Thursday, March 15, Pascagoula, Mississippi- Seven thousand workers from thirteen unions entered their second week of strike at the Ingalls shipyards today. The workers walked out on March 8th after voting overwhelmingly to reject Northrop Grumman's new contract, which they say increases insurance premiums without an offset in pay or an allowance for the rising cost of living post-Katrina. The following audio and pictures are from the picket outside Northrop Grumman, taken on March 14th.

interviews with striking workers photos from the line

Update March 27th:  All thirteen unions are still on strike at the Ingalls yards. In negotiations between the company and the unions the afternoon of the 27th wages and benefits were not even discussed according to officials with the metal trades council.

More...  audio from the line and outside negotiations

Labor and immigrants rights organizations across the gulf south and nationally are calling for reform or elimination of the H2B visas system as new reports of abuses of immigrant workers are surfacing and workers organize against a system which the Southern Poverty Law Center says is "close to slavery"

Last Friday at an oil rig maintenance facility in Pascagoula, Mississippi, an employer locked up six Indian workers on H2B visas in a small room for eleven hours. 200 Indian workers at the facility refused to work that day, resulting in the six workers being released. This weekend Mexican welders working in southwest Louisiana who are part of the Alliance of Guest Workers for Dignity visited with the Indian workers, as part of the ongoing organizing of immigrant workers against what one worker described as the "traficantes de suenos" or traffickers of dreams.

report by the SPLC interviewsstatement by Indian guest workers

After violence at Second Line Parades the police decide to raise the parade fees. Because the violence was unrelated to the parades the Second Line clubs ask why this unique cultural tradition should be taxed out of existence.

On Sunday, January 15, 2006 (MLK Jr. Day) one of the largest second line parades in New Orleans history occurred. There were 32 different Social Aid and Pleasure clubs involved in the second line and the event was held in support of affordable housing, decent education, increased jobs, and improved health care. "The ultimate point of the parade was to support people being able to return home and maintain New Orleanian traditions," says Michelle Longino member of the New Orleans Bayou Steppers, "There were thousands of people out that day. People came from out of town. It went very well, it was beautiful. There were three big divisions and as the last division was finishing with Rebirth Brass Band playing-"

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On Thursday, February 22nd, the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity, headed by Representative Maxine Waters (D-Ca), held a field hearing in New Orleans at Dillard University to address the housing crisis in the city. In the exhaustive five and half hour hearing Representative Waters chewed out the head of ICF, the company overseeing Road Home Grants and promised to draft legislation to eliminate federal requirements that limit the delivery of Community Block Development Grant funds. Public Housing was also addressed in the hearing, with Rep. Albio Sires (D-NJ) at one point telling Donald Babers of the Housing Authority of New Orleans that his actions were callous. Also during the hearing Governor Blanco discussed replacing ICF if certain deadlines are not met.

Selected Audio of the hearing:

On Saturday, February 10, six residents of the C.J. Peete Public Housing Complex reclaimed their apartments against the will of the Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO). In a scene more fitting for a block party than a protest, tenants danced, laughed and chatted with their old neighbors, while children played and sang. Residents sang "I don't know what you been told, but these projects are livable!" and boogied on their balloon and ribbon decorated porch to the Hot 8 brass band.

"m home," declared Dianne Allen, one of the residents moving back in, "I'm home at last." Allen has lived at C.J. Peete since she was a baby, raised 3 daughters and 2 grandchildren there and beamed with pleasure as she swept her steps. When asked about HANO's plans to demolish, Allen pointed out that no public housing residents have been legally evicted yet. "When I left for the hurricane my rent was paid" she said, "I still had a lease, and today I still have a lease;a valid lease."

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