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GRITtv: March 28, 2011
"It wasn't just students involved in this protest. There was a lot of people from all walks of life involved," says Laurie Penny of the New Statesman, who joins us from London to talk abut the newest round of protests led by UK Uncut. Saturday's protests saw crowds in excess of 500,000 and violent clashes with police forces. Penny joins us from London where she has been observing the protests first-hand to talk about the protests, the media coverage, and what comes next. "I do see flickers of hope, I see that there's an organic movement going on in Wisconsin, across the country," said Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, "It's time to get activated, It's time to let our elected officials know what we want in terms of better working conditions and a better, fair playing field for everyone. Not just those at the top, but those at the bottom and the middle." Laura spoke with Secretary Solis at the Triangle Fire memorial on Friday about sweatshop conditions then and now, whether we can expect prosecutions for those responsible for the deaths of Massey coal mine and BP workers, and what we can do to help protect working people, U.S. citizens or not. "Get involved, volunteer, go out there and organize and make sure those people get off of the sidewalk and onto the street." Finally, a commentary from Laura on the passing of Geraldine Ferraro and her enduring legacy. Distributed by Tubemogul.
Email this pageGRITtv: Hilda Solis: Defending Working People in 2011
"I do see flickers of hope, I see that there's an organic movement going on in Wisconsin, across the country," said Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, "It's time to get activated, It's time to let our elected officials know what we want in terms of better working conditions and a better, fair playing field for everyone. Not just those at the top, but those at the bottom and the middle." Laura spoke with Secretary Solis at the Triangle Fire memorial on Friday about sweatshop conditions then and now, whether we can expect prosecutions for those responsible for the deaths of Massey coal mine and BP workers, and what we can do to help protect working people, U.S. citizens or not. "Get involved, volunteer, go out there and organize and make sure those people get off of the sidewalk and onto the street." Distributed by Tubemogul.
GRITtv: Leo Gerard: Time to Rethink Nuclear Power
"Quite frankly, with what's happening in Japan, I think not only us, but a lot of other people are going to have to review our sense of comfort about that," says Leo Gerard, President of the United Steelworkers union. Gerard himself was once a union representative at a facility that mined and refined uranium, and he represents many workers in such dangerous conditions across the country today. The USW has long been part of the Blue-Green Alliance, creating a labor-environmentalist coalition, but stopped short of calling for an end to nuclear power--but will that change after Japan? Leo joins Laura via Skype to discuss the crisis in Japan, the situation of the workers there, and why this crisis is linked to workers' protests around the US.
GRITtv: BP Exploiting Workers in the Gulf
Hundreds of workers in the Gulf Coast cleaning up BP's oil disaster have reported symptoms of nausea, vomiting, nose bleeds, and headaches, but those almost all have been heat related, according to Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Jordan Barab. So reported Michael Whitney for FireDogLake, who has been following the struggle of workers and Gulf Coast natives affected by the disaster. Whitney joins us along with Jordan Flaherty, via Skype from Louisiana, to discuss the ongoing struggle of fishermen and the other local communities that make their living and run their lives around the water in the Gulf.
GRITtv: Slap on Wrist for Killing Workers?
Sixteen workers a day die from work-related injuries, according to this latest video from Brave New Films. Charles Jeffress, former Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA, notes that there are hardly any consequences to employers for failing to comply with guidelines -- and with four million injuries on the job each year, it seems that employers have decided that it's easier to flout the law than to comply. The law is inadequate, Jeffress says. With a new and supposedly labor-friendly administration and a Labor Secretary, Hilda Solis, who announced, "There's a new sheriff in town," upon her confirmation, perhaps we can do better than one OSHA inspector per 63,000 workers?
