Baltimore IMC : http://www.baltimoreimc.org
Baltimore IMC

Commentary :: Civil & Human Rights

BTL:GreenPeace Targets and Collaborates with Corporations to Combat Global Warming

BETWEEN THE LINES Syndicated Radio Newsmagazine
Iraqi Unions Form New Labor Confederation

Interview with Michael Zweig, professor of economics and director of the Center for Study of Working Class Life at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, conducted by Scott Harris

As President Barack Obama moves forward with his plan to withdraw many U.S. troops from Iraq, a spike in the number of bombings and assassinations has signaled a reversal of the dramatic decrease in violence seen in the country over recent months. Observers note signs of restiveness by former Sunni insurgents on the U.S. payroll, known as the "Sons of Iraq," many of whom have yet to receive jobs promised to them within the Iraqi military, police and government. On the sixth anniversary of the war in March, more than 100,000 Iraqi civilians have died, 4,200 U.S. service men and women have lost their lives and over $657 billion has been spent.

But in a sign of progress toward the development of institutions of civil society, Iraqi union activists held the nation's first International Labor Conference in mid-March, where three of the country' major labor organizations announced the formation of a new labor confederation. The two-day labor conference took place in the northern city of Erbil within the Kurdish region, where Iraq's Federation of Oil Unions, the Electricity Association and the General Federation of Workers Councils and Unions came together to create the new labor confederation.

Among the 200 delegates from Iraq and around the world attending the conference were six observers from America, representing the group U.S. Labor Against the War. Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with one of the delegates, Michael Zweig, professor of economics and director of the Center for the Study of Working Class Life at New York's Stony Brook University. Zweig discusses the goals of Iraq's new labor confederation and their relationship with U.S. unions.

For more information on the Iraqi labor conference visit the website www.uslaboragainstwar.org

Related links:

* Center for the Study of Working Class Life's report, "Economic Stimulus and Economically Distressed Workers"
www.stonybrook.edu/workingclass/ecostimulus.shtml

RealAudio:
btlonline.org/2009/ram/zweig041709.ram

MP3:
btlonline.org/2009/mp3/zweig041709.mp3

LISTEN to this week's half-hour program of Between The Lines by clicking on one of the links below:

RealAudio:
btlonline.org/2009/ram/btl0041709.ram

DOWNLOAD the MP3 by visiting:
btlonline.org/download

VIEW the Between the Lines website by clicking on the link below:
www.btlonline.org

***********************************

"Between The Lines" is a half-hour syndicated radio news magazine that each week features a summary of under-reported news stories and interviews with activists and journalists who offer progressive perspectives on international, national and regional political, economic and social issues. Because "Between The Lines" is independent of all publications, media networks or political parties, we are able to bring a diversity of voices to the airwaves generally ignored or marginalized by the major media. For more information on this week's topics and to check out our text archive listing topics and guests presented in previous programs visit: www.btlonline.org
*
"Between the Lines," WPKN 89.5 FM's weekly radio news magazine can be heard Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. ET; Wednesdays at 8 a.m. ET and Saturdays at 2 p.m. ET (Wednesday's show airs at 7:30 a.m. ET during fundraising months of April and October).
*
For an email subscription of "Between The Lines Weekly Summary" which features a RealAudio link to the week's program for Between The Lines, send an email to btlsummary-subscribe-AT-lists.riseup.net
*
For an email subscription of "Between The Lines Q&A" which features a RealAudio link and weekly transcript to one of the interviews featured on Between The Lines, send an email to btlqa-subscribe-AT-lists.riseup.net
*
betweenthelines-AT-snet.net
*
www.squeakywheel.net/
*
Distributed by Squeaky Wheel Productions
©2009 Between The Lines. All Rights Reserved.
 
 
 

This site made manifest by dadaIMC software