FREELANCE
Third-Party Activists to Meet in Decatur May 2-4
Activists from throughout the United States will meet in Decatur, Ill.,
over the weekend of May 2-4 to discuss ways to strengthen the movement for
a progressive alternative to the Democratic and Republican parties.
The National Independent Politics Summit/97 is being organized by the Independent
Progressive Politics Network in collaboration with leaders of the labor
movement in Decatur, which was the scene of some of the most significant
labor battles of the 1990s.
Thousands of workers from A.E. Staley, Caterpillar and Bridgestone/Firestone
plants in Decatur fought against downsizing, 12-hour rotating shifts, reductions
in benefits, outsourcing and layoffs. At the same time, a 25-union coalition
formed to run independent labor candidates for city council and school board,
leading to the ouster of an anti-labor mayor, the election of a union city
councilperson and winning control of the school board.
The summit will be organized to maximize interaction among progressive third-party
and independent politics groups in the U.S. Discussion will include how
to strengthen the movements for publicly financed elections and proportional
representation, key issues such as the assaults on welfare and social security,
and key strategy questions such as how to relate to progressive Democrats
and the relationship between local and national third-party building.
Ted Glick, national coordinator of the IPPN, explained what his group hoped
to accomplish:
"We will decide on concrete actions we can take to defend our communities,
our jobs, our incomes, our rights and our futures, all of which are under
attack by the corporate elite and its two parties."
For information, contact the IPPN at 718-624-7807.
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