NEW HAVEN, Conn. – A public high school – deemed one of America’s best by U.S. News magazine – was the setting for a number of awards handed out by the Communist Party’s publication, People’s World.
The Communist Party’s information site reports three union leaders, Meg Riccio, chief steward of Local 35 Unite Here at Yale, Daniel Louis Durant, Jr., membership and community solidarity coordinator of AFT Connecticut, and Alberto Bernardez, Connecticut assistant director SEIU 32 BJ, were recognized with awards, dubbed “People & Nature before Profits.”
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“Opening the event, held on the occasion of the 95th anniversary of the Communist Party USA, Connecticut chair Joelle Fishman’s call to action evoked the chants of recent protests,” according to People’s World.
“When courageous $15 and a Union fast food strikers stand in solidarity with Hands Up Don’t Shoot protests they are saying this is one struggle for dignity, for basic democratic rights, human rights and fairness. As Martin Luther King, Jr., challenged us to take on the triple evils of poverty, racism and war,” Fishman said, “we know it will take big change for our country to truly be of, by and for the people. To that we recommit today, inspired by the awardees and the people in the streets fighting for justice.”
A “fighting spirit of unity” was present as the communists celebrated “an intensive and successful election year, participation in the People’s Climate March in September, and a hectic week of pickets with fast food strikers and protests of police killings.”
Durant spoke about a “Community Bill of Rights” being presented by Hartford Rising to the Hartford city council.
They were enshrined in a resolution introduced by Councilman Joel Cruz and included:
* Education: Every child in Hartford has the right to a quality, fully resourced and funded public education in their own neighborhood and/or community that they do not have to apply for.
* Housing: All Hartford neighborhoods must have clean, fair and affordable housing, free from hazards (e.g. lead, asbestos, blight, etc.). There must be no discrimination of any kind.
* Jobs: Every working-age resident has a right to a family-supporting job with benefits and retirement options. No Hartford resident should be denied employment based on any protected or non-protected group status (e.g. race, ethnicity, religion, immigration status, or ex-offender status, etc).
* Safe, Sustainable, and Clean City: All who live in, work in or visit Hartford have the right to a safe, sustainable, and clean city that all can be proud of.
* Healthcare: Every Hartford resident has a right to affordable, quality, and accessible health care that includes access to healthy, nutritional food.
The teachers union was promoting the so-called “Community Bill of Rights” on its website.
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ProgressivesToday.com notes the event was held at a public school deemed by U.S. News as one of the best in the country.
“The Cooperative Arts and Humanities Public High School in New Haven, Connecticut, where the Communist event was held, was recently awarded a Silver medal in U.S. News ‘Best High Schools’ ranking,” the site reports.
The People’s World site describes itself as having a “special relationship” with the Communist Party USA.
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