Aviva Stahl, investigative journalist with the Nation magazine spoke to America’s Work Force on June 20 about the mistreatment of a prisoner in a maximum security prison.
Stahl discussed her latest article submitted in the Nation magazine, which addresses the mistreatment of a prisoner who was on a hunger strike. The prisoner that she spoke about, Mohammad Salameh, is serving life in prison for terrorism-related charges, went on a hunger strike for political action against the prison to address the abuse against the prisoners. Stahl said that Salameh claimed the prisoners would go weeks, even months, without any type of speaking interaction with another person, so he had been hunger striking. To combat his hunger strikes, the prison would strap him down and force-feed him, which is painful, degrading and undeserving, even for people serving life sentences.
Furthermore, Stahl said that over the past 10 years, this has happened to Salameh over 200 times. Salameh said that he would be dragged out of his cell, and then strapped down tightly and have a feeding tube shoved up his nostrils and down his throat and into his stomach. Stahl said that Salameh accepts that he will be in prison for the rest of his life, but does not feel he should be abused the way that he has been.
Jose Arroyo, United Steelworkers Local 621 staff representative, spoke to AWF on June 20 about AFL-CIO president Rich Trumka’s three-state tour to talk about the new NAFTA agreement and what he feels needs to be included during his time touring. He also discussed Arconic manufacturing company and what they did with the money they saved with their tax break.
AWF host Ed “Flash” Ferenc spoke about the Volkswagen in Chattanooga, Tennessee and their workers voting against union representation.