Recap from Kenneth in the wake of the visit to Pittsburgh from Bangladesh and Pakistan

The following organizations worked together to co-sponsor the visit by Kalpona Akter of the Bangladesh Center for Workers Solidarity and Zehra Bano of the Home Based Workers Federation of Pakistan to the August Wilson Center on April 27, 2010:

Pittsburgh Industrial Workers of the World
Black Political Empowerment Project
State Senator Jim Ferlo
William Robinson Consulting
Coalition of Black Trade Unionists
National Labor Committee
Western PA Jobs with Justice
Lauren Sukal • Barney Oursler
Freedom Unlimited
Steel Valley Printers/USW Local 3403
Battle of Homestead Foundation
Indiana University of PA Labor Center
Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers
Three Rivers Community Foundation
Communities in Action for Peace
Iron Workers Local 3
PA State Federation of Labor AFL-CIO
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom

Additional individual donations from Joel Woller, Michelle Gaffey, Kim Miller, Celeste Taylor, Tim Stevens and more… please email Kenneth if you have been accidentally omitted here.

$150 was raised by passing the hat, the Pirates Pill Box Cooperstown Collection "Made in Bangladesh" hat, at the August Wilson Center event.

The money is explicitly for Dennis Brutus to be remembered at the Bill Mazeroski Statue PNC Park. It will be unveiled on September 1, 2010.

A special thanks goes out to everyone who participated in the City Council Post Agenda Sweatshops discussion - especially, Natalia Rudiak, Bruce Kraus - and most of all, City Council President Darlene Harris.

Please email you ideas and insights and discussion about this event, and any photo graphs to nosweatshopsbucco@yahoo.com

It was such a pleasure and honor to work with so many serious Human Rights activists to prepare for this event. I've learned so much from working with all of you. Thank you for your inspiring commitments and vision. Tell yourself again, the story of Dennis Brutus and his shot heard around the world, practice telling it to one other. Anti Sweatshop Organizers tell Stories. Tell the stories of Kalpona Akter and Zehra Bano… they visited so that we could hear their testimony. We got it. No Sweatshops Bucco!

Kalpona Akter and Zehra Bano are on their way to Harrisburg where they will be meeting with the PA Secretary of Labor and Industry early this afternoon. They will speak in Philadelphia tonight. I am especially pleased that they will be in Baltimore on May Day to participate in Our Harbor Day - a HUMAN RIGHTS ZONE - being erected at the Inner Harbor by the workers there, our friends, and 2006 Anti Sweatshop All Stars, the Maryland United Workers Association. There is no better place for them to be on May Day, the International Workers Holiday.

Kenneth Miller, 412 867 9213, nosweatshopsbucco@yahoo.com

Great events Ken!