Speakers from local labor unions, the Coalition for Justice in the Maquiladores, the Fair Trade Network, the No On Prop. 38 Campaign and other local organizations focused attention on local, state and regional impacts of and connections with corporate globalization, addressing a rally of 150-200 people. Particular attention was focused on the dangerous, low-paid working conditions of Maquiladora workers and LA sweatshop workers as the true face of globalization.

A musical interlude from the trio The Raging Grannies included the following song:

Sweatshop Workers (to the tune of “Chiquita Bannan”)

We are the sweatshop workers

And we’re here to say

There’s been an awful “GAP”

In what we get for pay!

And SEAR is just as bad

They don’t pay what they owe

The legislation passed

Where did the money go?

You can pay us in the morning

You can pay us in the night!

But you Damn wll better pay us

Or we’re Damn well gonna fight!!!



Attention was also focused on renewed attacks on public education, culminating in the voucher initiative, Prop. 38, sponsored by billlionaire Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tim Draper, that would drain roughly $2.6 billion from California’s public schools and give it to private schools, underwiting the private education of mostly rich and upper-middle-class students. While the cash-rich Draper Initiative is saturating the airwaves with TV ads, student organizers for No On Prop. 38 urged people to volunteer at phone banks to contact voters. (Local phone bank locations can be found at the No On Prop. 38 website at

http://www.novouchers2000action.com/phone.asp#losangelesarea.)

Mark Rich, from UTLA (United Teachers of Los Angeles) and L2K (Labor 2000) highlighted a key underlying aspect of this attack: the redirection of blame for the ills of society onto the public schools. At the East LA school where he teaches, 98% of the students participate in the free breakfast and lunch programs. Where students enjoy a public education free from outside disadvantages, the results are remarkable. In America, 25% of all students go to college--compared to 14% in Japan. Japanese-American students outscore Japanese students on international tests, just as Korean-American students outscore Korean students in international tests.

At 4:30, the rally launched into a spirited 45 minute march through downtown LA, passing by late afternoon crowds of onlookers, whose reactions appeared to range between apathy, confusion and support. Unfortunatlely, this reporter only saw one demonstrator with the presence of mind and leaflets to go out into the crowds and make direct contact people--an opportunity that shouldn’t be missed in future actions.

After returning to Pershing Square, the rally continued with a number of other speaches, and a tour-de-farce performance by the Billionaire for Bush Or Gore in a special incarnation as Billionaires For Greater Goobal Inequity. Backed up by a brass band (a suspiciously down-scale metal), the Billionaires regaled the crowd with numbers like “Piece of the Forest” (tune of “Piece of My Heart”), their themesong, “Billionaires for Bush and Gore” (tune of “The Caissons Go Rolling Along.”) and “Maquiladora” (tune of “Macarena.”) The latter was accompanied by its own special dance, including gestures of money-grubbing and self-strangulation, which the Billionaires lead the crowd in performing (sample verse):

We’re so happy when they passed NAFTA

We moved all our factories just across the borda

We used to pay good wages, now we don’t have ta

Maquiladora!