Hi All, Updates on my visits with workers in Mexico should be coming in a week or so. I the mean time I wanted to sum up my experience at the USSF. I will try to post some more audio and info from some of the sessions I attended at the forum, particular those organized by the UE, AFSCME and Domestic Workers United at a later time. The following is a short summation piece I wrote for the Industrial Worker, newspaper of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). An edited version will be published in next months Industrial Worker, which you can find at... www.iww.org/projects/iw/ Labor Participates in a Big Way at the First United States Social Forum: “What is happening in America to workers today is the result of a thirty year sustained, intentional, strategic, assault on workers, unions, our quality of life and our standard of living. It has been a class war against workers and it is time we engage that class war and fought back… (a standing ovation from the crowd and loud applause).” ...

I wanted to make a quick entry to apologize to readers of pilsenprole for the lack of recent entries. In particular I want to apologize to the members of MIRA! (The Mississippi Immigrant Rights Alliance) for not having had time to add any of the audio or photos I took on my visit last week. My return to Chicago was very brief and I do not have regular access to a computer during my travels in Mexico. I will be posting new stories to this blog in the coming weeks related to... Visits with workers on the Gulf Coast. Visits with FLOC (Farm Labor Organizing Committee) members in Monterrey Mexico. Visits with APPO and Teachers union members in Oaxaca Mexico. General travel observations. as time and technology permit. Please check back often. The site will be more fully updated in August. In Solidarity, Jerry Mead-Lucero

Alexis De Simone with Casa of Maryland, one of the organizations involved in organizing domestic workers, talks about their work and the decision at the USSF to form a national coalition of domestic worker organizations. The national gathering of domestic workers organizations at the USSF was one of the highlights of the forum, and perhaps the most important labor movement development at the forum. http://www.archive.org/details/AlexisDeSimonUSSF

Ai-Jen Poo of Domestic Workers United (DWU) announces the creation of a national coalition of domestic worker’s organizations at the USSF. This is one of the most powerful labor speeches I have ever heard. Ai-Jen talks about the domestic workers movement as providing new spirit and direction to the entire working class movement. DWU and the other domestic worker organizations represent some of the best labor organizing going on today... http://www.archive.org/details/Ai-JenPooUSSF

Stewart Acuff, Organizing Director for the AFL-CIO, speaks at the Workers’ Rights in the Global Economy Plenary at the USSF. Always a powerful speaker, Acuff talks about a re-invigorated labor movement in terms rarely heard from officials of such high rank in the AFL-CIO. Acuff continues to be one of the best leaders in the organization. In particular, Acuff calls for the AFL to develop closer relationships with “non-traditional” forms of organizing workers. A really exciting speech... http://www.archive.org/details/AcuffUSSF