norman Finkelstein, The History of the Israel-Palestine Conflict and the Coming Breakup of American Zionism *

On Tuesday, March 25, 2008, Norman Finkelstein will be speaking at 7pm in the Ballroom of the UWM Student Union. Admission is free and open to the public. Norman Finkelstein has a doctorate in Political Science at Princeton University and he specializes on Jewish related issues, particularly the Israel-Palestine conflict. He is a Jewish scholar whose parents both survived the Holocaust and he has taught at Brooklyn College , Rutgers University , Hunter College, New York University, and most recently, DePaul University . He received media attention recently when he was denied tenure at DePaul University , and this incident has raised the question of academic freedom in American Universities. In the last year he has been lecturing around the world on the Israel-Palestine conflict and he is an advocate for the Two State Settlement.Finkelstein has written five books, including Beyond Chutzpah, The Holocaust Industry, and Image and Reality of the Israel-Palestine Conflict.

Additional information about Mr. Finkelstein is available at his website: http://www.normanfinkelstein.com/.

This event is being sponsored by Milwaukee Students for a Democratic Society, Muslim Student Association, Students for Justice in Palestine and SLAC. Additional information and updates are available at http://www.sdsmilwaukee.org/.

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