Italie's Tampa visit coincided with a national press conference to show support for Dr. Sami Al-Arian. A Palestinian and a tenured professor at University of South Florida (USF), Al-Arian was recently suspended and notified of his impending firing by university officials. He has been a strong advocate of the Palestinian cause and has defended his brother-in-law, Mazzen Al-Najjar, who was rearrested recently on visa violations after spending three and a half years in jail without ever being charged with a crime.

Al-Arian has won the support of faculty and student organizations on campus. Italie attended the press conference as part of his visit here and issued a statement in support of the fight to reverse the professor's pending dismissal.

The Campus Greens and the Coalition of Progressive Student Organizations sponsored two public meetings at the University of South Florida for Italie to explain his battle for reinstatement. Forty people attended the two events, which included a screening of the television news coverage in Miami of press conferences and other news around Italie's firing.

Katie Templin, former president of the Campus Greens, welcomed participants to the meeting. "Goodwill claimed you were disruptive in justifying your firing," she noted, "the same reason [USF president] Genshaft gave for firing Al-Arian. We are happy to have you come to our campus." Patty Hernandez, the current student Greens president, said, "we oppose this firing based on Mike's opposition to the war in Afghanistan. We believe in peaceful solutions and support his reinstatement."

In his talk, Italie said the reasons given by USF president Judy Genshaft for moving to fire Al-Arian "are pretexts. They are trying to shut him up because he is an outspoken defender of the Palestinian people in their struggle for self-determination. At a time when the Israeli government is again bulldozing the homes of Palestinians in a policy of guilt by association, the USF administration is attempting to bulldoze the rights of Sami Al-Arian and his supporters.

"The actions of Genshaft and the Board of Trustees," he said, "like the decision of Goodwill Industries to fire me from my job as a sewing machine operator for the ideas I advocated as a candidate for mayor of Miami, come in the context of nationwide government and employer attacks on freedom of speech and workers' rights. By reaching out for broad support in his fight, Sami Al-Arian is setting an example for others targeted for firings and prosecution. By speaking out in defense of Mazzen Al-Najjar, he is standing with all defenders of the Bill of Rights. I am proud to add my name to a growing list of supporters of Sami Al-Arian in his fight for justice."

Maura Barrios, a leader of Cuba Vive Tampa Bay, said during the discussion that she appreciated Italie's "making the global connection of U.S. policy in Afghanistan" in his talk. "It is a continuation of U.S. policies around the world. I noticed that one of the reasons [Goodwill CEO] Pastrana cited for your firing was because of your support for the Cuban revolution. What is it like defending Cuba in Miami?" she asked.

In response, Italie described discussions with a woman he met who recently left Cuba resentful and blaming the Cuban government for her brother's death due to lack of availability of needed medicines. But as they talked, the woman agreed that Cuba's educational and health care systems were exceptional. "When I suggested that Washington's 40-year embargo against Cuba may have played a role in the lack of medicines, she agreed it was possible."

A Palestinian student who attended the meeting with a group of friends asked, "How can we get involved? The administration is trying to intimidate us so we do not speak up to defend Palestinians. We need to find a way to present the Palestinian cause on this campus."

"The way to defend our rights is to use them," Italie said. "We need to follow Al-Arian's example."

George Boone, another participant in the meeting, asked if Italie thought that co-workers wanted him fired because they knew he was a socialist and defended the Cuban revolution.

"My experience since my firing has shown the opposite," Italie said, relating how during one of his weekly visits to the plant to distribute fact sheets, "two supervisors stood between me and the gate telling workers not to take the material. This of course was intimidating. But when workers got out of view of the supervisors, many took the fact sheet we were handing out. The Cuban woman I told you about took the leaflet and said, 'I want to read what you have to say. Keep up the fight.'"

Italie also addressed a meeting of 40 people at New College in Sarasota. The event was organized to discuss the conditions facing farm workers in the region. The garment worker was also interviewed on a popular local public affairs program at a community radio station. Many participants in these meetings volunteered to continue working to publicize Italie's fight. Among the new endorsers of his campaign is Dr. Sami Al-Arian.

Italie will continue his tour next week with a trip to St. Petersburg for a Southern Leadership Conference banquet followed by visits to Charlotte, North Carolina, and Valdosta, Georgia.

To schedule speaking engagements for Michael Italie in your area, please send the proposed dates and events planned to the Committee to Defend Freedom of Speech and the Bill of Rights, P.O. Box 510127, Miami, FL, 33151-0127. Tel: (305) 724-5965 or E-mail: DefendFreeSpeech@yahoo.com

The committee is urgently in need of funds to produce literature, pay for phone calls, and plan travel. Financial contributions, large and small, can be sent to the above address. Please make checks out to the Free Speech Defense Fund.

John Benson is a meat packer and Karl Butts is a farmer.
 
 

David Campbell, secretary-treasurer of PACE Local 8-675 in Carson, California, sent the following letter to the mayor and commissioners of the city of Miami. PACE is the Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers International Union.

It is our understanding that on or about October 22, 2001, Mr. Michael Italie was fired by Goodwill Industries at its Miami plant and that this firing was not for Mr. Italie's work performance but rather it was for his expression of political views not shared by his employer during a campaign for public office.

Mr. Italie was at that time the Socialist Workers Party candidate for the office of Mayor of Miami.

During that campaign, Mr. Italie voiced his opposition to the war in Afghanistan and his support for union organizing campaigns in debates with other candidates for that office.

It is our further understanding that Goodwill CEO Dennis Pastrana told the Miami Herald in an interview published October 30, "We cannot have anyone who is attempting to subvert the United States of America." We also understand that Mr. Pastrana made a similar statement on a local FOX affiliate to the effect that U.S. flags produced at Goodwill would be "stained" by Italie's presence.

The U.S. Constitution's provisions under the Bill of Rights apply only to the government not infringing on those rights and do not apply in the context of private property rights and, therefore, technically the U.S. Constitution has not been violated in the instant case. Nevertheless, this case vividly points to the need to amend the Constitution.

We have also been long-time supporters of such charitable organizations as Goodwill. We are appalled that the actions of CEO, Mr. Pastrana, are reminiscent of the Third Reich with respect to tolerating unpopular political views.

We urge you to do whatever is in your power to provide justice in this matter.
 

Below is the text of a letter from the Rev. Earl Kooperkamp, Rector of St. Mary's Episcopal Church in New York City. The December 10 letter was sent to Miami mayor Joseph Carollo.

I write to you in support of Mr. Michael Italie. I was given a packet of information by a friend concerning Mr. Italie's case. After a careful reading of the newspaper articles and other materials, I was moved to write you. My purpose is to urge you in the name of justice to do all in your power to uphold the laws of Miami and the United States by ensuring that Mr. Italie's rights are upheld.

No matter how we might feel about his beliefs and opinions, the most sacred right we hold as citizens of the United States is the precious freedom to express our views. Quite obviously, Goodwill Industries has violated these rights in Mr. Italie's case. In as much as Goodwill falls under the jurisdiction of the City of Miami, through contracts and other means, please use the power of your office to get the message across to Goodwill and all other employers that discrimination against workers on the basis of their political views has no place in the United States.

Thank you very much for your time in considering the case of Mr. Italie. Your support of workers' right is very important, and I appreciate your positive response to this request. May God bless you with wisdom in discharging your duties on behalf of the residents of your city.
 

The following is a December 14 statement from Pablo Tapia, vice president of Isaiah, an immigrant rights organization in Minnesota. The letter is addressed to Miami mayor Joseph Carollo and the City Commissioners.
Now that I have been given the facts on the Michael Italie firing, I could think of nothing but the shame that has been brought to Florida by the actions of Goodwill Industries. We all should be outraged when a worker expresses his or her opinion about U.S. war on Afghanistan, or anything else, and just because the bosses may not agree with such opinions they then fire the person. I view this as nothing less than an attack on the rights of workers, and their right to freedom of speech.

Goodwill's firing of Michael Italie has to be condemned by all who support democratic rights, the right for one to express themselves which falls under the Constitution of the United States. Please note, that when a worker is unjustly fired all other workers are hurt. Political affiliation, religious denomination, race or ethnic group, and language should not and cannot be used by a company to carry out an attack against a worker.

I, with others, as we all should do, demand that the mayor and governmental institutions in Florida force Goodwill Industries to reinstate Mr. Michael Italie back on the job now.  
 
 
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