How Real?
2016 2016-12Read it in the scan (PDF at ETOL), page 3 →
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“It’s wonderful,” said Dave Archambault II, the Standing Rock tribal chairman, to support ers at Standing Rock, North Dakota, in reaction to a Dec. 4 decision by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to deny running an environmen tally hazardous oil pipeline under the Missouri River at Lake Oahe near the Sioux reservation.
“You all did that. Your presence has brought the attention of the world,” Archambault II said.
The decision instructed the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) and the Energy Transfer Part ners (ETR) to seek an alternate route. The DAPL and ETR plan will cost $3.7 billion to complete a 1172-mile gas pipeline to Illinois.
Lake Oahe is a source of drinking water.
The struggle was boosted by a call to U.S. vet erans to “Stand with Standing Rock.” In early December, some 2000 veterans came there.
The corporations, emboldened by climate de nier Donald Trump, say that they will continue.
On the other side, Chairman Archambault II has asked supporters to go home for the harsh winter months. Others have vowed to stay on to monitor the situation. Victory to Standing Rock! — MARTY GOODMAN the exploiting. I was glad that these clergy, in 2016, were trying to be supporters of Standing Rock Peo ple, of the water protectors, and of our allies, instead of helping to kill us.
Dr. Cornel West, one of my intellectual heroes, came to the Oceti Sakowin Camp. There were two com ments that I will mention here. One was the possi bility that the water-protectors group might, eventu ally, be considered a domestic terrorist group. This would occur with some legal shenanigans by the big oil corporations, the neo-Nazi police, and the state governments. And, later on, this would be done with the full cooperation of the U.S. government under the fascist-type U.S. president.
Dr. West, when asked about what he felt about the Oceti Sakowin Camp, said that he could feel 500 years of resistance and resilience. The Indigenous Peoples there at the camp resonated with that comment.
As I indicated in the opening paragraph, the victory is temporary, and many of our people are saying we need to be vigilant. Energy Transfer Partners have indicated they are committed to finishing the Dakota Access Pipe Line.
There is a lot of uncertainty and apprehension as to what is going to happen when the president-elect be comes the president in late January 2017. However, no matter what happens, the water protectors are in this struggle for the long haul, to protect the water, to protect Ina Maka, “Mother Earth,” to protect the animal relatives, to protect the sacred sites, and the burial sites.
Mini Wiconi, “Water is Life!” Ho Mitakuyapi, wopi da tanka owas eciciyapi do! “My Relatives, I express my deepest appreciation to all of you!” n SOCIALIST ACTION DECEMBER 2016 3
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are demanding living wages. They spend the money, that’s how they build their communities. The purpose of the strike is to elevate the voice of the workers so that the powers that be know that we are united, that we are Balanoff described a fundamental shift that came with sweeping deregulation of the airline industry in the late 1970s: “All these jobs used to be good-paying union air line jobs, then when they deregulated the industry, they contracted out all these jobs, took people to minimum wage, no benefits, and non-union. Deregulation—they said it would be the greatest thing ever. It’s only the greatest thing ever for the airlines. The employers don’t want to recognize the union. If they don’t want to recog nize the union they are going to have to deal with these In his speech to the crowd, Balanoff announced that the airport workers decided the strike would be just one day, and they had not intended to disrupt airport schedules, although that may well not be the case in the future. “We will be back!” he said, pointing to the need for a larger scale response in the future if the city and Non-union workers were joined at the protest by some unionized airport workers, including gate agents from Communications Workers of America and ramp work Socialist Action spoke with Gilbert Huertas, president Mark Ugolini / Socialist Action strikes.”
(Left) Union activist Oliwia Pac speaks to Nov. 29 rally at Chicago’s O”Hare airport.
fighting and we are not going to give up.” airport continue to ignore low-wage workers.