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Striking hotel workers face police & union misleaders
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- 17 August 2023 268 hits
SANTA MONICA, CA, August 12—The summer of 2023 continues to see workers’ struggles all over the Los Angeles area coming to a head. From striking writers and actors to education workers at the Los Angeles Unified School District and the University of California systems, hotel workers of Unite Here Local 11 have joined the fight back, beginning a series of multi-day, rolling pickets on July 2nd. While the rolling pickets make it difficult to sustain regular support as the locations are constantly changing, Progressive Labor Party (PLP) members and friends have joined the various picket lines around the city learning about their struggle, distributing Party leaflets and CHALLENGE to reinforce the fact that their struggle remains interconnected with the struggle of all workers. The vast majority of workers we spoke to welcomed our support and took our literature.
Bosses attack!
On Saturday, August 5, PLP members and friends joined the picket lines of hotel workers of the Viceroy and Fairmont Miramar hotels in downtown Santa Monica. Not long after we showed up to the picket line at the Viceroy, the union led a 1-mile march down Ocean Drive, a busy street full of tourists, to the Fairmont Miramar. Shortly after the march arrived, the hotel bosses had their security attack the workers which was quickly followed by the Santa Monica KKKops, who arrived to protect hotel property and try to intimidate the workers. They effectively split the march in two and kettled (surround protestors for a time and not allow them to leave) them with a barrier and wall of cops and cop cars.
After being released without any arrests, the workers continued with their rally. The hotel bosses tried to drown it out by cranking up the volume of their music but the union leaders continued with their speeches, and demonstrators stood their ground. However, as expected, these misleaders made no connection between the role of police as protectors of private property nor of the politicians (their keynote speaker was a former mayor of Santa Monica) in maintaining capitalism and all its horrors. Two members of the Flores family also joined us and spoke to workers which helped reinforce our point about the role of the cops. One base member, a Black healthcare worker who was trapped with the workers in front of the hotel, also found being in solidarity with the workers powerful. Another young base member thought the Party’s presence helped workers begin to acknowledge the link between their struggle and the capitalist system. He also participated in the 2022 University of California student worker strike in Davis. He noted that the Party’s presence there could have had the same effect on the consciousness of those workers too.
Pacifism is not the answer
Hotel workers were not only attacked by security and KKKops at the Fairmont Miramar, picketers at hotels in Long Beach and Dana Point were also viciously attacked by security, management, guests, and a “celebrity” chef. In response, the union organized three peaceful protests at these hotels over the weekend. PL’ers and friends joined 200 workers and community supporters at the Fairmont Miramar rally. As expected the union misleaders pushed pacifism and non-violence as a response to the violent attacks. Going so far as to say workers should not defend themselves if attacked. They even pointed out the scum security guard who led the attack to say that they are on the same side as the hotel workers even though they obviously made a choice to be in solidarity with hotel management. Most of the speakers were union reps and clergy. The only worker who spoke repeated the call for non-violence and praised the union leadership. Despite this we were able to distribute 20 CHALLENGEs and leaflets and make good connections with workers.
Record profits = record exploitation
Hotel workers in Los Angeles (LA) County make a dismal $19.73 per hour and can’t even afford to live in the areas where they service hotels that charge rates that reach over $400-600 per night! It’s disgusting!
According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, a single mother would need to make over $40 an hour to afford a 2-bedroom apartment in LA County, still well above the proposed $30 an hour minimum in Santa Monica that the union is pushing for. In a survey by the union, 53 percent of workers said that they either have moved in the past five years or will move in the near future because of soaring housing costs (www.businesswire.com, 7/18). Meanwhile, the hotel industry in Santa Monica is booming, with revenue exceeding pre-pandemic levels.
Many workers already live more than two hours away due to the exorbitant cost of living in LA County. Not surprisingly, the vast majority of hotel workers are Latin women, illustrating the gross sexism and racism built into capitalism’s profit system. A political and economic system that can’t meet the basic needs of the working class does not deserve to exist and needs to be smashed. That is why PLP calls for communist revolution, to smash these lousy conditions and put the working class in command.
Our leaflet emphasized how these workers’ fight remains especially interconnected with many recent struggles of workers who have struck or are currently striking. Strike fever here is spreading- LA City workers also conducted a one day walkout on August 8th. The leaflet also highlighted the limited power of strikes led by reformist union leaders who are loyal to a capitalist system which requires exploitation in order that profits be maximized. Even if union demands result in temporary gains, in a few years hotel bosses along with their allies in the bosses’ government will again resist providing even minimally decent conditions for the workers.
Moreover, the leaflet exposed the importance of racism and sexism in justifying the super exploitation of marginalized workers. As the strikes continue, Party members and friends in LA will remain committed to supporting hotel workers, writers, and actors throughout the summer.
PAKISTAN, July 23—Thirty-three families participated in a Progressive Labor Party (PLP) Summer Cadre School in Pakistan for one week in July. Some of the topics that were discussed included: How establishing a classless society is the only way the working class can get rid of poverty and exploitation. How communism is the only way to make this world a prosperous and peaceful place to live without prejudices and slavery. How the bosses are making the working class emotionally enslaved by injecting religious and racial prejudices. How the bosses are spreading fundamentalism, nationalism, racism and sectarianism to keep the working class divided and fighting with each other. How to build the fight against ethnic and racial divisions that the bosses spread in the working class. How to build a communist party and movement for a workers led revolution. The school was held at a hilly station at the border of India and Pakistan.
It was very nice to see the people on the other side of the border waving their hands and exchanging good words with us. People from India and Pakistan were separated by a 25-30 meters wide river. We showed them the small banner displaying the PLP monogram with “Fight for Communism” and “One flag, one fight…Workers of the world unite.” We also threw some CHALLENGEs in English and Urdu by wrapping stones with them and it was very fascinating when some people kissed them to show their love for us and communism.
Discussing plans for fightback
We chalked out a plan of activities for the remaining months; we analyzed the tactics we used to meet new people and evaluated our struggle while participating/organizing reform activities. Young and senior comrades were excited to explore new ways to strengthen our struggle at the workplaces, campuses, shops and farms.
We also discussed the political situation in Pakistan and reached the point that the political chaos, devastating economic situation, terrorism and surveillance is a result of inter-imperialist rivalry as well as the enmity among the pro-China and pro-U.S. groups in the bureaucracy, establishment and ruling class.
We, the working class, know that bosses are also using misleaders from the trade unions to protect the interests of the capitalist class. These misleaders are being supported by every means to spread illusion and fear among the workers. They never talk against the contractual workforce being employed by the bosses to earn more profit without fear of strikes, they never struggle for unionizing the workers and they never help the harassed, tortured or injured workers.
Most of the discussion was led by young comrades. They took interest in the history of the Party and how our Party matured our line from nationalism to communism. Participants were enthusiastic while discussing base building and participating/organizing reform struggles. Young students and senior workers shared the experiences they got while participating in strikes and sit-ins. Comrades were keen to share their experiences and learn lessons from international comrades.
We concluded our summer camp by endorsing, appreciating and congratulating the new leadership collective at the 2023 PLP convention. After singing The Internationale and chanting slogans like “Long live communism, down with imperialism”, “One flag one fight, workers of world unite” and “Long live PLP” our summer camp was over.
HAWAII, August 15—Real estate developers, bankers, and tourist billionaires were exploiting the natural beauty of Maui and the labor of local workers. Seventy thousand visitors were on the island on any given day. Everything was cool, right?
In fact, there was plenty to worry about. An initial fire broke out on August 8 at 12.22 a.m. in Upcountry Maui. Another brush fire was reported near the Lahaina elementary school at 6:37 a.m. Subsequent fires started nearby. Horrific flames began tearing through the small town just after 5 p.m., lasting through the night. What seems like a disaster of nature is actually the result of the failure of capitalism to safeguard lives and the environment.
The only way to break out of traps like this is to end the capitalist system which sets the stage for the wars, disasters and tragedies we experience all over the globe. And for this, a revolutionary communist party is needed. Progressive Labor Party is a workers’ party, organizing to build a movement for communist revolution worldwide; everyone who wants to see this system end once and for all should join. Disasters like the Lahaina inferno should be a wake-up call.
State, media, and business neglect our class
Actually, the government was aware of the potential for disaster. Local scientists had published warnings well in advance of the inferno that took too many lives and disappeared 1,300 people. Hurricane Lane in 2018 was the immediate cause of multiple fires on Maui and Oahu. Scientists from the University of Hawaii (UH) analyzed all the causes, warning anyone who would listen of the dangers ahead. See their warnings in “Fire and Rain: The Legacy of Hurricane Lane in Hawaii” (June, 2020).
Vast tracts of grasses cover thousands of acres of unmanaged land in Hawaii. This makes the islands vulnerable to fires. This should, of course, raise serious questions. Why was the land around Lahaina unmanaged? Who actually owns that land? Why was it abandoned to the point where human life was placed at such grave risk?
Disaster prevention did not seem to be on the agenda for the state’s well-paid officials. An ecosystem fire specialist at UH had for years warned that a growing acreage of invasive, fire-prone grasses and brush had overtaken the abandoned agricultural lands once used for sugar and pineapple plantations.
The media and opportunistic lawyers seeking clients seem eager to only blame Hawaiian Electric Company for the disaster. Power lines blown over by strong winds might have sparked the fire, and the company hadn’t bothered to invest in preventive systems. However, there is plenty of blame to go around. It should be clear that the problem was more basic than a few dozen fallen power poles.
The cause is capitalism
The fundamental cause of the tragedy is the economic and social system we are trapped in—the system that leads to dangerously unmanaged land next to over-developed tourist facilities. Capitalism produces a government that cares not about protecting the lives of workers. In fact, it is an obstacle we must overthrow, fight for revolution, and build a new society based on communist principles.
It is clear that Maui has been overdeveloped only to benefit the owners of a multi-billion-dollar tourist industry. Hawaii’s Department of Business Development and Tourism reported that, during the first half of the year, Maui drew more than 1.48 million visitors, or 30 percent of all Hawaii tourists. Visitor spending was $3.5 billion in the same period. That is clearly enough capital for adequate fire-prevention and sufficient fire-fighting personnel and equipment.
No escape from a global system
Despite the priorities of profit, enough of historic Lahaina, with its breathtaking views of offshore islands, remained to attract visitors seeking to briefly escape the capitalist rat race. But, we are trapped in a global system from which there is no escape. Surviving Lahaina workers and visitors have learned a bitter lesson.
A 74-year-old survivor doesn’t blame firefighters for not warning him in advance. He said a long line of politicians allowed fire stations to be understaffed. Firefighting efforts were hampered by a small staff — 65 firefighters at most working at any given time in Maui. The Fire Chief pointed out that they're responsible for three whole islands — Maui, Molokai and Lanai. They had 13 fire engines and two ladder trucks, all designed for on-road use. The department doesn't have any off-road vehicles, which are needed to attack brush fires thoroughly before they reach populated areas.
Maui County’s 2020 Hazard Mitigation Plan identified 132,000 acres with burnable vegetation requiring long-term management with practices such as those used in agriculture. Seventy miles of fire breaks and 90 miles of fuel breaks were needed. However, under capitalism, politicians are induced to put profit first, public safety second. Even though the potential for destruction far outweighed the cost of prevention, political leaders were encouraged by big business to keep taxes down and budgets low.
It is important to learn why this failure occurred. Even more important is the need to learn how the capitalist system set the stage for catastrophe, and why and how this system must be brought to an end.
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Students, not suspects! Fight racist policing in schools
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- 17 August 2023 258 hits
Prince George’s County, MD. August 12—There’s a new Black “sheriff” in Prince George’s County—Superintendent of PGC Schools, Millard House, who quickly outed himself as serving ruling-class interests. His first racist policy is putting metal detectors in county high schools and some middle schools and requiring clear backpacks for students. As if having cops in the schools wasn’t enough, he wants to perfect the racist school-to-prison pipeline! We reject our working-class students being treated like suspects and criminals!
Progressive Labor Party (PLP) calls on all readers to join the fight to defeat the entire capitalist system which generates systemic racism like these policies, which are aimed at weakening our unity and terrorizing our class, the working class. Our class needs to take power through communist revolution, where we will determine educational policies that ensure the full development of each of us to better serve our class globally.
Quick to respond
A news article in the local Hyattsville Life and Times (HLT) newspaper alerted that House would appear at an open house at Hyattsville Middle School (HMS), so PLP members moved into action. We made protest signs and copies of the HLT article critical of the new policy. We reached out to the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) at HMS and talked to the parents at the open house, sharing the HLT article widely.
Several parents gave us their names and contact information, angry at this new racist policy. One woman who had been a student in Brooklyn when metal detectors were put in the schools was furious to learn that this is still happening. She knew firsthand how it felt to be a student treated like a criminal! PLP has been fighting this same fight in Brooklyn for years (CHALLENGE, 10/9/2020).
PLP members have helped lead anti-police terror groups in Prince George’s County for 50 years. Racist police brutality and the criminal (in)justice system are major weapons of the ruling class to kill, terrorize and intimidate our working class brothers and sisters. We have been part of the struggle to keep cops out of the schools. Today we continue the struggle for justice for William Green, murdered by police in January 2020, as the trial of this murdering cop comes up this fall.
We are spreading the word of these fights at the upcoming Greenbelt Labor Day festival on September 2 with a booth opposing the metal detector and backpack policies, while sharing copies of CHALLENGE to stress the need to build a long-term solution to racism: communist revolution!
BALTIMORE, August 3—The courts are institutionally racist, and serve the capitalist class; it’s their legal system, not ours, and it’s definitely not neutral. With this in mind, at last week’s West Wednesday rally, a member of Progressive Labor Party (PLP) explained his anger about the trial of a local squeegee worker, facing murder charges.
Last summer, a young Black man was working informally to earn tips at an intersection, asking drivers if they’d like their windshield washed. On July 7, 2022 a white motorist, Timothy Reynolds, pulled over haphazardly amidst heavy traffic, and walked across about 10 lanes of traffic with a metal bat to attack the squeegee workers. He forcefully swung at them, an immediate and deadly threat. One of the squeegee workers, in defense of himself and others, shot Reynolds, who was pronounced dead at a hospital.
A squeegee worker was jailed and charged. A PLP comrade attended his trial, along with many others, to support the squeegee worker. Two days later, our comrade—angered by what he heard and saw—spoke about it at the decade-strong West Wednesday rally, which is a weekly protest against the murder-by-kkkop of Tyrone West in 2023 & all victims of police terror.
Courts & laws defend racism
Bat-wielding Reynolds, as explained by a defense attorney, had no contact with any of the squeegee workers before getting out of his car. He was immediately in racist, attack mode, not due to any personal experience that day.
What’s more, he was 6’ 3” and weighed over 300 pounds, compared to the accused squeegee worker, who was 14 years old and probably weighed less than half as much.
One of the defense lawyers, Mr. Gordon, kept getting his legal arguments objected to—perhaps 20 times in rapid succession, and nearly always sustained by the judge—when he tried to speak about the motive for Reynold’s violence. Mr. Gordon and Judge Schiffer then had quite a battle. Gordon said instead of denying racism, we should be dismantling it.
The judge appeared to get red and said, loudly and defensively, that her blocking of his arguments was due—she claimed—to a lack of relevance, and because the remarks were inflammatory. They sure were inflammatory…to her!
It was disheartening to see—to avoid jailing the squeegee worker for many years—the jury would need to reject 1st degree murder, 2nd degree murder, and manslaughter.
According to the capitalist’s laws, a finding of self-defense meant the jury had to agree the squeegee workers had retreated. What a messed up, capitalist legal system, expecting people to retreat when facing relentless, violent racism!
An article in The Sun (7/23/22), pointed out a major inequality in the outcome of such trials: “A 2013 Urban Institute analysis of FBI homicide data found that killings where the defendant was white and the victim was Black are 10 times more likely to be ruled justified than if the roles are reversed.”
On top of all that, the judge failed to instruct the jury about an important exception to the requirement for retreating. For a finding of self defense, retreat is not required if retreat would be too dangerous. If the squeegee workers had started walking away, retreat would mean their backs were vulnerable to Reynold’s deadly bat.
‘It’s all about the money’
So, yes, our comrade was deeply angered, and expressed that at West Wednesday!
The capitalist framework within which jurors must function, unfortunately, led to a conviction for manslaughter, not the worst, but still meaning up to ten years in jail. It's important to note that no prison sentence can address the racist ideas that led to this murder; capitalist "justice" is a lie!
At West Wednesday, our comrade said, “People often think the courts are neutral, that the police are neutral, that the government is neutral. But the fact of the matter is, the majority of the laws in the United States deal with property relations. And about half of one percent of the people own the vast majority of property: not just land, but businesses and machinery too: anything that can produce a profit. So the legal system is really their legal system. It’s 100 percent biased. And we saw that in this trial!”
Tyrone West’s sister, giving the major speech at that same rally, hit the nail on the head! “This is a dirty system… When you have the media portraying squeegee kids as goons, thugs, as bad people, as soon as a racist comes in town, they’re coming to attack… They have so many laws that are not right. You’ve got all these racist judges… They don’t want to address racism. It feeds this capitalist system… It’s all about the money, and that’s sad and disgusting… I just feel like we need to smash and trash this system!”
