theLeftAhead

My dad had dual American and British citizenship. He was born in Detroit, Michigan to working class British parents but then moved back to England when he was five years old. When he turned 18, he was enlisted in the British Royal Navy where he served on the British Destroyer Virago during World War II and his ship was part of the fleet flanking the coast of Normandy Beach during…

Somos trabajadores, somos fuertes When we’re taken for granted, somos pacientes Resolute, we gather and we share Planting seeds, somos jardineros Power in numbers, wisdom in cooperation When we struggle, somos un colectivo Without shelter, we brace the storm together We don’t forget, somos elefantes After sacrifice, we’re asked to sacrifice some more When our shins are kicked, no somos victimas We organize, we organize, nos organizamos If a rubber…

Rhythm Rebel Music by Ted James       Ted James – Our Future (feat. Jennifer James) Bridge: Ted James We will not take another back seat to your cuts You’ve broken trust with the people grinding dreams into dust Stained our safety net with rust courting free market lust Through the business of your bluster, pushed our patience to the cusp Of a massive demonstration marching swiftly towards the…

This 19 min. video documents a huge march organized by the Texas State Employees Union (TSEU-CWA 6186) to defend Texas public services and public employees. Workers came from across the state to join TSEU members. They included teachers, teamsters, steelworkers, communication workers, electrical workers, carpenters, ironworkers, pipefitters and other union members. The Texas Forward Coalition organized grassroots groups including the Texas Organizing Project (TOP), the Center for Public Policy Priorities,…

Chicago Teacher by Rebel Diaz       Chicago Teacher by Rebel Diaz Released September 12th 2012 Produced by DJ ILLANOIZ. Written and performed by G1 and RodStarz Stand up in solidarity with the Chicago Teachers Union. Sources: Rebel Diaz on Bandcamp | Rebel Diaz on YouTube

    Ted James – Solidarity Forever (feat. Jennifer James) Original “Solidarity Forever” lyrics written by Ralph Chaplin. Lyrics were adapted to genre by Ted James. Verse One: Ted James When the union’s inspiration through the workers’ blood shall run There can be no power greater anywhere beneath the sun Yet what force on earth is weaker than the feeble strength of one So keep it blasting through the speaker,…

On June 21, 2012, Texas A&M University announced a plan to privatize a range of campus services that are currently performed by university employees. Included in the privatization plan are dining, landscaping, building maintenance and cleaning services. According to the Texas Tribune Data Library, 1270 workers were employed in the affected departments as of fiscal year 2011. To date, Texas A&M has not released the exact number of jobs that…

As of February 2012, TSEU has collected over 2,000 signatures for the FUND OUR FUTURE petition drive. We are circulating these petitions on the campuses of all of our public institutions to demonstrate that employees, students, parents, alumni, and citizens are serious about Texas fulfilling its obligation to provide quality, affordable public higher education. These petitions will be delivered to candidates and legislators during the 2012 general election cycle. At…

“These companies are worth more than just the cars they build. They’re a symbol of American innovation; the source of our manufacturing might. And if that’s not worth fighting for, what’s worth fighting for?” — President Obama on 2/28/12 at United Auto Workers conference on why he refused to give up on the American auto industry.     Video Source: The Obama White House on YouTube Featured Image Source: UAW…

A new program called STAR+PLUS that will privatize Medicaid services in the Valley is scheduled to launch on March 1st, 2012. The STAR+PLUS program creates a privately operated managed care system to provide health care and home health services to elderly and disabled Texans. STAR+PLUS is intended to replace state-operated services of the long term services and supports (LTSS) and community based alternatives (CBA) programs. These programs, generally known as…

This past Tuesday night was a downer. Instead of enjoying one of my favorite nights of the year by ordering pizza, plopping down on the couch, and watching the opening night of a new NBA season on television, I was twiddling my thumbs. I was actually catching up on some work, but it was totally depressing to know that I should have been enjoying the NBA tip off. Last Tuesday…

We are the 12 percent. We are union. We built the American middle class. We stand side by side with the rest of the 99 percent in occupation of the streets. We ask that the rest of the 99 percent stand side by side with us in occupation of the workplace. The spirit driving the Occupy Wall Street movement has been alive in the United States for over 150 years….