Tuesday, August 28th , 2012

THE HISTORY OF August 28th, I'm ___________________ .

And I’m ___________. Today in 1933: The Filipino Labor Union leads six thousand California lettuce workers out on strike, demanding forty to forty five cents an hour, union recognition and improved working conditions.

Unity will quickly dissolve, however, when white strikers break away from the Filipinos and agree to arbitration. Facing the Filipinos alone, growers will open a propaganda front, circulating stories claiming Communist infiltration of the union.

Assisted by the highway patrol and armed vigilantes, they will drive off five hundred strikers. The war will come to a head in late September, when vigilantes attack the camp of Filipino union president, Rufo Canete.

They will burn the camp to the ground and force the strikers to flee for their lives. The police will then raid union headquarters in Salinas, arresting scores of strikers and their leaders. But, the strikers will hold out. The settlement gives them wages of 40 cents an hour and union recognition.

Tuesday, August 28th , 2012

It’s today’s Action Calendar!

This afternoon, Madison Urban Ministry will be holding a Re-Entry Service Fair.  This month’s theme is Education and the Urban League Transition Program. Come to the Fair and learn about housing, employment, support treatment and health, transportation, education and other resources available in the community to assist people returning home after incarceration. This is today from 3:30 to 5:30 pm at the Villager Mall, 2300 South Park Street. For more info, email  johnm@emum.org or  call 256-0906

Tonight, join the discussion of "The Day the Music Died: Three Decades of Neoliberalism", with the History of Political Economy Group. This is at 6:30pm at the Electric Earth Café, 546 West Washington Avenue. More info at 256-1261.

Tonight at 7, there will be an Downtown Zoning Map Open House to provide the public an opportunity to view and comment on the proposed Zoning Map for Downtown Madison. Downtown area alders have been invited to attend the open house, and City Planning and Zoning Staff will be there to answer questions and collect comments. Your feedback is important and will help the City prepare a revised Zoning Map in the weeks ahead. This is from 7 to 9pm at the Madison Senior Center, 330 West Mifflin Street. Contact Rick at 267-8732 with questions or visit cityofmadison.com/neighborhoods/zoningrewrite.