By PAUL MAVERICK
POLITICAL MUSCLE
United Farm Workers President Arturo Rodriguez appeared at the massive “We Are One” labor rally at Pershing Square in downtown Los Angeles, on Saturday, March 26, 2011. Surrounded by farmworkers and their families, he came to lend farmworker support to labor’s recent upsurge, in response to attacks on collective bargaining by Republican governors around the country.

By PAUL MAVERICK
POLITICAL MUSCLE
Workers from all over the Western United States and Canada marched through downtown Los Angeles on Saturday, March 26, 2011, from Staples Center to Pershing Square, to show their solidarity with public employees in Wisconsin and elsewhere around the country where corporate Republican governors are stripping state workers of their collective bargaining rights. The day-long event, organized by the AFL-CIO, was called “We Are One.” The parade route was filled, as far as the eye could see, with working people on the march. Numerous local and national labor leaders spoke at the culminating rally in Pershing Square.

By PAUL MAVERICK
POLITICAL MUSCLE

The intensity of events in Madison keeps ratcheting up. Despite three weeks of massive, growing protests from Wisconsin citizens, Governor Scott Walker rammed through his anti-worker bill in a late-night session filled with suspicious legislative maneuvering. In response, the people of Wisconsin turned out at least 100,000 workers to express their fury on Saturday, March 12. For both sides of this fight – the workers who want to keep what’s theirs, and the corporate overlords who want it all – this battle is far from over.

By PAUL MAVERICK
POLITICAL MUSCLE
Housekeepers, their coworkers, and allies from civil society march in an enormous picket outside of the luxurious Hyatt Century Plaza in Century City, California, to protest unsafe working conditions. This spirited demonstration coincides with similar events at Hyatt hotels around the country.

By Aarón López and Kevin Mejía
GOOD EXPOSURE CHANNEL

Los Angeles Major Antonio Villaragosa and the City Council plan to cut senior food programs from the state budget. Seniors living in Pisgah Villages’ affordable housing want to express to the mayor how useful and necessary food programs are to them. Two teens assist them in making their voices heard. Together they work to achieve their goal.

By Rodrigo Peraza
GOOD EXPOSURE CHANNEL

The Dream Continues shows aspects of migrant workers living the “American Dream.” The film was inspired by my father who came to the United States 10 years ago and worked as a day laborer to give his family a better opportunity at life—with education as the key factor for us to succeed. The film inter-cuts my father’s story with the stories of the day laborers who work at the Home Depot that we drive past every day.

By PAUL MAVERICK
POLITICAL MUSCLE

Workers at the Wilshire Hotel in the Koreatown neighborhood of Los Angeles go on strike when the hotel owner suddenly slashes their wages and takes away insurance benefits. The workers are joined in their picket by Maria Elena Durazo, the Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor.

By PAUL MAVERICK
POLITICAL MUSCLE

Workers from the Disneyland hotels gather with their children in Hollywood, in front of Disney’s historic “El Capitan” movie theater. The children have come to return their Disney toys, because the company has made health insurance unaffordable for their families. If Disney holds the workers and their children in such low regard, there are plenty of other toys in the toybox, for little ones to play with!

By PAUL MAVERICK
POLITICAL MUSCLE

Airline catering workers at Sky Chefs hold a rally at their job site behind LAX airport. The workers gave up benefits in 2006 to help the company, and now they want ‘em back!

Por CINDY VON QUEDNOW Y VÍCTOR CORONA

Almudena Carracedo explica cómo las trabajadoras le enseñaron a no darse por vencida. María Pineda, por su parte, explica cómo creció de manera solidaria durante el proceso de filmación.