Northwoods Socialist Collective

Defend Free Speech and Dr. Tom Alter! Texas State University fired Tom for speaking at a socialist conference in his personal capacity in September.   A judge since ruled that he needed to be reinstated by the University until he is a given a hearing.   That hearing happened yesterday. There's a lot to say, but it boils down to this: they fired him and were ordered to reinstate him because they violated due process. When reinstated, he wasn't allowed to teach. The result of yesterday's hearing was that they will let Tom know "later this week."

We invite our readers to to sign the petition telling Super One Foods to Tell Super One: Keep Your Hands OFF Our Union Healthcare!  It is being circulated by United Food & Commercial Workers Local 1189. For decades Super One has provided its workers with a union-funded healthcare plan. This union healthcare is important because under this plan, workers have a voice to choose the affordable coverage their families need. But now, Super One is trying to rip this away so they can transfer workers to a private insurance provider. This would cause a lot of uncertainty about how much treatments would cost and what’s even covered to begin with. Can you use your voice as a customer to tell Super One Foods to keep their hands OFF their workers' healthcare? Sign the petition and show your support for union grocery workers in your community who deserve good, affordable coverage.   

In an important first round victory for people everywhere, a Texas judge has ruled that tenured Texas State University historian and Socialist Horizon member Tom Alter must be reinstated to his job as legal litigation continues.  Tom Alter was fired by the President of Texas State University Kelly Damphousse after being doxed by a self-proclaimed “fascist” blogger who infiltrated and illicitly recorded Alter speaking at a virtual Revolutionary Socialism conference. Damphousse used the clips circulated by the fascist as justification to summarily fire Alter without any due process, and in direct violation of Texas State University policy, Texas state law, and US Constitutional law.

President Donald Trump, has begun a campaign to end free speech in America. Free speech is not only protected in the U.S. Constitution and in law, but also part of American history and culture. But Trump is not literally censoring the content, but rather using his personal wealth or the government’s economic power to intimidate the media, universities, and law firms.

Beloved tenured History professor and Socialist Horizon member Tom Alter was summarily fired on September 10th by Texas State University President Kelly Damphousse for expressing his views in a virtual conference unrelated to the university. This action cannot stand. Socialist Horizon calls on people everywhere to join us and demand that Professor Alter be reinstated to his tenured position. President Damphousse fired Dr. Tom Alter based solely on a video published online by an extreme rightwing provocateur who infiltrated and secretly video-recorded segments of a virtual socialist conference with the intention of publishing information to slander and attack conference participants. In videos posted on their website, this person declares that they are a  proud fascist, who tries to monetize exposure of the left as an “anti-communist cult leader”. This grifter publicly exhorts followers to embrace fascist ideology and take action, is an antisemite that states that Jewish people ...

The strike is over! The University has come back to the table and made an offer that was acceptable to the union's Negotiating Committee. As a result a Tentative Agreement has been signed, and the membership of Teamsters Local 320 will now vote on whether to accept or reject it. We'll keep you posted!