Congress Hotel Strike Enters 5th Year...

It’s official. The Congress Hotel strike is now the longest active strike in the country. Yet the workers continue to man the picket line everyday. There are no new developments in the strike, and few expect there to be any major breakthroughs soon, but the annual strike anniversary rallys have become a yearly gathering site for nearly all of Chicago’s progressive union activists. Hundreds gathered outside the Congress Hotel in downtown Chicago today, in an almost party like atmosphere, complete with a New Orleans style Jazz band. As fun as the event has become over the past few years, let’s hope it will not need to be repeated next year.

Here is some audio from today’s rally…

Henry Tamarin, President of UNITE-HERE Local 1, talks about the massive turn out of workers and their supporters at the 5th anniversary rally of the Congress hotel strike in Chicago. The strike in now officially the longest running active strike in the country.

http://www.archive.org/details/HenryTamarinAtCongressHotelStrike5thYearAnniversary

Imelda Martinez, employee of the Congress Hotel in Chicago talks about attending the picket line 5 days a week for the past 5 years, at the 5th strike anniversary rally outside the hotel.

http://www.archive.org/details/ImeldaMartinezCongressHotelStriker

Comments

Honduran Civil Society Leaders Visit Chicago, Advocate for Restoration of the Constitutional Government and an End to Human Rights Violations...

Honduran Civil Society Leaders Visit Chicago, Advocate for Restoration of the Constitutional Government and an End to Human Rights Violations La Voz de los de Abajo, Casa Morazán and NALACC invite you to panel discussions and community forums in Chicago with leaders of Honduran civil society touring U.S. with immigrant leaders to advocate for the restoration of the constitutional government and an end to the escalating human rights violations. One month after the interruption of constitutional order in Honduras through a military coup d’état and in the wake of widespread reports of human rights violations harkening back to events of the 1980s, the National Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean Communities (NALACC) is bringing a delegation of civil society representatives from that country to the U.S. to participate in a speaking tour and to advocate for the restoration of constitutional order and respect for human rights. U.S. based Latino immigrant leaders will also join this del...

PERRO 24 hr vigil a great success...

Last Monday PERRO (Pilsen Environmental Rights and Reform Organization), held a 24 hr vigil outside the office of Alderman Danny Solis of the 25th ward, to encourage him to become a co-sponsor of the Clean Power Ordinance. Dozens of people participated and the news coverage was extensive especially the Spanish language press. Univision covered the vigil on it 5 pm and 10 pm news broadcasts. Telemundo aired pieces on the vigil at 5 pm, 10 pm and on Tuesday mornings news cast. WBBM News radio 780 mentioned the vigil throughout the day Monday. I will post more later, include pictures, put here are two good print stories on the vigil... http://www.progressillinois.com/quick-hits/content/2010/09/27/turning-heat-chicagos-clean-power-bill http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/16182-2

Best Films of 2023...

Best Films of 2023 Well, it's already early February somehow and award season for the 2023 film year is well underway. 2023 was the first year post-pandemic I was able to see the volume of new films to warrant a top 10 list - a practice I started in 2017 but abandoned after 2020 when like the rest of the world I was mostly forced to watch releases from years past on streaming services. Last year, despite my ongoing poverty, through a host of tricks, streaming services, tight budgets, and the generosity of friends, I was able to see around 40 new releases. For most of 2023, I considered it the YEAR OF DISAPPIONTMENTS . That's still my primary description of the year in film. Long anticipated and ballyhooed new films by Nolan, Scorsese, Fincher, and Wes Anderson to name a few all left me dissatisfied. Not because I am an adoring fan of these directors, but given the high regard with which they are held and given the rich subject matter on which ...

Search This Blog