Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance Resolution Supports Strike

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SUPPORT THE CALIFORNIA PRISONERS HUNGER STRIKE AGAINST TORTURE

Whereas, on July 8, 2013, 30,000 prisoners throughout the state of California began a hunger strike to protest long term and indefinite solitary confinement, and

Whereas, over 10,000 adult prisoners are currently being held in solitary confinement in California, and at Pelican Bay, 500 prisoners have been held in solitary confinement for more than 10 years, 80 for more than 20 years and two for over 40 years, and

Whereas, prisoners at Pelican Bay “supermax” prison are locked in 11”7′ x 7”7′ windowless concrete cells, or Security Housing Units (SHUs), for more than 22 hours a day, with no human contact, fresh air or sunlight  with one hour in similar conditions for “recreation” while being shackled and cannot even receive a phone call unless a family member dies, and

Whereas, the United Nations has determined that solitary confinement for more than 15 days constitutes torture and called for its ban, and

Whereas, in 2006 a federal commission recommended that SHUs in California be shut down, and

Whereas, California Governor Jerry Brown and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) have consistently refused to obey federal court’s orders to release 10,000 prisoners due to unconstitutional conditions caused by overcrowding, and

Whereas, Governor Brown and the CDCR instead of closing Pleasant Valley and Avenal state prisons due to an outbreak of valley fever which killed 36 prisoners, transferred out 2,600 at risk prisoners to other prisons but are transferring in Asian prisoners who are deemed to be statistically “low risk” and

Whereas, instead of negotiating with the hunger strikers, the CDCR has barred prisoner attorneys from visiting their clients, moved strike leaders to even harsher cells , destroyed prisoner leader legal documents and have blasted air conditioning on thinly clothed strikers causing illness and freezing, and

Whereas, against all odds, several hundred prisoners are still on the hunger strike, a non-violent, peaceful protest, be it here highly

Resolved, that the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, send a letter to Governor Jerry Brown and the CDCR to negotiate with the hunger strikers and end long term indefinite solitary confinement and be it further

Resolved that APALA California chapters support the hunger strikers through demonstrations and other actions called by the prisoners and their representatives.

Submitted by: Alex Hing, Unite Here, New York

2 thoughts on “Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance Resolution Supports Strike”

  1. LA UNION HACE LA FUERZA, ESPERO QUE SE UNAN MUCHAS PERSONAS, Y LOGREN DETENER LAS INJUSTICIAS, LAS TORTURAS, Y EL TRATO INHUMANO. SE QUE SE VA A LOGRAR POR QUE ESTO SE ESTA DANDO A CONOCER EN TODO EL MUNDO, Y LOS GOBIERNOS DEBEN RECORDAR QUE ELLOS SOLO REPRESENTAN A TODA LA GENTE QUE ESTAN VIVIENDO DEL SUELDO DE LA GENTE QUE LOS PUSO EN EL LUGAR QUE ESTAN, QUE POR CADA GOBERNANTE HAY MILES DE PERSONAS, DEBEN USAR UN CRITERIO Y PENSAR EN LO QUE ESTAN PROVOCANDO CON SU INDIFERENCIA CON SU ACTITUD DE DESPRECIO

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