In what should arguably be the biggest news story in the US right now, teachers in West Virginia are still on strike after the state legislature failed to meet their demands, which amount to a 5% wage increase and, perhaps more importantly, a major decrease to their skyrocketing healthcare costs. One of the ways in which this strike is unique is that it is in effect what is called a “wildcat” strike; organized without the endorsement of union heads. Also notable is that this is currently ongoing against the backdrop of the Supreme Court hearing the Janus v. AFSCME case that could severely gut the operating power of public sector unions.
Though you’d be hard-pressed to find extensive coverage of this on major news outlets, it does seem that the nation (and the world) is watching the teachers in West Virginia. Elsewhere in the U.S., there’s talk already of similar strikes, particularly in Oklahoma where the teachers, alongside W-Va teachers rank among the lowest paid in the nation.
And as far as the lackluster coverage it has received on MSM outlets, it is interesting to note how it has been framed by MSNBC news anchors Chris Hayes and Joy-Ann Reid for example. In both these instances, they seem to have sidestepped the stronger message of how effective direct-action can be in favor of shameless fawning over “tough-talking” lawmakers and light voter-shaming respectively.
MSNBC’s Big Names Completely Ignore West Virginia Teachers Strike
Meanwhile, teachers in West Virginia are on strike for better pay and healthcare. If they start voting for politicians who actually support those things, look out GOP.
— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) February 27, 2018
In other news:
The deadline for DACA passed on Monday, spurring mass demonstrations nationwide with protesters demanding action from Congress in form of legislation to protect immigrants. So far, a few courts have stalled Trump’s plans to cancel the program using injunctions but time is steadily running out.
Basement-dwelling Nazi Richard Spencer gave a speech at Michigan State and attendance was apparently so poor, it effectively became an antifa meet-up, with local anti-fascists groups outnumbering the attendants greatly and Spencer having to cut his speech short.
Former Vice Presidential Candidate Tim Kaine is among twelve Senate Democrats currently aiding their Republican colleagues in the rolling back of Dodd-Frank. When asked if this has anything to do with his biggest donors being from the banking sector, he recited the pledge of allegiance in Spanish and closed it out with a bitching harmonica solo.
How Democrats Are Helping Trump Dismantle Dodd-Frank
Podcast Roundup:
This week, CTH interviewed one of the W-Va strikers and it is a fairly extensive look into the underlying issues the teachers are facing. A highlight for me was hearing the teacher describe this orwellian piece of SV fuckery called go365 that the teachers are subjected to in order to not have $500 docked from their pay annually.
Citations Needed took a fairly in-depth look at the situation in Israel.
The Leftorium Playlist continues to agitate the refined tastes of the bourgeois.
What else happened this week?