PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

pittsburgh'ers rally and march to oppose the ftaa
by vincent / blast furnace radio Sunday, Nov. 16, 2003 at 2:12 PM
1-888-NOTOWAR

mp3 of sounds from the ftaa rally and march thru out downtown pittsburgh. good speeches, raging grannies, radical cheerlearders, drumming and a great cowbell at the end of this 27 minute and 48 second audio clip.

audio link: MP3 at 1.8 mebibytes

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Shaking
by Howard Scott Monday, Nov. 17, 2003 at 11:27 AM
Pittsburgh

The music and spirit at this rally was a lot more lively than, say, at the Labor Day Parade!

Good to see so many younger people getting active in the fight to stop this country, and opportunities for decent jobs, from going right down the crapper.

And the woman who read/recited the poetry was truly inspiring.

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wrong audio
by panwalker Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2003 at 1:43 AM

um, this is a one-minute ftaa promo, not a 30-minute piece...

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Good job!
by hank$ Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2003 at 5:23 AM

More people on the right need to realize that free trade will enslave everyone. I am all for freedom and capitalism BUT free trade is not good. It lowers everyone’s standard of living. I happened to be downtown and saw the protesters work their way up Liberty ave. and aside from the class war rhetoric, I'm all for fair-trade instead of free trade.

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Do you think anarchism will answer question?
by Jeffrey former-Pgh Thursday, Nov. 20, 2003 at 8:38 AM

Do you think siding with Anarchists will get legitimacy to anyone's thoughts on FTAA?

These radicals are totally undermining any serious thought anyone would put in the AFL-CIO protests. It is a total waste, because as soon as the word "anarchist" comes out, people stop listening to you.

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Labor unions have no legitamacy
by hank $ Thursday, Nov. 20, 2003 at 9:25 AM

jeffery - how can you knock the anarchists and then attempt to say that the AFL-CIO adds legitamacy to the anti-free trade movement? Labor unions have themselves become corrupt big business ventures.
Gerald McEntee is a croock and a swendler. He makes
$364,445 a year! That includes allowances and business disbersements. Not only did AFSCME sold out the state mental institution workers and the clients. Funny how they closed Western Center, Woodville, etc and AFSCME started representing the prison guards!

Unions are worse then the CEO - at least you know where you stand with the CEOs. The union leadership lives fat an really doesn't provide any protection.

Other union leader salaries:

> American Federation of Teachers President Sandra Feldman was paid $337,282 in 2000, according to the union financial records released by the Labor Department. Her salary jumped to $523,090 when allowances and business expenses were added. The union counted 706,973 members that year.

Her pay compares with the average $51,955 a year earned in 2001 by a big-city school teacher with a master’s degree at top scale

> Teamsters President James P. Hoffa was paid $228,713 in 2000. Allowances and disbursements increased the figure to $262,200. The Teamsters reported 1.4 million members.

That compares with the $1.1 million base salary that the former chairman and chief executive of United Parcel Service was paid in 2001 before retirement. The Teamsters are negotiating with UPS for a new contract. James P. Kelly, who retired from UPS in January, also was paid $462,600 in bonuses and $53,967 in other compensation.

> The president of the Air Line Pilots Association ranked second in salary to the teachers’ union in AP’s spot check. President Duane Woerth was paid $313,392 in 2000. His salary jumped to $425,090 with allowances and disbursements. ALPA reported 49,224 members.

> Morton Bahr, president of the Communications Workers of America with 617,881 members, was paid $155,597 in 2000, or $179,267 with extras.

> The United Steelworkers of America, which counted 612,157 members in 2000, paid then-President George Becker $135,613, and $175,087 with disbursements.

> The American Postal Workers, with 312,487 members in 2000, paid then-president Moe Biller $130,988, or $142,038 with business expenses. Current president Bill Burrus, who served as vice president in 2000, was paid $114,061 that year, or $116,848 with business disbursements.

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Agree with Hank
by Jeffrey-former Pgh Thursday, Nov. 20, 2003 at 10:01 AM

Hank -
I may agree with you about some of the corruption of the labor unions. Far be it from me to laud union's professionalism in protest and history of non-violent behavior - since we know that is not really accurate.

But that wasn't my point. My real point is - whether there is a case or not - about FTAA - once anyone hears the word "Anarchist" - the educated population stops listening completely.

If anyone is against the FTAA and wants to make a statement, teaming up with Anarchists, Communists, Nazis, Terrorists, etc., is a sure way to get people to make a knee-jerk reaction in the other direction.

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projection
by Irv the Nirv Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2003 at 9:23 AM

"BTW, conservatives accusing progressives of being "hateful" or "angry" is a great example of projection."

How about the throwing of rocks and ball bearings and urine bombs at the FTAA protest?

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