Scroll down for a short video on this story.

Thousands of citizens took to the streets of downtown Los Angeles, California on Saturday, October 15, 2011 as the anti-greed Occupy Los Angeles movement gained momentum going into its third week. The march began in Pershing Square and passed through the financial district, culminating in a rally at City Hall Park, where hundreds of protestors have set up dozens of tents and established a long-term encampment.

Events of the day were part of a Global Day of Action against corporate greed, as the Occupy Wall Street movement extends its reach around the world. Events reportedly took place in over 1,000 cities, involving hundreds of thousands of people.

The Occupy Los Angeles site has exploded since its beginning on October 1. Whereas the first night there were around fifty campers, participants say the number of overnight protestors has mushroomed to around three hundred each night. This core group swells during the day, as hundreds more join for whatever time they are available.

Saturday’s march and rally were bolstered by labor and civil society groups – the AFL-CIO and Moveon.org mobilized thousands of members to turn out. Smaller local groups also had a notable presence, like Valley Grassroots for Democracy, which sent two dozen Democratic activists from the San Fernando Valley to take part. The Industrial Workers of the World also had a small contingent. These two examples were representative; both insiders and outsiders were on the march.

Students, workers, the unemployed, senior citizens, families with young children, artists, the homeless – a broad cross-section was present. Even so, the massive crowd appeared to have consensus on what seems the central theme of the Occupy Wall Street movement – that the overall political and economic system is rigged in favor of the ultra-wealthy, and unresponsive to the needs of “the ninety-nine percent.”

Following the march and protests in front of three downtown banks – Bank of America was singled out for the most raucous attention – the group filled the area in and around City Hall Park for speakers, musicians, civil society organizing, and various other activities which constitute the ongoing life of Occupy Los Angeles.

“We want to send a clear message to the one percent,” said Maria Elena Durazo, the Secretary-Treasurer of the LA County Federation of Labor. “Without the rest of us, they go down.”

The event – like the day-to-day encampment – had no clear ending, and people were free to stay as long as they liked – or as long as necessary, to bring broadly-shared justice to the political and economic system. Many protestors appear willing to make this an extended stay.

Watch the short video below for more on this story.

At the Disney Community Forum for struggling hotelworkers in Anaheim, California on September 27, 2011, Maria Elena Durazo – the Secretary-Treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor – shares an anecdote about a simple thing a utility executive once told her, which goes a long way to explaining why corporate executives are so greedy.

Workers, labor leaders, Los Angeles politicians, prominent civil rights figures, and their allies attend a cookout and rally at the First African Methodist Episcopal (FAME) church in South Central Los Angeles on April 4, 2011, to commemorate the life’s work of Martin Luther King, Jr., who was assassinated on this day in 1968. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers grills up Wisconsin bratwurst, then attendees go inside to hear messages of solidarity with Wisconsin workers and links to the legacy of MLK, who – as the attendees are reminded – was not just a civil rights leader, but also a labor leader.

Speeches are given by Pastor John Hunter, head of the First AME church of Los Angeles; Maria Elena Durazo, executive secretary-treasurer of the LA County Federation of Labor; Laphonza Butler, president of United Long Term Care Workers; Jackie Brown, a school cafeteria worker; Oscar Montelongo, a lineman for the Department of Water & Power and member of IBEW; Bill Lucy, past president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME); and civil rights pioneer Reverend James Lawson.

The first video below provides a five-minute overview of the event. For the complete remarks of selected speakers, a series of spotlight videos follows after.

In the first spotlight video from the event, Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Koretz discusses why he’s come out in support of Wisconsin labor, as well as how good union jobs are a cornerstone of the city’s upcoming harbor and train construction projects. He also makes reference to the historic importance of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire of March 25, 1911 in New York City, in which 146 mostly immigrant workers lost their lives.

The video below contains the full remarks of Maria Elena Durazo, the Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor (AFL-CIO).

The video below contains the full remarks of Reverend James Lawson, the civil rights pioneer. In a wide-ranging and often impassioned speech, Lawson describes how he first met Martin Luther King, Jr., and he notes several key points of contact throughout the civil rights movement. In addition, Lawson shares his thoughts on King’s assassination.

Lawson also denounces the group current governors who are stripping workers of their collective bargaining rights as “plantation owners” and “petty tyrants,” and he invokes the struggles of common people, which he says have led to “every gain” of the past two hundred years.

Lawson is given an affectionate introduction by Maria Elena Durazo, head of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor. She highlights several of Lawson’s accomplishments, before he takes the dais.

The following video contains the complete remarks of Bill Lucy, the past president of the Association of Federal, State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), which is the same union that was seeking recognition for the Memphis sanitation workers in 1968, when MLK came to town to help their cause. Lucy worked with Dr. King on this final campaign.

Bill Lucy was AFSCME president for over thirty years, founder of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, and he was active in the struggle against apartheid.

The next video contains the full remarks of Laphonza Butler, the president of United Long Term Care Workers, which is part of the Service Employees International Union. ULTCW is the second-largest union local in the country, and it is made up of 190,000 homecare workers in California.

The video below contains the full remarks of Pastor John Hunter of the First AME Church, at the April 4, 2011 event.

The final video presents the full remarks of Oscar Montelongo, a lineman for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, and a shop steward for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Montelongo is filled with emotion as he speaks of how well he can provide for his children, thanks to his union job.

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.

When the owner suddenly slashes their wages and takes away insurance benefits, workers strike outside of the Wilshire Hotel in the Koreatown neighborhood of Los Angeles. Maria Elena Durazo, the Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, marches in support of the workers, and shares her thoughts on the state of labor in the age of Obama. Filmed on January 25, 2011.

Por JACQUELINE GUZMÁN
EL NUEVO SOL

California podría beneficiarse con más de 16 mil millones de dólares anuales si se legalizara a los inmigrantes latinos no autorizados, de acuerdo al Centro de Estudios para la Integracion de los Inmigrantes (CSII) de la Universidad del Sur de California (USC). En California, existen más de 1.8 millones de adultos indocumentados que aportan a la economía del estado. El informe, “Los Beneficios Económicos con la Autorización de Inmigrantes en California”, recalca que los beneficios se acumularían en gran cantidad si los actuales trabajadores indocumentados pudieran trabajar legalmente y ser mejor pagados.

“Mientras algunos dicen que debemos enfocarnos en recuperarnos de la recesión y no pelear por la reforma migratoria, deben ver que legalizar a los inmigrantes indocumentados podrían obtener una inesperada fuente de estímulo económico”, dijo Manuel Pastor, co-autor y co-director de CSII.

De aprobarse una reforma migratoria no sólo se estaría ayudando a los millones de adultos indocumentados, sino también a la juventud inmigrante, quienes en muchos casos llegaron a este país a muy corta edad. Alrededor de 65,000 estudiantes indocumentados se gradúan de preparatorias cada año, pero sólo un porcentaje muy pequeño llega a la universidad.

“Lo más triste de todo es que voy a tener un título de UCLA, una universidad prestigiosa en el sistema de UCs y no voy a poder trabajar legalmente debido a mi situación legal”, dijo Nancy Meza, estudiante de Estudios Chicanos, quien está cursando su último semestre. “Es triste ver que muchos estamos en la misma situación, tener un titulo pero no poder ejercer”, agregó Meza.

El estudio de CSII también revela que juntando a los latinos legales e indocumentados con los mismos niveles de educación, inglés, experiencia y habilidades, los indocumentados podrían aportar al estado de California hasta 3.25 mil millones de dólares anuales. Sin embargo, este avance está siendo truncado por su estatus legal solamente.

Y al parecer la lucha por legalizar a los 12 millones de indocumentados está comenzando otra vez. El pasado 15 de diciembre, el congresista Luis Gutiérrez (D-Ill), junto con 20 congresistas demócratas, presentaron la iniciativa de ley HR4321 ante la cámara baja. Gutierrez es el autor de dicha iniciativa que hasta ahora cuenta con el apoyo de 92 patrocinadores demócratas en el Congreso.

“Nosotros no tenemos el derecho de rendirnos, nosotros tenemos la responsabilidad de nunca descansar hasta que todos en este país tengan los mismos derechos y los mismos beneficios que los que están aquí legalmente”, dijo Gutiérrez ante una multitud de alrededor de mil personas en la iglesia de ‘Nuestra Señora de Los Ángeles’ en la Placita Olvera.

Gutiérrez agregó sentirse decepcionado al escuchar al presidente Barack Obama decir sólo una frase sobre inmigración durante su informe de gobierno el pasado 27 de enero.

“Tu no puedes venir a nuestra comunidad y decir que quieres ayudarnos, y comprometerte que en tu primer año tu vas a buscar una reforma migratoria”, dijo Gutiérrez refiriéndose al presidente Obama, “Cuando tu querías nuestros votos, eramos legales y eramos gente buena. Todavía lo somos”.

María Elena Durazo, líder de la Confederación Laboral de Los Ángeles (AFL-CIO), dijo que más de 300 sindicatos luchan por la justicia en los lugares de trabajo y la comunidad. “Ellos [inmigrantes] llevan a cabo los trabajos que otros americanos desprecian a cambio de bajos sueldos y condiciones sobre-humanas que ningun americano tolera”, agregó Durazo. Por eso los sindicatos son firmes partidarios de una reforma migratoria justa y humana.

Los partidarios de la reforma migratoria dicen que la economía podría mejorarse en gran parte si los trabajadores indocumentados son legalizados en lugar de ser encarcelados y/o deportados.

El jefe de policía de Los Ángeles, Charlie Beck dijo que ningún policía debe intimidar a los residentes de Los Ángeles sea o no indocumentado, “El estatus migratorio de una persona no es problema de LAPD”, agregó.

Se espera que en las próximas semanas se continúen haciendo más mobilizaciones a favor de una reforma migratoria. De acuerdo a Gutiérrez, se tiene un periodo de poco más de un mes para saber si la HR4321 tendrá avances o no.