Class struggle clarified

Americans are gaining a much clearer view of the ongoing class struggle. National Jobs with Justice (JwJ) and other organizations are calling for a “People’s Bailout” in opposition to the handouts flowing from the Bush Administration to the biggest bankers. Activists across the nation responded to JwJ’s call for a week of action, December 7-13. North Texas students responded in the college town of Denton, an hour north of Dallas.

Twenty-five students and 6 JwJ activists from Dallas gathered in front of the Wells Fargo Bank in the middle of downtown. Organizer Stewart Minor kicked off the responsive chant, “I don’t know but I’ve been told, C-E-O pockets are lined with gold!” A large percentage of the passing drivers honked their solidarity. The crowd sang “Which Side Are You On” before breaking into the standby, “The People United, Will Never Be Defeated” in English and Spanish, “El pueblo unido jamas sera vencido.”.

Leaflets, which had already been distributed all over the University of North Texas, followed the wording suggested from National JwJ:

As many predicted, the Wall Street Bail-out has proven to be the gross give-away to the same financial bigwigs that have been pocketing millions while wrecking the real economy. Little or no benefit has gone to the working people and the real economy, at a time that we face the greatest economic crisis since the 1930s. By the time Obama is sworn in, hundreds of thousands of additional people will lose their jobs, lose their homes and lose their health care.

It’s time for a “People’s Bail-Out” that fixes the real economy, restores a voice for working people in challenging corporate greed, provides emergency help to the victims of the crisis and begins building a fair economy that works for all, addressing crises in housing, health care, jobs, retirement security and the environment.

Jobs with Justice coalitions and ally organizations around the country will take part in an emergency campaign over the next 2 ½ months to get Congress and the new administration to enact a Peoples Bail-Out.

Immediately we call for:

Pass a large economic stimulus/recovery package, on the scale of the emergency we face;

Pass the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA);

Stop evictions due to foreclosures;

Emergency action so people losing jobs don’t lose health care.

Lay the groundwork for a long-term recovery program including:

Green jobs and clean energy;

Restore worker justice, including EFCA and other reforms;

Health care for all;

Retirement security;

Re-regulate the finance system and make the speculators pay to clean-up their mess

Fair Trade and Migration policies