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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 15 May 2018

Poor People's Campaign launches days of protests around U.S.

By TOM FOREMAN Jr Capitol for standing in the
Associated Press middle of a street. Police
Activists converged on had no immediate confir-
state capitals around the mation of arrests there or
U.S. on Monday to begin a specific number of those
six weeks of non-violent stopped. "We're living in an
protests calling for new pro- impoverished democracy,"
grams to help the millions of Barber said. "People across
Americans who live in pov- the country are standing up
erty, an overhaul of voting against the lie of scarcity.
rights laws and other social We know that in the richest
change. country in the world, there
Reports by police from is no reason for children to
seven state capitols and go hungry, for the sick to be
Washington, D.C., showed denied health care and for
more than 200 people had citizens to have their votes
been arrested or cited dur- suppressed. Both parties
ing the first day of the so- have to be challenged —
called Poor People's Cam- one for what it does and
paign. In many instances, one for what it doesn't do."
police said protesters were Barber is a North Carolina People participate in the "Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival" on Capitol
cited for blocking traffic. minister and former presi- Hill in Washington, Monday, May 14, 2018.
In Washington, the two dent of the state NAACP Associated Press
leaders of the campaign chapter. Theoharis is co-
were among the protest- director of the Kairos Cen- walked out into the street in ing at the close of business next 40 days engaged in
ers arrested outside the U.S. ter for Religions, Rights, and front of the legislative build- hours. The campaign cast nonviolent action, includ-
Capitol. Campaign lead- Social Justice in New York. ing, held hands and re- the protests as a "reignition" ing the mobilization of vot-
ers said the protests would In Missouri, 88 people were fused to depart until each of the Poor People's Cam- ers and holding teach-ins.
cover 35 states. issued summonses in Jef- was taken away and cited. paign, the 1968 movement The first teach-in is sched-
A statement from the cam- ferson City for obstructing Officers cited 10 protesters started by the Rev. Dr. Mar- uled for Tuesday in Wash-
paign said the Rev. William a lawful police order to at the Iowa Capitol who tin Luther King Jr. and oth- ington. It is to feature
Barber and the Rev. Liz move after they blocked gathered in and around ers to challenge racism, Marian Wright Edelman,
Theoharis, its two co-chair- a downtown street. Police the staff offices of Gov. poverty and militarism. Ac- president of the Children's
men, were among those in Raleigh, North Carolina, Kim Reynolds when they cording to the campaign, Defense Fund and a part of
arrested outside the U.S. led off 49 people after they refused to leave the build- protesters will spend the the 1968 campaign.q
Official: Lyft drivers at Disney World can join union

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The up Disney World guests us- workers not mentioned in since the Lyft job didn't ex- resort. A spokesperson for
drivers are summoned by a ing the Lyft app can be its five-year contract. The ist when the contract was Disney World didn't return
Lyft app. They are expect- represented by the Team- Teamsters negotiated the negotiated. Cohen also email inquiries on Monday.
ed to entertain with story- sters local in Orlando. The contract in 2014 along with said that the job the "Min- Disney World and Lyft
telling as they whisk pas- Lyft drivers are Disney World five other unions that form nie Van" drivers do is hardly reached an agreement
sengers around Walt Disney employees who earn extra a coalition called the Ser- any different than bus driv- last year to start the new
World in what are known as money by driving guests vice Trades Council. The ers and other transporta- service, limited to guests at
"Minnie Vans," named after around the resort that is council already represents tion workers already repre- the theme park resort. For
Minnie Mouse. And now roughly the size of the city about half of the 77,000 sented by the Teamsters. $20 per trip, guests can get
these drivers can be repre- of San Francisco. employees at Disney World. Lyft spokesman Adrian the private rides using the
sented by a union. Disney had argued that But regional NLRB direc- Durbin said in a statement Lyft app on their phones in-
A regional director of the the Lyft driver jobs couldn't tor David Cohen wrote in that the vehicles and driv- stead of having to wait for
National Labor Relations be covered by a union his decision last week that ers are operated by Disney Disney buses to drive them
Board last week ruled since the Teamsters waived the waiver doesn't apply and referred further ques- from resorts to Disney's en-
about 60 drivers who pick their right to represent any to the "Minnie Van" drivers tions to the theme park tertainment complex.q