September 5, 2005: Rustbelt Radio

Intro

Welcome to a special Labor Day edition of Rustbelt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of the news from the grassroots, news overlooked by the corporate media. The show airs every Monday from 6-7pm on WRCT 88.3FM in Pittsburgh, PA and every Saturday from 5-6pm on WVJW Benwood, 94.1 FM in the Wheeling, West Virginia area. And we're also available on the internet, both on W-R-C-T's live webstream at W-R-C-T dot ORG and archived at radio dot I-N-D-Y-P-G-H dot org.

On today's show...

• the Industrial Workers of the World celebrate their centennial conference in Chicago
• Boilermakers Local 44 who work for the Celanese Corporation in Meredosia, Illinois are locked out, and we'll hear from the union president
• and we'll hear from African American critics of the government actions, and inaction, in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, leading to the deaths of hundreds, maybe thousands

but first,

Headlines

Local News

[3 Min] Act 47 may privatize EMS and Garbage collection

Last week in Pittsburgh, the Act 47 recovery team announced that it may privatize emergency medical services and garbage collecting to save money.

According to the Post-Gazette, Act 47 team leader Jim Roberts said, "the issue is to find out how to do the best job for the least amount of money.”

Garbage Collector Louis Kotlinski [cot LIN ski], told the Tribune-Review, [quote] "No one is going to give the service we give, Pittsburgh is a unique city, it's not like what these companies are used to with wide suburban streets and four-lane highways. We give one hell of a service for what the price is."

The contract between the city and the emergency medical technicians stops at the end of the year and Pittsburgh garbage collectors have been working without a contract for 2 years. Union representatives said that if the city workers are replaced by private companies, it could result in protests and strikes. The Teamsters Local 249 vice president, Joe Rossi, said “I don't know how you could think that a for-profit company could do better. All we want is a fair shot. ”

Mayor Tom Murphy's administration declined comment to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on the contract talks.

[1 min] Parking lot workers remain on the job

The widely anticipated strike by Pittsburgh parking lot workers remains anticipated after workers stayed on the job for Saturday's Pirates and Panthers games. The workers have been without a contract since July 31 and voted last month to authorize a strike.

According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, the owners are not concerned about the possible strike. Pirates spokeswoman Patty Paytas said "We don't expect our fans to encounter any inconvenience with respect to parking," and Pittsburgh Parking Authority director David Onorato said "Fans will do the same thing whether the strike's on or off.”

Meetings between the city, the Alco parking corporation, and the teamsters are currently underway.

[2:20] ali hebshi - clip introduces itself

• alihebshi.mp3: 2:20 ali hebshi memorial

Wrapup

For more local news stories, visit pittsburgh dot I-N-D-Y-M-E-D-I-A dot O-R-G.

Global News

Intro

You are listening to Rust Belt Radio. We turn now to headlines from Independent Media Centers around the world.

[2:00] Walmart Boycott

Worker's Independent News reports about a campaign in Philadelphia against Wal-Mart.

• winwalmart.mp3: 2:00

Thanks to Workers' Independent News for that story

Dawn TV: Afghanistan’s radical news network

Tolo Television has grown from a modest news network launched in October 2004 with grant assistance to a self-supporting satellite broadcast, infiltrating the most remote regions of Afghanistan and penetrating Pakistan and Iran. Now the most popular locally-produced channel in Kabul, Dawn is challenging conservative media norms aggressively. Bollywood love scenes and immodest female song-and-dance programmes aren’t the only locus of controversy. The IWPR reports, “the scenes of TV station staff of young men and women working, laughing and joking together which are shown as fill-in spots have drawn fire from critics who say they are un-Islamic and against Afghan tradition.” But Tolo won’t back down, despite death threats against some of its staff.

Supreme Court

The Chief Justic of the Supreme Court, William Rehnquist died on Saturday. He had been battling thyroid cancer.

A Supreme Court spokeswoman said there had been a “precipitous decline” in his health over the past few days.

His death creates a rare second opening on the nation’s highest court in just four months following the retirement of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. These openings are likely to yield an intense battle in coming months as Democrats oppose Bush's nominations. Bush has already named anti-abortion idealogue John Roberts to replace Rehnquist as the Chief Justice on the US Supreme Court.

Wrapup

You can read more about our global news stories by visting I-N-D-Y-M-E-D-I-A dot O-R-G. We'll be back after a brief break.

[ Musical Break ]

Features

Intro

That was Utah Phillips. Welcome back to Rust Belt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of news from the grassroots.

[19:00] IWW

In June the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW, also known as wobblies) held a conference in Chicago celebrating the 100th anniversary of the radical labor union. On June 27th, 1905, 186 labor visionaries including Lucy Parsons, Eugene Debs, Mary 'Mother' Jones and Big Bill Heywood gathered in Chicago for the founding convention of the IWW.

Seeking to build "One Big Union" across industrial, race, and gender lines, the IWW enthusiastically promoted the concept of Working-class solidarity by adopting the motto "An Injury to One is an injury to all." Wobblies also believed in the tactics of Direct Action in the workplace, which included sit-down strikes, chain picketing, and other innovations in labor orgainzing.

At the conference, modern day wobblies discussed examples of direct action in their workplaces.

• Direct action - 10:20

Starbucks employees in New York City have been organizing with the IWW. One of those workers spoke at the centennial conference.

• Starbucks - 7:42

[18:00] New Orleans

Kanye West: Unscripted

Last Friday on NBC’s Live Concert for Hurricane Relief, rising rap star Kanye West chose not to stick to the script on his teleprompter. Instead, he spoke from his heart about the New Orleans tragedy. With Kanye on screen was comedian Mike Myers, who initially looked nervous about the unscripted departure, but ended up nodding in agreement.

We will hear that segment now, which begins with Mike Myers followed shortly by Kanye West.

• Kanye-edit.ogg [1:28 sec]

Renee Feltz of KPFT Houston spoke with New Orleans resident Cleveland Moore outside the Astrodome. He commented on the looting issue.

• cleveland [1:45]

That was Cleveland Moore of New Orleans, who spoke to KPFT Houston after being evacuated to the Astrodome.

Even normally tame politicians were outraged at the treatment of flood victims. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin had some unprecedented harsh words for the president and the federal government. Exhausted and frustrated as the crisis worsened day by day, Nagin spoke out in an interview with Garland Robinette of WWL, the largest AM radio station in the Gulf South.

• Nagin [14:05]

Finally we'll hear a poem by Chuck D, from his radio program on Air America radio. He wrote this poem after talking with his father about the plight of poor African Americans in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

• chuck D poem [1:30]

You're listening to Rust Belt Radio.

[15:00] Meredosia Boilermakers

Boilermakers Local 44 who work for the Celanese Corporation in Meredosia, Illinois are locked out, and we'll hear from their union president.

Ending

Calendar of events

And now we present the Indymedia calendar of events:

On September 11-13, Cindy Shehann's "Bring Them Home Now Tour" will stop in Pittsburgh en route to Washington DC for the September 24th march and rally. Anti-war activists in Pittsburgh are planning several events.

On Sunday, September 11, 4:30pm, there will be a symbolic encampment, speak out and Pot-Luck Picnic at Flagstaff Hill called "Camp Neil," named after Neil Santoriello, the son of a local Gold Star Families member, Diane Santoriello.

At 7:00pm on Sunday, there will be Candlelight MARCH From Flagstaff Hill to Soldiers & Sailors Memorial.

Then on Monday, September 12, there will an action to be announced and at 7:30pm there will be PUBLIC GATHERING to discuss Conscientious Objection and Counter Recruitment Friends Meeting House (4836 Ellsworth Ave, Oakland)

For details visit www.indypgh.org.

Outro

Thanks for tuning in to Rust Belt Radio here on WRCT Pittsburgh and WVJW Benwood.

Our hosts this week are Etta Abie and Jessie with contributions from Andalusia and Matt. This week's show was produced by Andalusia. Special thanks to all of our hosts, producers, and contributors.

Your story submissions are welcome! To get involved with Rust Belt Radio, or to send us your comments, email RADIO at I-N-D-Y-P-G-H dot ORG. All of our shows are available for download on our website at RADIO dot INDY-P-G-H dot ORG

Tune in next week at this time for another edition of Rust Belt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of news from the grassroots.