Time To Prepare For Fascism & A General Strike
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I have been a member of our local for more than 6 years and was the past chair of our Human Rights committee. I produce labor media on the show WorkWeek on KPOO in San Francisco and on the Pacifica Network Capitalism Race and Democracy.
I also produce video documentaries about working people including covering this local, the Newsguild and CWA.
I am running for president because I believe we face an existential crisis as journalists and as workers, not only in our local, but in the NG, and in the CWA. This existential crisis affects not only journalists, but it impacts the entire working class as well and has to be responded to by independent political activity, that is we must build a labor party which will help us prepare for a general strike. AI is already being used to eliminate our jobs and there is a growing threat from our fascist government against journalists, immigrants and all working people with the militarization of cities and brutal attacks on immigrants and workers throughout the country. The Trump government is also moving to attack non-profits who are members who work for online news and information journals.
When president Trump called journalists “scum” there was a clear connection between the language of the fascists in Germany and the language of Trump and the techno fascists in the US.
I support the call of AFA-CWA president Sara Nelson for a general strike. We need to educate our members and the public about why this action is necessary to defend unions, working people and the public. The open racist, xenophobic, attacks as well as the attacks on LBGTU people in this country is a threat to all of us.
At our last convention, the CWA called for our members and locals to embed DEI into our contracts so it cannot be removed by the management of companies we work for. Not only was this not reported to the members of the local by the present leadership but the past president actually dissolved the Human Rights committee which I will re-establish if I am elected.
DEI & The Fight Against Systemic Racism At CWA 2025 Convention
At the last meeting I proposed that it be re-established and link up with other unionists to build a united effort so our efforts will not be isolated.
As journalists, we must publicly stand up with our brothers and sisters in Palestine. Over 250 Palestinian journalists and their families have been murdered with the support of the US. Our local leadership, without a vote, shut down a motion to introduce a resolution to support Palestinian journalists and against the genocide with one of our leaders calling it too “controversial”. The idea that opposing genocide because it is controversial is not only absurd, but it is an idea that should not govern our union or any union. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!
One of the key issues for our members is our healthcare system. The shutdown of medicaid and the elimination of subsidies will throw over 17 million people off healthcare. More of our wages are going to insurance companies and this is escalating. In response to this calamity, I made a motion in our local that we support the national single payer campaign and fight for this in the NG, CWA and the entire labor movement. It was passed by our local and after a debate at the NG convention the resolution passed, but it was not presented to the CWA convention nor has our local leadership informed the members that this resolution from our local body passed the NG.
There will also be a national day of action for single payer on January 31, 2025 which I am urging our local, the NG and CWA to support.
NewsGuild At 2025 Convention Endorses National Single Payer Campaign
I support our local, the CWA and AFL-CIO development of a labor channel that can include education and reports by our members and all workers.
SF Chronicle News Guild PMWG Workers Demand Justice & Living Wages
Striking Washington Post SF Bureau WBNG Journalists Speak Out At Solidarity Strike Rally
We also face a political crisis. The Democrats & Republicans are controlled by billionaires. Governor Newsom who has been supported by the CWA has opposed single payer healthcare and refuses to make the billionaires pay for this crisis to provide free public education and healthcare. The Democrats have a super majority in the legislature and could take action to force them to pay for the massive cutbacks. Our local, with the rest of the labor movement, need to take action to use the wealth of California for the people.
We need to work towards a mass democratic labor party that will have a program for working people and not be controlled by the billionaires. The Democrats will not stop fascism and there is a threat of martial law with the imposition of the insurrection act. We need a working class political alternative that is based on our unions and a discussion in labor about how to build a united front against fascism, the attack on immigrants, unionists and all working people along with fighting for the protection of journalists.
Despite all the dangers that we face as workers we have tremendous possibilities because we have tremendous power that with the unity of all our members and working people in the country we can shut down the system by organizing a general strike. We have the power.
Please go to my web site for more information about why I am running and how to rebuild the labor movement and defend our local and jobs.
An Injury To One Is An Injury To All
Steve Zeltzer
zeltzerforpresident.com
labormedia1@gmail.com
Producer of WorkWeek on KPOO &
Capitalism, Race & Democracy On Pacifica
