Laborfest:Films-We Are Wisconsin and Dust:The Great Asbestos Trial

Dust: The Great Asbestos Trial 85 min. 2011 Italy, SF Premiere
Written and Directed by: Niccolo Bruna & Andrea Prandstralle. Producer: Enrica Capra
After years of preliminary investigations by Raffaele Guariniello, the “iron prosecuting attorney,” the first great criminal trial against the “Lords of Asbestos” opened in Turin in 2009 and ended with a 16-year prison sentence on February 13th, 2012. All international trials related to asbestos so far had been civil proceedings aimed at awarding refunds to the victims or bringing down the local executives of the companies. The trial of Turin is the biggest environmental case in Europe, with more than 6,000 victims as the plaintiff. Stephan Schmidheiny and Louis Cartier de Marchienne were convicted of “causing a continuing disaster in health and environment” and “willfully neglecting safety regulations in the workplace”. The film explores the current situation of India and Brazil in the light of the tragic trail of deaths provoked by asbestos in Italy in the past.

We Are Wisconsin 90 min. 2012 SF Premiere By Amie Williams
Amie Williams has produced a powerful new film “We Are Wisconsin” that shows the strength of the mobilization to defend working people’s rights against Governor Scott Walker, who openly said he wanted to bust the unions. She allows the workers and students to tell their stories about why they were willing to put their lives and jobs on the line. These include a UW-Madison senior, nurse, high school teacher, electrician and others who joined in the occupation of the capitol and the fight to stop Walker’s anti-union legislation.
The battle in Wisconsin against flagrant union busting Governor Scott Walker was a touchstone for workers not only in Wisconsin but the entire country.
The ongoing attack on public workers from firefighters to teachers and social workers and their right to organize has come under direct attack. Public workers are being blamed for the economic decline and the attack on their pensions, healthcare and union rights is a cancer spreading out throughout the country.
The privatization and outsourcing of public services have been the direct result of these political and economic attacks.
In solidarity with Wisconsin workers and youth, Bay Area ILWU Local 10 longshore workers closed Bay Area ports on April 4, 2011.
Public workers in the Bay Area will attend and bring in their stories of struggles to defend their jobs, working conditions, and public education and services.
Northern California public workers will talk about the attacks that they face.
http://www.wearewisconsinthefilm.com
See also
http://www.laborfest.net/2012/2012Films.htm#f6
http://www.laborfest.net/2012/2012schedule.htm