Organized Labor

City Honors Cesar Chavez

Civil rights and farm labor leader Cesar Chavez was honored last month with the dedication of Cesar Chavez Memorial Way on Raymond Street. Activists and politicians, many of whom reflect the city’s burgeoning Latino population, spoke at the dedication. From UpriseRI: “Cesar Chavez was, we must remember, an organizer and a fighter,” said Rhode Island …

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Send David Segal to Washington

We get to write about David Segal even if RI’s second congressional district does not encompass the city of Providence, because Dave was one of the three founders of the Providence Daily Dose. [Correction: Part of Providence is within congressional district two. BC] He certainly reflects our political point of view and has already earned …

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Chambray Shirts — Blue Collars On The Red Carpet

An article in The New York Times illuminates the working class roots of the current fashion must-have, the chambray shirt. Turns out chambray in America has a local provenance. The early history of chambray ­stretches to the French town of Cambrai and a dense linen, cambric, long woven there. It came to the United States …

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Eisenstein’s “Strike”

(5.1) Just in time for May Day, the Providence Community Library is presenting a free screening of Sergei Eisenstein’s 1925 classic “Strike” projected with 16mm film. This was Eisenstein’s first full-length feature; he would go on to make “The Battleship Potemkin” later that year. “Strike” depicts a strike in 1903 by the workers of a …

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An Interview With Joey “Quits” DeFrancesco

That’s right, RIFuture knew Joey before he was famous.  (You can check out the viral YouTube video here.) Everybody should go see him and the What Cheer Brigade next Saturday, November 19, 2011 at Firehouse 13 (fh13.com) 8:00pm.  More details at bottom. DS: From what I’ve seen of the press you’ve gotten, people are really psyched about …

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Joey Quits

On the chance that you’re not one of the 500k+ people who’ve seen this on YouTube already, here’s footage of the What Cheer Brigade helping Joey quit his job at the (union-bustin’) Renaissance Hotel: [youtube]9A4UGtM4hDQ[/youtube]

Erica’s New Book On The Wisconsin Fight

Many of you know Erica Sagrans from her time in Providence as a student and activist.  This month she’s self-publishing an awesome new book about the labor fight in Wisconsin: In February of 2011, the people of Wisconsin changed the political landscape in America overnight. In response to their Republican governor’s move to strip workers …

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Card Carrying Member Rhode Island AFL-CIO

Don’t they all pretty much look like this? According to the ProJo Pats Blog, The New England Patriots are now members of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO, according to George Nee, the state president of the national labor organization. Nee said the players have always been affiliated with the national AFL-CIO. But “just recently the National …

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Tuesday: RI Jobs With Justice Awards Dinner

Join us Tuesday, when we will recognize those who have fought for workers rights & who have moved our movements forward! Rhode Island Jobs with Justice 14th Anniversary Awards Night Tuesday, November 30th, 2010 6:00 – 9:00pm Providence Firefighters’ Memorial Hall 90 Printery Street, Providence, RI 02904 To support our efforts please click here. Join …

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Library Update: Strike Authorized + Rally Tomorrow at 2

From the Brown Student Labor Alliance: The library workers’ contract was extended again, to November 8. The university is refusing to back down from its harmful proposals that would hurt working families. Library workers have voted to authorize a strike. Hundreds of students, faculty, staff, alums, parents, and members of the Providence community have voiced …

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Power Move By Hassett, In Support Of Renaissance Workers

This move took some real guts — the folk at sage have proved a spiteful bunch.  Hassett deserves a lot of credit. PROVIDENCE, R.I. — City Councilman Terrence M. Hassett resigned from the community advisory board of the Renaissance Providence Hotel this week, saying that the hotel’s management company failed to recognize the hotel workers’ …

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