The Rake Vermont

29/01/2024

"Burlington’s Mayor Miro Weinberger and his pro-war faction on the City Council have trashed democracy to support Israel’s apartheid state and its genocidal war on Palestine.

On December 11th, they voted down a ceasefire resolution, putting Burlington’s government at odds with the majority of people in this city, country, and world who want an immediate end to the war.

Then, on January 22nd, in a 7 to 5 vote, they blocked the Apartheid Free City Referendum from appearing on our ballot in March. They violated the Council’s usual practice of rubber stamping voter-backed ballot measures, although we had met all their requirements, including collecting more than 1,600 certified signatures of registered voters in support of it..."

29/01/2024

"Burlington’s Mayor Miro Weinberger and his pro-war faction on the City Council have trashed democracy to support Israel’s apartheid state and its genocidal war on Palestine."

Burlington’s Mayor Miro Weinberger and his pro-war faction on the City Council have trashed democracy to support Israel’s apartheid state and its genocidal war on Palestine.

18/01/2024

What was last year the first unionized Ben & Jerry’s location is now the first Ben & Jerry’s location operating under a union contract. The agreement includes substantial wage increases. For example, starting wages increase from $14 to $20.75 per hour. Tipping is no longer a core part of compensation, and tips are no longer solicited. Workers also now earn paid time off, sick leave, leave of absence rights, and seven new holidays.

Union workers at Ben & Jerry’s flagship ice cream shop in downtown Burlington, Vermont have unanimously ratified a contract with management. What was last year the first unionized Ben & Jerry’s location is now the first Ben & Jerry’s location operating under a union contract.

16/01/2024

As anyone who lives within earshot of Burlington Airport can attest, the instruments of wars thousands of miles away can be found even here in Vermont.

As anyone who lives within earshot of Burlington Airport can attest, the instruments of wars thousands of miles away can be found even here in Vermont. Collins Aerospace, a subsidiary of military aviation giant RTX (which also owns Raytheon and Pratt & Whitney), operates a factory in Vergenne

10/01/2024

"As South Africa has documented in its case in the International Court of Justice, Israel’s intent, rhetoric, and prosecution of this war is genocidal. In a speech at the UN before the October 7th attack, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held up a map of Greater Israel that annexed the West Bank and Gaza Strip."

Rather than take a stand for peace and justice, Burlington’s Mayor Weinberger and his pro-war allies on the City Council blocked a resolution calling for a ceasefire. That put them at odds with the country’s majority who want an immediate end to the war.

07/01/2024

“I see things like [the state of] Vermont hasn’t funded new school construction since George W. Bush was in office, yet we have $100 million to cage 100 women, not even all of whom are sentenced? It just doesn’t make sense to me,” said Jayna Ahsaf of FreeHer Vermont.

Starting Monday, FreeHer Vermont is holding a week of action to pressure Vermont officials to abandon plans for constructing new prisons in the state while reinstating funding for constructing new schools.

04/01/2024

The Prison Research and Innovation Network is a joint project by the Vermont Dept. of Corrections, UVM, and the Urban Institute designed to involve the voices of the incarcerated in prison improvement.

Vermont DOC’s website describes PRIN as an effort at “improving prison environments and ensuring dignity and humanity for all.”

Its vision of transparency, collaboration, and improvement does not hold up against the experience of the incarcerated individuals who have been involved in the project.

Behind the smoke and mirrors of inclusion and participation offered by PRIN lies the same old Vermont DOC, with its brutal methods of control and abuse — and a preening obsession with public image.

The PRIN process so far has functioned as a way to corral, frustrate, and ultimately punish those incarcerated in Vermont prisons who dare to push for improvements to their lives.

The Prison Research and Innovation Network's vision of transparency, collaboration, and improvement does not hold up against the experience of the incarcerated individuals who have been involved in the project.

22/12/2023

"The problems of the city are unlikely to be solved with a new ass in the mayor’s chair, so to speak. Instead, we should consider that the role of the mayor itself generates social problems and explicitly prevents the population from addressing the issues that bedevil us. With an eye for democratic life, we can identify that the office of the mayor is a political monopoly, which prevents the people of Burlington from finding solutions to these critical problems.

It begs the question, why do we even have a mayor, anyway? It didn’t used to be this way at all."

Political life in the city of Burlington leaves a lot to be desired. The forces of big money are laying siege to our homes, schools, hospitals, public spaces, and social expression. Like vampires, the insular cliques of entrepreneur groups intrude into our communities and suck out the social surplus

12/12/2023

One resident, a Palestinian doctor, spoke briefly, noting, “I have 52 seconds [of my allotted two minutes] left. It’s a great pleasure to know how much time I have left. The Palestinians in Gaza do not have any time left.”

Burlington’s Democratic Party leadership united against a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza during Monday night’s City Council meeting, two weeks after three Palestinian students were shot in Burlington. The resolution did not pass, tying on a 6-6 vote.

09/12/2023

On Friday, roughly thirty people gathered outside Senator Bernie Sanders’ house in Burlington’s New North End, demanding that he call for an immediate and lasting ceasefire of Israel’s military bombardment and invasion of Gaza.

"Earlier this week, Bernie released a statement saying that ‘ceasefire is not a magical word.’ To that, we say we are not asking for magic. We are asking for action. We are not asking for a miracle. We are asking for steps that are within his power as a US Senator," said a protest participant.

On Friday, roughly thirty people gathered outside Senator Bernie Sanders’ house in Burlington’s New North End, demanding that he call for an immediate and lasting ceasefire of Israel’s military bombardment and invasion of Gaza.

04/12/2023

Lots of events in December so far — did we miss anything? Drop us a line!

Below is a selection of upcoming events in Vermont relevant to the left.

30/11/2023

Breaking news:

26/11/2023

Almost a hundred gathered at a vigil in front of Burlington City Hall late afternoon on Friday, November 24th to commemorate the lives lost in Israel’s wave of military and settler violence brought on Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. Speakers and attendees called for a true ceasefire, not a humanitarian pause, as the first step to ending decades of bloodshed and apartheid.

While some attendees remarked on the thematic appropriateness of Palestinian flags at a Christmas celebration — Jesus was born in Bethlehem, which now is part of the West Bank under Israeli occupation, and he lived a life preaching peace and justice in the face of a violent empire — the Burlington Police Department did its best to separate the two.

Almost a hundred gathered at a vigil in front of Burlington City Hall late afternoon on Friday, November 25th to commemorate the lives lost in Israel’s wave of military and settler violence brought on Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. Speakers and attendees called for a true ceasefire, not a...

17/11/2023

"Watching local Vermont Jewish organizations react to the crisis in Gaza and pro-Palestinian protests in Burlington with victimization, dehumanizing language, and even the outright rejection of anti-Zionist Jews as members of the broader Vermont Jewish community, has affirmed to me, an anti-Zionist trans woman and Jewish Vermonter, that Zionism has completely hollowed out generations of Jewish values, even in Vermont."

Watching local Vermont Jewish organizations react to the crisis in Gaza and pro-Palestinian protests in Burlington with victimization, dehumanizing language, and even the outright rejection of anti-Zionist Jews as members of the broader Vermont Jewish community, has affirmed to me, an anti-Zionist t

10/11/2023

BREAKING: Tonight's fundraiser for Representative Becca Balint hasn't gone as planned.

A dozen protesters have disrupted a fundraising event for Vermont U.S. Representative Becca Balint in Burlington. The action, organized by Jewish Voice for Peace of Vermont and New Hampshire, is part of an international day of action calling for a ceasefire to end the bombing, siege, and invasion of

03/11/2023

Check out upcoming events in Vermont this month, including two this weekend:

31/10/2023

Halloween-themed signs and chants accompanied yesterday’s rally in support of unionizing graduate student workers at the University of Vermont. Despite the rain, more than one hundred grad students and allies attended the event.

“Graduate students are fed up,” said Lily Russo-Savage, a Ph.D. candidate in neuroscience who organizes with UVM Graduate Students United (UVM GSU). She and others have highlighted the need for livable wages, improved health and dental benefits, as well a robust grievance procedure and protections for international students.

Halloween-themed signs and chants accompanied yesterday’s rally in support of unionizing graduate student workers at the University of Vermont. Despite the rain, more than one hundred grad students and allies attended the event.

26/10/2023

Mohammed el-Kurd's lecture for the Will Miller Social Justice Lecture Series can be watched live here:

Join this broadcast for the lecture on Palestine justice by Mohammed El-Kurd cancelled by the University of Vermont.For nearly twenty years the Will Miller S...

24/10/2023

UVM administrators have abruptly canceled the appearance of Mohammed el-Kurd, a Palestinian journalist and poet, mere days before his scheduled event, citing safety and security concerns. In the face of the administration’s silence beyond boilerplate statements, university community members are left to reach their own conclusions about UVM’s actions over the past few weeks.

UVM administrators have abruptly canceled the appearance of Mohammed el-Kurd, a Palestinian journalist and poet, mere days before his scheduled event, citing safety and security concerns, but campus community members aren't satisfied with that rationale.

15/10/2023

“Free, free Palestine!” echoed across downtown Burlington Saturday afternoon as more than 200 gathered at a rally on the steps of City Hall to oppose Israeli apartheid and support justice and human rights for Palestinians.

“Free, free Palestine!” echoed across downtown Burlington Saturday afternoon as more than 200 gathered at a rally on the steps of City Hall to oppose Israeli apartheid and support justice and human rights for Palestinians.

05/10/2023

Tonight in Burlington:

Please Join us for the Weelaunee Block Cop City speaking tour at Democracy Creative, October 5th 6pm-8pm

Activists are visiting over 70 cities (INCLUDING BURLINGTON!) around the continent in an expansive speaking tour, with the goal of preparing hundreds of affinity groups for the action. The tour will provide updates from ground zero, share strategic intelligence on the pivot towards mass action and invite folks to travel to Atlanta in November to .

29/09/2023

Because the largest resellers of dairy products — grocery stores — don’t own the dairies, violations of worker rights further back in the supply chain are easily overlooked by corporations like Hannaford. The stiff competition and low margins in the dairy market also mean that if a few farms were to raise prices to pay higher wages, buyers would choose other farms: the same “race to the bottom” logic that plagues the garment industry.

Milk with Dignity is an attempt to treat this systemic problem systematically by forcing changes at the supply chain level involving both buyers and sellers simultaneously. Hannaford joining Milk with Dignity is the purpose of Migrant Justice / Justicia Migrante's weekly pickets:

Amid chants of "Milk with dignity!" roughly one hundred farmworkers and supporters assembled on Thursday for an informational picket and rally near the Hannaford supermarket on Shelburne Road in South Burlington. Organized by Migrant Justice/Justicia Migrante, a grassroots organization of farmwor

28/09/2023

No need to leave the state to find striking SAG-AFTRA workers: we interviewed two Vermont members about their work, the strike, and how Vermonters can get involved.

30/08/2023

The new documentary "Abolition & Revolution" will be screened this Friday at South Burlington Public Library. In our interview with the Vermont filmmaker, learn more about the ideas, goals, and process behind the film.

A new documentary made by a local filmmaker has ambitious aims. Bookended with words from Assata Shakur and Angela Davis, “Abolition & Revolution” attempts to ground the present political crises with their roots in history, not just to better understand our present context but to learn how to ch...

18/08/2023

UVM's proposed timeclock system would create situations that one employee described as "if we’re clocked out, we cannot put out a fire should a fire occur," stating that the system would require supervisory approval to clock in at non-standard work hours to address pressing job-related issues. UVM Staff United are organizing against the proposal.

Last Thursday, in the halls of the Waterman Building on the campus of the University of Vermont, dozens of staffers across various departments — from biology to residential life — lined the hallways outside the executive offices of the school, laptops open, diligently at work. This “work-in”...

03/08/2023

Like any commission attached to government, it’s largely about power, and the strategic placement of those within it. For business owners, the Church Street Marketplace Commission is a perch, and, if they so choose, a pulpit.

Perhaps unlike the rest of the state, the Queen City features several commissions with an unclear mission to the broader public. Within the walls of these meeting rooms sit power and direct access to many city officials, something The Rake will examine.

18/07/2023

Renters affected by the flooding: what was your landlord's response?

We want to hear your stories: [email protected]

05/07/2023

☀️🏖️ Below is a selection of upcoming July events in Vermont relevant to the left:

Below is a selection of upcoming events in Vermont relevant to the left. Have an upcoming event? Let us know.

05/06/2023

Check out left events happening in Vermont this month:

Below is a selection of upcoming events in Vermont relevant to the left.

28/04/2023

We're starting a monthly left events calendar! Lots coming up in May, starting with the May Day Rally & Picnic this Monday at 6pm in Burlington.