U.S. Imperialists’ Attack on Haiti Spurs Worker-Student Fight-back

PORT-AU-PRINCE, May 19 — At a three-day teachers’ union forum here about the government and imperialist donors’ reconstruction plans for Haiti, teachers and students blasted the plans to “reconstruct” neocolonial capitalism in Haiti. The forum was organized by UNNOH, the National Union of Teachers’ College Graduates of Haiti, along with CTSP (Confederation of Workers in the Public & Private Sectors).

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Transit Workers Fight Racist Attacks: Bankers Squeeze Billion$ from Debt Scam

NEW YORK CITY, May 24 — Transit workers, students and other riders are under attack from MTA (Metropolitan Transit Authority) bosses:

• They’re cutting train and bus service;

• They laid off 250 station agents in early May despite a court injunction to delay layoffs until the MTA holds public hearings;

• They’ve announced over 3,000 more transit worker layoffs; and 600 non-union administrative employees have already received buyout offers;

• They’re threatening to eliminate student Metro Cards (free fare cards)

• They’re threatening to eliminate workers’ raises;

• Their CEO Jay Walder and the bosses’ media have labeled transit workers’ hard-won benefits of overtime pay and sick days as “abuse.”

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BP Oil Spill Kills Workers, Environment: Bosses’ Energy Rivalry Murdering Millions

British Petroleum’s (BP) bosses murdered 11 workers and caused untold ecological damage when a BP oil rig blew up in the Gulf of Mexico last month. As usual in industrial disasters, profit-driven cost-cutting proved the immediate cause. Texas A&M drilling expert Gene Beck “said BP’s encasement design called for only partial coverage of casings deep in the well. Cement did not reach the bottom of the next-largest casing in high-pressure areas, a decision Beck called ‘shocking.’” (Los Angeles Times, 5/23)

But the blowout highlights only one of the dangers to our class from the oil barons’ reckless pursuit of maximum profits. The very existence of BP’s Gulf rig stems from U.S. imperialism’s need to control world energy supplies by force in the face of increasing competition. Millions of working-class Iraqis and Afghans have already been killed in the capitalists’ struggle over oil and gas. Expanding offshore drilling, however, signals U.S. rulers’ plans for far deadlier conflicts.

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Colombia May Day: PL’ers Expose Union Hacks, Defy Cops’ Attacks

BOGOTA, COLOMBIA, May 2 — Colombians celebrated the International Workers’ Day with huge demonstrations in the country’s most important cities. They were larger than in previous years. Seventy thousand people marched here and more than two million marched nation-wide.

As usual, PLP carried our communist message to workers and political fighters, trying to develop closer ties, selling CHALLENGE and distributing more than 2,000 Party leaflets. We started the march chanting our slogans: “Who are we? Working class! What do we want? Solutions! What will we do? Revolution!” “Down with sexism, long live communism!” “One working class, one communist world, one Progressive Labor Party!” and many others against racism, wage slavery and the upcoming electoral farce. PLP led these chants.

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Bosses Profit While EMS Workers Battle Burnout by Racist FDNY Brass

NEW YORK CITY, May 17 — Recently members and friends of our PLP club distributed 100 CHALLENGES over a three-hour period at a city hospital here at the Emergency Department entrance’s ambulance bay, and in the patient waiting area. We sold several copies to hospital workers changing shifts and taking breaks. Some of our best discussions occurred with the Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and Paramedics bringing patients into the hospital.

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Times Square Bombing: Another Cover for Wider Wars?

The Times Square plot strangely resembles the “underwear” bomber attempt over Detroit last December 25. Both “masterminds” had upper-class backgrounds in their home countries. NYC terrorist Shahzad’s father was Vice Air Marshal in Pakistan, where the military rules. Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, of Christmas infamy, is the son of Nigeria’s leading banker. Neither was seriously injured. Both sang like canaries when apprehended, fingering U.S. foes, the Pakistani Taliban and Yemen’s Al Qaeda on the Arabian Peninsula, respectively, as their backers. Both prompted U.S. military action and a media blitz. Thus, the possibility that Washington somehow aided their efforts arises.

A Century of U.S. Invasions

While PLP completely opposes terrorism as a working-class weapon, there are millions across the world who justifiably hate U.S. imperialism. Historically, the U.S. ruling class has fabricated numerous false attacks in order to justify its wars:

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Imperialists are the Biggest Terrorists: Rulers Use Times Square Bomber to Expand War and Fascism

U.S. rulers are seizing on the failed May 1st Times Square car bombing to widen their overseas energy wars and wield harsher police powers at home. On May 9, Obama ordered a drone missile strike that killed at least 10 “suspected militants” in Pakistan’s Waziristan region, where bungling bomber Faisal Shahzad said he had received training from the Pakistani Taliban. Just before the raid, Hillary Clinton warned Pakistan’s leaders of “severe consequences” if a successful terrorist attack on the U.S. should originate from their country (CBS 60 Minutes, 5/9/10).

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Newark PL’ers Link Budget Crisis to Capitalism: Mass Student Walkout Against School Cuts Hits the Streets

          NEWARK, NJ, April 27 — “When Christie says Cut Back, We Say Fight Back,” chanted a multi-racial group of over 2,500 Newark high school students as they walked out of school today and marched to the Board of Education building protesting Gov. Chris Christie’s latest education cuts. Christie is slashing $820 million in school funding — to municipalities, colleges and universities, student financial aid and from the state pension fund. The protest here was part of a state-wide anti-cut demonstration of 9,000.

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Angry Transit Workers on Right Track But Need to Smash Profit System

NEW YORK CITY, May 4 — More than a thousand angry transit workers surprised both Transportation Workers Union (TWU) Local 100 leaders and cops when they broke out of police pens at a Local 100 rally and marched to Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) headquarters, blocking traffic along the 15-block walk.

These militant marchers had plenty to be upset about. In recent weeks tragedy and devastation have hit City transit workers:

• On April 27, track foreman Jimmy Knell fell on an unprotected energized third rail in a rain-soaked area, killing him;

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MAY DAY MARCHERS MARK INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY

New York City

NEW YORK CITY, May 1 — May Day 2010 was a great day for the working class in NYC. Workers involved in class struggle against the bosses were a highlight of the spirited march in Manhattan and at three dinners throughout the city, which were attended by over 600 people. Stella D’Oro strikers, now PLP members, spoke at the dinners along with students involved in fighting the budget cuts in their schools

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