From: ww%nyxfer%igc.apc.org@MIZZOU1.missouri.edu (Workers World Service)
Subject: "A Job Is a Right" Campaign Opens
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: daemon@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: The NY Transfer News Service
Resent-From: "Rich Winkel" <MATHRICH@MIZZOU1.missouri.edu>
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1992 23:27:36 GMT

Via The NY Transfer News Service * All the News that Doesn't Fit


"WE NEED JOBS!"--RALLY OPENS NATIONAL CAMPAIGN

By Rebeca Toledo
New York City

Although it was cold, the A Job is a Right Campaign held a rally
in front of the Employment Center in the heart of a busy shopping
district here Dec. 14th.

As the speaker's platform, table, and signs went up, a banner was
unfurled. It read: "Clinton, we need jobs! Necesitamos trabajos!"
The rally was called to coincide with  President-elect Bill
Clinton's "economic summit" in Arkansas.

As activists gave out leaflets and circulated a petition to
demand "Jobs Now," speakers took the microphone to expose the
Clinton farce. Co-chair Larry Holmes said: "Clinton, there are
countless things that you can do in your first days in office.
With a stroke of a pen, you could force the corporations to stop
firing and start hiring."

People coming out of the Employment Center started to gather
around, as did passersby.

Holmes continued, "Clinton, you could extend jobless benefits,
enact a national health insurance program, and declare a
moratorium on evictions, heat and utility shut-offs, cutting
people off welfare, among other things." The crowd cheered in
agreement.

Teresa Gutierrez, who co-chaired, then took the mike and said in
Spanish: "Clinton is meeting today with  rich bankers and
companies to discuss our fate. But we're here today to say that
no matter what program for the rich Clinton comes up with, we
will be out here every day.

"We will have protests against racism and poverty on Dr. Martin
Luther King's birthday. And we will keep up the pressure."

From the Jobs for Youth Network, Albert Ramos said in both
Spanish and English: "There are no unemployed, no youth, no poor
people meeting with Clinton today. People in the Black, Latino,
Asian, Arab, women's, and lesbian and gay communities have no
confidence in Clinton.

"That is why we will be holding demonstrations and rallies across
the country the week of April 25-May 1. It will be 100 days into
Clinton's presidency and the anniversary of the L.A. rebellions
that took place after the hideous Rodney King verdict."

"We'll Be Back"

The A Job is a Right Campaign is affiliated with the Movement for
a Peoples Assembly. MPA activists such as David Perez also spoke.
He said: "What we need is a rise in the minimum wage to at least
ten dollars an hour. We need jobs, but at decent pay, regardless
of whether we're young or elderly, handicapped or undocumented."
The swelling crowd clapped in approval.

Paul Ahuja, an unemployed youth told his story. "I played by the
rules," he said. "I joined the Army, expecting to get money for
college, but it wasn't enough to cover the cost. So I had to
leave school to look for a job, and haven't found one yet. What
the youth need is real job training and affordable education, not
more jails and police brutality."

MPA activist Jelayne Miles then spoke. She said: "I know people
want to believe in Clinton, to think that this is the man who is
going to turn all the misery and poverty around. But, sisters and
brothers, Clinton is not the man. He will continue to bleed us as
did Reagan and Bush before him, unless we stop him. Join us in
launching the A Job is a Right Campaign here and across the
country."

Campaign steering committee member Monica Moorehead said, "This
campaign will demand of Clinton a massive public works program
especially in the areas of health care, education, child care,
and care for the elderly."

Ashanti Morningstar, organizer for the MPA, linked the struggle
here with the struggle abroad. Morningstar said: "Why does the
U.S. send 30,000 troops to Somalia? It is not for humanitarian
reasons, but to dominate a small African nation. We need that
money spent here at home, not for war against the people of
Somalia."

As the rally came to a close and Campaign organizers began taking
down materials, people who had listened throughout the rally
asked if the activists would be back next week. Veronica Golos,
who had staffed the busy table answered, "We'll be back every
week for as long as it takes to get--jobs now!"

(Copyright Workers World Service: Permission to reprint granted if
source is cited. For more info contact Workers World, 46 W. 21
St., New York, NY 10010; email: ww%nyxfer@igc.apc.org; "workers"
on PeaceNet; on Internet: "workers@mcimail.com".)


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