The Labortech conference 2004 aims to bring together labor video, computer and media people from throughout the United States and around the world. It will take place from April 2-4, 2004 at Stanford University, Paolo Alto, CA. The event will be a critical arena for the development of labors media in the battles ahead to make labor voices heard. The organizers state that unions and the working class as a whole are under attack on numerous areas and that this assault is escalating. Under these circumstances, the need to have a media counter-offensive is absolutely essential to them: http://www.labortech2004.org

Over three and a half years after the brutal racist riots of 5-7 February 2000 against immigrant workers in El Ejido , there is still no improvement of the situation. On the contrary, according to the Sindicato de Obreros del Campo , there has been a clear deterioration.

Los Angeles is on of the major immigrant metropolises in the US. Greater Los Angeles has about eight Million inhabitants. Two Million of them are undocumented immigrants. Two hours takes it to the border to Mexico and Spanish is almost the dominant language in the city. But you can find also huge communities of Chinese and Korean immigrants. For the police it is still not allowed to exchange data’s with the INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service). The industry has a stake on cheap labor. Last but not least because of Hollywood and it’s fashions Los Angeles is still the apparel manufacturing center and a sweatshop-metropolis in the United States. Three years ago the garment worker center - based in down-town LA - was founded. Kimi Lee is on of the founders of the garment worker center talks about their work.