community-based, non-corporate, participatory media
community-based, non-corporate, participatory media
Rustbelt Radio for June 25, 2007
by Pittsburgh IMC: Rustbelt Radio collective
Monday, Jun. 25, 2007 at 9:12 PM
radio@indypgh.org (email address validated) 412-923-3000 WRCT 88.3 FM
On this week's show... * From the Allied Media Conference in Detroit, Aishah Shahidah Simmons, speaks about her experience making No!, a documentary about Black women and rape. * SEIU protests on behalf of local janitors * Bicyclists, along with Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and local cyling advocacy organization Bike-Pittsburgh celebrate Pittsburgh's second-ever bike lane * and an update on the cases of the 8 former Black Panther Party members on trial in San Francisco for the 1971 murder of a police officer * and more in our local and global headlines
audio link: 
MP3 at 26.8 mebibytes
Welcome to this week's edition of Rustbelt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of the news from the grassroots, news overlooked by the corporate media.
On today's show...
Rustbelt Radio airs live every Monday from 6-7 PM on WRCT 88.3 FM in Pittsburgh, PA, and again on Tuesday mornings 9-10 AM. We're also on Pacifica affiliate WVJW Benwood, 94.1 FM in the Wheeling, West Virginia area, on Thursdays from 6-7 PM. And we're on WPTS from 10-11AM on Wednesday mornings on 92.1 FM from the campus of the University of Pittsburgh.
We're also available on the internet, both on WRCT's live webstream at W-R-C-T dot ORG and for download, stream or podcast at radio dot I-N-D-Y-P-G-H dot org.
We turn now to local headlines.
Last Friday, June 22, janitors in the Service Employees International Union met on the corner of 7th Ave and William Penn Place in Downtown Pittsburgh to protest unfair wages. Local 3 of SEIU is comprised of labor workers from Cleveland, Toledo, Columbus, Detroit, and Pittsburgh and is made up of nearly 9,000 members.
A recent move by the Executive Maintenance Service, a multi-state cleaning contractor, has made a powerful impact on the members of the SEIU. In Cincinnati and Indianapolis, EMS has broken important labor laws by working to ban janitors from joining the union, while also taking away their bargaining rights with first contracts. At present, EMS has two major contracts in Pittsburgh and could end up implementing these procedures on janitors here.
SEIU organizer Gabe Morgan explained the reason for the protest and why it was located in downtown Pittsburgh:
The protest included a attention gathering visual element:
Morgan spoke about what SEIU members hope to accomplish:
Next on SEIU's agenda is to begin negotiating for Pittsburgh's suburban janitors who, like janitors in Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Columbus, have never had a union, make very close to minimum wage and have few benefits.
Gabe Morgan, with information on getting involved:
On Monday, June 11, the bicyclists' advocacy group Bike Pittsburgh and the City of Pittsburgh held a celebratory bike ride down Liberty Avenue to inaugurate the newly-installed bike lane. The bike lane is only Pittsburgh's second ever to be installed outside of a park. The new route runs through most of Bloomfield, from Baum Boulevard down to Ligonier Street, in both directions. The route incorporates two methods of creating bicycle zones on roadways that are new to Pittsburgh. From Aiken to Ella Street, the "lane" is actually marked by large, four-foot-wide bike stencils on the pavement between traffic and the parking lane, rather than a path with striped borders. This designates a section of roadway for bicyclists' use without constraining them to stay within set borders, which can be dangerous if obstacles block their path. It also requires less roadway width than a bike lane with two striped borders. From Baum Boulevard to Ligonier Street, the bike route is a lane bounded by stripes on both sides, again set between traffic and the parking lane.
At the celebration on Monday, a crowd of bicyclists gathered at the parklet near Baum Boulevard to ride together down the lane. City officials who were instrumental in creating the new bike route, including Richard Meritzer of City Planning and Pat Hassett of public works, were on hand. Mayor Luke Ravenstahl also came out to address the crowd and ride with the group. Scott Bricker, executive director of Bike Pittsburgh, spoke first:
Mayor Luke Ravenstahl:
We spoke with some of the bicyclists in attendance. Brian Funk:
Karen Brooks:
The crowd rode together down Liberty Avenue once the speeches were done. Scott Bricker and the Mayor lead the way, accompanied by a hefty police escort that blocked all traffic. It may have been the safest ride on city streets many cyclists had ever taken. However, the Mayor didn't quite make it all the way down the lane, instead turning off at the top of the hill.
Bike Pittsburgh and the City also announced plans to hire the city's first-ever bicycle and pedestrian coordinator in January 2008, contingent on funding from the RK Mellon Foundation. Look for more Bike Lanes in Squirrel Hill soon, and send any suggestions for more bicycle accommodations on city roadways to Bike Pittsburgh and the City Planning Department.
For more on local news, you can visit pittsburgh dot I-N-D-Y-M-E-D-I-A dot org.
You are listening to Rustbelt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of news overlooked by the corporate media. We turn now to news from other independent media sources around the world.
* SF8_Chanting.wav: SF8_Chanting.wav
That was the sound last Monday, June 18, at a solidarity rally outside the San Francisco courthouse where 8 former Black Panther Party members-named the SF8-were on trial for the 1971 murder of police officer Sgt. John Young.
Berkeley Liberation Radio spoke to several people at the rally.
First one woman described the case.
She expanded on the issue of torture.
Lastly she described the goals of the rally.
Another attendee described the significance of this case for grassroots movements.
Finally another attendee described how the activities of the SFPD haven't changed.
The SF8 have called for a reopening of the COINTELPRO hearings. They write, "We, the SF8, urge friends and supporters to phone/fax/write to John Conyers, Chair of the Judiciary Committee in Congress, and appeal for him to conduct public hearings on why victims of COINTELPRO languish in prison over 30 years after it was declared unconstitutional. We, the SF8, ask friends and supporters to contact your congressional representative, Congressional Black Caucus members and other elected officials urging them to enable John Conyers to reopen COINTELPRO hearings."
Thanks to Berkeley Liberation Radio for the audio.
hex - Detroit Love
That was hex with the song Detroit Love from the Battle of the Bits remix competition held during the kick-off to this year's Allied Media Conference.
You're listening to Rustbelt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of news from the grassroots.
Media workers and social justice activists gathered in Detroit, Michigan last weekend for the 9th annual Allied Media Conference. The theme for this year was "Breaking Silence, Building Movements." Workshops, panel dicussions, performances, and skillshares brought participants together for three days of dialogue, strategizing, coalition building, and media making.
To open the conference, a Friday night event featured live performances by poets and musicians, most of whom have strong ties to the city of Detroit.
Versiz, a Detroit-based poet and hip hop artist:
Angela Jones, a Detroit-based writer, organizer, and poet, performing at the 9th Annual Allied Media Conference:
Aishah Shahidah Simmons, a Philadelphia-based independent filmmaker, spoke on her experience making No!, a documentary about Black women and rape.
And now, poet D. Blair:
Other highlights of Allied Media 2007 included workshops on solidarity journalism, zine making, montage film, public access television, and street art. Groups presenting at the Allied Media Conference included INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence, Hip Hop Media Lab, Michigan Welfare Rights Organization, and Left Turn Magazine. For more information, visit http://alliedmediaconference.org.
Twenty years after the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, or ACT UP came into existence, it launched a new campaign, this time for universal Health care. We turn now to an update by Out-FM on ACT-UP's latest movement.
Thanks to Out-FM for that audio.
And now we present the Indymedia Calendar of Events:
Thanks for tuning in to Rustbelt Radio here on WRCT Pittsburgh, WVJW Benwood and WPTS Pittsburgh.
Our hosts this week are Andalusia Knoll, Matt Toups and Jessica McPherson with contributions from Matt Balmaseda, Jessica McPherson, Carlin Christy, Vani Natarajan, Donald Deeley, and Lizzie Anderson. This week's show was produced by Donald Deeley and Phill Cresswell. Special thanks to all of our hosts, producers, and contributors.
You can get involved with Rustbelt Radio! To contact us, or to send us your comments, email RADIO at I-N-D-Y-P-G-H dot ORG. All of our shows are available for download or podcast on our website at RADIO dot INDY-P-G-H dot ORG and this show can be heard again Tuesday morning on WRCT at 9 AM after Democracy Now!
Tune in next week at this time for another edition of Rustbelt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of news from the grassroots.
Rustbelt Radio for June 25, 2007 (ogg vorbis)
by Pittsburgh IMC: Rustbelt Radio collective
Monday, Jun. 25, 2007 at 9:12 PM
radio@indypgh.org 412-923-3000 WRCT 88.3 FM
audio: ogg vorbis at 24.0 mebibytesaudio: ogg vorbis at 24.0 mebibytes
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