Fellow Travelers' Advisory from Anne Feeney - JUNE 2005: VOLUME ONE, Number Three

JUNE DESTINATIONS: Toronto, Hamilton & Peterborough, Ontario; Pittsburgh, PA; Madison, WI; Quad Cities (Rock Island, IL); Winona, MN; Washington, DC; St. Louis, MO; Mt. Olive, IL and Chicago, IL

CDS available at http://cdbaby.com/all/unionmaid - great Father's Day gifts!


Copenhagen
30 May 2005

Yes, folks ... I'm in Hans Christian Andersen land where spring is still springing and the days are already 18 hours long. I'll never figure out why flights to Europe leave in the evening from the US.

Arriving at the crack of dawn on no sleep is a prescription for a few miserable days at the start of any European visit. I got over it though, and it's a good thing, because David Rovics and Jan Hammarlund are great hellraising companeros and we were really busy here in Scandinavia.

Touring with David Rovics is a blast. I'm sure we'll be doing it again. I love singing on his songs and he does a great job on mine, and our repertoires are very different so the variety is great. Gerd Berlev in Copenhagen organized the most wonderful gigs for us while we were in Denmark... a terrific peace festival where we got to hear Per Warming, a fine Danish folksinger, and Savage Rose, an amazing Danish band....

and....... our wonderful new friend Jan Hammarlund who did a great job of organizing gigs for us in Sweden. We put thousands of miles by car, plane, train and taxi during this trip, but it was fantastic. I've put a link to his website below, but nothing does him justice like hearing him live. He's a terrific performer, great sense of humor, thoughtful, great player... I can't say enough. I hope to bring him to the US to tour soon.

Most of the folks we met in Sweden and Denmark are bitterly opposed to most of the workings of the European Union and rejoiced when France voted down the proposed "European Constitution" that would override the constitutions of the European social democracies and escalate this race to the bottom.

I'll have photos up on the blog soon, and you'll be able to see the Coca-Cola Boycott concert, the End the Embargo show, the fantastic Danish labor school in Helsingor and much much more.. http://whirled_retort.blogspot.com/

I'm looking forward to my upcoming visits to Canada, the midwest and of course CA, OR, WA and BC! I'm booking Florida dates in January 2006... email me with any ideas.

Kerrhugs to all my camping buddies at the Kerrville Folk Festival.

Love and Solidarity
Anne


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some performer links...

Jan Hammarlund - http://janhammarlund.se/
He's fluent in Swedish, English, Spanish, Danish and several other languages. Jan has translated Violeta Para songs into Swedish and introduced her music to Sweden. He's traveled in Chile and he's a fabulous performer. He's a terrific guitar player with a clear and true voice and a great sense of humor.

Per Warming http://sogneaften.com/per_warming.htm
A very thoughtful man, and a skilled player... although I don't understand a word of Danish, it was easy to see that the audience adored him.

Savage Rose - Thomas and Annissette
http://www.thesavagerose.com/srindex.html
stage magic... Thomas on accordion and Annissette... well, seeing is believing... they've got a great website.


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Check this out...

shop till you drop in Mexico...
You probably know that workers are generally paid much less in Mexico than they’d earn doing the same job in the U.S. But do you know how much less? And what difference does that make?

Many people imagine that those lower wages go farther, because of lower prices in Mexico.
Using this new interactive feature on the UE International web site, check out that assumption. The site invites you to pick a worker – whether it’s a teacher or factory worker, nurse or plumber, social worker or bank employee.

http://www.ueinternational.org/shop/index.php

My pal Nancy Brigham has done a fabulous job of researching and demonstrating how the exporting of jobs is working out for workers in Mexico... This is a terrific piece of work Nancy has done... check it out!


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Several folks have written to congratulate me on the Joe Hill Award and inquire as to how they can share in the celebration. If you can't join me at the Great Labor Arts Exchange in Washington, DC, visit http://laborheritage.org/lhwho.htm - your tax deductible contribution to:

The Labor Heritage Foundation
888 16th St. NW Suite 680
Washington, DC 20006

will go a long way toward helping cultural workers in the labor movement.

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I'm not sure that we can click our way to a better world, but there are some really good sites that monitor breaking news and allow us to respond quickly to legislative and other shenanigans...

http://ProgressiveSecretary.org
http://truthout.org
http://www.fair.org
http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/

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COMING UP---

Friday, June 3rd, 2005 8:00 PM
Toronto Concert with George Hewison Trio and Fellow Worker
USWA Hall
25 Cecil Street
Toronto, ON
CANADA
george hewison is putting this together - (705) 657-2351
e-mail ghewison@sympatico.ca
tickets for sale at the door and
@ Toronto Women's Bookstore
73 Harbord Street (Toronto)


Saturday, June 4th, 2005 8:00 PM
Hamilton Concert with George Hewison Trio and Fellow Worker
Skydragon Centre
24 King St. East, 3rd Floor
Hamilton, ON L8N 1A3
CANADA
george hewison is organizing this one
(905) 777-8102
contact: Kevin MacKay
kevin@skydragon.org


Sunday, June 5th, 2005 8:00 PM
Anne Feeney in Peterborough Concert
with George Hewison Trio and Fellow Worker
395 Aylmer Street North
Peterborough, ON CANADA
705-876-6530 is the club phone.
contact Fellow Worker at:
laboursinger@yahoo.ca

Wednesday, June 8th, 2005 8:00 PM
Mountain Justice Benefit
Quiet Storm
Penn Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15224
http://thomasmertoncenter.org
Join me and a lot of special guests as we raise some money and some awareness. Mountain top mining is destroying West Virginia and this summer many activists will join hands with WV communities to halt this repulsive process.

Saturday, June 11th, 2005 1:00 PM
Folk at One
Peace Park
400 block of State Street
Madison, WI
http:// www.madfolk.org
Price: free
Rain Location: Memorial Union - Lakefront Room

Saturday, June 11th, 2005 6:00 PM
University of Wisconsin Extension
80th Anniversary of the School for Workers
Madison, WI
http://schoolforworkers.uwex.edu/
Contact John Lund: 608-262-9847 or john.lund@uwex.edu

Sunday, June 12th, 2005 7:00 PM
Anne Feeney in Concert
Laborers' Local 309
Rock Island, IL
Chris Dunn is organizing this -
crisplydone@hotmail.com

Friday, June 17th, 2005 7:30 PM
Minnesota Greens State Convention Kickoff Concert
Blue Heron Coffee House
Winona, MN
http://mngreens.org/
pollygower@hotmail.com is the contact for this show.... with special guests!

Sunday, June 19, 20 and 21, 2005
Great Labor Arts Exchange
George Meany Institute for Labor Studies
Takoma Park, MD
http://laborheritage.org/glae04p1.html
This fabulous conference ends with a terrific public concert on

Tuesday, June 21st, 2005 8:00 PM
Great Labor Arts Exchange
George Meany Institute for Labor Studies
Takoma Park, MD
http://laborheritage.org/glae04p1.html


Thursday, June 23rd, 2005 8:00 PM
Midwest Labor Press Association Banquet
Holiday Inn Riverport
St Louis, MO
Gary Brown gbrown@ualocal157.org has more information

Friday, June 24th, 2005 6:00 PM
Mother Jones Festival
Banquet at The Crystal Ballroom
Mount Olive, IL
http://mtoliveil.com
Exit #41 on I 55 Go West towards Staunton, pass the Super 8 Motel & over a hill. The CRYSTAL BALLROOM will be on the left side, less than a mile from the I 55 exit


Saturday, June 25th, 2005 8:00 PM
IWW Centenary Concert
People's Church
Lawrence St
Chicago, IL
with Citizens' Band, Larry Long, Mark Ross, Charlie King & Karen Brandow, Utah Phillips and "Rebel Voices"- Janet Stecher and Susan Lewis, from Seattle, WA and other very special guests.
contact John Berquist at abjb123@earthlink.net or 773.752.2248


Sunday, June 26th, 2005 10:30 AM
U U Service
Chicago, IL
more details soon.
all welcome

More and updated information at http://www.annefeeney.com/calendar.html
**ALWAYS** check with the venue to make sure that the time of the performance and other details are correct. I try really hard to keep this current, but if you think about this itinerary, you'll see my life is a little hectic and it's hard to stay on top of everything all the time..

Help Gokal and Shiela get out of detention

Help Gokal and Shiela get out of detention

Please click on this link to send a fax to Virginia Senators Allen and Warner ... the rest of the text below explains a little about the ordeal this family is going through...

Please help our family!
On June 22, 2005 -- the day of their son's graduation from high school -- there was a knock on my Uncle Gokal and Aunt Shiela's door. Several uniformed officers were outside, and told my cousin they needed to bring his parents in for questioning, and that they would bring them back in just a few hours.
A week later, our family members languish in a detention center in northern Virginia. No one knows why they are in detention. They are in their 70s, and in failing health. They are truly kind and gentle people, and have done nothing wrong. We have been told nothing about why they are there and when or if they'll get out. They have not been charged with anything. We are extremely concerned about their health and their ability to deal with the harsh conditions of the detention facility.

After experiencing religious persecution in Afghanistan, Gokal and Shiela, who are from a small religious minority, applied for asylum in the United States almost a decade ago. They did everything right - obtaining work permits, paying their taxes, and enrolling their son in one of the best school districts in Virginia. Gokal and Shiela began working at an age when most Americans would retire, so they could provide for their only son. They worked, lived, and settled into a community full of family and friends who cared for them, loved them and supported them, and lived quiet lives, following all the rules of their new country. We want them back with us, safe and sound!

A song for the folks at United Airlines

To the tune of "Breaking Up is Hard to Do"
Offered in solidarity by Anne Feeney, unionmaid@earthlink.net
http://annefeeney.com
Soon to be the Labor Notes "Song of the Month"


For all IAM & AFA at United..........


Down dooby do down down, we can shut ya down dooby do down down
We can shut ya down dooby do down down
Shut ya down is what we'll do......

Not long ago we flew those friendly skies
Morale was high - Our stock was on the rise
Now you're giving us the royal screw
And shut ya down is what we'll do

You say our wages are to blame
Bucky Brace should hang his head in shame
We made more money back in '82
And shut ya down is what we'll do

Our future is in chaos - We've given so much
Those guys on top are way out of touch
BO-NUS!!! What gives you the right????
Four hundred fifty million, Tilton
Tell us how you sleep at night!

The IAM (or AFA) is gonna have its say
The CHAOS game is one that two can play
United workers deserve more from you
And shut ya down is what we'll do

Well first we tried your ESOP - We gave back our pay
Now you take our pensions away!
Your plans are destined to fail
United workers need a raise, and Tilton, you belong in jail!!

The day will come, just wait and see
What we can do in solidarity
United workers deserve more from you
And shut you down is what we'll do

Dooby do down down; we can shut ya down dooby do down down
We can shut ya down dooby do down down, and shut ya down is
what we'll do!

Windy City

Hi folks... just a few quick thoughts in the midst of this whirlwind tour.

The IWW fest in Milwaukee and Madison was fantastic. John Peck and the Wisconsin Wobs did a great job organizing. It was great to see Rose Daitsman, and to hear Larry Penn again. And singing with David Rovics was a total joy. I got to drown some worms in Lake Mendota with Ed Sadlowski and his gorgeous family... and then spent two days in South Chicago soaking in some labor history from Big Ed.

I'm in Chicago at the Regina Polk Institute for Union Women Leadership.

It's a very inspiring gathering. Many of the women at the conference work for United Airlines. The greed of the CEO and stockholders at United is disgusting. I flew here on United Airlines. The fare from pittsburgh to chicago was $53.96 + taxes. How can the CEO have a 4.5 million dollar guaranteed "signing bonus" and sell tickets for next to nothing when he's defaulting on pension obligations to workers who have already given so much back???? and now he wants wage concessions too?

He belongs in jail.

At the morning workshop CJ Hawking showed "Struggle in the Heartland" -- the powerful video that Rose Feurer did for LaborVision about the Staley strike in the early 90's during the Decatur labor wars. To see so many of my dear friends from that era and think of how hard and well they fought brought tears to my eyes. Her book about the Staley strike, co-written with her husband Steven Ashby, should be out soon.

Labor's history is written in blood, each page filled with struggle, sacrifice and suffering. We just can't let these bastards take away everything that our parents and grandparents missed meals to win for us. I hope we have a general strike if United tries to add wage cuts to the pension theft.

I'm looking forward to my upcoming tour of Sweden and Denmark. My
itinerary is posted in Danish at the clickable link.

Welcome to Baby Frances - Congratulations Chris and Liana!

If you're near Lewiston, PA, extend some solidarity to the Carpenters on strike at Overhead Door since April 1, 2005. I'll be visiting them as soon as I get back from Europe.

Adelante!
Anne

Milwaukee IWW Celebration

Many thanks to John Peck, Ron Kaminkow, and everyone who worked so hard to make the Milwaukee IWW show on May 8 such a resounding success! David Rovics and I had a great evening at the Puddler's Hall.
Dave - "When the Minimum Wage Workers Went on Strike"


"Dump the Bosses Off Your Back!"


Larry Penn shared a few tunes with us.


Singing "The Internationale"


"The International Working Class shall free the human race!" (In the background, on the left, in a yellow shirt, is our 80 year old Milwaukee host Rose Daitsman with her fist in the air - You're awesome Rose!)

Fellow Travelers' Advisory from Anne Feeney - MAY 2005: VOLUME ONE, Number Two

IMMEDIATE DESTINATIONS: Milwaukee, Madison, Chicago, Sweden, Denmark, Ontario, Madison (again!), Winona, MN, Washington, DC, St Louis, Mt. Olive and Chicago - then off to the left coast! Full schedule at: http://www.annefeeney.com/calendar.html or in Danish at http://www.booking.prognet.dk/index.aspx?F_ID=50 and http://www.kultunaut.dk/perl/nyheder/type-nynaut?n=4542

CDs available at http://cdbaby.com/all/unionmaid


Hi there Brothers and Sisters!

Last night we celebrated Pete Seeger's 86th birthday with a sing-along fundraiser at the Bloomfield Bridge Tavern. All over the US people gathered to sing together on Pete's birthday. I was joined by Ken Gaines of Houston and Pittsburgh's John Hayes. Special guest Jack Erdie sang "Let Their Heads Roll" to the delight of all. The SRO crowd raised a couple hundred dollars for the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater and had a great time. This month is also the 70th birthday of both Utah Phillips and Peggy Seeger.

Welcome aboard to all the labor educators I met at the UALE conference in Philadelphia in March. If you (or anyone else) want to unsubscribe from this monthly missive, just click on the link at the end of this newsletter. If you got a forwarded copy of this newsletter, click http://www.annefeeney.com/newsletter.html to subscribe to the Fellow Travelers' Advisory.

My recent swing through northeastern PA gave me a chance to visit the Eckley Miners' Village, where they made the film "Molly Maguires," as well as the monument to the September 10, 1897 Lattimer Massacre. Definitely worth a stop. "It was not a battle because they were not aggressive, nor were they defensive because they had no weapons of any kind and were simply shot down like so many worthless objects, each of the licensed life-takers trying to outdo the others in butchery."
-Inscription on the Monument erected at Lattimer, 1972. Check it out... http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/ppet/lattimer/page1.asp?secid=31
Saul Schniderman at the Labor Heritage Foundation has made a terrific inventory of American Labor Landmarks http://laborheritage.org/landmark.htm that you should consult before heading out on the road. A slight detour from your appointed route may show you a side of American history that you didn't learn in school. Many thanks to Walt and Rosemary Brasch, my most gracious Bloomsburg hosts.

The Labor Heritage Foundation has decided to give the 2005 Joe Hill Award (http://laborheritage.org/JoeHill.htm) to me at this year's Great Labor Arts Exchange. I'm overwhelmed.

A highlight of my upcoming hellraising tour of Scandinavia with David Rovics will be a plane trip to remote northwestern Sweden to a NATO summit where Condoleeza Rice will be speaking. More about that in next month's issue.

Still looking for a gig on July 13th in northern California, July 24th in Vancouver, July 29th and 30th in Portland or Olympia or thereabouts. Email me if you have any ideas......

Pete Seeger's Birthday

A standing room only crowd showed up at Pittsburgh's Bloomfield Bridge Tavern on Tuesday, May 3rd to celebrate Pete Seeger's 86th birthday. Kerrville Folk Festival pal Ken Gaines was in from Houston, Texas to join in the festivities. He and I are getting ready to cut Pete's cake We collected $250 for the Hudson River Clearwater Sloop. Also singing that evening were John Hayes and Jack Erdie. It was a great evening. People joined in on "If I Had a Hammer" (Tom DeLay's name never came up.....), "Wimoweh," "This Land is Your Land" and many others. It was part of a celebration intended to stretch from the redwood forests to the Gulfstream waters ... and I think it did. Happy birthday, Pete!