ETS! encourages comments, feedback, tips, corrections, and info! Please keep them as concise as possible so we can print as many different voices as possible: ETS!, P.O. Box 85541, Seattle WA 98145, or e-mail ets@scn.org.

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The Rank and File

Dear Geov,

Recently, you wrote an article in the Seattle Weekly regarding big labor's little whimper on the issue of the WTO. Another article by Sarah Luthens appeared in both Labor Notes and Eat the State!. Both of you did a great job illustrating the rank-and-file union members' opposition to the "reform the WTO" line the union bosses are trying to ram down our throats.

However, none of these articles mention the single most important fact related to this issue. That is, rank-and-file AFL union members, IWW members, and other labor militants have organized the "WTO Labor Mobilization Committee"--and it has been meeting for MONTHS now. Martha Baskin has done much work on this committee and deserves recognition, but, really, we are more than just one person! This committee is open to all workers whether in unions or not, and meets the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month at Teamsters Local 174 on Denny Way at 7 PM until December. Our central focus as a committee is to mobilize workers (both union and non-union) to take the day off, walkout, call in sick, or do whatever necessary to get down to the mass labor march in the middle of the day on Tuesday, November 30.

So far WTO Labor Mobilization Committee members have distributed 2,000 flyers at Bumbershoot, we've organized "Teach the Teacher" trainings so that we can mobilize workers who are interested in taking November 30 off, we have brought Charles Kernagan from the National Labor Committee to speak on the WTO's impact on working people, we've forced the Washington State Labor Council to adopt a resolution opposing the WTO when it wasn't even on the agenda, we've distributed 3,000 flyers calling for a "City-Wide Walkout," we've put up a website, we've created an email listserv, and we have brought together working class militants in this city in a way that hasn't happened around in here in quite a while. Labor is mobilizing, but it is at the rank-and-file level.

In the Seattle General Strike of 1919, a General Strike Committee was formed, and it was composed of delegates from all of the unions. If there is a general strike committee for November 30, the LMC is it. I think this group deserves recognition for our efforts to mobilize workers against the WTO in spite of a bureaucratic, unresponsive (not to mention stifling) AFL-CIO. And more importantly I think that everyone in this city who is forced to sell their labor in order to survive should get involved in the LMC by coming to a meeting, helping to distribute flyers, talking to co-workers about taking November 30 off, or getting on our email listserv at http://walkout.listbot.com (our website is linked at this address). The labor movement should never just be about union bureaucrats; it should be about the workers themselves, those who are in unions and those that have been left behind by them as well.

Get involved!

Jason Adams, WTO Labor Mobilization Committee, Seattle (206-517-5166 or 722-6848 ext. 110)

Choked by Amazon.com

Dear ETS!

Wright Runstad has applied to the City of Seattle for a master use permit for future construction at the PacMed site on the north end of Beacon Hill. This permit is for "a 225,000 sq. ft. administration office building with 2-1/2 levels of underground parking for 503 vehicles on the north campus and construction of a 4-1/2 level parking garage with 267 parking spaces in the new west building garage of PacMed." We are completely opposed to any further construction at this site.

At an early summer meeting of the North Beacon Hill Council, Wright Runstad came before us to present their plans for future construction. Residents spoke out against this construction for various reasons. Some spoke to the point of this being a historic landmark building which shouldn't be blocked from view by additional construction. It is the Landmarks Preservation Board's responsibility to protect the architectural integrity and views of this property. Others in the room spoke of the reduction in patient services since the building was leased to Wright Runstad and their major tenant Amazon.com. Patients and staff no longer have a cafeteria in the building and some types of care have moved out of the building. Patients are no longer allowed to use the beautiful historic entrance on the first floor, and there is less parking for patients and medical staff.

Many people at the community meeting voiced concerns about traffic and congestion on the Jose Rizal bridge and at Jackson St. and 12th Ave. The traffic studies which have been done so far show us what we would expect. Traffic at the north end of the Hill is bad and getting worse. With over 800 employees, the Amazon.com move has already added to the congestion. On some days we've seen northbound traffic backed up all the way to Atlantic Street. If the new construction were to go forward and additional employees added to the mix, how bad would traffic get? We don't think anyone knows. Significant studies of the traffic situation at the north end of the Hill have not been done.

The PacMed campus is comprised of large trees, spacious views, a park-like atmosphere and wonderful architecture. We need this park and open space as we grow. We need to be able to get on and off the north end of the hill. We need an operable intersection at Jackson and 12th. What we are being offered with this proposal are more office towers, more traffic and congestion, and less green space.

If you are interested in protecting the PacMed site from additional construction please write or call the Department of Construction and Land Use (DCLU) at 710 2nd Ave., Seattle, WA 98104. People can also call Scott Kemp at DCLU at 233-3866 or e-mail him at scott.kemp@ci.seattle.wa.us. The project reference number is #9905605.

Albert Kaufman and Frederica Merrell, Seattle

Censored!

Dear ETS!,

Here's a great example of political censorship on the Internet. I just tried to access your site from a computer at work (Swedish Hospital) and received a notice--"Forbidden By Rating Check URL http://216.162.192.5 due to the policy of your organization." Apparently your organization--as totally committed as you are to nonviolence--is considered as dangerous as pictures of nude people and the Nazi Party. But we can access the Republican Party web site even though they're dedicated to raping the Earth for as much money as they can get.

Robert Doublin, Seattle

Not interested?

ETS!,

Firstly ... great site! It's refreshing to find a site that doesn't "toe the line" when it comes to political thought--I just wish there were some Australian sites that did the same.

I am watching the whole East Timor crisis with great dismay, especially considering that Australia and the U.S. could have stopped the whole debacle 20 years ago, but resolutely failed to do so. Hmmm ... perhaps there were some commercial and political interests at stake? Nah! Too cynical!

Anyway, what really craps me off is the fact that the US military is quite happy to go stomping around when they can see some gain in the process, but the loss of a couple of thousand East Timorese lives only warrants five (yes, that's FIVE) U.S. Marines being sent down! I think the following methods would improve the level of involvement:

1) Build a Coca Cola factory, so there'd be some commercial gain in intervention.

2) Move East Timor to the Middle East. Let's see ... the border of Kuwait would be good.

3) Bury some form of fossil fuel under Dili.

Anyway, I guess ensuring a ready supply of Starbuck's coffee isn't reason enough...

Ash Cooper, Sydney, Australia