Pacifica’s CRD Longshore Workers Shut Down Ports; Protests over Florida Anti-immigrant Bill

Pacifica’s Capitalism, Race & Democracy: Longshore Workers Shut Down Ports; Protests over Florida Anti-immigrant Bill; South Africa Stands Up to the ICC

By Capitalism, Race & Democracy - June 6, 2023

On May 10, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law Senate Bill (SB) 1718, immigration-related legislation that will require employers to use the E-Verify system and will impose criminal penalties on individuals transporting undocumented immigrants into Florida. On June 1, there was a national day without immigrants to protest the Florida bill 1718. Immigrants and their allies spoke out in San Francisco.

Stevedoring employers are firing members of the International Longshore Workers Union in Seattle and other West Coast ports. On Saturday June 2, longshoremen shut down terminals in ports from Los Angeles to Seattle. Pacifica’s Steve Zeltzer spoke to Gabriel Prawl, past president of Seattle ILWU local 52 and president of the A. Philip Randolph Institute.

Amazon workers are fighting to unionize throughout the country. In Palmdale, California, Teamsters who were working for subcontractors are rallying against union busting. They talked about their struggle on Raider & the Saint, a podcast by Teamster Steven Gaxiola, who is a member of Teamsters Local 952.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to represent Russia at a conference of the BRICS nations—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—in South Africa in August. However, the plan has become controversial in South Africa because the country is a state party to the International Criminal Court and might therefore be expected to arrest Putin, whom the Court indicted in March for crimes in Ukraine.

Putin and Russian Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova are the first and only white people to be indicted by the Court. All 44 of those previously indicted have been Africans. Nevertheless, thirty-three African nations, including South Africa, are still states parties to the Court and thereby accept its jurisdiction, but the African Union has asked its member nations not to cooperate with the Court.

Host Ann Garrison spoke to David Paul Jacobs, a Canadian attorney with experience in international law.

As South Africa and China advocated for peace in Ukraine, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky embarked on a tour to secure additional weapons, including a stop at the Group of Seven (G7) Summit held in Hiroshima. Brian Becker, host of The Socialist Program on Breakthrough News, and National Director of the ANSWER Coalition, discussed the current juncture of the conflict in Ukraine. He spoke to Breakthrough News hosts Eugene Puryear and Rhania Khalek.

And that concludes today’s edition of Capitalism, Race & Democracy. We thank all of Pacifica’s sister stations and affiliates who contribute to the production of this show. Today’s program was produced by the Capitalism, Race, & Democracy collective.

Follow us on Twitter @PacificaCRD. Thanks for listening.

Music:
Manu Chao and Playing for change, “One Love”
Hugh Masekela and his band at Bellingen Global Carnival 2009
Brother Ali, “Work Every Day”
The Coup, “The Guillotine”