May First, International Workers Day, has also been declared “A Day Without Immigrants” by a large number of organizations including migrant farm workers, day laborers, garment workers, Latino and immigrant organizations, unionized workers and unemployed and are calling for a national stoppage and boycott on Monday May 1st, 2006.

Because of the recent escalation of repressive measures against immigrant workers, students and teachers who participated in the marches and protests of the past month, social and community based organizations in the El Paso-New Mexico area are calling on all migrant and non-migrant workers, students and the general community to participate in the May 1st protest “A Day Without Immigrants.”

National Organizations are asking immigrants and their supporters not to go to work, not to go to school and not to shop on May First 2006, as a continued protest to the racist immigration policies being proposed in the U.S. Congress. The repressive response by the government agencies and right wing groups to the marches and protest by immigrants and students makes it more important to participate in the May 1st nationwide protest. It is especially important for those groups that supported the first marches to not be intimidated.

We cannot leave immigrant workers, students and teachers at the mercy of reactionary elements in the community who want to enforce their own version of the law. In several schools the repression against students has escalated and in some cases, school authorities have questioned teachers as to the content of their teaching. In other school students have been threatened with 3 day suspension if they participate in the May first events. The same Racist bills are still before the U. S. Congress, we have to continue the efforts to support the immigrant workers and their families until there is change.

For justice, dignity and the rights of immigrant and all workers join the MAY FIRST 2006 PROTEST A DAY WITHOUT IMMIGRANTS!

Join workers, students and the community. In El Paso, Texas, the May First action will begin with a teach-in on labor, immigrant rights, and other topics at the El Chamizal National Park beginning at 8:00 a.m.

Rally and action at 12 noon.

Join the cause!

May 1st 2006

International Workers’ Day

DON’T GO TO WORK!
DON’T GO TO SCHOOL!
DON’T SHOP!

Join the movement for justice, dignity and for the rights of the migrants and all workers!

Meeting point:
EL CHAMIZAL at 10 a.m.

PARTICIPATE IN THE STOPPAGE!

GET READY!

CRASH COURSE FOR NON-VIOLENT PROTEST

1. Students should try to protect each other by setting up a support structure that can react quickly if problems should arise or if arrests occur.

2. Students should not engage in actions that endanger the physical well-being of other students. Generally actions that might endanger the safety of others at the demonstration include: physical violence, or actions that cause panic such as (running and throwing rocks)

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

What's Legal at An Action:
A moving picket on a public sidewalk with signs and chanting;
A sidewalk march with signs and chanting;
Handing out leaflets to passersby without blocking way.

What a permit is Needed For:
Sound amplification devices:
Marching in the streets/street closure.

**The police don't necessarily want to arrest people unless you push them or threaten their dignity. IF THE MARCH IS LARGE AND WELL ORGANIZED, IT IS DIFFICULT FOR THE POLICE TO ARREST PEOPLE!!

In case of violence: isolate & separate.

Bring vocal attention to violent, harassing cops (i.e. get crowd to shout "shame, shame" while pointing at cop).

NEVER touch a police officer.

Try to be calm during a confrontation with a cop.

If the entire crowd is in danger or panicking, tell everyone to SIT DOWN.

A Day Without Immigrants

MAY-DAY!
International Workers’ Day!
Don’t go to work!
Skip school!
Don’t shop!

This May 1st, International Workers’ Day, we continue the struggle for dignity and justice and against anti-immigrant policies like HR-4437 which will convert all immigrants into criminals.

Join the struggle! Participate and invite fellow workers and students, family and friends to take part!

This fight is not only about immigrants, but involves all working people and those who wish for justice, equality, and respect for all!

Welcome, campesinos, but don’t be greedy; don’t expect to be paid the Minimum Wage!

Say what?

Senator Saxby Chambliss, a Republican (tenía que ser) from Georgia, has proposed that the Mexican farm workers recruited under the so-called H2A program (foreign temporary workers program) be excluded from the protection of the Minimum Wage provision of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). In other words, he wants these H2A workers, who work very hard for long hours picking the food for our tables, to earn less than $5.15 per hour. ¡Pura esclavitud y cheap labor!

Senator Chambliss has proposed a bunch of amendments to strip Mexican “guest” agricultural workers of the few protections and rights they have now. Things like eliminating provisions that prohibit employers from firing a worker without a just cause or rising fines imposed upon the ones that decide to apply for temporary residency from $100 to $1000. But the one most serious is amendment 3232 that would slash the H2A program already inadequate wage rates by getting rid of the protection of the federal minimum wage provided by FLSA.

This is a tragedy if we consider that farm workers in US already earn the lowest wages in the labor force. Farm workers average income is about $7,000 a year, not even close to half the income of a worker living in poverty according the so-called Federal Poverty Income Guidelines. A farm worker of the border area, picking chile in New Mexico or picking onions in the El Paso Lower Valley already earns a salary equivalent to about $25 a day. So the Farm workers, who are now the poorest of the poor, will continue to sink into extreme poverty.

If the flamante senador señor Chambliss succeed, who is going to win? Not the consumers. No way! The winners will be the large farmers and big agribusiness because they will be able to pay less salary and make more profits.

No wonder el senador Chambliss is considered some kind of a hero by big food agribusiness and large grower associations. Just read what Mr. Woods Eastland from Greenwood, Mississippi and former head of the National Cotton Council (NCC) declared once: “Agriculture is fortunate to have someone with Senator Chambliss’ wealth of knowledge, experience and respect for the agricultural committee to take charge of the committee”… At the same time, Mr. Bob McLendon, a big farmer from Leary, Georgia, and also a former presidente of the NCC, said: “Agriculture is fortunate to have Senator Chambliss… Senator Chambliss has been extraordinarily responsive to the concerns of production agriculture.” McLendon further said: “We look forward to working with him and our colleagues in the commodity, specialty crop, livestock, conservation and nutrition communities as he helps us meet the challenge of providing the world’s safest, most abundant and most affordable supply of food and fiber...”

To read more about the H2A Program, visit:

http://www.ejm.lsc.gov/EJMIssue3/LitigationReport/litigation_report.htm

This site will give you a good simple description of FLSA:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_Labor_Standards_Act

To learn more about farm workers visit:

http://www.farmworkers.org

Three Days That Shook El Chuco...

During three consecutive exciting days, thousands of students from almost all high-schools, even middle schools, colleges and every educational institution in El Chuco, made history by getting out of the classrooms to take the streets and protest against anti-immigrant legislation and racism. They even made it in the front page of “La Jornada”, one of the most popular national newspapers in México.

Here is an account of this remarkable movement that has shaken the people of the U.S.-México border.

BEGINNING
Days before a group of students staged the first walk-out everybody started to discuss it in My Space. Suddenly, the usual posts about parties, music, girlfriends and boyfriends, changed to politics and calls to action…

Here are some excerpts of thousands of words that rapidly plagued the digital superhighway and set the conditions for three days of feverish student activity:

WHY? CUZ HR-4437 AND THE REPUBLICANS SUCK!

EVERYDAY OF THIS WEEK [MARCH 27, 2006- MARCH 31, 2006] PLEASE WALK OUT OF SCHOOL. DO NOT BE AFRAID. WE'RE GOING TO WALK OUT WETHER IT IS BY JUMPING THE FENCE OR RUNNING OUT THE SCHOOL. WE'RE DOING IT AND DOING OVER AND OVER EVERYDAY OF THIS WEEK…

hey dud..did u hear about all the walk outs in all the skools?? ya..i walked out..and my madre let me, too..ya it was crazy..the swat team was there and everything..ya..

THATS RIGHT!!ALL ARE BEING ASK TO WALKOUT
WHY?TO PROVE U.S IS NOTHING WITHOUT LATINOS OR ANYONE
WE ARE TRYING TO STOP THE PROP HR4437
SCHOOLS MAKE FOR EACH STUDENT THAT ATTENDS EVERYDAY AROUND $50 FOR EACH STUDENT
IMAGINE HOW MUCH MONEY THEY WOULD LOSE IF ALL STUDENTS OR ANYONE GO
WE ARE TRYING TO GET OUR POINT ACROSS THAT IT IS NOT FAIR WHAT THEY ARE TRYING TO DO
PLEASE JOIN AND TELL EVERY FREIND OF THE HISPANIC RACE OR ANYONE
LET UR PARENTS KNOW WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO
THE STATEMENT WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE…

yup the farmworkers are marching and we are walking out because my abuelito was a bracero and the Mexico government stole their wages

…pop is scared but gave me some $$$ to make a Mexican banner and mom told me good luck and take care…


DAY ONE:
One student at the intersection of Cesar Chávez Border Highway and Midway which served as the rally point for the Riverside walk-out said, “No somos terroristas, ni venimos a pedir limosnas de nadie, nuestra gente solo viene a trabajar. El walk-out de hoy es para que que los estudiantes se den cuenta de lo que planea hacer el gobierno de EEUU con la propuesta de HR-4437” (We are not terrorists, we are not here to beg, our people come here only to work. Today’s walk-out is to inform students of what the United States government is proposing with HR-4437.) At this rally, 200+ students were escorted by ELPD officers to the chain link fence that separates Mexico and the US. Students at the gate waved the Mexican flag while Border Patrol Agents patrolled the area. “¡Viva México!” and “¡Si Se Puede!” were heard as the students expressed their anger and frustration at the current anti-immigrant atmosphere being created by proposals like HR-4437. One student waved the Mexican flag atop the highway overpass until he was told by police to get down.

Long time Southside rivals; Bowie and Jefferson came together in solidarity to protest both at the Chamizal National Memorial and at the foot of the Las Americas Bridge. Over 400 students gathered at the bridge stopping traffic and chanting “¡El pueblo unido, jamás sera vencido!” and “¡El que no brinque es gringo!” Homeland Security made its presence by dispersing the crowd using two SUVs. During the rally and only a few feet from armed Border Patrol, ELPD and Homeland Security agents, a female student from Bowie told the crowd “…todos somos migrantes... de migrantes se formó este país…quien mas que los migrantes cosecharán los alimentos que sostienen a la gente de este país…” (…we are all immigrants…this country was formed by immigrants…who else but migrant workers will cultivate the food that sustains this country…) A student climbed the “Welcome to the United States” sign at the bridge and waved the Mexican flag screaming “¡VIVA MEXICO!” for all to hear. The protest continued as students from both schools marched in the streets to Jefferson High School.


DAY TWO:
Walk-outs spread all over the city. Large and small groups of students armed with Mexican flags and hand-made posters walked from all cardinal points towards downtown El Chuco. The groups are noisy and cheerful and peaceful. But there are some words of some students arrested for “resisting arrest.”

A group of about 2,000 students from Riverside, Del Valle, Socorro, Ysleta, Bel Air, and Hanks protested at the Zaragoza International Bridge, while a large group from Jefferson, Bowie, Burgess, Irvin, and others protested at the San Jacinto Plaza.

Some schools were locked-out to prevent students from leaving. Socorro High was closed and nobody was unable to leave or enter the school premises. A few professors who were late this morning were unable to enter. The principal from Bowie had instructed teachers and security to stop all by any means all students who attempted to leave school grounds. Most of the schools were surrounded by school police officers and officers from the EPPD. Raymond Telles and Cesar Chávez Academy are placed under a system of some kind of martial law. Other principals and school administrators moved the students to the gyms and auditoriums to held “rallies” thus preventing students from walking-out from their respective schools.


DAY THREE:
Thousands of students held walk-outs or didn’t enter school and walked to downtown El Paso to participate in the March for Justice organized by the farm workers to celebrate Cesar Chávez Day, to demand justice for all workers and to oppose HR-4437 and all anti-immigrant legislation being currently debated in U.S. Congress. Students from schools as far as Horizon City made the long trek despite threats of heavy fines, suspensions and even expulsion by school administrators and teachers. These students walked though the Border Highway but were stopped near the Ascarate Park by the cops who did not allowed nobody to give them water or food.

More than 4,000 students, including students from High Schools, Middle Schools, UTEP, EPPC and some vocational and private schools, walked towards the Plaza de los Lagartos to join the rally called by the farm workers to honor Cesar Chavez and to protest injustices against farm laborers and against anti-immigrant policies, such as the so called “Sensenbrenner Bill” or HR-4437.


The march of Friday March 31, 2006, was the largest march ever held in the city. Hundreds of parents attended to be close to their sons and daughters. Many mothers brought their small children in strollers. Grandfathers, proud of their origin, walked slowly holding their grand kids with one hand and a Mexican banner in the other hand. And many happy fathers carried their kids on their shoulders. A good group of teachers mainly from high schools participated in the march in a gesture of moral support to their students and the immigrants.

The march, which was monitored by several hundreds of law enforcement officers, including many plainclothes officers taking pictures and taking notes, was peaceful and ended at the farm workers center. A group of energetic students decided to move to the City Hall to protest but at this point most of the students and the rest of the marchers went home or stayed with the farm workers to have some Mexican tortas and drinks, and to hear some good clasic corridos by Margarito Rodríguez and his friends.

This historic day had some bad notes. In the afternoon, some parents from Socorro were called to warn them that the students who participated in the walk-out will be punished.

But nobody can deny that during these three days, the students shocked the conscience of this otherwise calm and indifferent community.

El Chuco was alive and vibrant for three days...

----------

For a great article about the march and some really cool photos visit:

http://www.newspapertree.com/