this is my first diary, hope I will get more fluent in time.
Hans johnson in his newsletter Progressive Victory writes about the boots-on-the-ground campaign in Ashland,Ohio,where ARCHWAY has shut down.
This story is also covered in the local press in today's Ashland Times-gazette
In Han's comment:
Soon came an even more hideous revelation about the terminations. In a story that got some coverage locally but not nationally, Starla Darling, an Archway worker, went on maternity leave at the end of September and prepared to give birth. Hearing about the sudden shutdown of her plant Oct. 6, she sought to induce labor in hopes of having the baby before benefits cut off that day. And so she did, a day early. She found out later that the company had already canceled coverage.
Lot's of sad economic news and still, lots of interesting and hopeful news from campaign volunteers. Check out Han's newsletter called Progressive vicotry
Also, here's an email reply to Hans from my traveling sister, helping SEIU in North Carolina:
Subject: Re: Studs, in memoriam, and the fight for Ohio
hey everybody.
hearing about studs was still sad to me here in north carolina, i am just going to miss him, deaf and frail as he was. but you are right, he lived well.
we are finally getting this satellite office off the ground in the plumbers hall - Eddie the plumber! - marybeth we really did put lipstick on the pig - it was a welding garage and we put up sheets and wallpapered them with obama signs. we'll see how many volunteers show up today.
went on the doors a couple of times in between getting supplies for the busload of 1199ers coming down on Monday, hard to read but everyone, and I mean everyone is engaged in this, from Costco clerks to waitresses. the main obama office downtown (there are many) is buzzing with young and old african americans, while the larger, younger white crowd is at the makeshift office at the funeral home down the street. still smells like formaldehyde. further out, dead chickens appear at the campaign office doors. some of the black campaign workers are really brave to go to the rural white places.