Today's Topics:
1. US, ideas and action: 2016 Philly Labor In Review By Geoff R
(a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
2. ainfos.ca: We are all in solidarity with traffickers (gr)
[machine translation] (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
3. Britain, afed: UNITY, THERESA? by Nick (London) -- A Reply
to Theresa May's Statement (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
4. Czech, afed: We wish the new year to all anarchists and
anarchistkám and free spirits in general a lot of success in the
struggle for a better world and a dignified life for all.
[machine translation] (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
5. Britain, freedom news - Editorial: British anarchism in 2016
(a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
6. Final declaration of the Federal System Constituent Assembly
conference aus den FdA-Gruppen - von Karakök
(a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
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Message: 1
2016 was a hot year for labor in the Philadelphia area. Five labor actions are especially
noteworthy: the Verizon (CWA), Just Born (BCTGM), Philadelphia Orchestra, SEPTA (TWU) and
APSCUF PA Higher Education workers strikes. All but one of these strikes was successful in
gaining immediate concessions and we find it useful to look at the nature of these
actions, what they achieved and how. We also find it important as revolutionary unionists
to think about these actions in broader terms; as small parts of a larger possible
rebuilding of militant labor activity in the Philadelphia area and beyond. We see this as
necessary to win more concessions as well to be part of a broader social revolutionary
movement to eventually bring about a positive alternative to capitalism. We believe that
until this happens, class struggle will continue.
Verizon CWA Workers Strike
The Verizon strike lasted more than six weeks and included nearly 40,000 workers. It was
ultimately successful in gaining concessions from management including keeping pensions
and less flexibility for the company to outsource work. The Verizon strike was especially
interesting because a particularly contentious issue was the company's outsourcing
operation in the Philippines. A CWA delegate who met with Verizon management in the
Philippines was confronted with armed Verizon security and a swat team carrying automatic
weapons. This is important in exposing the inherent extreme violent nature of class
struggle as well as the importance of coordinating labor actions internationally to gain
workers freedom and concessions. In addition, Verizon workers were successful in gaining
community support. One of the ways they did this was filming scab crews blatantly
violating safety codes, including one scab worker who was unable to get their ladder down
from the truck, and posting the videos online. The workers gained a four-year contract
with an overall 11 percent wage increase, as opposed to the 6.5 percent increase Verizon
had proposed prior to the strike, as well as bonuses and profit sharing.
Just Born BCTGM Workers Strike
The Just Born workers in BCTGM Local 6 in Bethlehem PA went on strike just before
Halloween. These workers make various candy which is popular at Halloween including
marshmallow Peeps, Mike and Ike and Hot Tamales. This strike was primarily over pension
and pay concessions and unfortunately was largely unsuccessful at preventing workers from
being replaced with scab labor. About seventy union members ended up crossing the line to
return to work without a contract, for fear of losing their jobs permanently which
hindered the strike action. A lawsuit filed by the union against Just Born regarding their
replacing various employees pensions with 401(k) plans is currently pending in federal
court. This strike is particularly interesting because Just Born filed a lawsuit against
BCTGM for violating a no-strike clause in their previous contract which has now expired.
We believe that no-strike clauses in labor contracts violate the basic worker right to
strike and must be avoided to the extent workers can. In addition, workers should not
necessarily be afraid to violate no-strike clauses because large mass labor actions
historically have been successful at outright ignoring court injunctions and getting
courts and employers to back down. One of the most important ways working class people can
exhibit their power is by withholding their labor and we must never forget that.
Philadelphia Orchestra Strike
The orchestra strike was a walkout by both Philadelphia and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
members who coordinated together to recover pay lost previously. The orchestra members
rejected last-ditch talks to avert the strike and instead walked out on opening night to
picket. At the same time, the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra also went on strike. Orchestra
members noted that their pay had been cut in recent years and they were making less than
musicians in the nation's other leading orchestras. The strike was successful and ended in
two days with concessions including a raise of more than 2 percent. In addition, the
Orchestra musicians were successful in calling for increasing the size of the orchestra by
one member. The fact that orchestra members walked out to picket on opening night is
noteworthy because it increased the power of their action by making it more expensive for
the bosses to concede to demands as an incredible amount of revenue was lost during the
strike.
SEPTA TWU Workers Strike
The SEPTA workers union strike was their ninth strike since 1975 and brought many trains
and buses throughout the Philadelphia area to a screeching halt, in an effort to make sure
workers received a contract to protect their pay and pensions. Noteworthy regarding this
strike is that SEPTA workers were very successful in building community and citywide
support for their strike. They did not get support from the city or state governments and
especially PA Governor Tom Wolf, a Democrat, who threatened to file a brief to the court
to end the strike immediately and force SEPTA workers back to work. Wolf is quoted as
saying "This strike has been devastating for so many individuals and their families and
has created extreme hardships for the city and for businesses. The time for it to end is
now." Of course, employers and bureaucrats like Wolf don't get to decide when strikes end,
workers do. The strike ended in about a week with major concessions for SEPTA workers.
APSCUF PA Higher Education Workers Strike
The APSCUF PA Higher Education strike lasted 11 days and included various workers in
higher education organized with APSCUF throughout the entire state, including tenured
faculty as well as adjunct instructors and temporary workers. This is important to note
because concessions won by the strike included increased pay and job security for adjunct
instructors, in exchange for tenured faculty taking slightly lower increases. This
exhibits a high level of solidarity between temporary and permanent employees which is
very important to win demands in higher education. One thing that is noteworthy about this
strike is that the administration failed in its attempts to replace the teachers with
scabs who were unfamiliar with the courses and course material. This happened not only in
the classroom but also virtually, as they attempted to replace instructors who teach
classes online as well. This is an important thing to consider regarding what control
online instructors have over courses taught online in the event of a strike, and how do we
consider the nature of "virtual" picket lines. Another thing to note is the importance of
including students in higher education labor actions as much as possible since they also
have grievances against the administration which need to be resolved, including
skyrocketing tuition costs.
Conclusion & Post-Strike Thoughts
The level of labor action that occurred in the Philadelphia area in 2016 we find very
encouraging as we head into the new year. Things which are especially encouraging include
the fact that workers in the Philadelphia area are increasingly seeing labor organization
and engaging in strikes as a way to collectively build and exhibit their working-class
power and win immediate demands, which they were largely successful in doing. As radical
libertarian unionists we see this as important not only for winning demands now but also
for building militant working class self-activity in general. We believe that labor
struggle will exist as long as capitalism does until the working class collectively gains
direct control of the existing economy and replaces it with a positive alternative. We
believe that this can be done via forming mass revolutionary working class organizations,
including revolutionary worker unions. We also believe it's important that these
working-class organizations be self-managed and be run by rank-and-file members
themselves, in a directly democratic fashion - as opposed to in a top-down fashion by
union bureaucrats. We look forward to a continued increase in worker militancy and
self-activity in the Philadelphia area and will be involved in it in any way we can.
http://ideasandaction.info/2016/12/2016-philly-labor-review/
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Message: 2
At dawn Wednesday, December 28, 2016 the Port of Igoumenitsa arrested Mikel Souloaga
(Mikel Zuloaga) and Begonia Ouarte (Begoña Huarte), of Basque origin, because it brought
in caravan eight refugees in order to arrive in the Basque Country, under a large campaign
to free movement of refugees, to secure decent housing and work, the struggle for a life
free of discrimination and exclusion. --- This is an absolutely fair act of civil
disobedience. The two Basques detained in Igoumenitsa with serious charges, six of the
eight refugees were released while the other two are kept in appalling conditions because
they had no papers. --- The energy of the two Basque militants, a challenging crack racist
border EU regime, an example of dignity and practical solidarity at a time when Europe
looks increasingly dark continent.
The old and new fences, blockades, upgrading surveillance through technological lobby
security, criminalization of solidarity is the essence of Fortress Europe.
Those arrested-compas Mikel Zuloaga, Begoña Huarte, Reza Ali and Ahmet Awais have our full
solidarity.
We will not accept the criminalization of solidarity with the pretext of the fight against
'trafficking', which even provides crippling prison.
With them we will fight against the barbarity of Fortress Europe, against the separation
of people by ethnicity, religion, gender, freedom of movement, to burst the exemption regime.
Concentration solidarity Friday 30/12, at 11:30 in the courthouse Igoumenitsa.
- Immediate release of the two Basque militants and two refugees
- Free movement against fences and border
Gesture-Antiauthoritarian Movement
http://ainfos.ca/gr/ainfos02786.html
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Message: 3
There is no ONE humanity ---- There is the humanity made up of classes: ---- slaves and
masters ---- Organisational Platform of the General Union of Anarchists (Draft) - 20 June
1926 ---- Theresa May has issued a statement calling for unity within the United Kingdom.
---- What unity? What do we have in common with her, Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage, Tony
Blair, Philip Green, Mike Ashley and the other billionaires and millionaires and
self-seeking politicians? What do we have in common with the property developers and with
those councils who enable them, including many Labour councils. What do we have in common
with the arms manufacturers, the generals, the secret service bosses, the police chiefs?
---- What unity do we have in a country where the number of rough sleepers is on the
increase, as are the food banks, where many working class communities have been devastated
throughout Britain, from the Welsh valleys, to northern England and the inner cities? What
unity do we have in cities where the working class is being socially cleansed, where
people like Patrik Schumacher can know openly talk about wiping out social housing and
privatising all public space.
There can be no unity with those who exploit and oppress us, the working class, and who
openly despise us.
We talk about a different unity. We talk about unity and solidarity with the striking
railworkers, postal workers, cleaners, airline workers who have shown that the working
class is still there.
We grow their food, we mine their minerals, we serve them in restaurants and hotels, we
provide their health care we run their transport systems. When they are ill, infirm, or
old we provide for their health. We produce everything, yet we allow a small group of
parasites to live off our labour.
The answer to this is not the false unity of May and her chums in high places, but a class
unity where we recognise our practical strength; where we can stop the wheels of industry
and sabotage their attempts at increasing oppression and at the drive to war, where we can
swarm out into the streets in vast numbers and paralyse their system, where we can look to
a future not based on continuing inequality, oppression and exploitation but to one based
on freedom, peace and equality, where there will be no more poverty, no more war, where we
collectively run society and share equally in all products and the fruits of the earth.
https://afed.org.uk/unity-theresa/
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Message: 4
Five years ago, we said goodbye to 2011 full of hope. She brought with it an unprecedented
outbursts of revolt in different parts of the world. The past year 2016 was almost the
opposite and almost materialization saying that action comes after the reaction. Reaction
forces really raged at worst. Other compaction repressive screws further expansion of
working poverty, others hate speech against people of different religions, skin colors or
those who just fleeing wars and poverty. On the political scene across countries absent
left, so the only alternative to the neoliberal elites from the half-truths to the absurd
fictions masírovaným electorate has the right-wing, xenophobic and populist political
projects, for which often costs again and again by those who have so far participated in
the political or economic power . To lead the US administration sits dollars bloated
monster that lavishes unsavory remarks and distributes authorities and to strengthen the
position of the largest players in spite of the economic interests of the people and the
environment. On the opposite side of the planet unlimited ruler of the Kremlin he tried to
pass him even without any real resistance massacre of civilians and targeted bombing of
hospitals. Authoritarian rulers fully started their show in Turkey, Hungary, Poland ...
What does all this mean for us?
Rise!
How to begin?
What about the question? - I want to watch angrily shit he gave me roll, let him tote and
watch as diminishing freedoms, rights, and security options? If not, you have no choice
but to lift the butt and start doing something. Organize. Develop your own initiative.
Accept responsibility. Being solidary. Realize that if their lives not stand for
ourselves, it is nonsense to expect that for us, someone else will.
What to ask more questions? - I just want to rescue the gains, which amounted generation
of workers before me? Or I want to go straight to the dreams of many of them - dreams of a
world where no oppressor and oppressed, no one is discriminated against just because they
have a different skin color, gender, sexual orientation, age, etc.? Yes, our alternative
is in our dreams. But we are already materializing here and now - in our teams, in the way
as anti-authoritarians and antiautoritárky organize in solidarity approach to fighting
other underprivileged.
What do you need? Necessary weapons each - the head and the heart. Just add the will for
real change and half the battle is won.
Year 2017 may not be next year when "everything goes to shit." It may be a year boom
movement whose aim is human emancipation, freedom and self-government structures to ensure
the needs of all people without discrimination and, not least, a planet whose fate will
associate us better vision than those apocalyptic.
It depends on each of us.
https://www.afed.cz/text/6586/pf-2017
------------------------------
Message: 5
It's hard to know where to start when writing an editorial about 2016. So much has
happened in British politics that a summary piece could easily end up being just a list of
uncommon events, from the rise of Corbynism and its impact on the libertarian left, to
Brexit, the collapse of the Tory consensus and the quiet grind forward of the Pitchford
Spy Cops inquiry. Hillsborough, Iraq and many of the issues documented elsewhere in this
magazine would all be worthy of comment in a "normal" year. ---- It's the first of these
items however which has had the broadest impact on the anarchist movement, leaving us in a
classic political bind as, after decades of right consensus, a social democratic party
begins criticising neoliberalism, sweetened by a failed rightist coup, and makes promises
of gains down the electoral road.
Yet what does Corbynism practically offer us as members of the 7.5-billion-strong "don't
have a superyacht" club? The optimistic answer might be that if Corbyn and co. win back
permanent control of Labour from the right, if they then manage to bypass the mainstream
media and win broad support that is so far lacking, if they take power and aren't then
mangled by a combination of State, military and private interests, they might be able to
implement at least some good old-fashioned nationalisation* along with investment in
housing, protection of arts funding, an "integrated transport system**" and the like.
After 30 years of fighting losing battles; that sounds like a balm for the collective soul
of the left, reversing the worst of the neoliberal long march by using the power of the
State for good. It's no wonder so many people are flocking to the likes of Momentum. It
would be churlish to deny the draw of hope, or indeed write off such activity as useless -
from such acorns movements can grow.
But we do know the limitations of social democracy. We've seen it again and again, not
just in the past but now, in Greece and France and Venezuela and many other countries
where the left has "gained power." These governments, all of which benefit from a stronger
grassroots left than Britain, have not, in the crux, been able to stand up to the weight
of capital or the will of the markets. There's not much evidence that McDonnell's
continuing of the Miliband-era "fiscal lock" will be able to break their mould in any but
the most perfunctory of ways.
For many, that will be enough. A few bones is better than nothing, even if the ultimate
failure of the social democratic left to make headway will likely result in a resurgent
right-wing smirking "told you they couldn't protect you" as they ride to power on a wave
of renewed petty nationalism.
But we know it's not enough. There is so much further to push, not just in straight policy
terms but to rebuild the very bones of the progressive body. We can't exercise power in
our workplaces through the goodwill of Corbyn. We can't push councils out of "fiscally
responsible" budget cuts by waiting until 2020 and hoping McDonnell can nudge his
cash-flow around a bit by 2025. All of that has to come from us, organising at the
grassroots level, rekindling solidarity as a social norm.
Extra-parliamentary challenges change things where Jeremy Corbyn mouthing words at a
honking chorus of Westminster goons does not.
In October a vast groundswell of discontent in Poland from women facing a total State ban
on abortion led to a humiliating U-turn by one of Europe's most right-wing
administrations. A vast international movement largely crushed neoliberal stitch-up trade
deal TTIP earlier this year despite the extreme efforts of EU bureaucrats and politicians
to bury even the basic details of what was happening on pain of prosecution. And here in
Britain Iain Duncan Smith's hated disability testing of people with chronic conditions
partially collapsed in the face of thousands upon thousands of legal challenges and
protests amid public pressure and horror over the tortuous, sometimes lethal policy.
Direct action works. It's the only way to push further than timid reformism and "making
the best of a bad deal." Even social democrats themselves realise this, though they try to
bind such activities to their electoral yoke.
And anarchism's basic critiques of social democracy, even under nice-guy Corbyn, remain as
relevant and trenchant as ever. None of our movement's criticisms of Keynesianism, the
State-led economic structures Corbyn and co. are attempting to rehash, have ceased to be
true. Last time around our philosophy railed against its systemic inequalities, its
inflexibility, its high-handedness, its ultimate use as a means to stabilise capital in
times of crisis at the expense of the working classes.
Those priorities remain at the heart of a New-Old Labour project. The parliamentary left
remains wedded to a rose-tinted vision of what the State is, what it's for, what it can
achieve, in ways which ultimately just mirror the opposing dogmas of neoliberal rightists.
The flavour du jour is Corbynism, a rusting electric heater in the midst of a neoliberal
winter night. We can - and must - do more to warm our cockles.
This article first appeared in the Winter 2016 edition of Freedom anarchist journal
* An article of faith for the left, but the right were never wrong in noting the downsides
of clunky, patronising, one-size-fits-all State planning. It's only their "improvements"
which were inhuman.
** As a policy this was comprehensively skewered by a 1982 episode of Yes Minister called
Bed of Nails.
Related Posts:
Anarchy in the UK: A Changed Political Landscape
So we're out of Europe...
Finding Hope on an A to B March
The current crisis and the rise of the Corbyn dogma
The End of Dogma: #KeepCorbyn as a transitional demand.
https://freedomnews.org.uk/editorial-british-anarchism-in-2016/
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Message: 6
The final declaration of the Northern Syria Democratic Federal System Constituent Assembly
issued a call to all circles in Syria to take active part in the building of a Democratic
and Federal Syria. The Northern Syria Constituent Assembly conference began in the town
of Rimêlan on December 27 and lasted three days. Yesterday, the 165-member council
approved the Social Contract draft. ---- The final declaration of the conference was made
public in a press conference. ---- Constituent Assembly member Elizabeth Koreyî who read
the final declaration stated that the second meeting on the works of the Northern Syria
Democratic Federal System Constituent Assembly, which was declared on March 17, 2016, was
held with the participation of 165 members from the three cantons and Shehba region on
December 27-28-29 in the scope of the developments in Syria and the region.
Accordingly, the conference witnessed an evaluation of the current process and the latest
situation in Syria, military and political developments-mainly in Northern Syria- Turkey's
occupation of Jarablus and efforts for the occupation of al Bab, threats against Manbij
and Efrîn, changes these have caused in the demography of the region and attacks on
civilians. It was agreed that Turkey's invasion of Syrian soil must be opposed and stood
against.
Participants of the conference also discussed the military developments in Aleppo and
Palmyra, changes in the balance of power and consequent effects of these changes for the
coming process.
According to the final declaration, participants called attention to the importance of a
ceasefire in Syria, and emphasized that all key elements should sit around a joint table
for the resolution of the Syrian crisis in order that the previous failed talks and
meetings aiming a solution do not repeat.
Constituent Assembly member Elizabeth Koreyî stated that the gains achieved by the Syrian
Democratic Forces during the operation to liberate Raqqa were also assessed. Koreyî
continued as follows:
"After that, the Executive Council's report was read. All activities by the committees up
to date were assessed in the report. The Social Contract articles among the main points on
the agenda were separately assessed and necessary changes were made in some articles.
The Constituent Assembly shared the political document set forth for the resolution of the
crisis in Syria. The Assembly stated that the Northern Syrian Federation was a part of the
Democratic and Federal Syria. The Federal System was assessed to be a democratic solution
for the future of Syria and a system to guarantee an exit from the current crisis and to
prevent social collapse. In addition, the administration experience we have achieved since
the July 19 revolution that occurred with the participation of all peoples has posed an
example for all of Syria.
Our call for the democratic and national forces that believe in a political solution is to
come together and build a Democratic and Federal Syria that includes all peoples. With
that, we call on all political and social groups in Northern Syria to take active part in
the democratic system.
We gift this victory achieved through the blood of our martyrs to all the peoples of Syria
for the new year."
https://karakok.wordpress.com/2016/12/31/final-declaration-of-the-federal-system-constituent-assembly-conference/
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