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Tempest Mag

Tempest is a revolutionary socialist organizing project in the U.S.

Tempest Mag
With the large turnout and organizing energy at the Labor Notes conference last weekend, the Tempest Collective hosts a public discussion to assess the conference and talk about the challenges and opportunities facing the labor movement. The Labor Notes Conference this past weekend, with thousands of attendees, was young and electric, reflecting what has become clear since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing numbers of people are excited about labor organizing, from Starbucks to Amazon and every industry in between. This excitement exists alongside unbelievable challenges and hardships for workers. There continues to be deep anger leading to collective action and strikes in response to the pandemic – but workers are still getting pummeled in the COVID period and the reopening. How do we take inspiration in this incredible moment and maintain it? What are the potential labor struggles ahead and how do they factor into this? How will ongoing wars, massive attacks on abortion access, an emboldened far right committing unspeakable hate crimes against Black, Brown, and LGBTQIA+ workers, and rampant inflation and looming recession impact this window to organize and fight? What role can socialists and militant labor activists play?  Speakers: John Logan (0:00) Director of Labor Studies, San Francisco State University, author of “Starbucks Workers Have Won 100 Union Elections. Here Are the Lessons From 5 of Them.” Andy Sernatinger (4:53) Teamsters Local 695, Madison, Wisconsin, author of “Hoffa’s House Divided: The 2021 Teamster Election, Explained.” Ye-Eun Jeong (17:18) Graduate Workers at Columbia, UAW 2710, and member of the Tempest Collective. Facilitated by Sherry Wolf John Logan (0:00) Andy Sernatinger (4:53) Ye-Eun Jeong (17:18) This event took place on June 25, 2022. Find out more about Tempest at our website: http://www.tempestmag.org Follow us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tempestmag Follow us on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/tempest_mag Follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tempest_mag
Revenge of the Essential Worker
YouTube Video VVVrQzdUYWJ3QUVtc3hKQ0V3OHl6ZzlRLkxpd0hreDJuZzdv
Chinedu Chukwudinma speaks on Walter Rodney’s political legacy and the revived interest in his work for a new generation today. The Guyanese Marxist Walter Rodney's life and work spanned the1960s and 1970s. Living in the Americas, Africa, and Europe, Rodney engaged with the revolutionary struggles of the period, including the Working People’s Alliance in Guyana, Pan-Africanism, and international socialism from below. Chinedu Chukwudinma wrote the recent A Rebel’s Guide to Walter Rodney. He is a socialist and anti-racist activist based in London. He writes on African politics, popular struggles, and the history of working-class resistance on the continent and is a member of the Review of African Political Economy (ROAPE) editorial board. Find out more about Tempest at our website: http://www.tempestmag.org Follow us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tempestmag Follow us on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/tempest_mag Follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tempest_mag
A Rebel's Guide to Walter Rodney
YouTube Video VVVrQzdUYWJ3QUVtc3hKQ0V3OHl6ZzlRLjNTQ3lBWm5ENEQ4
Among the social crises we face are escalating environmental disasters related to the intensification of global warming. This is generated by the powerful forces of fossil-fuel capitalism that overwhelm government efforts to reduce carbon emissions. The resulting climate emergency poses a strategic challenge for socialists, who understand that only the working-class majority has the potential power to tip the balance toward survival. Conceptions of working-class power – advanced through strikes, mass struggle, and disruption – suggest themselves, but this is not yet the reality that exists. Any hope for the future involves a convergence of labor and climate politics, connecting the fight to reduce emissions with the struggle for an economic transition providing decent jobs, living standards, and quality of life for all. This convergence must become central to the working-class consciousness and class struggle of our time. How can we extend the climate fight inside our unions and workplaces? How can we build an effective coalition of labor, community, and environmentalist forces capable of tipping the balance toward survival? Facilitated by Peter Ikeler Speakers Jeremy Brecher (5:50) – Senior Strategic Advisor, Labor Network for Sustainability; author of labor history classic Strike! and of “The Green New Deal from Below.” Lauren Bianchi (15:43) - A member of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU); teaches in Southeast Chicago; is active in the CTU Climate Justice Committee and was part of the fight in Southeast Chicago to deny General Iron a permit to place a metal shredder in that neighborhood. Marcelina Pedraza (26:33) - Environmental justice activist, an electrician at the Ford assembly plant in Southeast Chicago, member of United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 551. Marcie is part of the Unite All Workers for Democracy (UAWD) caucus, which is pushing for democracy in the UAW, and is active in the Chicago General Iron struggle. Sean Petty (32:34) - Registered Nurse, New York City; member of New York State Nurses Association; long-time union climate activist. Introduction with Peter Ikeler (0:00) Jeremy Brecher (5:50) Lauren Bianchi (15:43) Marcelina Pedraza (26:33) Sean Petty (32:34) Find out more about Tempest at our website: http://www.tempestmag.org Follow us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tempestmag Follow us on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/tempest_mag Follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tempest_mag
Labor and Climate Crisis: Urgent Struggle for the Future
YouTube Video VVVrQzdUYWJ3QUVtc3hKQ0V3OHl6ZzlRLnZjRzROUm5PMlNV
The leaked Supreme Court draft decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health makes it all but certain that the Court will vote to overturn Roe v. Wade later this summer. This massive attack on women and anyone else who can become pregnant has led to protests around the country. What kind of movement do we need to reverse this attack? Come to a meeting in which experienced abortion-rights activists will offer their perspectives on this vital question. Speakers: Camila Valle (3:38) is an editor, translator, writer, and member of NYC for Abortion Rights. Sheila Bates (11:02) is a member of Black Lives Matter Grassroots. Linda Loew (20:20) is a founding member of Chicago for Abortion Rights and a longstanding union activist and socialist. Haley Pessin (31:40) is a socialist activist based in New York and a member of the Tempest Collective. Facilitated by Natalia Tylim Introduction with Natalia Tylim from Tempest Collective (0:00) Camila Valle from NYC for Abortion Rights (3:38) Sheila Bates from Black Lives Matter Grassroots (11:02) Linda Loew from Chicago for Abortion Rights (20:20) Haley Pessin from Tempest Collective (31:40) Recent articles from Tempest on abortion rights https://www.tempestmag.org/2022/05/the-fight-to-defend-abortion-rights-continued/ https://www.tempestmag.org/2022/05/the-fight-back-to-defend-abortion-rights-begins/ https://www.tempestmag.org/2022/05/next-steps-to-regain-abortion-rights/ https://www.tempestmag.org/2022/05/anti-choice-bigots-stopped-in-nyc/ https://www.tempestmag.org/2022/05/roe-under-attack-time-to-fight-back/ https://www.tempestmag.org/2022/04/the-need-for-abortion-rights/ https://www.tempestmag.org/2022/02/the-best-offense-is-more-clinic-defense/ https://www.tempestmag.org/2022/01/roe-under-attack/ Find out more about Tempest at our website: http://www.tempestmag.org Follow us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tempestmag Follow us on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/tempest_mag Follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tempest_mag Find out more about NYC for Abortion Rights at http://abortionrights.nyc/about/
Fighting the Attack on Abortion Rights
YouTube Video VVVrQzdUYWJ3QUVtc3hKQ0V3OHl6ZzlRLllUVmp1RG5XajI0
A wave of legislation targeting trans and queer people is sweeping across the United States from Alabama to Arizona. These laws deny youth access to gender-affirming care, effectively criminalizing trans youth and their families. Like the manufactured panic over Critical Race Theory and the recent attacks against Roe v. Wade, anxieties directed toward transgender and gender-nonconforming people have become central to the GOP’s incursion into the culture wars. Without a doubt, the attacks against trans youth are a calculated political play aimed at motivating conservative voters ahead of the midterms. Tempest hosts a panel discussion featuring: Ash Terry (she/her) (8:40) is a student at the University of Texas. She organizes with the grassroots network TEAR IT UP and is a member of Trans Resistance of Texas (TRoT). Both groups have been at the fore of organizing protests in response to Governor Abbott's February executive order criminalizing trans youth and gender-affirming care. Kristen Godfrey (they/she) (18:10) is a Black, non-binary community organizer and social worker living on stolen Tohono O’odham and Yoeme ancestral and traditional lands. Kristen has worked alongside LGBTQ+ young people in after-school programs, community resource centers, and higher ed for nine years. She is a member of Tempest Collective, and a co-founding member of Thompson House Tucson, a socialist organization and mutual aid collective. Isabelle (26:12) is an intersex activist, writer, athlete, and coach from Rochester, NY now living in Portland, OR Eric Maroney (he/him) (39:40) is a transgender organizer and an active union member with the AFT. He teaches community college English, and he is a graduate student at the University of Connecticut. Eric is also a member of the Tempest Collective. Facilitated by Keegan O'Brien Introduction by Keegan O'Brien (0:00) Ash Terry (8:40) Kristen Godfrey (18:10) Isabelle (26:12) Eric Maroney (39:40) Find out more about Tempest at our website: http://www.tempestmag.org Follow us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tempestmag Follow us on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/tempest_mag Follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tempest_mag
Responding to the Backlash: Fighting for Trans and Queer Liberation
YouTube Video VVVrQzdUYWJ3QUVtc3hKQ0V3OHl6ZzlRLlhqemd4QWMySllV
Had trouble following the ins and outs of what happened in the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and the BDS and Palestine Working Group over the last couple of weeks? We've got you. We will explain what happened, contextualize it, and raise some arguments about the next steps for BDS organizing, as well as a discussion about the future of DSA. For background https://www.tempestmag.org/.../npc-disbands-bds-working.../ Tempest Collective statement https://www.tempestmag.org/2022/03/democracy-isnt-optional/ We answered questions that come up in the comments during the Livestream. Introductions (0:00) Background on What happened with Tessa E (2:05) BDS and Palestine Solidarity Working Group with Joel R (6:48) For an Internationalist DSA petition with Annie W (10:54) Questions and Answers (18:58) This event took place on April 4, 2022. Find out more about Tempest at our website: http://www.tempestmag.org Follow us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tempestmag Follow us on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/tempest_mag Follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tempest_mag
Palestine and the Future of DSA
YouTube Video VVVrQzdUYWJ3QUVtc3hKQ0V3OHl6ZzlRLkNRdHpFSUZHQ3Nv
Imperialist Russia has invaded and occupied Ukraine in a bid to rebuild its former empire in Eastern Europe. The US has responded with a raft of sanctions and plans to strengthen and further expand its imperialist NATO alliance, turning Europe into a militarized zone split between rival great powers. China, while careful to appear balanced in order to preserve its deep economic ties with the West, has opposed Western sanctions and given at least tacit support to Russia’s conquest of Ukraine. This panel of socialists will explain the roots and nature of conflict and how the international left should respond. Speakers (updated): Gilbert Achcar (4:00) is a professor at SOAS, University of London, author of The People Want: A Radical Exploration of the Arab Uprising (new edition in September) and The New Cold War: Chronicle of a Confrontation Foretold (forthcoming). Ilya Budraitskis (13:00) is a Moscow-based historian and political writer. He is the author of Dissident Among Dissidents: Ideology, Politics and the Left in Post-Soviet Russia. He is a member of the editorial board of Moscow Art Magazine, Openleft.ru, and LeftEast. Volodymyr Ishchenko (27:30) is a research associate at the Institute of East European Studies, Freie Universität Berlin. He has written for The Guardian, Jacobin, and Truthout and is working on a book entitled, The Maidan Uprising: Mobilization, Radicalization, and Revolution in Ukraine, 2013-2014. Ho-Fung Hung (40:45) is Henry M. and Elizabeth P. Wiesenfeld Professor in Political Economy and chair of the Department of Sociology at Johns Hopkins University. He is the author of Clash of Empires: From “Chimerica” to the “New Cold War” and City on the Edge: Hong Kong under Chinese Rule. Erin Cass (52:05) is a queer Romani data scientist and activist based in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York. Their writing has appeared in publications including Spectre, Tempest, and Socialist Worker. They are a member of the Democratic Socialists of America and the Tempest Collective. Facilitated by Lee Wengraf Sponsored by Tempest Endorsed by: Against the Current, Anti*Capitalist Resistance, Haymarket Books, Internationalism From Below, Madison Area DSA, Marx21 US, Midnight Sun, New Politics, Rampant, Solidarity, Spectre Introduction by Lee Wengraf (0:00) Gilbert Achcar (4:00) Ilya Budraitskis (13:00) Volodymyr Ishchenko (27:30) Ho-Fung Hung (40:45) Erin Cass (52:05) Second Round for Speakers (1:03:19) Questions and Answers (1:16:22) Final Thoughts from the Speakers (1:48:42) This event took place on March 13, 2022. Find out more about Tempest at our website: http://www.tempestmag.org Follow us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tempestmag Follow us on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/tempest_mag Follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tempest_mag
Against Imperialist War! Ukraine, Russia, NATO, and the U.S.
YouTube Video VVVrQzdUYWJ3QUVtc3hKQ0V3OHl6ZzlRLkUxa19ydHFMNEN3
An event sponsored by the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers Local 59. The event was endorsed by National Educators United, Democratic Socialist Labor Commission, and the Tempest Collective. Speakers included: Greta Callahan (7:48) is the President of the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers Chapter Local 59 Ma-Riah Roberson-Moody (13:52) is the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers Educational Support Professionals First Vice-President Leah Van Dassor (20:10) is the President of the St. Paul Federation of Educators Local 28, Jeff Garcia (22:52) is a member of SPFE Local 28, and Jessica Garraway (30:33) James Skretta (32:28), Starbucks Workers United in Buffalo, NY Keith Brown (39:45) is the President of the Oakland Education Association Cecily Myart-Cruz (43:30) is the vPresident of the United Teachers of Los Angeles Jen Johnson (48:18) is the Chief of Staff of the Chicago Teachers Union Emcee: Marcia Howard (3:24), member of Minneapolis Federation of Teachers Local 59, a teacher at Roosevelt High School, and a community member of George Floyd Square. Donate to the strike fund: https://www.mft59.org/strike-fund Learn about the issues: https://www.mft59.org/strike-readiness https://www.spfe28.org/proposals/ Sign this petition to support SPFE educators in their fight for the schools St. Paul students deserve: https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLScCH-Ovgj.../viewform Sign this petition to support MPS Students and Educators for Safe and Stable Schools: https://actionnetwork.org/.../support-mps-students-and...& Introduction (0:00) Marcia Howard (3:24) Greta Callahan (7:48) Ma-Riah Roberson-Moody (13:52) Leah Van Dassor (20:10) Jeff Garcia (22:52) Jessica Garraway (30:33) James Skretta (32:28) Keith Brown (39:45) Cecily Myart-Cruz (43:30) Jen Johnson (48:18) Audience Questions (55:52) This event took place on March 3, 2022. Find out more about Tempest at our website: http://www.tempestmag.org Follow us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tempestmag Follow us on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/tempest_mag Follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tempest_mag
Solidarity with Twin Cities Educators
YouTube Video VVVrQzdUYWJ3QUVtc3hKQ0V3OHl6ZzlRLkFJSmV5QWpvUEww
As the Omicron surge starts to slowly recede, politicians from both major political parties in the U.S. are in a stampede to roll back public health measures such as mask mandates and vaccination requirements, even though infection rates remain high, hospitals are at the breaking point, and the possibility of a new variant remains. Meanwhile, the vast majority of the world’s population remains unvaccinated and at risk, because Big Pharma has put profits before lives. Join us for a discussion of how capitalism has made the COVID-19 crisis much worse than it should have been and what we can do to get out of this pandemic and prepare for the next one. Speakers: Achal Prabhala (1:58) is the coordinator of the AccessIBSA project, which campaigns for access to medicines in India, Brazil, and South Africa. Dennis Kosuth (17:08) is a nurse in the Chicago Public Schools, a rank-and-file activist in the Chicago Teachers Union, and a member of Tempest. Gregg Gonsalves (34:09) is a global health activist, an epidemiologist, and an associate professor at Yale School of Public Health. Facilitated by Tessa E. Introduction by Tessa E. (0:00) Achal Prabhala (1:58) Dennis Kosuth (17:08) Gregg Gonsalves (34:09) This event took place on February 20, 2022. Find out more about Tempest at our website: http://www.tempestmag.org Follow us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tempestmag Follow us on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/tempest_mag Follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tempest_mag
This Isn’t Normal: Capitalism and the COVID-19 Pandemic
YouTube Video VVVrQzdUYWJ3QUVtc3hKQ0V3OHl6ZzlRLmRIQ2VfdEJpRGRN
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