PORTLAND--Approximately 20 unemployed and underemployed workers and allies demonstrated in front of City Hall on August 18 in the first of what is to become a weekly vigil demanding living-wage jobs for all and a social safety net that doesn't let anyone fall through the cracks.
Organized by a coalition consisting of the Sunnyside Self-Help Employment Group; the Coalition of Unemployed, Underemployed and Marginalized Workers; and Jobs with Justice, the weekly vigils are meant to raise awareness and visibility of unemployed and underemployed workers in the Portland metro area--a group that is being pushed further and further under the radar....
Fugman... hopes that the vigils will make the unemployed more visible, and make it easier to connect with other groups, such as Oregon People Activating Leaders (OPAL), which came out in solidarity and to promote an upcoming march and rally against bus service cuts. The visibility is also part of eliminating the shame and isolation that many people feel regarding unemployment. "There should be no such thing as the 'working poor,'" Fugman said. "A jobless recovery is like a foodless meal."
The coalition began in summer of 2009 when a group of four unemployed and underemployed neighbors started having monthly meetings. George Slanina Jr., one of the founding four, said that the group shaped their goals in the first few meetings, and then focused on organizing a support network for those in need. Slanina said he envisions having more neighborhood groups so that people don't have to spend money to go to a meeting. The groups can then help people get by on a daily basis, as well as provide a way to organize around a larger political struggle. "Ultimately, we want to build a nationwide movement," said Slanina. "Like back in the 1930s. You know that slogan, 'Start local, think global.'"
http://socialistworker.org/2010/08/26/vigil-for-portland-unemployed
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