Ten Years After the Flint #Water Crisis, Distrust and Anger Linger
A city is forever changed, and so is residents’ relationship with their water.
The betrayal of trust by the institutions meant to protect Flint’s residents has made some of them extra cautious as they look to keep themselves and their community safe.
Earlier this month, Brittany Thomas received a call that her 11-year-old daughter Janiyah had experienced a seizure at school. “She’d been seizure-free for about two years now,” said Thomas, a resident of Flint, Michigan. “And they just came back.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/apr/25/flint-michigan-water-crisis#flint
Today in Labor History March 6, 1930: 100,000 people demonstrated for jobs in New York City. Demonstrations by unemployed workers, demanding unemployment insurance, occurred in virtually every major U.S. city. In New York, police attacked a crowd of 35,000. In Cleveland, 10,000 people battled police. In Detroit, the Communist Party organized an underemployment demonstration. Over 50,000 people showed up. Thousands took to the streets in Toledo, Flint and Pontiac. These demonstrations led to the creation of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), sponsored by Republican congressman Hamilton Fish, with the support of the American Federation of Labor, to investigate and quash radical activities.
Today in Labor History February 11, 1937: General Motors recognized the United Auto Workers (UAW) following a 44-day sit-down strike in Flint, Michigan, involving 48,000 GM workers. Two months later, company guards beat up UAW leaders at the River Rouge, Michigan plant. On January 11, police armed with guns and tear gas tried to storm the plant. Strikers repeatedly repelled them by throwing hinges, bottles and bolts at them. Fourteen strikers were injured by police gunfire during the strike.
@enoch As far as I know Flint Michigan STILL doesn’t have clean #water but we never hear about that anymore either.
Oh I take that back, when infrastructure passed and #BlueMaga was jerking off about that for a year, we did hear that part of that money was supposed to go help #Flint. Has it?
Today in Labor History January 29, 1936: Rubber workers engaged in a sit-down strike in Akron, Ohio. Their action helped establish the United Rubber Workers as a national union. Working conditions and pay were terrible and workers and virtually no benefits. They engaged in numerous sit-down strikes in the 1930s. Theirs preceded the more famous Flint sit-down strike of 1936-1937. The first American sit-down strike was probably in 1909, when 3,000 members of the IWW engaged in a sit-down strike against General Electric, in Schenectady, NY.
Today in Labor History January 11, 1937: Police tried to raid the Fisher Body plant during the Flint Sit-Down Strike against General Motors. Workers threw hinges, bottles and bolts at the cops, effectively holding them off. However, the cops injured 14 strikers with gunfire. They had been occupying the plant for nearly two weeks. And they would continue their sit-down strike until February 11. They won a 5% raise and the UAW signed up 100,000 members in the wake of the strike.
A 30-year-old #Flint, #Michigan man alleged to have thrown a metal pole at police during the #Jan6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol was arrested Monday on charges that include assault of a police officer & entrance into a restricted building or grounds.
"What, did you really think there were no laws in heaven?"
Day 15: Angel!
Okay I won't lie I've been wanting to draw Flint for so long so sorry not sorry. I could have gone for a more dynamic pose, but it's late and I have to be up early tomorrow.
#UAW set to widen #strike barring progress in contract talks
The #UnitedAutoWorkers#union said it will broaden its strike at noon Fri unless there is last-min progress in contract talks w/ #Detroit’s #BigThree#automakers.
Talks w/ #GeneralMotors, #Ford & #Stellantis continued this week, but enough disagreement remained on Thurs that the union was preparing to walk out of more factories or warehouses.
In a video, #Fain said a #nonunion contractor driving an SUV hit 5 picketers while leaving a #GM parts depot in #Flint, #Michigan. 2 of the workers went to the hospital for treatment. The SUV fled…. At a #Stellantis parts depot in #California, nonunion truckers crossing the picket line have pulled #guns on #strikers, Fain said. In #Massachusetts, a #UAW member & a state #senator were #hit by “cars on the picket line,” Fain said, w/o clarifying whether the drivers were connected to the automaker.
@alexwild@oh_that_courtney
Very much like that!
The constituency had no #voice in that matter…
Like #flint …these TX families are stuck…
In an “authoritarian-trip-back-to-fifties” BS!
These folks love their #freedom#constitution#democracy …
Just as long as they have power, control &💰!
The reality is they’re not qualified to make these decisions!
I’m sick of so many adults…
Denying kids any semblance of agency over their own lives. #education#libraries#texas
#Michigan Still Allows Emergency Takeovers of Local Governments. Is It Finally Time to Reconsider This Drastic Measure?
Under #emergency management, #Flint faced problems that turned catastrophic while #Detroit charted a new course. That mixed record and stark racial disparities have prompted calls for change.
Former #Michigan Governor Rick Snyder should be in the clink for the #Flint Water Crisis coverup - instead, we are continually treated with these thought pieces while he walks free amongst his victims.
Nothing, in recent memory, has damaged the attractiveness of Michigan like that episode.