Showing posts with label labor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label labor. Show all posts

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Comment on Chinese Labor and US Corporations



Jesus Manuel Mena Garza

It has become increasingly obvious to me that American corporations are working hand in hand with the Chinese government to render the US, a second rate power. This is being done in two ways.

First, it is well known that corporations love profits. Who doesn't like a little extra cash in their pocket. What Americans aren’t aware of is that corporations don’t need US workers to become successful. If an American company has a great product they can probably make it cheaper in China. So everything from iPhones to granite counter tops are shipped to us from the Peoples Republic of China. Why pay an American worker $12 an hour when you can pay a Chinese person much less.

American corporations are quick to scuttle US plants and their associated costs in favor of cheap overseas labor. Hell, they might even get a tax break courtesy of the our government. The effect is, every year there are fewer products “Made in America.”

Talking about strange bedfellows. The socialist republic has apparently found a partner in the boardrooms of American corporations. This association requires that American companies share their technology. Greedy American corporations don’t mind sharing tech in exchange for short term profits. If history is any teacher, these American partners will be eventually abandoned when the Chinese master production.

The Chinese are a proud and diverse people. They understand that their 1.3 billion citizens have become the manufacturing engine of the world with the aid of international corporations. Apparently their long term goal is to become the world’s greatest economic and military power, surpassing the US.

The Chinese admit they already pirate American movies, jewelry and clothes. Just imagine what they can do with the assistance of multi-billion dollar corporations. Who can prevent them from achieving their goals sooner than later with such powerful corporate partners?

All the while the United States government turns a blind eye to corporate irregularities. In fact we give our corporations billions in taxpayer dollars even when they fail. If you don’t know by now, the American legal and tax system is designed to increase profits for America’s elite.

Here is a quick example. Can the average American write off the cost of a vacation or a car? Well, corporations can. All they have to do is call them business trips and auto leases. Ripping off the American public is considered business as usual. That is why corporations won’t invest in American workers and they will in China and pocket the profits.

Corporate America and their new Chinese partners could care less about shuttering an American plant. Yes, American workers can live in cardboard boxes as long as their stock goes up in value. That is why Republicans and the corporate class continue to complain about funding welfare and other social programs. They understand that many blue collar Americans are destined for the soup line en route to oblivion.

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Humberto Montes de Oca To Speak In San Jose On Mexican Labor Lockout


Bay Area Tour of Humberto Montes de Oca
Interior Secretary, Mexican Electrical workers Union (SME)
January 18-28, 2010


Forty-four thousand electrical workers in central Mexico have been locked out of their jobs since October 10, 2009, when the government of President Felipe Calderon, who was imposed by fraud in the July 2006 election, closed the public utility company Luz y Fuerza del Centro with the aim of privatizing this nationalized corporation and destroying the powerful and militant Mexican Electrical Workers Union (Sindicato Mexicano de Electricistas, or SME).

Learn first hand from one of the central leaders of this union, Humberto Montes de Oca, about this struggle which is being waged by these energy industry workers and their union - with the support of hundreds of thousands of others who have taken to the streets for more than three months to protest the firings at Luz Y Fuerza and the attack on the SME union.

Learn about the history of SME and how it has spearheaded the movement across Mexico against NAFTA, privatization, and the entire predatory corporate agenda. And learn what we can do to help these workers in their struggle -- which, in many ways, is our fight too.

The ten-day tour is sponsored by the San Francisco Labor Council, supported by the South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council, Santa Clara County Building Trades Council, Plumbers & Fitters Local 393, UFCW 5, many other unions and councils, MAIZ Movimiento de Accion Inspirando Servicio and many other community organizations.

In San Jose, Humberto Montes de Oca will appear at the Labor Temple, 2102 Almaden Road (corner of Canoas Garden Road), Tuesday, January 26, 7:00-8:30 P.M.
Performances by vocalist, Tema Quinonez and poet, Agustin Palacios
Refreshments provided For information about the San Jose event call 408/250-9245 or 408/831-1394.

To learn more about the tour and where Humberto Montes de Oca will be appearing at public forums, organizational meetings and fundraisers, please call 415/513-5393.

To offer immediate solidarity with both the tour and the struggle of the energy workers in SME, write your check to the San Francisco Labor Council (SME Organizing Tour) 1188 Franklin St., San Francisco, 94109-6852. For more information call 415/513-5393

Article courtesy of Fred Hirsch fredhirsch@cruzio.com

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Thursday, December 04, 2008

Ben's Story


Photo: Ben on bass, his son Benjy on maraca eggs and Adrian Vargas on guitar.

By Ben Cadena


I wrote this about a couple of young Chicanas working at local retail grocery stores. I am an old brown trout who played with Flor del Pueblo that warm summer day, August 29,1970 at the Chicano Moratorium. I played the guittarron as we played Pancho Villa and the Police started a riot with the tear gas and clubs. What a welcome, pero asi va. Now I'm back at SJSU after dropping out 43 years ago to join Teatro Campesino.

The Young Women

They take care of other peoples’ kids to make ends meet. They work in retail at creameries and as cashiers in grocery stores that pay minimum wages. They are thankful to have the work, many are turned away and some are let go for being too slow.

This is the fate of those who don’t have legal status in this country, but it is their own countrymen that hire them at minimum wage without checking too closely the legality of their documents. These young women complain that they pay taxes also but get no refund.

According to a couple of young retail workers in local supermarkets, they like the work. Joanie stated “I can pay my college tuition and help my mom with the bills.” She said the flexible hours allowed her to go to classes and she is in the cashier position, which is highly sought after.

Juana the other worker likes the staff but said “I need more hours than the six hours they are giving me daily.” This is done to not pay benefits. She also stated that sometimes “I have to throw away my lunch because there is not enough time to eat.

This is the way of today’s female workers. Take what you can get and be grateful because there is always someone else to take your place. Some people say it doesn’t matter anyway, they are all illegal, but we all benefit from their labor, the working upper-class mothers who can afford child care, those men that don’t like to mow their lawns; we all benefit.

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My Wife Had A Book Signing In San Antonio

  My wife Ann Marie Leimer had a book signing and lecture in San Antonio this past weekend. We had an opportunity to see friends and also go...