Action Alert 1: Join signers of anti-drone letter to Representatives
Background: A recent New York Times report about the Obama administration's development of a
"kill list" of individuals targeted for remote killing also revealed that the White House counts all military-age males in a strike zone as combatants, leading John Brennan, chief counterterrorism advisor to the President, to make the absurd claim that "not a single noncombatant had been killed in a year of strikes." The report also showed that the use of drones has been broadened to include
"signature strikes" under which the Defense Department can target suspects in Yemen whose names they do not even know. Wisconsin is complicit in the growing infrastructure or drone warfare, with a new drone-training facility at
Volk Field near Mauston. Since plans for the Volk Field drone facility came to light, a dedicated group of Wisconsin activists have organized a campaign of public education about the base, which has included
protests outside the gates of the base and attempts to deliver a letter to the base commander.
Take Action: Click here to read a letter to be sent to Wisconsin Senators and Representatives about the Volk Field drone training facility. Please email Bonnie at bblock@charter.net by
Sunday, June 24th, to have your name added as a signatory to the letter.
Contact for more info: Joy First, Madison Pledge of Resistance, 608 239-4327, joyfirst5@gmail.com
Action Alert 2: Support grows for striking Palermo's workers
Background: WNPJ member group Peace Action has
joined workers at Palermo's Pizza in Milwaukee on the picket line, to support the striking workers demand that Palermo's recognize their right to form a union. Since the beginning of the strike, more information has come to light about conditions at the Palermo's plant, including the fact that Palermo's has paid $7,000 in fines to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for unsafe working conditions, including
three separate incidents of worker amputation.
Take Action: The Palermo workers have called for a community boycott of Palermo's pizza until management agrees to bargain with the workers. Here are some ways you can help: 1) Call Palermo’s at 414-643-0919, press 0. Say that you won’t buy Palermos products until they respect their workers right to organize. 2)
Click here to sign an online petition to Palermo's. 3)
Click here to make a donation to the strike fund, to help the Palermo workers feed their families while on the picket line. 4) Join the striking workers at the picket line in front of the plant at
3301 W. Canal St. Help is especially needed during workers’ shift changes- early morning (8-10 am), mid-afternoon (2-4 pm, and late evening (8-10 pm). The workers also say they need donations of water and umbrellas to protect themselves from the heat.
Contact for more info: Voces de la Frontera, 414-643-1620, statewideorganizer.voces@gmail.com
Action Alert 3 - Madison: New guide aims to improve conditions for restaurant workers
Background: The Worker Rights Center's new
Just Dining Project aims to provide restaurant-goers in Madison with accurate information about which restaurants respect the rights of their workers and which do not. WRC has already surveyed restaurant workers from nearly 200 restaurants on the Madison isthmus. Workers have been very open and receptive to sharing information about their wages, hours and working conditions. "When workers find out what we are doing and that we will be putting out a guide of working conditions for downtown restaurant workers, people have been very enthusiastic," said Carlos Miranda of the WRC.
Take Action: 1) Please forward this
link to the online worker survey to any restaurant workers you know. The current online survey is in English, a Spanish-language version will be available soon. 2) WRC is also scheduling groups to go through the downtown area throughout the summer to speak to restaurant workers. To be added to the list to be contacted about surveying opportunities call Nola at 608-255-0376.
Contact for more info: Worker Rights Center, 608-255-0376, worker@workerjustice.org
Action Alert 4: Support international calls for legal action against drone-users
Background: The increased use of weaponized drones by the U.S. has drawn attention from advocates for human rights and international law, including the UN's top human rights official, Navi Pillay, who recently warned that
drone attacks may violate international law. The UN's Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Counter Terrorism said that in response to requests by a large number of countries he would
examine the legal and human rights implications of the Obama administration's targeted killing program. Veterans for Peace says of the drone program: "Weaponized drones are no more acceptable than land mines, cluster bombs, or chemical weapons. The world must renounce and forbid their manufacture, possession, or use. Violators must be held accountable."
Take Action: Click here to sign a petition to the United Nations Secretary General and the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, among others, to investigate the claims that drone attacks violate international law, and to pursue sanctions -- including criminal penalties -- against nations using, possessing, or manufacturing weaponized drones.
Contact for more info: Veterans for Peace, 314-725-6005, vfp@veteransforpeace.org
Action Alert 5: Host an international student
Background: AFS Intercultural Programs, a nonprofit high school foreign exchange organization, has the goal of "work[ing] toward a more just and peaceful world by providing international and intercultural learning experiences to individuals, families, schools, and communities through a global volunteer partnership." AFS is currently seeking host families for international exchange students arriving this fall for the semester and the academic year throughout Wisconsin.
Take Action: Click here for more information about becoming a host family, including a
Host Family Interest Form and
Frequently Asked Questions. After submitting the interest form, an AFS Volunteer will contact you to guide you through the process and answer your questions.
Contact for more info: Renae Pappas, Regional Hosting Coordinator, AFS-USA, 651-328-2908, rpappas@afs.org
WNPJ is forwarding these weekly alerts from member organizations, individual members and national affiliates. If you are a WNPJ member and have an alert you would like posted , please send it to Steve Burns at: outreach@wnpj.org
608-250-9240, Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice, 122 State Street, Suite 405A, Madison, WI 53703, Send an email to the office info@wnpj.org.