During the construction of Three Rivers Stadium Nate Smith stood in front of a bulldozer to demand integration of Pittsburgh’s Building Trade Unions. African Americas joined Pittsburgh’s Building Trade Unions for the first time as a result of these actions. Most would agree that full integration of Pittsburgh’s Building Trade unions elude us today and several reports on the subject are coming out soon. Nate Smith received the first annual Pittsburgh Freedom Fighter Award at an awards banquet at Westinghouse High School on June 13, 2004.

The sign pictured here was made by Celeste Taylor and her children. She and other activist held it near the Roberto Clemente statue on Opening Day at PNC Park. Asked how her children felt at the time when they were making the signs, "They were uncomfortable, they are Pirate Fans. This is a world of contradictions. We go to PNC Park as a family and with our community groups a few times every year and we also attend Quaker Meetings where we know that standing up for Peace and Justice is a family affair."

And what exactly is Structural Adjustment?

It is when they take away education, transportation and health care – and give more money to the rich. They say that structural adjustment is good for working people – they lie. They do the same things in Haiti and So Africa and Pittsburgh. They do it with words like "deregulation," "incentives" and fear of additional job losses, as though we have not lost enough. ….Pittsburghers is losing in the "competitive" economic battle.

You too can be a temporary worker. Clean up peanut shells at PNC Park after ball games for $6 an hour – 4 hours work per game, but you have to wait in line at the St Moritz temporary agency for 2 hours (unpaid). OR you can serve the rich at large events working right beside union workers, doing the same work, getting paid twice as much as you are. Don’t all Pittsburghers have the right to belong to a labor union? What labor union is going to sign these temporary workers up and help them fight for real jobs. Pittsburghers are being treated like refugees, like disposable labor right here in our Federally and Tax Payer Funded Pittsburgh PORK Projects. PORK PORK PORK for the rich. Where is the food for the people? Who is going to help us fight?

And another thing about stadiums/workers/ and structural adjustment. It does not matter what wonderful contribution to hockey Mario is about to make – we will not BLOW UP THE CIVIC ARENA and build a new hockey arena. No matter how many times they say "Mellon Arena" – the Civic Arena is the Civic Arena is the Civic Arena and we will not let them BLOW UP THE CIVIC ARENA

Like Hill District residence said when their community was first bull dozed to make room for hockey in Pittsburgh, "NOT ANOTHER INCH." It is a particularly sad thing that the Crawford Street Grill – that was moved to Wiley Avenue when Crawford Street was destroyed to build the (ironically named even then) Civic Arena – has closed this summer and been moved to a new Station Square location. Station Square – that is another location where Pittsburghers give tax dollars to subsidies the entertainment industry while our education, transportation and health care are being flushed down the toilet as our communities are abandoned.

- Kenneth Miller