Well another Fiesta del Sol has come and gone. And for the second year running, I feel the Fiesta is returning to its roots as a community festival. For many years it seemed the commercial booths had taken over and the community orientated booths were disappearing. This year and last that seems to be reversing itself. I also heard that the non-profit booth rated had dropped from $800 to $700. Still way to high, but improving at least. Members of PERRO (Pilsen Environmental Rights and Reform Organization) were able to gather over a thousand signatures on a petition asking for a Clean Power Ordinance in Chicago, reducing pollution from the Fisk and Crawford coal-fired power plants, despite Midwest Generation's sponsorship of the Fiesta. It was great to see the Latino Vote, Amnesty International and other folks out circulating petitions as well. Once again, the Art booth, Children's booth, The Alivio Medical Center booth and House of Sol were real highlights. The addition ...

Immigrant rights activists held a rally outside Cook County Jail on Chicago's Southwest side today. A few hundred attended the rally to protests increased deportations of undocumented immigrants caught up in the criminal justice system and the extreme anti-immigrant measures of SB 1070 in Arizona. Today's rally was held in conjunction with actions around the country, especially in Arizona were some dozens were arrested protesting the first day that aspects of SB 1070 went into effect. Though a federal judge has placed an injunction on the most heinous aspects of the law, other aspects, like the banning of "sanctuary" cities or counties in the state, did go into effect today. You can find pictures of today's rally in Chicago here... http://picasaweb.google.com/jerrymeadlucero/CookCountyJailImmigrantRightsRallyJuly29th2010?feat=directlink I interviewed Jorge Mujica of the March 10th Committee at the rally today. You can listen to that interview here... http://ww...

As part of a series of actions across the country, over a thousand people - hotel workers and their supporters - rallied in front of the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Chicago earlier today. Around a hundred people sat down to block the street in front of the hotel. About 20 were arrested. UNITE-HERE Local 1 organizers say this is just the beginning of a ratcheting up of actions to take place over the next few months as hotel workers reach the one year mark in their fight for a new contract at over 30 hotels in the Chicago area. Interviews with participants in todays raly will be aired on next Monday's episode of Labor Express Radio. Pictures from the rally can be viewed here... http://picasaweb.google.com/jerrymeadlucero/HyattJuly22ndRallyChicago?authkey=Gv1sRgCMuJqe6XxqakMg&feat=directlink The following is from UNITE-HERE Local 1's press release... The rich take unfair advantage of everything . . . even a recession. Hotel workers in Chicago and across North America have...

Today's Labor Express Radio program is devoted entirely to a phone interview I conducted last Friday with Dr. Jack Rasmus, economist and author of the recently released book, Epic Recession: Prelude to Global Depression. It is a impressive work filled with in depth research on the history of the U.S. economy, a detailed critique of the Obama administrations handling of the economic crisis and a 28 point program of action to keep this "epic recession" from becoming a full fledged depression. And the work could hardly be more timely as many mainstream economist are now convinced a double dip recession is just around the corner. Here is a link to Jack Rasmus website... http://www.kyklosproductions.com/ You can purchase copies of Dr. Rasmus new book at Amazon.com... http://www.amazon.com/Epic-Recession-Prelude-Global-Depression/dp/0745329985/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1279518797&sr=8-1

The Chicago Clean Power Coailtion held a press conference in Dvorak Park today to announce that the Sierra Club and Greenpeace have taken on the issue of cleaning up the Fisk and Crawford coal-fired power plants as a national campaign. The press conference also highlighted Alderman Solis and Munoz silence on the issue and PERRO's and LVEJO's community petition campaigns. Here is the press release... Local and National Environmental Groups Join Local Elected Officials to Call for Clean Power in Chicago Activists, Leaders, and Community Members Gather to Announce Expansion of Coalition Efforts to Clean up Chicago’s Coal Plants Chicago , IL : Nearly 50 local and national organizations joined by local community members and elected leaders kicked off a ward by ward effort today to pass the Chicago Clean Power Ordinance, which will clean up the Fisk and Crawford coal plants on Chicago ’s southwest side. The plants are the largest source of air pollution in the city, which has o...

A rare case of U.S. labor law coming to the aid of workers trying to organize. The NLRB ruled against the Blackstone for its illegal firing of 14 workers and for slashing workers health care benefits as a retaliation for organizing. I will have more on this issue on next Monday's episode of Labor Express (Monday 10 AM, 88.7 FM) so tune in for that. It will include an interview with UNITE-HERE Local 1 president Henry Tamarin who explains that this is a tremendous victory, but that the workers at the Blackstone still have a major fight on their hands to win a first contract. We also discuss the citywide hotel contract fight. Here is Local 1's press release... Judge rules: Blackstone Hotel illegally laid off workers Hotel ordered to offer jobs back with back pay and benefits Union estimates lost earnings and benefits to total at least $250,000 Chicago, IL – In a major ruling this week, an administrative law judge of the National Labor Relations Board ( NLRB ) found that ow...

Checkout this video. Best explanation of the current economic crisis I have come across. Much better than the crap on NPR (especially the stuff on This American Life) which has become so popular. All the other stuff focuses on the symptoms of the crises, not the disease itself. Circulate this around. It is also a tremendously creative video...