Will the most recent cease-fire in Gaza last? We check in on developments in the Middle East, and negotiations between Israel and Hamas. We'll also discuss holiday protests, including the pre-Thanksgiving LAX actions and Walmart's Black Friday strike. Just in time for Thanksgiving, “Consider the Fork” author Bee Wilson joins Larry to talk about the history of we cook and eat. All that and more, on today's AirTalk.
Gaza ceasefire announced after shaky truce talks in Cairo
After nearly a week of violence between Israel and Hamas, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Egyptian officials announced this morning that a ceasefire agreement has been reached. It is unclear how permanent the ceasefire will be. Clinton met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netenyahu late Tuesday and with Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi today to help negotiate a truce in the region.
The likelihood of a peace agreement was jeopardized earlier today after multiple Palestinian militant factions took responsibility for a bus bombing in Tel Aviv that wounded at least 21 Israelis. Jerusalem has also been the target of Palestinian rocket fire at least twice in the past week and tens of thousands of Israeli soldiers moved to the Gaza border in case of a decision to invade.
The ceasefire agreement reportedly requires Israel to halt all military activity against the Hamas-governed Gaza Strip and for Palestinian militants to cease rocket attacks into Israel. After 24 hours of quiet, the border crossings between Gaza and Israel are to be opened to allow for movement of goods and people. Egypt will act as guarantor of the deal, according to sources. The death toll from the week-long conflict has mounted to more than 130 Palestinians and five Israelis.
What responsibility does the new Egyptian government have in terms of maintaining peace in the volatile region? What can other forces including the United Nations and the United States do to end hostility and encourage stability in the Gaza Strip?
Guests:
Steven A. Cook, Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations; Author of “The Struggle for Egypt: From Nasser to Tahrir Square” (Oxford)
Bradley Burston, columnist, Haaretz newspaper
Christa Case Bryant, staff writer, Christian Science Monitor, currently in Jerusalem
Ex-mayor Richard Riordan proposes new pension plan for city employees
Everybody’s talking about the city budget crisis, but who’s got a solution? Former L.A. mayor Richard Riordan, that’s who. Riordan has been publicly touting his pension reform plan, which he hopes to get on the March ballot. Rising pension costs for city workers is what’s sinking this ship, says Riordan, and he wants the city to address the problem head on.
Last year voters approved lowering the benefits for new police and fire department hires, and more recently the city council made more modifications, raising the retirement age for new employees. It’s not enough, says Riordan. He wants the city to switch public employees from a guaranteed pension to either Social Security or a 401(K)-type plan that both parties would contribute to.
The proposal has brought howls of protest from public employee unions, including the Police Protective League and the Service Employees International Union. And three of the five candidates for mayor have come out against it as well, saying it would ultimately cost the city more.
While the former mayor is marshaling troops to get the 265,000 signatures needed to put the initiative on the ballot, public employees are out trying to dissuade people from signing the petition. Meanwhile, the city faces a $216 million budget shortfall next year. Should younger city workers be forced to delay retirement and roll the dice in the stock market? Can the city sustain its current and future pension rolls? If pension reform is truly the answer, is Riordan’s plan the way to go?
Guest:
Richard Riordan, former Mayor of Los Angeles
Pat McOsker, President, United Firefighters of Los Angeles City
Walmart employees to continue strike on Black Friday
This week, Walmart employees at distribution centers and stores all over the country have gone on strike. Workers have decided to go on strike due to what they see as Walmart’s aggressive retaliation to their efforts to organize a labor union.
Employees allege that if they discuss unions or join labor groups they are often terminated or have their shifts cut down significantly.
Walmart, currently the largest private employer in the world, sets the standard for retail outlets across the board and how they treat their workers. Thus, the first strike in Walmart’s history will have a significant impact one way or the other for the entire industry.
However, it won’t just be the company and workers who are affected; consumers are also going to be in the spotlight given that the strike is occurring at the same time as the busiest shopping day of the year.
That’s right, customers trying to exploit some Black Friday deals and discounts are likely to be faced with picketing Walmart employees upon entering the store.
How will seeing a group of striking workers affect your shopping experience? Will you seek out another Walmart or store which isn’t the site of a strike? What local stores are being targeted by labor organizers? How are the workers strategizing and making the most out of their resources? Do you see this as a pain in the neck, or do you sympathize with the Walmart employees?
Meanwhile, labor issues could cause travel pains at LAX, where the union representing airport workers has organized a protest today. SEIU Local 1877, which includes baggage handlers, security officers, janitors, and ground crew, has rallied 1,000 marchers to clog the airport on one of the busiest travel days of the year.
LAX is the second most frequented airport on this heavy travel day, after Chicago’s O’Hare. How will the airport action impact holiday travel plans? Is it understandable for workers to protest on such an important day? Will it garner support for their cause?
Guests:
Corey Moore, KPCC reporter covering the protest at LAX
Guadalupe Palma, organizer with Warehouse Workers United who is working on the Walmart strike
Greg Fletcher, local Walmart worker
Matt DeBord, KPCC Reporter; writes the DeBord Report KPCC.org
‘Consider the Fork’ looks at the history of how we eat
Distinguished food writer and historian Bee Wilson offers up a unique history of food, the kitchen, and kitchen tools in her new book “Consider the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat.”
Just in time for Thanksgiving, when our culinary history is so heavily in play, “Consider the Fork” blends Wilson’s personal anecdotes in with an elaborate history of how people use their kitchens. The titular fork, for instance, endured years of ridicule before becoming a commonplace kitchen utensil. Wilson’s writing has drawn praise from fellow professional foodies and regular home cooks alike -- The New York Times called her style “supple [and] sometimes playful.”
What is the history behind the modern kitchen? How has the way we eat changed, and how has it stayed the same?
Bee Wilson, author of Consider the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat (Basic Books)