2021-12-03: News Headlines

teleSUR (2021-12-03). Puebla Group Rejects US Harsh Policy Against Cuba. telesurenglish.net On Thursday, Cuba's Foreign Affairs Minister Bruno Rodriguez welcomed that the Puebla Group condemned the U.S. smear campaign and economic blockade against his country. | RELATED: | "We appreciate the solidarity of the Puebla Group with our people, who suffer the consequences of coercive policies that go against international conventions and obey the anachronistic logic of the Cold War," Rodriguez stated. | The forum also condemned th…

WSWS (2021-12-03). Canadian Armed Forces providing military training to Ukrainian neo-Nazis. wsws.org The Canadian military has been training and collaborating with neo-Nazi groups active in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, with the knowledge and tacit approval of successive Canadian governments.

Ana Malinow (2021-12-03). An Obscure Agency Is Threatening to Hand Medicare Over to Wall Street. truthout.org In the face of massive support for Medicare for All and the failure of the U.S.'s for-profit health care system, the inevitable fall of the medical-industrial complex can be predicted, if not with precision, with certainty. Everyone is aware of the impending demise, none more so than those in charge of the for-profit health care system and their supporters in Congress, as evidenced by the frenetic activity at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to transfer the traditional Medicare p…

Mark Gruenberg (2021-12-03). Government will stay open — for now. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—As the coronavirus pandemic's Omicron variant landed in the U.S., right-wing Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, wanted to make sure more people are exposed to the modern-day plague. They failed, as lawmakers—with union backing—also voted to keep the federal government going. The three just didn't say so, but exposure …

WSWS (2021-12-03). Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa. wsws.org Danish nurses organise wildcat stoppage and mass resignation in protest at pay and working conditions in defiance of government and unions; French transport workers, including bus, tram and train drivers, continue wave of strikes over pay and conditions; South African gold miners at Sibanye-Stillwater poised to join strikes of Clover dairy and Massmart store workers over pay; protests in Lebanon over continuing economic crisis plunging six million into poverty…

Dean Baker (2021-12-03). Marginalized Workers Facing Labor Market Discrimination See Largest Jobs Gains. truthout.org The unemployment rate fell 0.4 percentage points in November, even though the economy added just 210,000 jobs. The drop in the unemployment rate went along with an increase in the employment-to-population ratio (EPOP) of 0.4 percentage points, corresponding to a rise in employment of more than 1.1 million in the household survey. The unemployment rate had not fallen this low following the Great Recession until September 2017. | The 210,000 job growth in the establishment survey is slower th…

Sam Wainwright (2021-12-03). WA Labor's electoral reforms: one step forward, two steps back. greenleft.org.au Under the cover of applying "one vote, one value" to elections for the Legislative Council, last month WA Labor also pushed through legislation that disadvantages smaller political parties, writes Sam Wainwright.

Staff (2021-12-03). Haitian Asylum Seekers Held Under Del Rio Bridge Now Face Inhumane Conditions in New Mexico ICE Jail. democracynow.org The world was shocked by images of Haitians whipped by U.S. Border Patrol agents on horseback as they sought refuge. Thousands were soon deported, but dozens are now detained in an ICE jail in New Mexico where they face inhumane conditions and lack access to legal services. We speak with a lawyer who describes medical neglect, deteriorating mental and physical health, and poor treatment by the staff. "They cannot get the basic tools and have the basic human contact that they need to save their own lives," says immigration attorney Allegra Love of the El Paso Immigration Collaborative.

Derek Royden (2021-12-03). "Only the people can save the people!" Xiomora Castro's presidential win in Honduras. nationofchange.org "I believe firmly that the democratic socialism I propose is the solution to pull Honduras out of the abyss we have been buried in by neo-liberalism, a narco-dictator and corruption."

WSWS (2021-12-03). Social Democrats, Greens and Left Party to continue right-wing agenda in German state of Berlin. wsws.org Leaving aside the noncommittal rhetoric and empty phrases of the 152-page document, the coalition agreement clearly shows that the three parties are preparing a direct confrontation with the working class.

Mark Gruenberg (2021-12-03). First Amazon, now Starbucks: Workers demanding unions at low-paying firms. peoplesworld.org BUFFALO —First it was—and still is—Amazon in Alabama. Now it's Starbucks in Buffalo. Welcome to the era of large, low-paying firms being targets of organizing, by fed-up workers themselves, with unions coming in to aid them. In the Starbucks case, baristas and other workers at Starbucks stores in the metro Buffalo area are voting by …

Martha Grevatt (2021-12-03). Progressives sweep Teamsters election ‚àí time to organize! workers.org In a major setback for top-down, corporate-model business unionism, Teamsters United candidate Sean O'Brien defeated Steve Vairma — the chosen successor to Teamsters President James Hoffa Jr. — by a two-to-one margin. The results were announced Nov. 18, with Fred Zuckerman, Teamsters United candidate for Secretary-Treasurer, and the entire "OZ" . . . |

WSWS (2021-12-03). New Zealand rail union enters talks ahead of national strike. wsws.org Driven by the rising cost of living and stagnant wages, Kiwirail workers have voted overwhelmingly for a nationwide strike. The RMTU, however, has resumed talks with management.

WSWS (2021-12-03). SEIU pushes through contract to end month-long strike by hospital workers in Huntington, West Virginia. wsws.org The terms of the newly proposed contract are little different than the initial CHH offer that prompted the walkout November 3.

WSWS (2021-12-03). Tentative agreement announced in Kellogg's strike. wsws.org The BCTGM union is bringing a contract for a vote by 1,400 workers striking at four company cereal plants on Sunday, December 5, proposing to preserve the two-tier system and to accept wage increases below the rate of inflation.

WSWS (2021-12-03). SEP electoral members say new Australian electoral laws are "highly autocratic" wsws.org These laws are "to force voters to pick the main parties," a postal worker said.

WSWS (2021-12-03). Sri Lankan public sector workers hold nationwide protests to demand higher wages. wsws.org The island-wide actions, held on consecutive days beginning Monday, are another indication of mounting working-class opposition to the Rajapakse government's austerity measures and its escalating anti-democratic attacks.

WSWS (2021-12-03). Referendum on direct election of UAW officers passes. wsws.org A little over 140,000 voted out of close to 1 million eligible active workers and retirees, a mere 14 percent turnout, reflecting the deep alienation felt by workers toward the UAW.

WSWS (2021-12-03). New York City educators must defend striking Columbia University student-workers. wsws.org The New York City Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee met on November 21 and authorized this statement calling on educators, parents and students to support the strike of Columbia University student-workers.

Ivan Stoiljkovic (2021-12-03). 'It was once our home': Socialist Yugoslavia before the breakup. peoplesworld.org On November 29, 1943, in the midst of the Second World War, a beautiful, big, and strong socialist Yugoslavia was established in the town of Jajce in central Bosnia. It was established by the Anti-fascist Council for the National Liberation of Yugoslavia (AVNOJ), at its second session, as a state of equal nations and peoples …

Vijay Prashad (2021-12-03). We have to stand on our ground, the best ground from which to reach the stars: The Forty-Eighth Newsletter (2021). mronline.org During the pandemic, socialist projects—such as those of LDF government in Kerala, the Cuban educational programmes, and the MST literacy campaign—are flourishing, while other governments cut their educational funding. 'It's always time to learn', says the MST literacy programme, but this adage is not in use everywhere.

_____ (2021-12-03). International Call For New Year's Eve Noise Demonstrations. popularresistance.org This is a call for a night of strong solidarity with those imprisoned by the state. Historically, New Year's Eve is one of the noisiest nights of the year. This year, most of which has been consumed by a global pandemic, we encourage folks to take whatever measures are necessary to insure individual and community well-being, in response to both the virus and the state, understanding the balance each of us must strike for ourselves. Given our current reality, on New Year's Eve gather your crew, collective, community, organization, or just yourself to raise a racket and remind those on the inside that they are not…

WSWS (2021-12-03). UK University staff strike to defend pay, terms and pensions. wsws.org "Our pay is 20 percent below where it should be. We had a pay freeze last year. We've had a 0.5 percent pay increase imposed upon us this year," says striking university lecturer.

WSWS (2021-12-03). Go-Ahead drivers in London win support for petition against Unite collusion over Remote Sign On. wsws.org RSO is opposed by an overwhelming majority of bus drivers across London—84 percent according to a recent Unite survey. Bus companies plan to introduce it across the network to slash payroll costs and introduce full labour force "flexibility".

Anonymous (2021-12-03). Palestine in Pictures: November 2021. electronicintifada.net A monthly roundup of photographs documenting Palestine, Palestinian life, politics and culture, and international solidarity with Palestine.

Editor2 (2021-12-03). Libya: Protesters Gather in Sebha in Support of Saif Gaddafi, Demanding Free and Fair Elections and an Impartial Judiciary. orinocotribune.com The people of Ghat confirmed that there are those who want to occupy the country and restore colonialism again, and who threaten to divide the country according to the interests of the international powers. | This came during a protest organized by the people of the city of Ghat in front of the Sebha Court of First Instance to support the demonstrators against the closure of the court by force. The people added that it is the duty of all of us to unite to save the country from division and refraction, and what is happening in front of the court complex in Sebha, and to prevent them from considering the appeals su…

Laura Finley (2021-12-03). Facing the Facts About Gun Violence in the U.S. zcomm.org U.S. gun-related homicide rates are 25 times greater than other wealthy nations…

teleSUR (2021-12-02). Cuba Works on Vaccines Against New COVID-19 Variant. telesurenglish.net Eduardo Martinez, president of BioCubaFarma, announced on Wednesday, Dec. 1, that Cuban scientists are working to develop a new variant of vaccines to strike strains like Omicron of the Coronavirus. | RELATED: | Martinez stated that research had been carried out regarding the behavior of the new COVID strain, and they are working to achieve results as soon as possible. | "If necessary, we will develop it in a s…

Peter Boyle (2021-12-02). Omicron a reminder that global solidarity is needed to overcome COVID-19. greenleft.org.au We are now seeing blowback from global vaccine apartheid in the form of a new COVID-19 variant, writes Peter Boyle, but once again, the world's richest countries are responding by shutting their doors to poorer nations.

IGD Worldwide (2021-12-02). The "First World" can Fuck Off Playing Victim: Colonial Roots of the Modern Refugee Crises. itsgoingdown.org The mistreatment of refugees at the Belarusian and Polish borders has recently caught the world's eye. There isn't much analysis from reporters beyond how shameful it is to use some of the world's most desperate people as chess pieces to resolve political disputes. These refugee crises that "first world" countries cry about when refugees appear…

teleSUR (2021-12-02). US, EU, UK and Canada Place New Round of Sanctions on Belarus. telesurenglish.net The United States, United Kingdom, European Union and Canada placed further sanctions on Belarus, accusing the government of President Alexander Lukashenko of human rights violations based on allegedly "orchestrating" irregular migration at the EU's border. | The U.S. and its allies have imposed more sanctions on Belarus, its industries and top officials.

In Defense of Liberation! (2021-12-02). Socialism in the Global South w/ Comrades Ramiro Sebastián Fúnez and Libre X. Sankara. anchor.fm In this episode I have on Comrades Libre X. Sankara from Troika Kollective (@troikakollectiv on Instagram and Twitter) and Ramiro Sebastián Fúnez, host of Unmasking Imperialism on Youtube, director of "Nicaragua Against Empire" (youtu.be/-wUDr0tQxqs) | We discuss the situations in Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua briefly, touching mostly upon the recent elections in Nicaragua and Venezuela, as well as the false accusations levied by the US Empire against these nations at this time. We also go in depth to discuss the overall situation facing Central and South America, as colonized nations, and how their figh…

_____ (2021-12-02). Revival of Class Politics in the U.S…. Will It Be Socialism or Fascism? strategic-culture.org The U.S. empire, like the USSR, is imploding out of its own corruption, says Harriet Fraad in an interview with Finian Cunningham. | Over the past year, the massive upheaval in the United States from workers going on industrial strike and walking off jobs signifies an increasing awareness of class politics. In the following interview, Harriet Fraad says that American workers are overcoming decades of suppression from anti-communist propaganda as well as a betrayal by the two main political parties. | Workers are becoming aware of their rights and their conditions of exploitation under the corporate capitalist sys…

WSWS (2021-12-02). National Labor Relations Board orders new union election at Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama. wsws.org The Biden administration is intervening not to defend workers' democratic rights, but to impose a labor police force over this decisive section of the working class…

teleSUR (2021-12-02). Humanity Demands The Abolition of Modern Slavery Every Dec. 2. telesurenglish.net On the International Day for The Abolition of Slavery, the United Nations (UN) recalled that over 40 million people across the globe are victims of modern slavery, a practice that includes forced labor, debt bondage, forced marriage, and human trafficking. | RELATED: | "These forms of slavery are the result of long-standing discrimination against vulnerable social sectors such as undocumented immigrants, LGBT people, and Indi…

_____ (2021-12-02). Union, Kellogg's Reach Tentative Deal To End Strike. popularresistance.org Battle Creek, MI — Kellogg workers' nearly two-month strike in Cereal City may be over soon. | In a Wednesday update to members, the Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union said it had reached a tentative agreement with The Kellogg Company after additional negotiations in Chicago. | The five-year deal would deliver 3% raises while maintaining current worker health benefits. Cost of living adjustments would be tacked on starting in the second year of the contract, according to an overview provided by The Kellogg Company. | The tentative agreement also addresses another st…

Staff (2021-12-02). Three Reasons Why Congress Must Pass the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Now. aclu.org Although Congress outlawed pregnancy discrimination in 1978, far too many employers still routinely deny pregnant workers the temporary job modifications they need to keep working and have a healthy pregnancy. These requests for "accommodations" — such as more frequent breaks, schedule changes, and reassignment of hazardous tasks — often are denied to pregnant workers, and can result in severe consequences for their health and financial security. Nobody should have to choose between a healthy pregnancy and a job. | The bipartisan Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) would outlaw such discrimination…

WSWS (2021-12-02). "It's a no vote from me and many others!" Opposition continues to grow at Kaiser Permanente to sellout contract. wsws.org Opposition continues to grow among health care workers at Kaiser Permanente to a sellout tentative agreement reached between management and the Alliance of Health Care Unions.

Mark Gruenberg (2021-12-02). Major League Baseball locked out workers — the players — again. peoplesworld.org The story below is an updated version of the one People's World ran yesterday. NEW YORK—With bargaining having broken down, major league baseball's 30 owners locked out their workers, also known as the players, again. And this time Sonia Sotomayor couldn't step in to save owners from their own folly. She was otherwise occupied, as …

WSWS (2021-12-02). SEP meeting discusses the socialist policies needed to fight Sri Lankan government's budget. wsws.org The speakers urged workers to reject all nationalist programs and fight for international socialist policies in order to defeat the austerity budget.

WSWS (2021-12-02). As class battle looms at major Canadian meatpacking plant, UFCW announces deal with food giant Cargill. wsws.org After workers signalled their readiness to launch strike action next week, Cargill announced that it would impose a "complete" lockout at 12: 01 am December 6 and stepped up preparations to deploy scabs to break workers' resistance.

teleSUR (2021-12-02). US Judge Blocks Biden's Vaccine Mandate For Health Workers. telesurenglish.net On Tuesday, Judge Terry Doughty of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana issued a preliminary injunction Tuesday to temporarily block President Joe Biden's vaccine mandate, which requires certain health workers across the country to be vaccinated against COVID-19. | RELATED: | "There is no question that mandating a vaccine to 10.3 million health care workers is something that should be done…

Internationalist 360 ∞ (2021-12-02). Latin America and the Caribbean is the Region Where Hunger Has Grown the Most in the World. libya360.wordpress.com Brasil de Fato Production of food on an a camp of the Landless Rural Workers' Movement in Brazil. The movement fights for new models of food production and a redistribution of land in the country. Photo: Matheus Alves Food insecurity affects 4 out of 10 people in the region and hunger is a reality for…

WSWS (2021-12-02). Philippine government ramps up campaign for "living with the virus" wsws.org Like capitalist governments around the world, the Duterte administration aims to force workers to "live with the virus" and remove all barriers to the profit-making of the capitalist class.

WSWS (2021-12-02). Anger among Mississippi Ingalls shipbuilders on eve of contract extension vote. wsws.org Workers want higher wages and safer conditions at the giant military shipbuilding facility, located on Mississippi's Gulf Coast…

Dick Nichols (2021-12-02). Cadiz metal strike ends: a Spanish revolt defused … for now. greenleft.org.au A 9-day strike by 22,000 metalworkers in the Bay of Cadiz looked certain to continue dominating media coverage, writes Dick Nichols. Yet within 24 hours, the two sides announced they had reached an agreement.

The Socialist Program (2021-12-02). Two Verdicts: Racist Violence & American Capitalism. liberationnews.org The three men who murdered Ahmaud Arbery have been convicted of murder in a major victory for the struggle against racism, but at the same time the Rittenhouse verdict reveals a grave danger.

The Socialist Program (2021-12-02). Why China Succeeded and the U.S. Failed to Beat COVID. liberationnews.org What can we learn about how different countries have handled the pandemic, and the radically different outcomes they produced?>

Fra Hughes (2021-12-02). Sinn Fein from Revolutionary Party to Constitutional Nationalists. orinocotribune.com By Fra Hughes — Nov 28, 2021 | Sinn Fein went from being a revolutionary party supporting a legitimate armed struggle against Britain's illegal imperialist military occupation of Ireland and aiming to build a socialist republic, to becoming a business-oriented party, focused on acquiring more seats in the parliament. | Where did it all go wrong? | Once the vanguard of Irish republicanism and claiming to be fighting for a free sovereign socialist 32 county Irish republic SF is now a parody of its previous incarnation. | From a revolutionary party supporting a legitimate armed struggle against Britain's illega…

Steve O'Brien (2021-12-02). Newcastle socialist candidate: It's time to put people before profit. greenleft.org.au Community-minded people can successfully challenge powerful interests, and the governments that serve them, to create communities that are sustainable, affordable, socially just and inclusive, writes Steve O'Brien.

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