VOICE OF DETROIT: The city's independent newspaper, unbossed and unbought

Josh Puckett

By Josh Puckett

 We are about 30 days from filing a class action lawsuit against the M.D.O.C. (Michigan Department of Corrections) and PCS (Prisoner Communication Services), in an attempt to enforce SB 138 Section 272, or completely void the contract due to a suspect bidding process. (Click on PCS prisoner letter  to read letter to Attorney General Bill Schuette. It explains our position in depth.)  

We have also sent letters and attached the letter we wrote to the A.G. to many groups, including the Detroit Chapter of the NAACP, MI-CURE, AFSC, and CAPPS. We are looking to send that letter to all the Senators and House members. 

(VOD Ed: click on: http://voiceofdetroit.net/2011/07/31/michigan-prisoners-and-families-betrayed-by-phone-scheme/ to read earlier VOD story detailing the fraudulent MDOC/PCS scam, as well as other links by putting “PCS” in searh engine.)

We have also set up a Facebook page to consolidate the family members. 

Facebook/wearethehandsoftime 

We have also set up an online petition that will send emails out once a person signs up. It is: 

http://www.tinyurl.com/nomoreSEF 

Last we set up a P.O. Box so family members and inmates alike can send their stories of how the Special Equipment Fund has hurt their relationship with the people they love and care for. It’s at: 

The Coalition to Lower Phone Rates

c/o C. Bachus

P.O. Box 2154

Holland, MI  49422 

We are determined to fight this money grab by the MDOC. Now is not the time to being Double Taxing those who have loved ones in prison. This is the time we need to focus on building family bonds, not destroying them. I even set up our legal team here to fight this fraudulent Special Equipment Fund.  We realize that this will not be undone until we take legal action. Yet, after watching the Arab Spring in the Middle East, we realized the importance of using Social Media to spread the truth, grow our support base, and consolidate the families and friends of those beyond these walls. Social Media allows us to strike back and have our voices heard via our loved ones who have computers, and expose the age-old dirty practices of the MDOC. 

MDOC/PCS phone rates in contract; Special Equipment Fund adds most to the cost, can be used for any purpose by both MDOC and PCS

We are not afraid to use our names and stories. We are not afraid, nor will we stop fighting. The team I set up consists of: 

·         Carl Ashley, #136985, he is the lead paralegal, he will be writing and formatting the brief, and in the past has won a few suits against the MDOC. He is well known throughout the system. He is a Lifer, and well-respected by inmates and staff alike.

·         Josh Puckett #250645 will be assisting with any Oral arguments, as well as handling media relations so we can keep the buzz going and grow positive support for our position. He is a Lifer who is well known throughout the system for using Social Media to grow support for his Commutation. (See http://freejoshpuckett.com. ) He is serving on the Warden’s Forum, and is well respected by Staff. He works closely with C. Bachus, to create the sites, and stay in contract with the outside groups and media contacts.

·         John English #174718 works with Carl in legal research and analysis of the Bills, and as well as prisoner relations. He will assist also at trial. He is also a Lifer who is well respected by Inmates, and seen as an agent for positive Change on the Warden’s Forum.

·         Michael Cheatham-Bey #172290 also assists with obtaining legal documents  and provides needed insight into our legal strategies. He only has four more years left, but is still willing to stand against this injustice by the MDOC. He is well respected by his fellow inmates and staff alike.

·         Anthony Fawcett #183991 is also a well known “Legal Begal” who got involved with the fight after starting a previous suit against the MDOC on behalf of another inmate who was not being allowed to call his family in the Middle East. He has detailed knowledge of the last phone contract as well as Michigan Compiled Law (MCL). He has argued in court on behalf of himself in a previous lawsuit against the State. He maintains a good relationship with staff and inmates alike.

·         Jerry Lashuay #176424 helps with media relations as well as legal analysis. He is the Co-Founder of Juveniles Against Incarcerations for Life (J.A.I.L.) He has a good relationship with staff, works on the Warden’s Forum and is also currently pursuing a Commutation.

Yadira Hiciano (photo from Twitter)

·         Yadira Hiciano: she is an experienced paralegal living and working in New York. Her firm is a real estate law firm but her skills allow her to assist in finding obscure laws, researching the Bills, and providing insight into team strategy. She is a good friend of Josh Puckett, and the site administrator of http://freejoshpuckett.com. Being from New York, she saw this same company kicked out of New York and replaced with a far cheaper system where calls are approximately $1.30 for 30 minutes.

·         C. Bachus is the free world lead for media relations. She is the significant other of a Lifer, and a well-known community organizer in the fight for fair phone rates. She blogs on behalf of the Coalition and works closely with Josh Puckett to get the word out and write the families and friends of the inmates. She is also the Administrator for the Facebook page. 

We are currently looking for a few more family members, as well as someone from the women’s prisons to add to the team. These men and women deserve their recognition for all the long hours of work they are doing to right this wrong. They are the ones who will have to pay the filing fees and who will suffer the staff retaliation when this is filed.  

All of them have given me the o.k. to use their names. We hope by putting their names out there it will curtail future retaliation. As well, showcase the diverse group of people working on this cause, thus inspiring hope in those waiting for this to be corrected. They also deserve our thanks for all they are doing and have done on this road. 

It will be a long road to come. The MDOC will not easily relinquish the $787,000 a month that they are making [from the Special Equipment Fund of the PCS contract].We expect this fight to take 7-10 months, so we are also asking the court for an initial preliminary injunction to lower the rates back to the Embarq rates of 10-15 cents a minute, which will still make the MDOC $350,000 per month at the minimum level of minutes listed on the contract sample payout chart. If the court grants this it will give some relief to the inmates and their families until the suit is resolved. 

So, we have a plan, now we need to get that plan public support, we need to get these websites out there, and we need to get support for our team. We may even need to raise funds if the cost of this suit gets too high. We would even love to have a real Lawyer to help us,but the fact remains if you want something done right you must do it yourself.  

Josh Puckett can be reached by mail, Jpay.com, or his own email at: 

J. Puckett #250645

4269 West M-80

Kincheloe, Michigan 49784

Email: jp250645@yahoo.com.

Websute: http://freejoshpuckett.com

Lansing MDOC HQ phone protest organized by C. Bachus (at left) July 21, 2011

Other clips from the film available by clicking on http://www.sundanceselects.com/films/the-black-power-mixtape

THE BLACK POWER MIXTAPE 1967-1975 mobilizes a treasure trove of 16mm material shot by Swedish filmmakers, after languishing in a basement of a TV station for 30 years, into an irresistible mosaic of images, music, and narration chronicling the evolution one of our nation’s most indelible turning points, the Black Power movement. Featuring candid interviews with the movement’s most explosive revolutionary minds, including Angela Davis, Bobby Seale, Stokely Carmichael, and Kathleen Cleaver, the film explores the community, people and radical ideas of the movement. Music by Questlove and Om’Mas Keith, and commentary from and modern voices including Erykah Badu, Harry Belafonte, Talib Kweli, and Melvin Van Peebles give the historical footage a fresh sound and make THE BLACK POWER MIXTAPE 1967-75 an exhilarating, unprecedented account of an American revolution.

“The Black Power Mixtape” Is Getting A Theatrical Release! 

Indiewire.com http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/

It’s been awhile it seems since I last wrote about this film; Goran Hugo Olsson’s The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975, the documentary that premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, and was recently acquired for distribution by Sundance Selects.

I’ve seen it twice already – first at Sundance, and later at the New Directors/New Films Festival here in NYC, a couple of months ago. I also reviewed it on the old S&A site, and you can read it HERE if you haven’t already. Needless to say, I liked it!

Until today, I assumed that, given that it was acquired by Sundance Selects, it would only air on cable TV, on the Sundance Channel; however, I received an email from the PR firm handling the film’s release, inviting me to upcoming press screenings in anticipation of a theatrical release that will happen later this year – specifically, as the email states, it’ll open in limited release, in New York and Los Angeles (of course), in mid-September. It doesn’t give exact dates, just “mid-September. Although, I assume we’ll have a specific date soon enough.

That’s good news! Not that it’s a film that demands to be seen on the big screen, but, it certainly does enhance the experience; and I’m guessing the theatrical release is to ensure that the film qualifies for awards consideration once that season begins.

I should also note that when it eventually makes its way to TV, it’ll be on PBS’ Independent Lens.

Danny Glover is one of the film’s producers by the way.

NY Times review at http://movies.nytimes.com/2011/09/09/movies/the-black-power-mixtape-1967-1975-review.html

50,000 marched on the U.S. Supreme Court to support affirmative action in 2003

By Donna Stern

September 14, 2011

http://bamn.ueaa.net/

(note new link for BAMN –click on link for website and to sign up for email alerts)

Appeals Court to Review Ruling in Favor of Affirmative Action This Winter 

For five years, the Prop 2 ban on affirmative action in Michigan has excluded thousands of qualified black, Latino/a and Native American students from Michigan’s premier public colleges and universities.

The University of Michigan has seen a 36% decline in the number of underrepresented minorities in the undergraduate school of Literature, Science and Arts and a 26% decline in the undergraduate School of Engineering since 2006.  The doors to graduate and professional schools have been shut even tighter – in Dentistry a 44% decline; in Medicine a 48% decline, in Law a 56% decline.

We now have our best chance in years to reverse those attacks.  On July 1, 2011, the Sixth Circuit struck down Michigan’s Proposal 2 because it violated the Fourteenth Amendment. Further evidence of the turning tide on affirmative action occurred on July 8, when California Governor Jerry Brown filed a brief in the Ninth Circuit supporting BAMN’s claim that Proposition 209, an identical anti-affirmative action law, violates the Equal Protection Clause.

Our victory at the Sixth Circuit was appealed by our opponents and will now be reviewed by the full panel of Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals judges. This en banc hearing will likely be scheduled for late January or February of 2012 in Cincinnati.

Protest against Proposal 2 in Lansing, Michigan

To persuade the Court to reaffirm last summer’s ruling and uphold the real meaning of the Fourteenth Amendment, we need a broad, united PUBLIC campaign in support of these challenges.  The 2003 demonstration of 50,000 people outside the U.S. Supreme Court was a crucial factor in the victory for affirmative action in Grutter v. Bollinger. Mass action will play no less a role in this round.

Proposal 2 nullified the Grutter victory for the people of Michigan. But now we have the opportunity to regain the ground that was lost.

TO WIN WE NEED YOU TO:

1. MAKE A DONATION at http://bamn.ueaa.net/donate-civil-rights-immigrant-rights-lgbt-education/ to finance buses to bring students from all over the Midwest to form A HUGE DEMONSTRATION IN CINCINNATI on the day our Prop 2 victory is reviewed by the 6^th Circuit. 

2. Circulate Petitions demanding that the Regents and Presidents of the University of Michigan and Wayne State end their “neutrality” and stand with us in court saying these proposals are unconstitutional.

 3. Organize conferences, forums, and campus rallies to mobilize support from minority students, from the black, Latino/a, and Native American communities, and from every supporter of civil rights. Call 855-ASK-BAMN (855-275-2266) to schedule a speaker.

Aiyana Stanley-Jones, 7

CHARGE COPS, A&E FOR KILLING AIYANA STANLEY-JONES, 7

http://signon.org/sign/charge-cops-ae-for-killing?source=c.url&r_by=527375

By Diane BukowskI

To be delivered to: Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, Detroit Mayor Dave Bing, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and U.S. President Barack Obama

IMMEDIATELY CHARGE DETROIT POLICE OFFICER JOSEPH WEEKLEY AND ALL OTHERS INVOLVED FROM THE CITY’S POLICE DEPARTMENT AND GOVERNMENT, AS WELL AS A&E AND THE FIRST 48, WITH FIRST-DEGREE MURDER FOR THE KILLING OF 7-YEAR-OLD AIYANA STANLEY-JONES ON MAY 16, 2010.

On May 16, 2010, a Detroit police Special Response Team, being filmed by A&E’s First 48 reality show, firebombed the home of seven-year-old Aiyana Stanley-Jones in Detroit, and shot her in the head, killing her. There has been world-wide outrage at this murder, but to date, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy has brought no charges against Police Officer Joseph Weekley, who fired the fatal shot, or anyone else from the police department and city government (which had contracted with The First 48), in this child’s death. This qualifies as a first-degree murder because police had ample opportunity to arrest the person they were seeking, who did not live in Aiyana’s home, previously the same day, but waited until the cameras were rolling. Weekley fired immediately upon entrance into the home in a poor Black east-side neighborhood.

To sign, click on: http://signon.org/sign/charge-cops-ae-for-killing?source=c.url&r_by=527375

To read VOD article on first anniversary of Aiyana’s death, click on http://voiceofdetroit.net/2011/05/18/justice-for-aiyana-jones-now/

There are numerous other articles on Aiyana’s case on the Voice of Detroit, just put her name “Aiyana” in the search engine; be sure to keep going to older posts at the bottom of each page that comes up.

AFTERMATH OF A KILLING

 By Agnes Johnson

aajsyr@yahoo.com    

PEOPLE POWER MOVEMENT 

Bill Clinton signed law that hastened Troy Davis' execution

As Alton Maddox’s words confirm, if we’re not costing these people a big amount of money they don’t get it. I am trying to encourage an enjoining of what he has written (below) together with what Mary Neal has also been organizing on Facebook. My aim is (Bill) Clinton, who I see all over the news this week, especially after his hand in Troy’s death. What do you think? 

Below are different aspects from myself, Mary Neal and Alton Maddox, Jr.

[Agnes Johnson] Yes we worked very hard to try to save Troy’s life and stayed glued to Democracy Now on WBAI that horrible night. I was sickened every time the Gang of Three came on the mic.

Now below is something I am trying to get off the ground. We must not forget Troy Davis, WE must get US out of those cells and get the police out of our children’s lives and WE must hold accountable the people who caused Troy’s Death. IN THE NAME OF TROY DAVIS – THIS IS A MESSAGE I WOULD LIKE TO PUSH TO THE FRONT – AND THAT IS:

A BOYCOTT OF ANYTHING CLINTON!! 

COMING IN OCTOBER 2011

[How Clinton Law Hurt Troy Davis’ Chance At Life]

A law signed by former president Bill Clinton called the “Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996,” reduced new trials for convicted criminals and sped up their sentences by restricting a federal court’s ability to judge whether a state court had correctly interpreted the U.S. Constitution.” The law has been cited as one of the major obstacles that prevented Davis from being granted a new trial.

Former President Clinton will host the following awards show, which will be broadcast on Hulu.com on Saturday, October 1, 2011:

A Decade of Difference (Clinton Foundation Event) 

Bill Clinton is about to have a TV event honoring his foundation’s giving to the world. Usher is one of the artists. This should be called to a halt. Usher should pull his artistry away from this and this needs to be denounced immediately.

CONTACT THEM AND LET THEM KNOW WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT Clinton’s CONTRIBUTION!!

OCT 1ST Corp of Public Broadcasting   –
Media Contact
Nicole Mezlo
press@cpb.org  

For more information about the concert, visit Clintonfoundation.org.

___________________________________________________________________

Georgia state flag adapted from original Confederate flag

Sister MARY NEAL  has this on the burner seen below. 

KILL GEORGIA BUSINESSES IF TROY DAVIS DIES. BANKRUPT THE STATE. CANCEL YOUR CONCERTS, CONVENTIONS, VACATIONS, AND PRODUCT SHIPMENTS FROM COMPANIES THAT DO NOT PUBLICLY DENOUNCE THE EXECUTION. BOYCOTT GEORGIA BUSINESSES IF TROY DAVIS DIES – cancel RIGHT NOW – even if you have none pending.

http://freespeakblog.blogspot.com/2011/09/boycott-4-justice-4-troy-davis-against.html

___________________________________________________________

 WORDS OF WISDOM FROM DR. CLARKE

By Alton H. Maddox, Jr.

Dick Gregory with Attorney Alton Maddox, Jr.

UNITED AFRICAN MOVEMENT

When we were transported against our will from Africa to the other side of the world, we, nonetheless, cherished our African system of governance.  In the “New World” our value system changed from a gerontocracy to an eventual morontocracy.  In Africa, our elders were valuable assets.  Today, “empty wagons” rule the roost.  They get the gold. 

I cherish the teachings of Dr. John Henrik Clarke.  Gems rolled off of his tongue.  In a speech he made at the Slave Theater, he said that Black people must learn to listen.  This is one of the five senses which is underemployed.  

When you say something to someone who you suspect is not listening, the refrain is invariably, “I hear you”.  Since “listening” and “hearing” are not synonymous, the refrain is an admission that the person has turned a deaf ear to the advice. 

On this Thursday evening, I had an opportunity to “listen” and not “hear” “Democracy Now”.  The host was Amy Goodman and the guests included Rev. Al Sharpton, NAACP President Benjamin Jealous and Rev. Jesse L. Jackson.  They sounded as though they were talking with food in their mouths.  Indians call it speaking with a “forked tongue”. 

In addition to the guests, there were supporters in Butts County, Georgia of Troy Davis.  They were being flim-flammed by the U.S. Supreme Court and, particularly, by Associate Justice Clarence Thomas who had to decide an emergency appeal under Rule 23 of the U.S. Supreme Court which, when added to the Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act [ed: signed into law by former Pres. Bill Clinton], mandates a “Rule of Five” instead of a “Rule of Four”.  The “first Black president” [Clinton] sponsored this Draconian legislation. 

President Barack Obama made no comment on Troy Davis execution; he has endorsed death penalty in "heinous" cases

Since Justice Thomas may have been laboring with an inherent bias, it would have been appropriate for him to recuse himself especially if the “Rule of Four” was appropriate and Justice Thomas would only have to find four justices, excluding himself, to claim that the petition was cert-worthy.  Of course, Justice Thomas would personally oppose any stay. 

The Black leaders –Sharpton, Jealous and Jackson– only had half-hearted complaints against the death penalty, and no complaints against President Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, a fierce death penalty advocate like Justice Thomas.  (VOD ed.: click on http://globalgrind.com/news/kim-kardashian-has-more-pull-president-obama-photos#ixzz1YsiPmhkM for further commentary on Obama’s lack of comment on Troy Davis’ execution.) 

They had no solutions nor answers.  On the other hand, Davis supporters not only had grievances but they also had answers and solutions that they were ready to employ to redress grievances.  Unfortunately, the tail is wagging the dog. 

The first solution by the angry masses was to bring Georgia down to its financial knees.  Economic warfare invariably precedes military warfare. They pointed to Georgia’s cash crops; namely, for example, peaches and peanuts.  A boycott of all conventions, especially those in Atlanta, could be added to the list.           

 Moreover, Blacks should vacate the Democratic Party and start a two-party movement.  Currently, the United States is a one-party system with two wings that invariably act in concert to form a criminal conspiracy.  Blacks are caught in the middle and are endorsing their own oppression.  In short, Blacks are political pawns. 

Since Sharpton, Jealous and Jackson are eating from corporate troughs, none of these remedies are acceptable.  It is forbidden to “bite the hand that feeds you”.  This means that unsuspecting and gullible Blacks are following “Judas goats”.  “Those who fail to learn from the lessons of history are condemned to repeat them.” 

Listen!  In short, Black masses and Black leaders are not on the same page. 

ALTON H. MADDOX, JR.         
CHAIRMAN          

TEL.: (718) 834-9034 FAX : (718) 884-8241
P.O. BOX 35
BRONX, NY 10471 

(UAM has had to suspend its weekly, Black-led and Black-financed political assembly which is the only Black political assembly in the nation.  It also has suspended its daily news service which provides the best legal and political analysis of issues that particularly affect the Black community.)

UAW workers at mass labor rally in Lansing April 13 2011

 LOW EXPECTATIONS ARE MET IN GM-UAW DEAL

Labor Notes

by Jane Slaughter | Mon, 09/19/2011 – 4:39pm

Update: For an analysis of the contract by UAW bargaining committeeperson Gary Walkowicz, click here.

For an analysis of the contract’s “lowlights” by the Autoworker Caravan reform group, click here.

The United Auto Workers settled the first of the Detroit 3 contracts Friday night with an agreement that appeared to meet the low expectations union bargainers had worked hard to instill in members.

Although the union has not disclosed details, it appeared that second-tier workers at GM, who make $14-$16 an hour, will go up $2-$3 by 2015. They comprise about 5 percent of the workforce. While welcome, the raises will leave them far behind first-tier workers, whose $28 wage will remain frozen, as it has been since 2005.

Diego Rivera mural: autoworker at central, portraits on side include Karl Marx; the original version of this mural was destroyed in New York City but restored in Mexico

A $5,000 signing bonus will sweeten the deal, and the union promised a more “transparent” profit-sharing formula. One GM worker writing on a website for reformers fumed, “We lost that much since the ’09 giveaway.”

UAW President Bob King has said that each Detroit 3 worker has given up a total of $7,000 to $30,000 since 2005. He stated repeatedly over the course of negotiations that he wanted to keep costs for the automakers down, to help them compete with non-union companies.

Nick Waun, an outspoken reformer at GM’s Lordstown, Ohio, plant, says his strategic location—near the restroom—means that workers usually stop to chat.

Lordstown Ohio Complext East plant

“I haven’t talked to anybody who says they’ll vote yes,” Waun said. “The main reason is that it doesn’t look like they get anything back at all. And it doesn’t sound like there’s any kind of bridge between tier two and tier one—it’s total separation.”

NO CONTRACT CAMPAIGN

Unlike many unions, the UAW runs no contract campaigns to pressure the companies during bargaining—no buttons, T-shirts, rallies, or even clear demands. Rank and filers and local officials glean snippets from the newspapers, and wait to see what bargainers will bring back. Under the terms of the 2009 government bailouts, neither GM nor Chrysler workers are allowed to strike.

At Ford, the most profitable of the three companies, workers face no such restriction. Yet rather than go to the strongest company first to set the pattern, as was the union’s strategy in pre-concessions days, King bargained first with GM and Chrysler.

Ford workers turned down concessions 3-1 in fall 2009, and workers there are seen as more restive and willing to vote “no” again.

Ford made $6.6 billion in 2010 and GM $4.7 billion. Chrysler saw an operating profit but posted an overall loss of half a billion because of interest on its loans paid to the American and Canadian governments.

The tentative agreement is said to reopen GM’s closed Saturn assembly plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee. Reformers who’d campaigned for “equal pay for equal work”—ending the two-tier system—are watching to see whether those jobs will be at the lower pay.

They note the Saturn plant is one of 14 factories and three warehouses the company has announced for closure since 2009, costing almost 22,000 hourly jobs.

Over the summer reformers sold T-shirts and circulated flyers by the thousands that demanded equal pay and restoration of the cost-of-living allowance. At Detroit’s Labor Day parade, workers held banners demanding “End 2-Tier” and got thumbs-ups from UAW marchers. They will post an analysis of the tentative agreement at autoworkercaravan.org.

Gary Walkowicz, a bargaining committeeperson at Ford, said workers need to look for hidden concessions or loopholes not explained in the union’s “Highlights” handout.

At GM in 2009, for example, a seemingly harmless clause said the parties “will work together…to arrive at innovative ways to staff [small car] operations.” That language was used to justify slashing wages at a Michigan small-car plant, where 40 percent of the workforce was placed on permanent second-tier wages—without a vote.

Local informational meetings will take place next weekend, followed by ratification votes. A UAW talking points memo said, “Once again the UAW has shown that it is completely committed to helping the U.S. auto companies succeed.”

  Related stories

• Will Auto’s Three-Tier Wages Be on the Table?
• Rank and File Auto Workers to Take On Concessions
• UAW Dissidents Push Second-Tier Workers into Contract Talks
• Auto Workers at the Auto Show: End Two-Tier!
• Canadian Auto Parts Workers Say ‘Enough Is Enough!’
• UAW Forces Indy Members to Vote on Cutting Pay in Half
• Indianapolis GM Workers Resist Company, Union Pressure to Cut Pay
• UAW Contract’s Hidden Surprises for Skilled Trades 

Sent from Ron Lare: Cick on Putting the new GM-UAW contract in historical context 

From Gary Walkowicz (forwarded from Ron Lare) 

UAW brothers and sisters, I got word tonight that the UAW will go to Ford next. If we want to get a better contract than GM, we have to get ready for a fight. I think the Ford contract will be similar to GM, except that they will probably put the money for the grievance into our contract. The money for the grievance may even seem like a large amount. They may hope that it will be enough to get us to vote for the contract. People need to think about how much money we have lost over the last several years of concessions and how much more money we would lose if we don’t get back our raises, COLA and all the other concessions we have lost.   

From Gregg Shotwell 

GM CEO Dan Akerson and UAW President Bob King

The problem with UAW contracts is that the “parties” as the UAW and the companies like to call themselves frequently get together and change the contract after it is ratified by the members. Thus, I am more concerned about things the UAW doesn’t say about a tentative agreement than what they do say. If you read the “white book”  you will see language that is crossed out. This indicates old contractual language that has been deleted.  When new language is added it is underlined.  

As I cited before: in June GM reported that its pension was $10.8 billion underfunded. 

GM VP Stephen Girsky who is also a UAW-VEBA trustee  (that’s right, he negotiates with himself which is why he doesn’t experience any conflict of interest) told investors, “We want to take the pension risk off the table.”  

UAW sign at April 13 labor rally in Lansing

In the 2011 UAW-GM pension supplement under the title Pension De-Risk it states: 

“The parties further discussed the possibility of amending the Plan to provide additional options for certain current retirees that would help GM manage its pension risk and benefit such retirees that voluntarily agree to participate. To this end, the parties agreed that the National Parties may mutually agree during the term of this Agreement to amend the Plan to add retirement options for some or all existing retirees that help GM reduce the volatility and risk related to the Plan and benefit existing retirees by providing an additional voluntary option.” — Pension De-Risk Consideration : 2011 UAW-GM Supplemental Agreement Exhibit A (Pension Plan) page 161. 

What is troubling is that the “parties” have given themselves legal cover “to amend the Plan” during “the term of this Agreement.”  Perhaps, dear reader, you are comforted by the word “voluntary.” It denotes a certain safety for those who don’t wish to walk the plank. In my experience parties that seek volunteers are inclined to influence choice with persuasive tactics that resemble a sword in the back. But the point is: if members ratify this contract, the “parties” have legal justification to amend the pension plan.

Troy Davis Rally at Georgia Capitol in Atlanta, Sept. 20, 2011/Phoeo Jessica McGowan-Getty Images

Message from Troy Davis (via Dave Zirin and Amnesty International): 

Troy Davis: the state takes the life of an innocent man

“The struggle for justice doesn’t end with me. This struggle is for all the Troy Davises who came before me and all the ones who will come after me. I’m in good spirits and I’m prayerful and at peace. But I will not stop fighting until I’ve taken my last breath. Georgia is prepared to snuff out the life of an innocent man.”

From The Color of Change http://www.ColorofChange.org

At 11:08 pm Wednesday, the state of Georgia killed Troy Davis. Just before he was executed, Troy maintained his innocence, urged people to dig deeper into the case to find the truth, and said “For those about to take my life, may God have mercy on your souls, may God bless your souls.” It’s a tragic day for Troy, for his family, and for equality, fairness, and justice.

It’s hard to know what to say at a time like this. In this moment, and in the days and weeks before Troy’s execution, we’ve felt all kinds of things — anger, sadness, inspiration, hope and hopelessness. This is a time to mourn and remember Troy, to contemplate the profound loss we’re facing, to send love and support to Troy’s family and friends. It’s incredibly important to take the time to spiritually and emotionally care for Troy’s family and the amazing community that has arisen to support Troy — and it feels hard to muster the energy to do much more than that.

Howard University students and professor were arrested during a sit-in outside the White House Sept. 21 as Georgia prepared to executre Troy Davis; Pres. Barack Obama took no action to stop the "legal" lynching

But before he died, Troy told us that this was about more than him — and he called on those of us who have fought against his execution to continue fighting for justice, even if we weren’t successful in saving his life. Now is also an important moment to take stock of what’s brought us to this point — the criminal justice system that allowed this to happen, and the movement we’ve built to fight for Troy and others facing injustice and oppression at the hands of that system.

Race, the criminal justice system, and the death penalty

At every stage of the criminal justice system, Black people and other minorities face inequality and discrimination. We all know about people who’ve been treated unfairly by police or by the courts. When the entire system treats Black people unequally, it means that the death penalty is applied unequally too. Troy Davis’ case underscores the way in which this systemic inequality can lead to a tragic miscarriage of justice.

Supporters weep outside prison where Troy Davis was executed Sept. 21, 2011

In most cases, people who’ve been treated unfairly or wrongly convicted have some chance to correct the injustice. People who have been mistreated by the police can sue them. People who are wrongly serving time can be granted new trials, can be released from prison, and are sometimes entitled to compensation. As we all know, the safeguards that can correct abuse by the criminal justice system often fail, and rampant inequality persists. Usually, people can at least keep trying.

But there’s no way to correct a death sentence. If Troy Davis were serving a sentence of life in prison without parole, he could continue to press the legal system to grant him a fair trial — but because the death penalty exists, he will not have that opportunity.

Troy Davis’ case has sparked a national conversation about the death penalty. In the past, much of the debate around the death penalty has focused on the morality of killing people as a legal punishment — a very important question that brings out a lot of strong opinions. But even if we completely leave aside the question whether or not it can ever be right for the government to punish a murderer by killing them, there’s an entirely different debate to be had — whether or not we can have the death penalty and actually avoid the possibility of killing innocent people. In a criminal justice system that routinely misidentifies Black suspects and disproportionately punishes Black people, Black folks are more likely to be wrongfully executed. Continue reading →