Jobs with Justice newsletter

[eridani]

Your activism is restoring decent pay for Gulf Coast workers!

Faced with massive public outrage, President George W. Bush is restoring wages he cut for the construction workers who will rebuild the hurricane-damaged Gulf Coast.

Right after Hurricane Katrina hit, President Bush signed an executive order allowing federal contractors to pay substandard wages to the construction workers who will rebuild the Gulf Coast--workers who already had lost so much and were struggling to rebuild their lives and their communities.

But you and other working families activists made the difference. More than 350,000 messages were sent to Congress and the White House--and it worked: 37 House Republicans urged the White House to reverse the suspension, and Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) led unanimous opposition by Democrats to the president's suspension. We won. Gulf Coast workers won. President Bush is lifting his pay cut as of Nov.8.

Now he must reinstate affirmative action requirements for contractors in the Gulf and end his attempts to slash programs for working families while adding new tax breaks for the rich--we'll keep working on that and, of course, ask you to do your part.

You are a powerful force for working families. Thank you for restoring decent pay for Gulf Coast workers!

JwJ Leads Health Care Victories in Long Island and New York City!

Long Island JwJ led a coalition of unions and other groups to win the Suffolk County Fair Share for Health Care Act in a landslide 17 to 1 vote of the Suffolk County Legislature! The new law will require large grocery stores, including ¿big box¿ retailers like Wal-Mart and drug stores that sell groceries, to contribute $3.00 to health care costs for each hour that their employees work. The Suffolk County Fair Share for Health Care act wins health coverage for 12,000 low-wage workers in Suffolk County, helps to protect the coverage of thousands more, and saves the county $25 million in ¿Wal-Mart taxes.¿ The coalition that won this historic legislation includes the Long Island Federation of Labor, the United Food and Commercial Workers, and the Working Families Party. The county executive still has to approve the legislation.

In related news, the NY City Council recently overrode the mayoral veto of the NYC Health Care Security Act, the legislation that was a model for the Fair Share for Health Care Act. NYC JwJ spearheaded a coalition of unions, health policy advocates, religious leaders, community groups, business leaders, and activists to win this historic legislation. The Health Care Security Act pilot project expands health care to 6,000 grocery workers and protects coverage for 21,000 working New Yorkers who currently receive health care through their employers.

RI JwJ Joins the Fight for Justice for Janitors; Mobilizes for 5 Day Fast

RI JwJ is supporting SEIU Local 615 in their fight for justice for downtown janitors in Providence, RI. JwJ has played a crucial role in the campaign, mobilizing hundreds for a labor day march and civil disobedience action to support the janitors and to support just and sustainable economic development, organizing an October 1 Workers¿ Rights Board hearing on the campaign, and galvanizing support for a 5-day fast to raise awareness about the janitors struggle. The WRB hearing resulted in the "Building One Providence Statement of Principles", and JwJ worked with SEIU to gather the endorsements of hundreds of community leaders and activists for these principles.

From Thursday October 27 to Tuesday November 1, JwJ mobilized support for the janitors¿ 5-day Fast for Working Families, where 6 janitors, students and community members fasted outside of a downtown building. JwJ organized over 100 supporters to fast in solidarity for one day at a time. JwJ worked with SEIU to recruit clergy and elected officials, including Bishop Tobin of the Catholic Diocese of Providence and Mayor David Cicilline, to visit the fasters each day and show their support for their struggle for decent wages and dignity. Clergy from many faiths prayed and held street services with the fasters.

Unions and community organizations came together to stand with the fasters. Leaders of AFSCME Council 94 visited the fast, the director of UNAP led the fasters in song at one evening vigil, DARE members fasted and visited the campaign throughout the weekend, as did many other community groups. The Workers¿ Rights Board chair, Councilman Miguel Luna and his colleagues in the Providence City Council, Hon. Luis Aponte and Hon. David Segal, were critical in galvanizing support and protection for the fasters. At the close of the fast, during an emotional ceremony, one of the fasters spoke. He said, "The building owner hasn’t yet changed his mind, but we know that we have been successful. We have changed this city. Janitors are no longer ignored."


Atlanta JwJ & Massachusetts JwJ Host Workers¿ Human Rights Tour

American Rights at Work, a Washington D.C. based workers¿ rights advocacy organization, officially launched its Human Rights Tour in Atlanta, Georgia on October 14, 2005. American Rights at Work focuses on the widespread abuses of workers in the U.S. in the workplace and the gross injustices that occur when they try to defend themselves. The Human Rights Tour delegation included: Hon. David Bonior, Former Michigan representative and Democratic House Whip, Chair, American Rights at Work; Marieclaire Acosta, Human rights activist and former Deputy Secretary for Human Rights and Democracy, Mexico; Rev. Calvin Morris, Executive Director, Community Renewal Society, Chicago JwJ, National JwJ Board Member; Veronique Marleau: Human Rights activist in Quebec and consultant to the United Nations International Labor Organization; Maria Adela Mejia Perez: Human rights activist and union organizer, Guatemala; Rev. James Orange, chairperson, Georgia Coalition for the Peoples Agenda and National JwJ Workers¿ Rights Board member; and Allie Robbins, staff at United Students Against Sweatshops, National JwJ Board member.

Events for the Tour’s stop in Atlanta began with a workers¿ rights press conference, which took place in Georgia¿s State Capital building and featured as speakers: Mayor Shirley Franklin of Atlanta; Mary Beth Maxwell and David Bonior of ARAW; a Cingular Wireless representative (which exemplified a company with a good working relationship with an organized workforce); Georgia State AFL-CIO President ¿ Richard Ray; North Georgia Central Labor Council President ¿ Charlie Fleming; , Terence Courtney ¿ Coordinator of Atlanta Jobs; and others. The next event was a Jobs with Justice Workers¿ Rights Board Hearing at Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church. The WRB Hearing included testimony from workers from Air Tran who are trying to organize a union with the Teamsters; workers from Alltel who have organized with CWA and are trying to win a first contract with the company; hotel workers who are trying to organize with UNITE-HERE; and a waste worker who is trying to win union representation with the Teamsters and a fair contract from a waste company. The Atlanta Workers¿ Rights Board welcomed the delegation as guest members and was chaired by Ajamu Baraka ¿ Director of the US Human Rights Network and a member of Atlanta¿s WRB. Other events for the weekend included a Latino Luncheon at a local community restaurant, and a labor in the pulpits sermon at First Iconium Baptist Church in East Atlanta.

On October 20th, the Human Rights Tour arrived in Massachusetts for a series of hearings and actions. The tour began at a Faith Breakfast with janitors from Harvard who told of their struggle for a new contract at the richest university in North America. From there, the delegation was joined by members of IBEW 2222 and CWA 1400 to interview Sandra Moose, a Verizon Board member, on alleged organizing rights abuses in the Wireless division. The delegation, lead by Rev. Calvin Morris of Chicago Workers¿ Rights Board, was refused an interview and had to issue a summons under the door.

Later that afternoon, Hon. David Bonior (D- Mich), opened the Workers¿ Rights Board hearing on the Right to Organize in Massachusetts at Boston City Hall. The delegation was joined by Boston City Council President Michael Flaherty and City Councilors Felix Arroyo and Charles Yanceyas well as Dr. Charles Clements, Executive Director of Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, Pastor Laurel Scott of Old West Church, and Jeremy Pittman, Deputy Director of MassEquality- a leading LBGT human rights organization. Workers told the board of threats intimidation and firings that took place when they organized and demanded justice in their workplace. One worker told of how Harbor Side Nursing Home filed board charges after a successful union drive accusing her of threatening to curse her co-workers Voodoo if they did not vote for a union. Another worker told of the $1 million that Mass Eye and Ear infirmary spent to bust their union of 20 people.

That evening, Cambridge Vice Mayor Marjorie Decker opened a teach-in at Harvard University, where workers and students recounted their struggle for justice and dignity on and around campus. A worker from a local movie theater testified to the need to make the jobs better rather than leave, while another student highlighted the need for solidarity with working people.

On October 21st, one group from the delegation went to New Bedford to speak with Guatemalan worker in the fish houses. These workers told of dangerous, dirty work that they were often under paid for. Workers pointed to their immigration status as the reason why fish house employers can get away with the poor working conditions and pay. Another group of delegates joined Rep. James McGovern (D- Mass) at a Workers Rights Board Hearing at Clark University in Worcester. Workers from central Massachusetts told of being fired for wanting a union on their job site. Workers from St. Gobain recounted their 5-year struggle, with the company demanding a decertification election, or they would close. The delegates Marieclaire Acosta and Veronique Marleau joined Rep. McGovern in expressing their outrage at the treatment of workers in Worcester. Massachusetts Jobs with Justice will be compiling the local stories for a report from the Workers¿ Rights Board to be delivered on Dec. 8th in honor of International Human Rights Day.

Solidarity Works - Victories in Vermont!

In a story that began with a Workers¿ Rights Hotline call to the Vermont Workers¿ Center in early July, a construction company working in Bennington, VT has agreed to correct the nonpayment of wages to workers at the site. The Barrett Company is a non-union contractor building a hotel in the Bennington area. Workers on the project contacted the VWC because they were not receiving their pay. VWC was able to work with some of the Building Trades unions to muster legal support for them, and to mobilize union members and community allies to bring public attention to the workers¿ plight. Often, even when employers are breaking the law, non-union workers have trouble enforcing their rights. In this case the VWC's solidarity network was able to produce enough publicity to shine a bright light on poor corporate practices.

Also in July, after weeks of a relentless public campaign for a fair severance, factory workers at Specialty Filaments Inc., members of UNITE HERE Local 438, reached an agreement with the company. With the odds against them, the workers were able to receive a fair severance from the Boston-based venture capital firm that bought the company in 2002 and is now its closing its doors. The Vermont Workers¿ Center has been proud to have this local factory workers¿ union as part of our coalition and proud of them for having a strong union that showed outstanding membership participation and local democracy. When workers get laid off it’s a sad story for them, their families, and the community, but the Specialty Filaments workers have reason to hold their heads high as they wind up their many years of service. They have taught us all a lesson on how to get things done and why its important to have unions: everyone has to stick together!

Indianapolis JwJ Pledgers Sit-Down for Justice for Janitors

On August 3rd, janitors and community supporters rallied outside of Wellpoint/Anthem headquarters in Indianapolis to demand justice for the janitors who clean the offices there. Wellpoint/Anthem is the largest health care provider in the nation, covering 28 million people, yet none of the janitors who clean offices for GSF at 3 Wellpoint/Anthem locations in the Midwest has health care. The rally culminated in nine supporters, including five JwJ pledge card signers, sitting down in an act of civil disobedience and getting arrested. The fight to organize and fight for a fair contract for janitors throughout the Midwest will continue to build momentum this fall. In Indianapolis, JwJ has been mobilizing support to pass a city council resolution in support of the efforts of the janitors to organize and Jobs with Justice is working with SEIU locals in cities throughout the Midwest to gear up for contract negotiations this winter.

Western Massachusetts JwJ Hosts Performance of Howard Zinn¿s "Voices of a People¿s History"

Western Mass JwJ organized a powerful performance of ¿Voices of a People¿s History,¿ a series of testimonies ¿ speeches, letters, poems, songs, memoirs, protests ¿ from our rich history of resistance. Howard Zinn, a National WRB member, started the event off with a brief introduction. Performers, most of whom were local activists, then read selected testimonies from Zinn¿s new book, along with testimonies from Western Massachusetts, which were compiled by local JwJ activists. Performers included South African poet Dennis Brutus. About 1,200 people attended the event, which raised $9500 for Western Massachusetts JwJ. The event was co-hosted and sponsored by the Odyssey Bookshop, the Western Mass AFSC, and Mt. Holyoke College. (Zinn¿s new book is “Voices of a People¿s History of the United States”, a primary-source companion to “A People¿s History of the United States,” available from Seven Stories Press.)

Highlights of the 2005 Jobs with Justice Conference

One thousand Jobs with Justice activists came together in St. Louis, MO from September 19-22! Participants represented local Jobs with Justice coalitions as well as labor, faith-based, community, and student organizations from 35 states and the District of Columbia. International guests joined us from Basque Country, Brazil, El Salvador, France, India, Kenya, Nicaragua, and Quebec.

Participants began arriving on Thursday for two pre-conferences. Almost 100 students attended the fourth Student Labor Pre-Conference, which featured workshops on winning living wages for campus workers, developing campaign strategies, building coalitions, taking over your student government, social security privatization, and many other issues facing students. The pre-conference concluded with an awards dinner sponsored by the National Education Association. Students at Washington University in St. Louis were given an award for their work to secure a living wage for workers on their campus which culminated in a victory after a 19 day sit-in last spring.

On Thursday afternoon, 100 religious leaders from across the country came together to share strategies at our Faith in Action Gathering. Participants heard and shared testimonies from Christian, Jewish, and Muslim perspectives about how their faith relates to activism for social and economic justice, and heard case studies from religious leaders putting their faith into action for change.

On Friday, the conference kicked into full swing with six concurrent pre-conferences on Protecting Public Services and Public Workers, Health Care Justice, Justice for Immigrant Workers, Global Justice, Making Economic Development Work for Communities, and Innovative Strategies for Building Worker Power.

Friday afternoon we boarded buses for an action to support workers, members of AFSCME 2730, and residents of the Bellefontaine Habilitation Center, a facility that cares for mentally disabled individuals that is under the threat of closure by Missouri's Gov. Blunt. In our discussions of what kind of action would make a difference in a local campaign, we realized that the struggle to win health care for all and the struggle of public sector workers in Missouri are interconnected and clearly demonstrated in the fight to keep the Bellefontaine Center open. We heard from parents with children who live at the Bellfontaine facility and from AFSCME President Gerald McEntee about the need for this public hospital to remain open and the need for health care for all. The congregations and parents' organizations that are active in the Bellefontaine struggle, as well as the workers, left the action re-energized to continue the fight ¿ knowing that thousands of people from across the country care about what happens in their community. The press coverage we received also served to pressure the state decision-makers and let them know that the entire country is watching. We will not allow public sector workers' rights to be gutted. We will not allow our public health facilities to close down. We will win health care for all!

Friday evening we enjoyed a banquet and celebration of our struggle to stop corporate greed and our victories. We were honored to welcome many distinguished leaders in the fight for social and economic justice. Allie Robbins, a leader of United Students Against Sweatshops and a National JwJ Board member, emceed the celebration. Hon. Maida Coleman, Missouri State Senator and St. Louis Workers' Rights Board member, Tom Balanoff, SEIU Local 1 President and Chicago JwJ founder, Rita Voorheis, Northern Area Director for CWA District 6 and a founder of St. Louis JwJ, and National Jobs with Justice Executive Director Fred Azcarate spoke to the crowd about the need to build broad bridges of solidarity among workers, progressive elected officials, and partners around the world. The crowd also enjoyed the Jobs with Justice Highlights video and a performance of "Voices of Solidarity," a theater piece written and performed by rank-and-file workers about their personal experiences trying to organize for a voice at work.

Saturday was filled with exciting activities including 38 skills-building workshops on workplace organizing, student organizing, organization-building skills, immigrant rights, health care justice, global justice, social and economic justice, and more! A morning plenary entitled "Workers and Communities Fight Back" highlighted examples of Jobs with Justice coalitions building bridges between workers and communities to win victories for working families. The plenary was moderated by Adrianne Shropshire of New York Jobs with Justice. We heard from Badily Jones, a member of the Atlanta Transit Riders' Union and Atlanta JwJ about their successful project to unite transit workers and bus riders to stop fare increases and service cuts. We heard from Lisa Fuller of Georgetown University and DC Jobs with Justice about the campaign that students are running across the country to raise awareness about the unethical practices of Verizon Wireless. Stewart Acuff, National Organizing Director of the AFL-CIO, gave an inspiring speech which laid out the political context for our work and why it is more important now than ever for Jobs with Justice to build strong coalitions. He called on us to unite for a week of action to fight for workers' right to organize and collectively bargain this December 10th.

During lunch, Jobs with Justice honored the memory of Sol Stetin, a labor legend and a Jobs with Justice leader. In the Jobs with Justice family, Sol Stetin was well-known as an active Workers¿ Rights Board member in St. Louis and a founding member of the National Workers¿ Rights Board. As President of the Textile Workers Union of America ¿ now UNITE HERE, Sol was a central organizer during the infamous J.P. Stevens Co. strike on which the 1979 film "Norma Rae" was based. Also during lunch, we took up a collection for victims of hurricane Katrina, collecting more than $2,200.

Workers' Rights Board Hearing on Wal-Mart. Eleven National Workers' Rights Board members heard testimony from workers and community members negatively impacted by Wal-Mart. In the first panel of testimony, we heard first-hand accounts from current and former Wal-Mart workers and suppliers about the company's attacks on workers' right to organize, gender discrimination, and unfair delay of workers' compensation. Workers from the grocery, transportation, and manufacturing industries gave accounts of how Wal-Mart's low wages and relentless competition were driving down the standard of living for all workers. In the second panel, we heard from residents of rural and urban areas about the negative impact Wal-Mart is having on their communities as well as the stories of how people in communities around the country are fighting back and winning against Wal-Mart. The National Workers' Rights Board made several recommendations in a closing position and will release a Report on the Hearing in December.

On Sunday morning, we opened the general session with a plenary "Workers' Rights in the Global Economy." Tim Waters, Director of Rapid Response for the United Steel Workers and a National JwJ Board member, moderated this multinational panel. Ashim Roy, Secretariat Member of the New Trade Union Initiative in India, Sergio Chávez, Central American Representative of the National Labor Committee, and Marielena Hincapié, Director of Programs for the National Immigration Law Center described the devastating impact that "free trade" policies have had on workers throughout the world, the links between immigrant rights struggles in the US and the forces of corporate-led globalization, and the strategies and partnerships that have developed among social movements throughout the world to fight back.

We closed the conference on Sunday with a Call to Action Luncheon. National Jobs with Justice Board members Margaret Butler, Director of Portland Jobs and Rev. Calvin Morris, Co-chair of Chicago JwJ and Executive Director Community Renewal Society called on the crowd to continue to build the movement for social and economic justice. They called on us to continue the fight for workers' rights, health care for all, immigrant rights, global justice, and fair economic development. They called on us to continue to fight corporate greed at Wal-Mart and to stand up for workers' rights on December 10th, International Human Rights Day. Clearly these are not separate fights, but part of the same struggle to win justice for all!

Immediately following the close of the conference, many participants joined up with the St. Louis Instead of War Coalition for a march and rally in solidarity with the massive anti-war march taking place in Washington, DC.

In addition to being an opportunity to trade ideas, listen, and learn from all of the inspiring activists, the conference was also a time for celebration and reflection. Many of the general sessions began with invocations, and we must thank Rev. Tommie Pierson of the Greater St. Mark Family Church, Rabbi Andrea Goldstein of Congregation Shaare Emeth, Sister Aisha Al Adiwiya of Women in Islam, Rev. Mylion Waite of Antioch Baptist Church, Rabbi Susan Talve of the Central Reform Congregation, Rev. Charles Stovall of the St. Paul United Methodist Church, and Rev. James Orange of the Georgia Coalition for a People's Agenda for bringing us unity and energy throughout the conference. On Sunday morning, about 100 activists gathered for an Interfaith Service to reflect on the faith traditions that sustain us in the Struggle, and to recommit to the work of justice. The inspiring service included many participants from various faith traditions, and the stirring sermon was given by Rev. Al Smith of the St. Paul AME Church who is a former St. Louis JwJ co-chair.

And of course it wouldn't be a Jobs with Justice conference without entertainment and a lot of fun! On display at the conference were pieces from St. Louis JwJ's Annual Bread & Roses Juried Art Competition. Friday night we screened Avi Lewis and Naomi Klein's inspiring documentary "The Take," about workers in Argentina taking over an abandoned factory. We also danced to the beat of local salsa band SL Son, the newest members of AFM Local 2-197. Sunday during the National Workers' Rights Board Hearing, activists got a sneak peak at scenes from Robert Greenwald's upcoming film, "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price." On Saturday night, Sian Lewis of Pride at Work and Fabricio Rodriguez of Philadelphia JwJ emceed an amazing open mic where the talents of the entire JwJ community were showcased.

At a time when the attacks against working people are so devastating and widespread and when the labor movement is in commotion, it is more important than ever for Jobs with Justice to build deeper, stronger, and larger local coalitions that engage a diverse group of allies. Jobs with Justice will continue to engage key allies like faith leaders and students, and to build an ever-larger base of Jobs with Justice activists who will pledge to be there for one another's struggles. As the Jobs with Justice Pledge Card says: If more of us are there, we'll all start winning!

Available materials include: 13 minute video from the National Workers' Right Board Hearing on Wal-Mart, 15 minute Jobs with Justice Highlights video, 2006 Workers' Rights Directory, and more. Contact allison@ wj.org to order.

Special thanks to our conference sponsors: Lerach Coughlin Stoia Geller Rudman & Robins, American Income Life, Deaconess Foundation, Solidago Foundation, Unitarian Universalist Veatch Program, Woodbury Fund, American Rights at Work, Chitwood Harley James, LLP, French American Charitable Trust, International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers, Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation, Laborers' International Union of North America, National Air Traffic Controllers, Sisters of St. Carondelet, United Church of Christ, Unitarian Universalist Service Committee