Forum-Discussion
(PDF flyer)
Time for A General Strike!
The Occupations, Public Workers And The General Strike Movement
Saturday December 10, 2011 2:00 PM (Free)
SF Main Library Latino-Hispanic Room A
100 Larkin St. San Francisco
Next To Civic Center Bart Station
Speakers From Local Agencies, Transit Workers & CA State Workers
The growing Occupation movement expresses the anger of millions of working people, unemployed, homeless, youth, students and retirees. It has been built as a democratic vehicle where people can speak out at daily assemblies.
The call for a general strike in Oakland and the shutdown on the docks show that direct action has power and the 30,000 people who marched saw their power on the docks. The action on Dec 12 should be supported as well.
There are 1.5 million public workers in California from many unions and all are under attack from their working conditions, wages, healthcare and benefits as well as assaults on retirees. Politicians locally, statewide and nationally are demanding more privatiztions and for public workers to “share the pain”. This is being supported by officials of SF unions who pushed concessions for SF City workers against the retirees and without a vote of the membership.
Additionally senior workers are being targeted for discharge and TWU transit workers and other workers who speak out for health and safety are being retaliated against and discharged.
An epidemic of privatization of public services and education is gaining momentum supported by the politicians that our unions have supported. Obama and Brown will not “save us” as the union leadership continues to tell us.
We need to unite all 1.5 million CA public workers and take collective action as workers in Europe including the 2 million public workers strike in England on Nov 30. Simply more pressure protests and marches cannot stop these attacks. The concession bargaining and give-backs along with reliance on Democratic politicians from Ed Lee, Jean Quan, Jerry Brown and Obama has been a disaster.
It is time to unite all public workers and work with the ILWU rank and file and other trade unionists to build a movement for a general strike statewide and nationally along with the formation of a democratic workers party with a real program to deal with this crisis.
We need to act and organize now to unite with the Occupy movement and build a democratic labor movement that will fight for all working people.
Sponsored By
United Public Workers For Action (UPWA)
www.upwa.info
(415)867-0628 (510)510-233-5820