Jack Rasmus

Tune into my upcoming Wednesday, February 13 radio show, ‘Alternative Visions’, on the Progressive Radio Network, 2pm eastern time, at http://prn.fm/shows/political-shows/alternative-visions/#axzz2KZKa7AQX.

I and my guests (Mike Eisenscher of US Labor Against War & Mike Prokasch of the New Priorities Movement) will be discussing the current maneuvers in Washington by Teapublicans and Timidcrats to delay and decrease the scheduled Defense Spending cuts due March 1 as part of the 2011 $1.2 trillion sequestered deficit cuts. Hear what others are doing to oppose the emerging deals by politicians in DC to reduce or even eliminate the Defense cuts, and what you can do to help as well. Fewer defense spending cuts now mean more non-defense (medicare, education, etc.) spending cuts later.

Read Full Post »

Readers of this blog are invited to tune into my coming Wednesday, November 22,, radio show, ‘Alternative Visions’, to listen to an important discussion between myself, Dr. Jack Rasmus, host of the weekly show, and my guests, long time union officers and now grass roots labor-community activists in the national ‘Emergency Labor Network’ organization, Jerry Gordon of the UFCW, and Dennis Serrette of the CWA. The topic of discussion will be ‘What Next for American Unions and Labor’.

The show may be listened to live (and archived) on wednesdays, 2pm, New York time, online at PRN.FM (Progressive Radio Network). It may also be accessed from my blog page, jackrasmus.com, and website, http://www..kyklosproductions.com.

ANNOUNCEMENT:

“With wages of US workers falling for more than a decade now, chronic long term problems of job creation in the US, attacks on public workers and unions intensifying, and union membership continuing to decline—‘What’s Next for American Labor” is the topic of today’s November 22, 2012 ‘Alternative Visions’ radio show. Dr. Jack Rasmus welcomes special guests—long time union officers and activists, Jerry Gordon (UFCW) and Dennis Serrette (CWA), to discuss what should be the future direction of American labor and unions after having spent $400 million to elect politicians in each of the last two national election cycles, 2008 and 2012, and thus far having little to show for it.

“Jerry Gordon, is a long time activist in the antiwar, labor, and civil rights movements, and has been an International Representative for the United Food and Commercial Workers, UFCW, for 25 years. He is currently the national secretary of the recently formed Emergency Labor Network, ELN, a grass roots organization of union and community leaders and activists dedicated to moving American labor and unions in a more progressive direction.

“Dennis Serrete is a 49 year veteran of the US union movement, a former National Director, now retired, of the Communications Workers of America, CWA, a past president and vice president of CWA locals 2108 and 1101 in New York, a founder of the Coalition of Black Trade Unions, CBTU, in 1972 and also a member of the Emergency Labor Network, ELN, today.”

Read Full Post »

Join in to hear host Dr. Jack Rasmus today, November 14, at 2pm (eastern) time on his radio show, Alternative Visions, to discuss with union guests the possibilities of independent labor political action. The discussion will be archived on prn.fm/shows/alternative-visions/

“Dr. Jack Rasmus discusses long time AFL-CIO union activists, Alan Benjamin and Donna Dewitt, the potential for independent labor political action in 2013 and beyond. Now that the November elections are over, voters will be surprised, Dr. Rasmus predicts, how harshly the new economic program called the ‘fiscal cliff’ will result in deep cuts in programs like Medicare, Social Security, Education and middle class tax hikes—while big corporations will be given even more tax cuts and subsidies. Is this the time to begin independent political action, led by union and community activists? Is it the time to consider building a third party? Jack will discuss those questions with Benjamin and Dewitt.

Donna Dewitt is the just recently retired, former president of the South Carolina state AFL-CIO federation of labor. Donna has been involved in South Carolina union and labor politics for 45 years. An activist in her union, the CWA local 3719, for thirty years, she then served as a member of the board of the South Carolina AFL-CIO, subsequently thereafter elected as the first woman to head the state’s AFL-CIO in 1996.

Alan Benjamin is a member of the Executive Board of the San Francisco Labor Council, AFL-CIO, a member and delegate from OPEIU Local 3. He’s a member of the National Steering Committee of US Labor Against the War, the International Coordinating Committee of the International Liaison Committee of Workers and Peoples, and a past organizer for Labor Party Advocates and the Labor Party in the US, as well as editor of ‘The Organizer’ labor newspaper. Both Ms. Dewitt and Mr. Benjamin are members of the recently organized, ‘Emergency Labor Network’ of grass roots local union leaders in the U.S.”

Read Full Post »

Readers of this blog are invited to tune into my coming Wednesday, October 24, radio show, ‘Alternative Visions’, to listen to an important discussion between myself, Dr. Jack Rasmus, host of the weekly show, and my guests from the National Nurses United union. We’ll be discussing the coming attacks on the Medicare program in the US.

The show may be listened to live (and archived) on wednesdays, 2pm, New York time, online at PRN.FM (Progressive Radio Network). It may also be accessed from my blog page, jackrasmus.com, and website, http://www..kyklosproductions.com.

The following announces the topics and guests:

The following is for posting announcing this coming Wednesday (Oct 24) Alternative Visions radio show:

“This Wednesday Dr. Jack Rasmus will welcome guests from National Nurses United. The show topic will be the coming attacks on Medicare-Medicaid that will follow the November national elections. The discussion will raise questions, Is there really a Medicare crisis? How can Medicare be defended and expanded right now? How has Romney’s Massachusetts ‘Romneycare’ program really performed? What are the problems with ‘Obamacare’. How have Insurance companies and hospitals been exploiting the transition in 2012-13 to Obamacare? What’s ‘Medicare for All’?

Joining Dr. Rasmus will be Sandy Eaton and Donna Smith. Sandy is a retired RN with the Quincy Medical Center in Massachusetts, a member of the Board of Directors for the Massachusetts Nurses Association, affiliated with the union, National Nurses United, NNU, AFLCIO. Sandy is also a former chair of the Legislative Council of the NNU, a member of the national Steering Committee for the Labor Campaign for Single Payer Healthcare, and editor of the ‘Seachange Bulletin” addressing healthcare and labor issues. Donna Smith is a community organizer and legislative advocate for the National Nurses United and author of many essays on the healthcare crisis in America. Donna has appeared on the Bill Moyers show, in Michael Moore’s 2007 documentary film, SICKO, and on many national broadcasts and radio shows.”

Read Full Post »