Wednesday, December 02, 2009

DECEMBER 2009 - Anne Feeney's Fellow Travelers' Advisory - VOLUME FIVE - #9

IMMEDIATE DESTINATION
Copenhagen, Denmark

December 2nd
Pittsburgh, PA
Hi All

It's been a great great year for me in so many ways, but I end 2009 depressed, disgusted and demoralized ... 30,000 more soldiers headed to the place where empires go to die - Afghanistan... And the cobbled piece of dung that they're calling our health care plan is so disappointing. It seems like the only thing politicians in this country can agree on is that women are second-class citizens (what with all their crazy bodily parts that are not at all like normal penises). What happened to all the hope and change we were promised? Obama can't even sign the Land Mines Treaty. Bah, humbug...

I'm headed in a couple days to Copenhagen, where the pundits say the chances of any meaningful action on climate change range from extremely unlikely to utterly impossible. Still, I will gladly join the 30,000+ people in the streets urging our leaders to do better. And I'll continue to work and hope that next year will be better.


On the plus side, 2009 was a great year with too many highlights to mention - but I'll mention a few anyway... The Sing Out for Single Payer Road Show (July) was clearly the highlight of my year - I'm still basking in the warmth of your response to my call for help in organizing that wild and wonderful cultural extravaganza. There are no words to express the gratitude I feel to all of you for making that dream a reality. But the Irish tour was fantastic (August), as was marching on Blackwater (April) with the Catholic workers, seeing my son Dan graduate from Georgetown Law School (May), and adding a new province (Manitoba) to the places I have performed, meeting Reps. Bob Filner and Dennis Kucinich, the wonderful midwest tour with David Rovics, Reiko and Leila (October), the Graduate Students' Union victory at the University of Illinois, the victory for Heartland Human Services in Effingham, IL.

The thing that keeps me going is you. You are such a big part of my life... My work would be impossible without you. I know you're busy, but if you can, PLEASE take a good look at my 2010 (below) and let me know if you have any ideas about where I can or should perform in the coming year. I hope your holidays are restful, joyous, and that the coming year brings us better news.

Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Glorious Solstice, Joyous Kwanzaa etc etc

Much love

Anne

IN THIS ISSUE


IRELAND 2010
2010 AT A GLANCE - PLEASE HELP ME TO PLAN MY YEAR!
DAVID ROVICS AND I ARE ON PROGRESSIVE RADIO and DEMOCRACY NOW!
HELP MAKE THE HOLIDAYS MERRY FOR STRIKERS IN PEKIN, ILLINOIS
FAMILY NEWS
TERRIFIC HOLIDAY SHOPPING TIPS - REVIEWS OF ROVICS, QTN, CHANDLER & MORE

****************************************************

IRELAND 2010


If you'd like to go to Ireland with me next year, how about letting me know that? So far I've got about half a dozen commitments.. but I need more than that to go ahead... Email me if you want more information... anne@annefeeney.com The dates are August 10-19 and/or August 22-31.



**************************************************************

2010 AT A GLANCE - PLEASE HELP ME TO PLAN MY YEAR!

The coming year is taking shape for me. In January I'm visiting my son Daniel and his wife Monique in Quito, Ecuador - I haven't seen them since last May - I'm just aching with loneliness for them ... I'll be there from January 11th to January 25th. Then my work year begins in earnest. I'd love to see you. If you'd like to see me in your hometown in 2010, please take a look at this and see if you have any ideas on how to get me there... I need a *lot* more work!


THE LEFT COAST - FEBRUARY 2010

February 5th I'm flying to Seattle and picking up a rental car. I'm still looking for lots of dates on the left coast mostly between Seattle and the Bay Area ... http://annefeeney.com/calendar.html - If you know someone in San Luis Obispo or thereabouts who could put together a show on February 27th, I might extend the tour back down to LA/San Diego.



FLORIDA - MARCH 2010

March 10th I'm flying to Jacksonville, and still have lots of Florida dates to fill. Let me know your ideas! http://annefeeney.com/calendar.html



THE MIDWEST WITH EVAN GREER - APRIL 2010

In early April, Evan Greer and I will be doing a tour of the midwest. If you're ready for a return visit - especially if I missed you last October (Cleveland, Kansas City, Cape Girardeau, St Louis) - please get in touch.


MINI MID-ATLANTIC TOUR WITH ROY ZIMMERMAN - LATE APRIL/EARLY MAY 2010

In late April I'm hoping to line up a mini-tour, quite possibly with my pal Roy Zimmerman, from Detroit to New York City.




PITTSBURGH TO KERRVILLE TO DETROIT - MAY/JUNE 2010

Then, I'll be driving to the Kerrville Folk Festival and picking up gigs along the way. My flexible route takes me along I-70 to Columbus, down through Cincinnati, Louisville, Nashville, Memphis, Little Rock, Texarkana, Dallas, Austin, Kerrville. While I'm at the festival, I'll fly up to Long Island for the Working Class Studies Conference and then return to the festival. After the festival I'll be looking for
June 13 in Fort Worth
June 14 in Oklahoma City
June 15 in Fayetteville, AR
June 16 in Kansas City or Springfield MO
June 17 in St. Louis
June 18 in Indianapolis and
June 19 arrive at the Great Labor Arts Exchange followed by the US Social Forum in Detroit.



OREGON COUNTRY FAIR - July 9-11, 2010

If I'm accepted into Oregon Country Fair, I'll fly out to Oregon for that the weekend of July 9-11. I'd be happy to add something a day or two before or after the fair.

ON TO SWEDEN! - mid-July to mid-August 2010

If you have any ideas for work in Sweden, please contact Fredrik Gleisner - fredrik@goatbridge.com - and he'll be happy to arrange shows in Sweden.


AUGUST IN IRELAND

August 10th I meet my first group in Ireland. You should think about coming to Ireland with me. These trips are fantastic! Email me and I'll send you lots of information.

LABOR DAY???

I'll be back in the United States for Labor Day, which is still not confirmed... so if you're interested, let me know.


FALL 2010

At some point in the fall Bev Grant and I will do a tour together. I'm really looking forward to that.


SCHOOL OF THE AMERICAS WATCH VIGIL - NOVEMBER 2010

I'm thinking about driving to SOAW next year as part of a HEN FOUNDATION fundraiser. If you're along the route - Washington, DC and on down the I-95 corridor - let me know if you'd like to try a show between November 12 and 18th.

That's as far as I've gotten in my 2010 plans... but I sure hope that my plans bring me to wherever you are!

*******************************************************************

DAVID ROVICS AND I ON PROGRESSIVE RADIO and DEMOCRACY NOW!

While we were on tour in the Midwest, David Rovics and I did a radio interview with The Progressive - a great magazine celebrating 100 years of independent progressive journalism. You can listen to the interview at http://progressive.org/radio/feeney09.html

and...

Democracy Now! will be in Copenhagen for the summit. I spoke to Amy Goodman today, and it's very likely that David Rovics and I will be guests on DN! while we're all in Denmark. That will be exciting. Keep your eye out for us... http://democracynow.org

*******************************************


HELP MAKE THE HOLIDAYS MERRY FOR STRIKERS IN PEKIN ILLINOIS

The strikers of Laborers' Local 231 in Pekin, IL - on strike against PAL health technologies - come into the holiday season with no paycheck and no strike fund. You can help. Send a contribution to:

Laborers Local 231
BOX 374
Pekin, IL 61554

************************************************************



FAMILY NEWS

If you are familiar with myspace, try http://www.myspace.com/guitarcarols and play the wonderful instrumental winter music my cousin Sean McCahill has recorded, but unfortunately, not released ... they're lovely and great music to play while you have holiday guests.

Congratulations to Gary Huck and Tavia LaFollette on the birth of their beautiful twin sons, Maxwell and Calder on December 1st!

And Chris Chandler http://chrischandler.org is engaged! He popped the question to Bay Area based Welsh artist Jen Delyth http://www.kelticdesigns.com/ last month. No wedding date is set as of this writing.

The fabulous David Elsila is recovering well from very serious surgery.  I'm sure he'd love to hear from his friends.

My daughter Amy, her friend Jesse Dalton, my sister Kathleen, her daughter Kimberly and Kimberly's son Casey will all join me and my husband in Sweden for the holidays. We're even planning a trip to the north pole (almost)!

Birthdays - Ben Mumphrey - Dec 2nd, Olivia Grefenstette - Dec 6th, Mick Madera - Dec 11th, Dennis McCahill - 70!!! on Dec 12th, Gail Skidmore - Dec 16th, Pat McArdle - Dec 17th, and picker extraordinaire Geoff Bartley on Dec 30

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HOLIDAY SHOPPING TIPS

Why not treat yourself and a friend to a trip to Ireland with me and a few other exciting activist types! or come alone and meet wonderful new friends!




The 2010 tours are August 10-19 in the west and August 22-31 in Dublin, Belfast and Derry! $250 to Anne Feeney, 2240 Milligan Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15218 holds your seat. Email me for more details.... anne@annefeeney.com

If you're buying books this holiday season, let me recommend Powell's books in Portland. They have an inventory to rival Amazon's *and* the workers are happy members of the ILWU - a great union. Use this link
http://www.ilwulocal5.com/shop-union/ to shop at the world's best union bookstore!

Breaking news!! Our friends at the Center for the Study of Working Class Life have released a DVD just in time for the holidarys called "Why Are We in Afghanistan?" Written by Michael Zweig and illustrated by the fabulous Mike Konopacki, this 27 minute DVD will really enlighten you on what's going on. Only $9.95 + shipping from http://whyareweinafghanistan.org (The website wasn't up when I checked this link, but Michael says it should be up and running very very soon...)

You can download my Christmas single - "Brave New Christmas" (by my wonderful friend John William Davis) at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/annefeeney7 - for only 99 cents - or download the whole cd, "Dump the Bosses Off Your Back," for $9.99, or have a CD sent right to you, or your favorite working class pal for only $14.99

My other CDs make great gifts too - http://annefeeney.com/all/unionmaid

I also want to highly recommend Chris Chandler's new cd - So, Where Ya Headed? http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/chrischandler12 - His partnership with Paul Benoit is generating some of Chris' finest work ever. You'll love it.

Finally! a beautifully produced full length CD from my occasional touring buddy (and great young songwriter) Evan Greer. Evan composed "Ya Basta!" which is on my "Dump the Bosses Off Your Back" and a staple of my current repertoire. "Never Surrender" is available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/evangreer and includes all my Evan Greer favorites - "The Picket Line Song," "Never Surrender," "Ya Basta!," "I Want Something."

You can hear a four song sampler of Brian QTN's stunning new release, "Guitarred and Feathered" at www.myspace.com/QTNstrumentals ... this instrumental guitar album is simply gorgeous. A check for $17 to Brian Cutean, 85444 Teague Loop, Eugene, OR 97405 will land this in your mailbox before you can say, "How'd that get here so quick?" (sez Brian)

My talented pal Roy Zimmerman has a refreshingly different album of holiday songs called "Peacenick" http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rzimmerman4 which include, "Buy War Toys for Christmas," "Christma-Hanu-Rama-Ka-Dona-Kwanzaa," and the charming "Christmas is Pain" and nine more. All of Roy's stuff is great.

If there's a more beautiful holiday song than John McCutcheon's "Christmas in the Trenches," I don't know what it would be. You'll find it on his wonderful "Winter Solstice" album at http://www.folkmusic.com/record/r_sols.htm

David Rovics has just released two cds... one a retrospective of his finest compositions to date - "Waiting For the Fall", and the other brand new songs - "Ten Thousand Miles Away." I bought them both. You should too. http://davidrovics.com You might also be interested in David's children's album "Har Har Har! Songs About Pirates, Penguins and Punk Rock Babies" - also available on his site.

And single-payer advocates will enjoy The Austin Lounge Lizards "The Drugs I Need" http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/austinll2 - which also includes a children's song.

You'll find a lot more great music at http://www.cdbaby.com/group/annespicks

Happy shopping!

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THE TOUR


Wednesday, December 9th, 2009 9:30 PM
Open Peace mic and Workshop/Concert
No Borders, Climate Info Cafe
Ravnhildsgade 1
Copenhagen 2100
Denmark
26170186
http://www.fredsfestival.dk/091209.pdf
mberlev@hotmail. is the contact, sponsored by KODA's songwriterforum

Thursday, December 10th, 2009 7:00 PM
Brett Perkins' Songwriters In The Round
BETA (Formerly CafeKino)
Øresundsvej 6, Kbh S
Copenhagen
Denmark
Price: 50kr - all ages
Featuring Bob Cheevers, Anne Feeney, others tba


Friday, December 11th, 2009 7:00 PM
Anne Feeney in Concert in support of David Rovics
Boserup with David Rovics!
Boserupvej 100
Roskilde 4000
Denmark

Saturday, December 12th, 2009 8:00 PM
Climate rally! Anne Feeney and David Rovics
Tvind Flatbed
Copenhagen
Denmark


Sunday, December 13th, 2009 7:00 PM
David Rovics, The Lurkers and Anne Feeney in Consert!
Klimaforum - DGI-Byen
Gymnastikhuset
Copenhagen
Denmark
http://en.cop15.dk/blogs/view+blog?blogid=2465
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=51323908663 is another spot you can learn more about this -
Sponsoring Organisation: Budskab fra Græsrødderne (Message from the Grassroots)
Contact person: Gerd Berlev / gerd@berlev.dk





Wednesday, October 28, 2009

NOVEMBER 2009 - Anne Feeney's Fellow Travelers' Advisory - VOLUME FIVE, #8

Immediate Destinations:
NONE (really!)





Hi Folks:

That's a photo from the Thomas Merton Center Awards Dinner held on November 1st with Elizabeth and Dennis Kucinich and me. Dennis Kucinich is such a fabulous speaker. It just makes me sick to see what our corporate congress is doing with health care. Mandates, bah! More billions for the insurance companies. Maybe we haven't closed Gitmo yet because that's where we're going to send all the "mandate scofflaws"... My heartfelt congratulations to the hundreds of people who have gotten arrested across the country while occupying insurance gangsters' lobbies and congressional offices! Would that there were tens of thousands doing the same.

My October "Union Makes Us Strong" midwest tour with David Rovics was sensational. Great crowds, lovely venues, beautiful traveling. And we had the joy of traveling with David Rovics' fabulous wife Reiko and David's totally adorable daughter Leila. Thanks so much to all the skilled presenters and generous and thoughtful hosts who made us so very comfortable on the tour! Still fighting off a wicked cold that caused the tour to end with a whimper instead of a bang.

I'm working at home for a while on a couple things.... my grandfather's biography primarily.

I'm booking the Northwest (and great Canadian Southwest) beginning February 1st, 2010 - probably in Seattle and heading north first. I'll head as far south as Watsonville/Santa Cruz by the end of February if I can find the work...

I'm also looking at Florida beginning around March 11th or 12th...

In the meantime, if you are doing some holiday shopping, I sure hope you'll visit http://cdbaby.com/all/unionmaid ... Wouldn't one of my CDs be the perfect grab-bag gift ... or stocking stuffer for the working class s/hero in your life?

Thanks for staying tuned!

Love and Solidarity

Anne



IRELAND 2010
















Come to Ireland with me! I've got two fabulous trips planned for 2010 -
August 10-19 - Galway, Clare and Kerry - "The Best of the West"
August 22-31 - Dublin, Belfast and Derry - "Urban Ireland"

Both of these trips will be spectacular and seats are already going on both tours ... Let me know if you think it would be fun to spend 10 days in Ireland with me and I'll send you more information. My talented Irish partner, Tom Pigott and I are adding many special features this year and the $2050 price covers nine nights' lovely hotels, all ground transportation, all breakfasts, three sumptuous dinners and lots of special treats! We travel in Paddy Downes' 25 seat luxury coach ... small enough to navigate the wee byways of the Irish countryside, but large enough for real comfort for our small groups.

The August 10-19 tour is the picture-perfect west coast of Ireland. The best traditional music in Galway, Clare and Kerry is ours ... and breathtaking sights all day every day - the Aran Islands, the Cliffs of Moher and so much more.

The second tour, August 22-31, will take us to some of the most powerful historical sights in Ireland, as well as many scenic areas, great pubs and the museums, theaters and cultural life that only the big cities offer.

If you can't make up your mind, do both tours and get a $400 discount!
Check out http://enchantedwaytours.ie and email me at anne@annefeeney.com for more information.


BOOKING THE NORTHWEST/SOUTHWEST 2010

I plan to return to the Pacific Northwest and great Canadian Southwest in early February 2010. If you'd be interested in hosting a show, or if you know of any special events, festivals, conventions, conferences, rallies or riots scheduled for February 2010 between Vancouver and Santa Cruz, let me know. Email me at anne@annefeeney.com or call me - 412-241-7664 or my cell 412-877-6480


COPENHAGEN CLIMATE SUMMIT

David Rovics and I get together again on the other side of the pond this December. We've both been invited to perform at the Climate Summit in Copenhagen... (not the official one - the People's Summit). I've got a couple gigs lined up in Copenhagen and would welcome more. See the schedule at the end of this newsletter.

LABORERS' LOCAL 231 on Strike!

One of the highlights of the tour was getting invited by my friend Mike Matejka to visit the Laborers' Local 231 hall on October 7th - four days after their members went out on strike. You can meet the strikers too - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87-_tl0vt-4 The 60 workers there (56 women) make custom orthotics for folks with bad feet. They asked for a modest raise to their not-so-livable wage and the boss walked out. Their strike will no doubt be determined to be a lockout by the courts at some point, but in the meantime, they have no strike fund and they're not eligible for unemployment. You can help them out by sending a contribution of any amount - or a greeting of solidarity - to:

Laborers' Local 231
PO BOX 374
Pekin, IL 61554

Thanks!

School of the Americas Watch and the HEN Foundation

Thousands of people will gather again at the gates of Fort Benning to bear witness to the atrocities being committed in our name and with our tax dollars by graduates of the infamous "School of the Americas." http://soaw.org

I am almost always there, but have had to cancel this year's appearance because I will be in Pittsburgh for the memorial service for a lifelong friend (see next story).

There will be concerts and other events during this year's SOA Watch vigil where we will honor the work and commitment of Jolie Rickman, a fabulous artist/activist taken from us by cancer at the age of 34. Her family established the HEN Foundation http://henfoundation.com so that her legacy of feminist arts activism would continue. I was very honored to receive a HEN grant this year. Thanks to their generosity I was able to present three concerts in Pittsburgh around the G20 ... one with me, Chris Chandler, Deborah van Kleef, Darryl Moch, Mike Stout and Laura Daniels; one with Roy Zimmerman; and one with David Rovics. HEN also funded my performances at the People's Summit with Jeremy Scahill, and my performances with David Rovics at the huge demonstration during the G20 on September 25th. Now THAT's some arts/activism! HEN has also funded the work of the fabulous Beehive Collective. If you're looking for a small radical arts organization to support, I highly recommend HEN

click on the Donate Button at their website - http://henfoundation.com


or send a check to:
HEN Foundation
1022 N Raynor Ave
Joliet, IL 60435

RIP Larry Funsten, Lola Mitchell, Clarence Kailin

I don't know how your fall has been going, but I've lost two dear dear friends - Larry Funsten and Lola Mitchell - and the world has lost a great one with the demise of Clarence Kailin.

I'll start with my friend, Larry - one of the first people I met at the University of Pittsburgh in 1968. He was a real mentor to me ... he got me active in the anti-war movement and the civil rights movement. He turned me on to Pete Seeger. He was a founding member of one of Pittsburgh's first communes. He was an anthropologist who became a social worker and eventually a lawyer with Neighborhood Legal Services, where he served the poorest people in our county for years. He was an expert on the rights of the poor. He was the oldest of nine children. He was born with a severe case of spina bifida and a club foot in 1945. The spina bifida began to catch up with him, affecting his cognitive abilities and judgment. The last years of his life were extremely difficult for him and for those who loved him. The last time I drove across Pennsylvania to visit him in the nursing home, he did not remember that I had been there the next day. He would have been 64 years old this November 18th, but he died from pneumonia and complications of Alzheimer's on October 19th. We're planning a huge memorial for him in Pittsburgh on November 21st.

On October 18th my friend Lola Mitchell died in St. Paul, MN. She was only 63. She put up one hell of a fight with an aggressive cancer that was supposed to kill her over a year ago. She was a lovely, stubborn, funny and clever woman who never let anything keep her down. She and her fabulous husband, Dick (an IBEW construction electrician), were the first folks to bring me to Minnesota to perform. Dick ran a labor speakers' club modeled on the Swedish study circles at the St Paul Trades & Labor for years. He brought many outstanding speakers like Elaine Bernard to St Paul to do worker education. Lola and Dick organized a community labor chorus in the Twin Cities. They organized an annual labor festival for several years in the Twin Cities. She looked great when she came to my show in Minneapolis on October 11th. I can't believe she died a week later. I'll miss her terribly. There is a memorial service for her on November 29th. The Mitchells were also hard-hit financially by Lola's illness - they lost their home. I don't have their new address as of this writing, but if you wanted to help them out, you could send a check to "Dick Mitchell" c/o

Anne Feeney
2240 Milligan Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15218

I'll make sure it gets to them.




The day after my Madison show -- October 14th -- my pal Allen Ruff and I went to visit the legendary Clarence Kailin ... a veteran of the Abraham Lincoln Brigades and lifelong socialist activist. His monthly socialist potlucks were always packed with interesting young and old folks. Born August 20, 1914, Clarence just had a huge 95th birthday party. He died October 25th - 11 days after my visit. His life and work were featured on Democracy Now! http://democracynow.org Here's a video my pal Allen Ruff shot at the nursing home on the 14th as I sang "Have You Been to Jail for Justice?" to Clarence.
















Birthdays/Family News

Anthony Mumphrey III 40! on November 4th, Kimberly Sever on November 6th, Mary Lane McCahill on November 11th, Julie Leonardsson on November 12th, John Morber 60! on November 18th, Kathleen Mumphrey Chapman on November 25th.

Congratulations to Robin and Matt on the birth of their lovely daughter Sonia!

It's official, my son Dan passed the D.C. bar... ta da! http://www.dcbar.org/for_lawyers/membership/current_members/examResults.cfm - He's still hard at work at Asylum Access in Quito, Ecuador. I'm hoping to visit him in January.

The Tour
(gone from December 8th until January 7th to Denmark & Sweden)

Thursday, December 10th, 2009 7:00 PM
Brett Perkins' Songwriters In The Round
BETA (Formerly CafeKino)
Øresundsvej 6, Kbh S
Copenhagen
Denmark
Price: 50kr - all ages
Featuring Bob Cheevers, Anne Feeney, others tba


Sunday, December 13th, 2009 7:00 PM
David Rovics, The Lurkers and Anne Feeney in Consert!
Klimaforum - DGI-Byen
Gymnastikhuset
Copenhagen
Denmark
http://en.cop15.dk/blogs/view+blog?blogid=2465
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=51323908663 is another spot you can learn more about this -
Sponsoring Organisation: Budskab fra Græsrødderne (Message from the Grassroots)
Contact person: Gerd Berlev / gerd@berlev.dk

(gone from January 11, 2010 - January 25, 2010 to Ecuador to visit Dan & Monique)


Friday, February 12th, 2010 8:00 PM
Anne Feeney in Concert
Deep Cove Folk Club
Sydney, BC
Canada
tark hamilton is the contact - tark_hamilton@yahoo.com




Monday, October 26, 2009

4781 miles and 4 weeks later, home from the Union Makes Us Strong Tour with the fabulous David Rovics. I miss him and his terrific wife Reiko and charming daughter Leila already.

Monday, September 28, 2009

OCTOBER 2009 - Anne Feeney's Fellow Travelers' Advisory - VOLUME FIVE, #7

OCTOBER 2009 - Anne Feeney's Fellow Travelers' Advisory - VOLUME FIVE, #7

IMMEDIATE DESTINATIONS:

Cleveland, OH

Chicago, IL

Terre Haute, IN

Champaign, IL

Springfield, IL

Macomb, IL

Dubuque, IA

Des Moines, IA

Winona, MN

St Paul, MN

Madison, WI

Rockford, IL

DeKalb, IL

New York, NY

Indianapolis, IN

Lafayette, IN

Columbus, OH

Cincinnati, OH

Lexington, KY

Louisville, KY

Charleston, WV

Pittsburgh, PA

Copenhagen, Denmark

see details at the end of this newsletter and constantly updating at http://annefeeney.com/calendar.html


Thanks so much for your interest in my music and my work. I'm very excited about the nine state midwest tour that I begin today. I've got 25+ shows with the wonderfully talented David Rovics (http://davidrovics.com). We're calling it the "Union Makes Us Strong" tour. Amy Goodman calls David Rovics "the musical version of Democracy Now!" I hope you'll spread the word about this tour to all your friends in Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

In this issue you can read my take on the G20 and AFL-CIO conventions in Pittsburgh.

You can find out about the fabulous 2010 tours of Ireland that I'm organizing and leading.

You can check out Dennis Roddy's thoughtful article about my friend and mentor, Mary Travers, who died on September 16th.

Did you see the Sing Out for Single Payer Road Show?? I hope you'll do me a small favor (that doesn't involve your wallet!).

And the next time you fly, you can help the American Federation of Government Employees to build a union! I'll tell you how..

Of course there's some family news, upcoming birthdays ...

and if you can be in Pittsburgh on November 1st, I'd like to invite you to join me at the Churchill Valley Country Club when the Thomas Merton Center presents its annual award to Dennis Kucinich!

You can buy my cds at http://cdbaby.com/all/unionmaid - and I hope you will! You can also digitally download single songs or complete recordings.

I hope to see you somewhere this month, or soon!

In solidarity

Anne

################################################

The AFL-CIO and the G20 come to Pittsburgh

It was great to have the AFL-CIO meet in Pittsburgh. I got a chance to show off my hometown at its best to so many of my labor activist friends from around the country.

The convention was highly choreographed... not much excitement. And I didn't hear a single union song played on the convention floor. But it was great to see a strong anti-war resolution passed and even greater to see a single-payer health care resolution pass unanimously right after President Obama came to the convention touting his public option. Rich Trumka is certainly more than capable of leading working people into a much more militant stance than we've seen in my lifetime. I'm sure ready for that kind of leadership! I was glad to see Unite/HERE come back to the AFL-CIO. I've admired John Wilhelm since I began working with HERE on the Frontier Casino strike many years ago.

It was devastating not to be invited to sing a single song at the convention itself... but apparently it was a crazy oversight.. on the last day of the convention John Sweeney and I were talking about health care when he said to me - "I wish I had remembered to invite you to sing at this convention." I quickly replied "not nearly as much as I wish you had remembered!!"

Unquestionably the most exciting moment of the convention was Michael Moore's appearance at a reception hosted by the Labor Campaign for Single Payer and the California Nurses Association. (and they DID invite me to perform at their reception!) After rousing speeches from Leo Gerard, Cecil Roberts, Roseann DeMoro and Michael Moore we marched down to the Byham Theater for the US premiere of Michael's wonderful new film - Capitalism: A Love Story. Be sure to see it!

***********************

I got to sing myself hoarse at the G20 (the tear gas didn't help, either!). Thanks to a small grant from the HEN Foundation, I was able to produce two concerts and perform at several G20 related events, including the People's Summit featuring the amazing Jeremy Scahill, a soggy health care rally organized by ACORN, and the big marches on the 24th and 25th. I can't say I'm shocked any more to see a city put under martial law, but it was particularly depressing and distressing to see my hometown so dishonored. Over 4000 cops from around the country occupied my hometown and they brought a lot of expensive and dangerous coptoys ($20 million worth!) with them. I knew they'd find some excuse to use them all, and they did. Curious students and aimless bystanders alike in the university district were caught up in the hail of rubber bullets, pepper spray, OC spray, tear gas and batons wielded by marauding macho police.

The city of Pittsburgh refused permits to assemble at every opportunity. On September 24th 1000 folks gathered in Arsenal Park and asserted their First Amendment permit and began marching out of the park toward town.Cops

The park was completely surrounded by cops from all over the country in full riot gear. They outnumbered the protestors. The cops gave up on what they were calling "kettling" us and let us leave the park. Moments later they began playing a tape recorded message ordering us to disperse. A helicopter overhead directed the cops to small groups of kids who were then peppersprayed and teargassed. It was repulsive.

The cops had been given the green light to behave this way by our complicit local leaders (Senator Jim Ferlo and City Council President Doug Shields were great, though) and courts who okayed their harassment in the days prior to this march. The police lawlessness just intensified over the next 48 hours. No group of kids was safe from their brutality.

In 1919 when my grandfather was organizing the "Great Steel Strike," historian William Z Foster observed - "The Constitution of the United States provides that not even Congress may abridge the rights of free speech and free assembly... however, in Pennsylvania the Constitution is considered as some sort of humorous essay." Some things don't change much!

There were a lot of creative responses to the Pittsburgh Police State. Here's a link to a brilliant video that features among other things, my favorites - the Hula Hoopers for Hope..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4bleBGOGy4&feature=player_embedded

All told we spent in excess of $20,000,000 on security. The approximately 10,000 people who showed up to protest the G20 did a combined $20 - 50,000 of damage (according to the Police). We coulda bought a LOT of windows with the remaining $19,950,000 ... Meanwhile, the G20 will implement policies that will cause massive environmental degradation, starvation, shortages, riots, unemployment, fiscal instability and the elimination of essential social services around the world... and no cop will be on hand to stop that pillaging.

I sure hope that another world is possible.

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IRELAND 2010!!

The 2009 trip to Galway, Dublin and Clare was absolutely fantastic in every way. We had the most wonderful and exciting group of fellow travelers... I've posted a few of my photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/annefeeney/sets/72157622344873043/

My Irish partner Tom Pigott and I have set the dates for the 2010 tours of Ireland. And what fabulous tours we have planned! You're invited and I want to know as soon as possible if you are interested. If I can't sell both of these tours by the end of November, I may have to cancel one or the other...

August 10-19th - The Best of the West - Kerry, Clare and Galway

Fly into Shannon airport and we'll show you nine unforgettable days in the musical heart of Ireland - the West. Check out http://www.enchantedwaytours.ie/tours/kerry-clare-galway/

for a detailed description of our upcoming adventures on the Dingle peninsula, Doolin, the fantastic Cliffs of Moher, the gorgeous Slea Head drive, the exotic Burren, the Aran Islands ... and wonderful live music every night. And of course we'll meet some local activists.

August 22nd-31st - Urban Ireland - Dublin, Derry and Belfast

You'll fly into Dublin for this trip.

We'll focus a lot on history ... starting with the ancient - Glendalough, Clontarf, the Battle of the Boyne - then on to the Easter Uprising - Kilmainham, Arbor Hill, the General Post Office ... a dramatic look at the war for Irish independence - and a full day on your own to explore the wonders of historic Dublin. Days filled with history, nights filled with music, and perhaps a visit to the Abbey Theater. Then on to the great walled city of Derry, the Bloody Sunday Museum, a walking tour of the Derry Murals, and an unforgettable night of music at Sandino's pub in Derry. A day trip into Belfast with a tour of the murals and meetings with local activists. Possibly a trip to the Giants' Causeway and the rope bridge of Carrick-a-Reed...The Rope Bridge

In my opinion, the best part of the tours is the wonderful folks who come on them. You'll have perfect travelling companions, and a most congenial Irish host in my friend Tom Pigott - a fine singer, great storyteller and extremely thoughtful tour leader.

On either tour you'll see Ireland at Ireland's pace. The tours are very different. Each tour is $2050 + your transportation. We provide nine nights accommodations, all ground transportation, all breakfasts, three sumptuous dinners, and admission to many many special events. We travel in a luxurious coach just the right size for our group - small enough to navigate the wee byways of Ireland - expertly driven by our charming driver (and great dancer!) Paddy Downes.

Single supplement is $350.

If you decide to do both tours with us, the cost is $3700 (a $400 discount!).

If you'd like more information, or have any questions, email me directly at anne@annefeeney.com

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MARY TRAVERS, Rest in Peace

My sister Kathleen was in the audience at the State Theater in New Jersey on May 20th for what turned out to be Peter Paul and Mary's final concert. She said Mary was in great voice and great spirits, despite obvious signs of declining health. I was terribly saddened to hear of her death on September 16th at the age of 72. She will be missed.

I loved Dennis Roddy's story about this remarkable woman - (apparently I wasn't alone there... this front page Pittsburgh Post Gazette obit ran in dozens of papers around the country) -

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09261/998954-122.stm

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HELP the AFGE to ORGANIZE TRANSPORTATION SAFETY OFFICERS!!

At the AFL-CIO convention I learned about the campaign to unionize the Transportation Safety Officers at our airports. When their jobs were created during the previous administration, the Act of Congress that created their jobs specifically prohibited them from having a union.

That policy has been overturned, and a vigorous organizing drive is in progress. So the next time you fly, put a nice note to your TSO inspector in your check on baggage... something like:

UNION YES!

I support your right to organize and believe that union representation will bring dignity, respect and security to you in your work.

As the only union to represent and stand behind Transportation Security Officers since the beginning, AFGE is at the forefront of the struggle to secure rights and improve working conditions at TSA.

For more information contact AFGE today

1-866-392-6832
tsahotline@afge.org

If it's not in your suitcase when you get to your destination, you know your Transportation Safety Officer has gotten the union message.

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DID YOU SEE THE SING OUT FOR SINGLE PAYER ROAD SHOW??

DID YOU SING IN THE SING OUT FOR SINGLE PAYER ROAD SHOW??

Please take a second to write a brief comment about your experience at http://annefeeney.com/guestbook.html or, if you're reading this on my blog, post it right here! The many people who ponied up some dough to fund this show would love to hear from you... was it inspiring? informative? what happened in your community as a result? you get the idea. Say something!

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DENNIS KUCINICH GETS THE THOMAS MERTON AWARD!

November 1st Dennis Kucinich will receive the Thomas Merton Award. I'm overjoyed. I've reserved a table for ten. Tickets are $45 - The dinner will be at the Churchill Valley Country Club, 800 Beulah Rd. If you'd like to sit at my table, let me know (412-877-6480 or email to anne@annefeeney.com) and I'll save you a ticket!

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BIRTHDAYS

October 5th - Casey Horne, October 6th - Daniel Berlin (30!), Maureen Metcalfe and Jennifer Erin McCahill, October 9th - my sister by another mother - Jan Boyd (60!), October 16th - Jill Merrill and Bill Feeney, October 20th - Steve Merrill, Oct 21st - Della Belmont McCahill (1 year old!), October 22nd - Mason Avery Gailiunas, October 28th -
Carolyn Weldon and October 29th, my friend Annie Dinerman!

FAMILY NEWS

I'm celebrating 40 years of agitating on October 15th.. the picture below was taken at my first public performance. It was the 1969 Pittsburgh Moratorium Against the (Vietnam) War on the lawn by the Cathedral of Learning in Pittsburgh.

40yearsago

My son Dan still doesn't know if he passed the bar exam, but he did get promoted to legal director of Asylum Access in Quito. His wife Monique Murad just returned to Ecuador after two weeks training in Washington, DC.

My daughter Amy is back in San Marcos after working on an extended tour with a fabulous young bang - The Blue Hit. (http://thebluehit.com)

My sister Kathleen and my niece Kimberly and my grand-nephew Casey will come to Sweden for Christmas with me and Julie.

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THE TOUR!!

Monday, September 28th, 2009 7:00 PM
Mad as Hell Doctors Road Show
Mad as Hell in Cleveland!
Laborers' Local 310 Hall
3250 Euclid Ave., Clevelan OH
http://www.madashelldoctors.com/
Entrance & FREE parking accessible from Prospect Avenue
Contact: Elizabeth Parsons
Email: elizabeth@clevelandjwj.org


Wednesday, September 30th, 2009
IBEW conference
Adams Mark Holiday Inn
Chicago, IL
Price: members only
darlene johnson is the contact... 630-434-1683


Friday, October 2nd, 2009 8:00 PM
Anne Feeney and David Rovics in Concert
Decima Musa
1901 S Loomis
Chicago (Pilsen), IL
773-935-5255
http://www.decimamusa.com/
Price: $20
sponsored by numerous local activist groups, including CORE.


Saturday, October 3rd, 2009 6:00 PM
Eugene Debs Annual Award Dinner
Indiana State University
Hulman Center
Terre Haute, IN
http://eugenevdebs.com/media/Deb_fall_09.pdf
Price: $35

Sunday, October 4th, 2009 7:00 PM
Anne Feeney and David Rovics in Concert
Gregory Hall Room 213
U/I Campus
Champaign, IL
jrbarret@uiuc.edu is the contact. Presented by ISO and Jobs with Justice.

Monday, October 5th, 2009 6:00 PM
Anne Feeney and David Rovics in Concert
Brookens Auditorium
University of Illinois
Springfield, IL
217.206.8328
For more information: E-mail Richard Gilman-Opalsky - rgilm3@uis.edu

Tuesday, October 6th, 2009 7:30 PM
Anne Feeney and David Rovics on Campus and in Concert
Western Illinois University
COFAC Auditorium
Macomb, IL
In addition to this show, David and I will be doing multiple classroom appearances. Contact Lisa Barr at lj-barr(@)wiu.edu if you'd like more information about the classromm work. Stay tuned for a possible after-concert party on the 6th to benefit the local low-power FM station.


Wednesday, October 7th, 2009 8:00 PM
Anne Feeney and David Rovics in Concert
Open Date!!!
Quad Cities area, Iowa City???
If you have any suggestions for this date or know of something going on that we could join, let us know...

Thursday, October 8th, 2009 7:00 PM
Anne Feeney and David Rovics in Concert
St Mark's
1201 Locust
Dubuque, IA
(563) 584-9300
Price: $10-15 suggested
for more information contact Art Roche rocheart3@msn.com or phone Mary Moody at the number above. As with all of our shows, no one is turned away for inability to pay.

Friday, October 9th, 2009 7:30 PM
Anne Feeney and David Rovics in Concert
Des Moines Social Club
1408 Locust St
Des Moines, IA
(515) 240-5788
Price: donations
The contact is Robin Arnold at arnoldre@mchsi.com

Saturday, October 10th, 2009 7:30 PM
Anne Feeney and David Rovics
The Art Center
228 East Fifth Street
Winona, MN 55987
507-453-9959
Price: $15 suggested
Polly Gower is the contact pollygower(@)hotmail.com

Sunday, October 11th, 2009 5:00 PM
Anne Feeney and David Rovics with special guests in Concert
Minnesota Music Cafe
499 Payne Ave
St Paul, MN
Colleen Rowley
rowleyclan(@)earthlink.net and Larry
Olds 612-722-3442, lolds(@)popednews.org are the contacts...


Monday, October 12th, 2009 12:00 PM
“The crisis in health care: What's at stake for working women?” with Anne Feeney and health care advocate Connie Perpich
Operating Engineers Local 49 hall
2829 Anthony Lane S.
Minneapolis, MN
612-624-5020
http://www.carlsonschool.umn.edu/Page5946.aspx
Price: $35
"The crisis in health care: What´s at stake for working women?" will be the topic of a union women´s luncheon Monday, Oct. 12, sponsored by the University of Minnesota Labor Education Service.

In her role as senior director of legislative affairs at Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Connie Perpich has spent years advocating on women´s health issues at the Capitol and across the state. She will provide an overview of the disparities experienced by women under the current system and the need for reform.

To register, download a registration form at the LES website or call 612-624-5020. Deadline to register is Oct. 2.

Tuesday, October 13th, 2009 7:00 PM
Anne Feeney and David Rovics in Concert
Goodman Center
149 Waubesa
Madison , WI
Price: $15 advance
matt and john peck are working on this show. Advance tickets available at Madison Infoshop, Lakeside Press and the Rainbow Bookstore. Presented by the Madison IWW.

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009 7:00 PM
Anne Feeney and David Rovics in Concert with special guest David Stocker
Just Goods Listening Room
201 Seventh Street
Rockford, IL 61104
815-964-7111
Price: $10 adv/$15 door
Advance tickets available at the venue.
David Stocker is the contact - originsofmusic@gmail.com

Thursday, October 15th, 2009 7:00 PM
Anne Feeney and David Rovics in Concert
Room 173 - NIU Music Building
just off Lucinda Avenue
DeKalb , IL
td0raf1(@)wpo.cso.niu.edu Rose Feurer is the contact

Friday, October 16th, 2009 8:00 PM
Celebration of the Extraordinary Life of Julius Margolin: with George Mann, Chris Chandler, Elise Bryant, Chris Bricker, Francisco Herrera, Anne Feeney and the New York City Labor Chorus
Local 1199's Martin Luther King, Jr. Auditorium
310 W. 43rd Street
New York, NY
One block from Port Authority/42nd Street subway station. Proceeds benefit the Julius Margolin Scholarship Fund for Youth in Labor.

Saturday, October 17th, 2009 7:30 PM
Anne Feeney and David Rovics in Concert with special guest Jim Pennell
Wheeler Art Center
1035 Sanders St
Indianapolis, IN
Price: $10-20 suggested
gpennell@uindy.edu Greta Pennell is the contact...

Sunday, October 18th, 2009 10:30 AM
Anne Feeney and David Rovics at Unitarian Service
All Souls UU Church
5805 E 56th
Indianapolis, IN 46226

Sunday, October 18th, 2009 7:00 PM
Anne Feeney and David Rovics in Concert
Unitarian Universalist Church
333 Meridian Street
Lafayette, IN
Price: FREE!
Harry Targ targ@purdue.edu is the contact
The concert is free and open to all.
Sponsors of the concert include the Northwest Central Labor Council AFL-CIO;United Auto Workers CAP Council; the Social Justice Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Church; the Women´s Studies Program, Purdue University; and members of Yes We Can Tippecanoe (YWCT) and the Lafayette Area Peace Coalition (LAPC).

Tuesday, October 20th, 2009 7:00 PM
David Rovics and Anne Feeney in Concert
Columbus, OH
bruce bostick - bbostick@columbus.rr.com and victoria parks queenvictrola@gmail.com are looking into this date for us!


Wednesday, October 21st, 2009 6:30 PM
Anne Feeney and David Rovics in Concert
The Barn
1225 North Bend Road
Cincinnati, OH 45224
513-542-0007
Price: Your generous donations
Potluck supper followed by 7:30PM concert. No heat in the barn folks. Dress for the weather & bring a blanket for your lap for later --- it's a great venue - thanks to Diana and Len for putting this together!!!


Thursday, October 22nd, 2009 5:00 PM
KFTC presents Anne Feeney and David Rovics in Concert
Happy Hour at Natasha's Cafe
112 Esplanade
Lexington, KY
(859)259-2754
http://www.natashascafe.com/
Janet Tucker of Kentuckians for the Commonwealth is the contact...


Friday, October 23rd, 2009 7:00 PM
Anne Feeney and David Rovics in Concert with special guests Paul Whitely and Kate Sanders!
St John's Day Center
700 E Muhammad Ali Blvd
Louisville, KY 40202
dos4@insightbb.com - for more information


Saturday, October 24th, 2009 8:00 PM
Anne Feeney and David Rovics in Concert
Unitarian Universalist Congregation
520 Kanawha Blvd W
Charleston, WV
304-345-5042
http://www.uucharlestonwv.org
Price: $15 suggested-none turned away
plantandgnome(@)verizon.net - Chris Higgins is the contact

Sunday, October 25th, 2009 10:00 AM
Anne Feeney and David Rovics Lead UU Service
Unitarian Universalist Congregation
520 Kanawha Blvd W
Charleston, WV
304-345-5042
Price: all welcome
plant and gnome@ verizon.net is the contact... Rose Edington and Mel Hoover are the ministers, and our hosts...

Sunday, October 25th, 2009 7:30 PM
Anne Feeney and David Rovics in Concert
Bulgarian/Macedonian Center
449-451 W 8th Avenue
West Homestead, PA 15120
412-461-6188
http://www.evite.com/app/publicUrl/ARPVKBAQZXOBBWNROIVE/concert
Price: $10-20 suggested
Please check out this wonderful venue! A great place to hear music!

Thursday, November 19th, 2009
Close the SOA
School of the Americas Watch Vigil at Fort Benning
Columbus, GA
http://soaw.org
This event runs through November 22nd. SOA grads right now are killing Hondurans who support democratically elected President Zelaya, ousted recently in a military coup.

Then on to Sweden and Denmark!!

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Good luck!

On Thursday, August 27th, workers at the Westland Public Library will vote on whether or not to affiliate with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). What better way to celebrate Labor Day than with newly won union representation. In Sweden almost nine in ten workers have a union. Unions represent professors, engineers, nurses, doctors, librarians, pilots. It works really well. If you want a voice in your work life - if you want dignity and respect on the job - if you want to be treated fairly, and you want the same for your colleagues - then you want a union. Good luck!

SEPTEMBER 2009 - Anne Feeney's Fellow Travelers' Advisory - VOLUME 5, #6

SEPTEMBER 2009 - Anne Feeney's Fellow Travelers' Advisory - VOLUME 5, #6


IN THIS ISSUE:


IMMEDIATE DESTINATIONS
LABOR DAY & AFL-CIO COMES TO PITTSBURGH!
COME TO PITTSBURGH FOR THE G-20!
SING OUT FOR SINGLE PAYER FINANCIAL REPORT
FAMILY NEWS/BIRTHDAYS
THE TOUR


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IMMEDIATE DESTINATIONS:

PEORIA, IL
PITTSBURGH
CHICAGO
MIDWEST TOUR IN OCTOBER WITH DAVID ROVICS!

David Rovics http://davidrovics.com is a great friend and a wonderful writer... Amy Goodman calls him "the musical version of Democracy Now!" I'm thrilled to be touring the midwest with him in October. Be sure to tell your friends to come and see us. The schedule is below.


Details for my upcoming shows appear below and continuously update at http://annefeeney.com/calendar.html

Kopparberg, Sweden
August 23rd

Hi All

If you've been to any of my shows you've probably heard me quip that I have no corporate sponsorship. It's more than a joke, though... It's absolutely and permanently true. My work is labor of love spread by word-of-mouth ... so PLEASE spread the word. If you don't tell your friends and relations that I'm headed to their town, they probably won't find out any other way.

This is also my monthly invitation to you to stay in touch with me. Let me know what you're up to. If you've got something going on that would interest my readers, let me know about that, too. If you'd like to see me perform in your hometown, or at your next event, get in touch. We'll figure out how to make it happen.

You can get my cds (and I hope that you will!) at http://cdbaby.com/all/unionmaid - you can also download single songs or whole albums there!

I'm leaving for Ireland tomorrow afternoon, so if I don't get back to you right away, be patient.

In solidarity

Anne



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LABOR DAY


Monday September 7th is Labor Day in the United States. The rest of the world honors labor on May 1st. But we do things differently from the rest of the world. Like our corporate-controlled health care system, we observe a corporate-controlled Labor Day weekend filled with shopportunities and blowout back-to-school sales. And both our health and the health of the labor movement suffer as a result. Very little goes on in the way of remembering the sacrifices and victories of the labor movement in the United States. Unfortunately, many of the Labor Day Parades held around the country are little more than excuses to have a picnic & get loaded.


I'm so excited to be welcoming the AFL-CIO to Pittsburgh for its national convention. My friend Rich Trumka will assume the responsibility of leading labor through the difficult times ahead. In a movement that celebrates great oratory - with fantastically inspiring speakers like Cecil Roberts, RoseAnn DeMoro and Leo Gerard - Rich Trumka stands alone. Millions of workers across the country have been encouraged, inspired and ennobled by his words. He will be a great spokesperson for labor. And God knows we need one. But we need a lot more than talk. We need bold leadership. This Labor Day I want to talk about the workers at Vincent Bach in Elkhart, Indiana.


Elkhart, Indiana is the brass instrument capital of North America. If you or anyone you know ever played a tuba, trumpet, trombone or horn it was almost certainly made at Vincent Bach in Elkhart. Generations of students and professionals alike have played these quality instruments. Big band leaders regularly stopped by to visit (and jam with) their colleagues at Vincent Bach. Eventually the predominantly musician board of directors was replaced by profiteers and bean counters and the company sold several times. In 2006 the company posted a $63 million profit.


So it was quite a shock to the workers when the company came to the table demanding dramatic pay cuts, concessions, and the end of many work rules that made working at Vincent Bach a career instead of a job. Many of these workers are second and third generation employees. Many had decades of service to the company when the ultimatum was presented. The 230 member of UAW 394 voted to strike on April 1, 2006.



photo (c) wsbt-tv




The company outsourced much of its production to China. They brought scabs into the plant. The strikers couldn't imagine how the company could afford to train scabs to make these instruments... but the Republican governor of Indiana appropriated almost $50,000 of tax dollars from the so-called "Skills Enhancement Fund" specifically to subsidize the training of the scabs, as part of a $1.1 million dollar package of taxpayer subsidies to this profitable union-busting corporate bad neighbor. The company engaged in multiple unfair labor practices, which the union filed charges on, but these take years to be adjudicated by the understaffed National Labor Relations Board.


In the meantime, the workers walked the picket line, and took their story to the community and to other unions. As the strike dragged on, those who could find other jobs and/or relocate did so. The remaining 130 workers were consigned to subsisting on $200 a week strike benefits. They were mostly folks with 20 or more years of service at Vincent Bach. Employment prospects at their age were slim to none. They hung tough, confident that the Labor Board would side with them and they would get their jobs back. Their options were limited by a number of factors. Unemployment in Elkhart is among the highest in the nation. There were no other jobs, and with real estate values tanking, moving wasn't a good option either.


On November 7, 2007 the scabs (no doubt at the company's behest) called for an election to decertify the United Auto Workers union. On Thursday, July 30th, 2009 an understaffed NLRB panel decertified the union, ending the strike. Part of the reason the union lost the election is because desperate strikers who liquidated their 401 (k) plans to survive during the strike were ruled inelegible to vote in the election! After 40 months of faithfully staffing the picket line, the loyal 130 workers of Vincent Bach/Conn Selmer have no union, no jobs, no benefits, and no recourse. That is just wrong.


$63 million dollars should have been enough profit for Vincent Bach. I believe that if Vincent Bach were locally owned, it undoubtedly would have been enough profit. Vincent Bach's profits didn't stay in Elkhart, or Indiana, and probably not even in the United States. The people making money from the work done in Elkhart don't give a rat's ass about Elkhart, Indiana - they don't give a rat's ass about anyone but themselves. We need to regulate corporate acqusitions more closely to stop this "race to the bottom."


The Vincent Bach plant is still operating, but the jobs there are no longer living wage jobs. Over 100 good workers left Elkhart during the strike... stranding elders, depleting the tax base, driving down property values as they sold quickly to relocate. The overburdened taxpayers of Elkhart will face more cuts to social services, more deterioration of the infrastructure, increased demand for social services. And Vincent Bach pays absolutely nothing in reparations for the damage they have done to this community. This kind of tragedy has been played out countless thousands of times in the United States. I've been an eyewitness to a lot of it. It's got to stop.


This Labor Day, we must commit ourselves to standing up for good, living wage jobs in this country, and around the world. We must rein in these greedy multinational corporations that ruthlessly shift capital around the globe (often with taxpayer subsidies), pillaging the planet and exploiting the poorest, weakest and most desperate among us. We can, and must, do better. Our parents and grandparents missed meals, risked (and sometimes sacrificed) their lives to bring us an 8 hour day, vacations, paid sick days, pensions, seniority, safety regulations, grievance procedures and the right to organize. These past few decades we have been spendthrift children - squandering this sacred inheritance in the name of "cooperation," "flexibility" and "teamwork." We must do better. This legacy, and what we can add to it, belongs to future generations.


(This Labor Day message is gratefully offered in tribute to the sacrifices and devotion of the members of UAW 394 - especially Don Wagner, Deneen Siegler, Ron Czarnecki... and the workers of Boilermakers 484, AFSCME 3494, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, United American Nurses, the Charleston Five, UE Republic Workers, UAW 174 at Hercules Drawn Steel, Local 459 OPEIU Nurses, AK Strikers, Delphi workers, Staley workers, Frontier Casino Strikers, and millions more who have struggled against this monstrous corporate greed.)


And a Labor Day salute to Kay Tillow, Jerry Tucker, David Newby, Shelley Kessler, Paul Bigman, Jeff Crosby, Turner Wright, Dave Johnson, John David, Rosemary Trump, Amy Newell, Ron Kaminkow, Barb Ingalls, Brian McWilliams, Angaza Laughinghouse, Karen Newman, Barbara Byrd, Dexter Arnold, Laura Griffin, Stan Swart, Mike Matejka, Amy Niehouse, David Elsila, Charlie McCollester, Rose Feurer, Nathanette Mayo, Judy Ancel, Robin Alexander, Henry Nicholas, Nick Molnar, Betsy Pernotto, Larry Daves, Ed Sadlowski (the elder and the younger!) and Julius Margolin (safe journey, dear comrade) for your tireless work for working people.


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COME TO PITTSBURGH FOR THE G-20!!


Looks like the first amendment isn't repealed in Pittsburgh after all!


Pittsburgh will be a very happening place in the month of September. Beginning with the pre-AFL-CIO conferences on the 10th and running through the G-20 (September 24th & 25th) there will be lots of action - teach-ins, demonstrations, marches, concerts, direct action and more.


Thanks to a grant from the Hen Foundation, I'll be presenting some cultural activities ... Look for the Coop D'Etat logo that Julie just made for me.




http://www.g20media.org/sectors
is a great list of the activities planned in my hometown. Come join us!


I was disgusted to see that Channel 11 has a "What is the G20?" story on their website and I'd bet my bottom dollar they just printed up a G20 press release and ran it as "news." What crap. Leave them a comment at:


http://www.wpxi.com/politics/20429438/detail.html



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SING OUT FOR SINGLE PAYER FINANCIAL REPORT


Citizens Band with Jason Luckett in Bellingham - July 27th





Expenses
Payroll: $17,000 (197 performances)
Rental Car: 2,825
Travel: 835
Hotels: 191
Meals: 984
Supplies:
Tee Shirts 1,690
Car Signs
+ shipping 284
Office 120
Sound Syst 800
Banner Frame 42
Buttons 200
Shipping 58
Fuel 522
Total $25,551


INCOME:


Donations & Grants:
prior to 7/1 $15,818

Los Angeles -
LaJolla 600
Santa Cruz 500
El Cerrito 100
Ashland 1,000
Bend -
Florence 300
OCF -
Corvallis -
Coos Bay -
Newport 150
Yachats 200
Eugene 300
Portland 300
McMinnville 200
Astoria 300
Vancouver 125
Olympia -125
Port Angeles -
Seattle 2,145
Tacoma -
Bellingham 200

Income Subtotal $22,133


post 7/1 2,253

Total Income $24,386


Shortfall 1,165



By folk musicians' standards, this was a howling success! To have this much fun and do this much great work and only have it cost me $1165 ... pretty fantastic. I know that I haven't written to the folks who mailed checks to me. I just had no time at all before I left for the tour, and I came straight to Sweden afterward. I hope I have time to write to each of you and thank you for your generous support of this amazing Road Show.

I hear that we were instrumental in inspiring the Mad As Hell Doctors' Road Show http://www.madashelldoctors.com/, leaving from Oregon for Washington, DC on September 8th

I hear we may have inspired a Senate campaign.

I hear we raised enough money in Portland to finance a radio advertising campaign for single payer.

I know we have more than 60 musicians traveling the country now who know how vital this issue as and they're talking about it at their shows.

I know that thousands of people took literature to educate themselves and their neighbors.

I know we raised thousands of dollars for our host communities.

It couldn't have happened without your help. You're fantastic!

I extend my profound gratitude to all of you who made this happen...


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FAMILY NEWS/BIRTHDAYS






My wonderful friend Faith Petric will be 94 on September 13th. Many of you already know this indefatigable "Fort Knox of Folk Music." You can watch her sing "I Wanna Be a Dog" at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12pW6LfQJEo You can send her a birthday card at:


Faith Petric
885 Clayton Stret
San Francisco, CA 94117



My son Dan got a nice break after studying for and taking the DC Bar Exam. He and Monique got to go to the Greek Islands for her brother's romantic 'destination' wedding. He keeps a terrific blog at http://balancingtheegg.blogspot.com/

My long-lost cousin Debbie Metcalfe Humphrey had a great visit with my sister Kathleen in New Jersey. It's great to be back in touch with her.

My sister and her daughter Kimberly, and Kim's son Casey have decided to come spend Christmas in Sweden with me and Julie! I'm so excited.

And in January, Julie and I will visit Dan and Monique in Ecuador! Cool beans.

My dear friend Julius Margolin celebrated his 93rd birthday in hospice care. Julius was stealing every heart at the nursing home, but he wanted to go home from the nursing home. Now he's back in his apartment in Manhattan, surrounded by friends. He sent our pal George Mann out to buy him a sixpack the night before last. I hope you'll make time to send him a card at:


Julius Margolin
PO BOX 697
New York, NY 10033


Birthdays - Friends

Windy Cooler-Stith, Aug 28th - Kris Deelane, Sep 12th, Faith Petric, Sep 13, 1915 - Danny Donnelly also Sep 13th - Tod Faller, Sep 14th -


Birthdays - Family

Jonas Engström, Aug 31 - Amy Sue Berlin, Sep 1st - Christina Mumphrey, Sep 3rd - Mary Grefenstette, Sep 11th - Mardy Weber McCahill, Sep 21st (60!) - Kay McCahill Mumphrey, Sep 25th, Charlie Warren, Sep 27 (3!)


££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££



THE TOUR


(always check with the contact people or call me at 412-877-6480 before heading off to the gig... I do my best to keep my schedule current at http://annefeeney.com/calendar.html ... but things change...)


Monday, September 7th, 2009 2:00 PM
Labor Day in Peoria!!
Riverfront Festival Park
Peoria, IL
n.paul9154(@)sbcglobal.net is the contact
Labor Day Picnic and Parade begins in front of the Fire Station on Monroe Street, and it ends at the Riverfront Festival Park. In 2008, the parade consisted of over 100 entries of various trade unions, etc. The picnic festivities run from 2 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Festival Park, and feature live music, beer garden and food vendors


Tuesday, September 15th, 2009 7:30 PM
Sing Out for Single Payer Road Show!
Allegheny Unitarian Universalist Church
416 W North Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15212
412.877-6480

http://www.unitedforsinglepayer.org/multimedia/Anne%20Feeney%20Concert%207-25-09-H.264%20300Kbps%20Streaming.mov
Price: $10-20 suggested
I'm rounding up as many members of the tour as I can to give you a sample of the fabulous show that we took from San Diego to Bellingham over 26 days in July!



Sunday, September 20th, 2009 8:00 PM


Roy Zimmerman and Anne Feeney in Concert!
Allegheny Unitarian Universalist Church
416 W North Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15212
412.877-6480
http://royzimmerman.com
Price: $10-20 suggested
Join me as I welcome the pre-eminent political satirist of our time to Pittsburgh. Roy is the author of "Defenders of Marriage," "Creation Science 101," and dozens of other hard-hitting and hilarious songs. Don't miss this show! Come after the huge march for jobs!


Wednesday, September 30th, 2009 8:00 PM
IBEW conference
Adams Mark Holiday Inn
Chicago, IL
Price: members only
darlene johnson is the contact... 630-434-1683


Friday, October 2nd, 2009 8:00 PM
Anne Feeney and David Rovics in Concert
details tba
Chicago, IL


Saturday, October 3rd, 2009 6:00 PM
Eugene Debs Annual Award Dinner
Indiana State University
Terre Haute, IN
http://eugenevdebs.com/pages/announ.htm


Sunday, October 4th, 2009 10:30 AM
Anne Feeney and David Rovics at UU Service
Tentative - All Souls
Indianapolis, IN


Sunday, October 4th, 2009 7:00 PM
Anne Feeney and David Rovics in Concert
probably at the IMC
Champaign, IL
jrbarret@uiuc.edu is the contact


Monday, October 5th, 2009 8:00 PM
Anne Feeney and David Rovics in Concert
tentative
Bloomington/Normal, IL
mike matejka is the contact


Tuesday, October 6th, 2009 8:00 PM
Anne Feeney and David Rovics on Campus and in Concert
Western Illinois University (tentative)
Macomb, IL
lj-barr(@)wiu.edu Lisa Barr is the contact


Wednesday, October 7th, 2009 8:00 PM
Anne Feeney and David Rovics in Concert
tba
Quad Cities area
Chris Dunn is the contact crisplydone(@)hotmail.com


Thursday, October 8th, 2009 8:00 PM
Anne Feeney and David Rovics in Concert
tba
Dubuque, IA
(563) 584-9300
for more information contact Art Roche rocheart3@msn.com or phone Mary Moody at the number above.


Friday, October 9th, 2009 8:00 PM
Anne Feeney and David Rovics in Concert
tentative
Des Moines, IA


Saturday, October 10th, 2009 8:00 PM
Anne Feeney and David Rovics
The Art Center
228 East Fifth Street
Winona, MN 55987
507-453-9959
Price: $15 suggested
Polly Gower is the contact pollygower(@)hotmail.com


Sunday, October 11th, 2009 8:00 PM
Anne Feeney and David Rovics in Concert
tba
Minneapolis, MN
Colleen Rowley
rowleyclan(@)earthlink.net and Larry
Olds 612-722-3442, lolds(@)popednews.org are the contacts...


Monday, October 12th, 2009 8:00 AM
Anne Feeney
Women's Breakfast or Lunch (tentative)
Minneapolis, MN


Tuesday, October 13th, 2009 7:00 PM
Anne Feeney and David Rovics in Concert
Goodman Center
Madison , WI
matt and john peck are working on this show


Wednesday, October 14th, 2009 8:00 PM
Anne Feeney and David Rovics in Concert
tba
Rockford, IL
David Stocker is the contact


Thursday, October 15th, 2009 8:00 PM
Anne Feeney and David Rovics in Concert
tba
DeKalb , IL
td0raf1(@)wpo.cso.niu.edu Rose Feurer is the contact


Friday, October 16th, 2009 8:00 PM
Anne Feeney and David Rovics in Concert
tba - University of Indiana
Indianapolis, IN
Greta Pennell gpennell@uindy.edu is the contact


Saturday, October 17th, 2009 8:00 PM
Anne Feeney and David Rovics on Tour in the Midwest
AVAILABLE
call me at 412-877-6480 or email me at anne@annefeeney.com if you have any ideas for this lovely Saturday night!


Sunday, October 18th, 2009 8:00 PM
Anne Feeney and David Rovics in Concert
tba
Lafayette, IN
Harry Targ targ@purdue.edu is the contact


Tuesday, October 20th, 2009 7:00 PM
David Rovics and Anne Feeney in Concert
tba
Columbus, OH
bruce bostick and victoria parks are looking into this date for us!


Wednesday, October 21st, 2009 8:00 PM
Anne Feeney and David Rovics in Concert
tba
Cincinnati, OH
mfwood(@)fuse.net Maureen Wood is the contact


Thursday, October 22nd, 2009 8:00 PM
Anne Feeney and David Rovics in Concert
tba
Lexington, KY
Janet Tucker is the contact...


Friday, October 23rd, 2009 7:00 PM
Anne Feeney and David Rovics in Concert
St John's Day Center
700 E Muhammad Ali Blvd
Louisville, KY 40202
dos4@insightbb.com - for more information


Saturday, October 24th, 2009 8:00 PM
Anne Feeney and David Rovics
Charleston, WV
plantandgnome(@)verizon.net - Chris Higgins is the contact


Sunday, October 25th, 2009 10:00 AM
Unitarian Universalist Congregation
520 Kanawha Blvd W
Charleston, WV
304-345-5042
Price: all welcome
chris@plantandgnome is the host


Sunday, October 25th, 2009 8:00 PM
Anne Feeney and David Rovics in Concert
tba
Pittsburgh, PA
any ideas, folks?




Anne Feeney
http://annefeeney.com
http://cdbaby.com/all/unionmaid - Buy CDs!
412-877-6480 (cell)


"Anne Feeney is the greatest labor singer in North America." -- Utah Phillips