JwJ Blog
Victory at Hersheys!
On the even of August 5, 2011, during the pinnacle banquet of the National Jobs with Justice conference, student guestworkers who had traveled from all over the world only to work in a plant in Hershey, Pennsylvania made a pitch for solidarity. Like the Verizon workers who were about to go on strike the very next day, these workers too were planning to take courageous action.
They certainly had high expectations. And why shouldn’t they have? Just before they got on stage, workers with the National Guestworkers Alliance from a previous campaign against Signal had just been there claiming victory against the company and a reunion with their families. So, the 30 that had come stood up and told a story about how they each paid $3,000-$6,000 to come to the U.S. this summer for what they thought would be a cultural exchange program through the State Department’s J-1 visa. Instead, they found themselves packing chocolates at the Hershey’s plant in deeply exploitative conditions. After automatic weekly deductions for rent in company housing and other expenses, they net between $40 and $140 per week for 40 hours of work.
One
Continue reading Victory at Hersheys!
TAKE ACTION: Don’t repeal CLASS Act!
The House of Representatives is considering a vote on HR 1173, a bill that would repeal the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act. The CLASS Act was designed to be a voluntary insurance program to help Americans pay for long term care, and it was passed in 2009 as part of the Affordable Care Act.
Congress needs to hear from all of us today because they plan to vote on the bill as soon as tomorrow. If you haven’t already, please CLICK HERE to find the phone number for your Member of the House of Representatives and tell her/him:
- The CLASS Act should not be repealed.
- Repealing CLASS ignores the needs of millions of Americans with disabilities and seniors who need long term services and supports to maintain their independence and dignity.
- Repealing CLASS ignores the needs of the direct care workforce for quality jobs.
Click here to let us know that you have told your representative to oppose repeal of the CLASS Act. If you have called already — thank you — please share this email with friends and invite them to call their representative so that we can protect the
Continue reading TAKE ACTION: Don’t repeal CLASS Act!
A Verigreedy campaign
The fight begins— Following a string of “right to work” or anti-working class state initiatives that pushed through in Wisconsin and Ohio (which would be later overturned in Ohio), the Verizon Wireless contract negotiations began. Both CWA leadership and community supporters alike knew this fight wouldn’t be an easy one. The surprise element in this campaign has been Verizon’s obvious attempt to cripple the union by rolling back on 20 years worth of benefits won by the CWA and send a message to both employees and other corporations: profits are more valuable than people.
As this was the tone set by the Verizon corporation going into negotiations, and we soon realized that the game was changed completely for the workers bargaining. At that same time, what felt like it sprouted from out of thin air, Occupy Wall Street began, igniting simultaneous occupations all over the country from Oakland to DC. With that a new base of people that had just as much to lose from this particular contract negotiation, as it embodied – and still does – the fight of the 1% vs. the 99%.
During the 2 week strike in August, unions, faith leaders, occupiers, students and the community
Continue reading A Verigreedy campaign
Bright Futures or Student Debt?
Written by Ida Vishkaee Eskamani – College Democrats at University of Central Florida
In 1997, Florida’s legislature created a scholarship program called Bright Futures. It was a program that allowed high school seniors with high academic merit to earn a scholarship for any public university in the state of Florida. Based on Georgia’s successful HOPE scholarship, this program would be paid for by the Florida Lottery, and based merit on GPA as well as standardized test scores. Bright Futures was divided into three types of scholarships, designed for three different types of students. There was one created for those high school seniors’ pursuing vocational degrees, one for the “B” students, and another for the “A” students. The “B” students earned a 75% scholarship for university, 100% for community college. The “A” students were granted a 100% scholarship for any public university.
I was one of those “A” students.
Growing up, I knew the importance of a college education. Immigrants, my parents moved from Iran and met here in the United States. While working two jobs with three young kids, my father
Continue reading Bright Futures or Student Debt?
Joint Effort Launched to Confront Corporate Power
Act now to confront corporate power!
This week, in over one hundred cities and towns, thousands will launch a series of actions building towards the Shareholder Spring, delivering letters to the executives of the corporations in this country most responsible for undermining our democracy, crashing our economy, poisoning our environment and widening the gap between rich and poor.
By coming together around a joint strategy to confront corporate power, this effort could shape the 2012 electoral debates. The negative roles unregulated corporate power has on our economy and our elections would be front and center of the national conversation. In races nationwide candidates would have to decide which side they are on: Corporations, the structures of the 1%, or the rest of us.
Committing to such a broad-based effort to further expand the space opened by Occupy will create new possibilities for each of our campaigns. In isolation our campaigns on jobs and worker rights, revenue, banking, health care, immigrant justice, and the environment are not big enough. But together, we have the potential to shift the political landscape that all of us operate in.
We are
Continue reading Joint Effort Launched to Confront Corporate Power
Cablevision Workers Triumph: Brooklyn Technicians Vote To Unionize
282 Brooklyn Workers Overcome Vigorous Anti-Union Campaign; Become First Cablevision Employees To Join a Union In Predominately Non-Union Cable TV Industry
Today, 282 Brooklyn Cablevision technicians and dispatchers in Brooklyn voted to join the Communications Workers of America (CWA), Local 1109 in a union election administered by National Labor Relations Board, overcoming a vigorous anti-union campaign led by Cablevision. They are the first Cablevision workers to join a union. Cable TV is an overwhelmingly non-union industry while the traditional telecommunications industry remains highly unionized.
“I’ve waited 13 years for this,” said Cablevision technician Clarence Adams. “United, as members of Communications Workers of America, we now have the power to negotiate a fair contract that will give us the dignity and respect on the job we deserve.”
Cablevision workers are currently subject to arbitrary discipline and favoritism by managers, their health care coverage is inadequate, their workload is unreasonable and they have insufficient 401(k) retirement plans. Cablevision workers also make at least one-third less than Verizon workers, who are represented by CWA.
“This is about my son, his future, and the future of the Cablevision 99%,” said Cablevision technician Marlon Gayle. “We can now negotiate Continue reading Cablevision Workers Triumph: Brooklyn Technicians Vote To Unionize
Recommit to the Dream and the Commitment to Economic & Social Justice
US Trade-Union Movement Honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Detroit, MI
Hundreds of trade unionists and allies gathered in Detroit this weekend to honor the legacy and life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the annual AFL-CIO MLK, Jr. Day Observance. Virtually every union in the US attended this gathering seeking fellowship and inspiration as they remembered Dr. King’s life and work. Youth and veterans alike were well represented throughout the weekend.
The Holiday Weekend observance entailed a number of activities focused on honoring Dr. King and renewing his commitment to social and economic justice. There were community service projects in Detroit, a march, award ceremonies, meals with powerful speakers, as well as workshops that covered a range of topics from building powerful coalitions, quality public education, social media & social justice, the economic crisis and the need for good jobs, and telling our stories – delivering our message.
There were a number of progressive leaders who spoke to the gathering including among others: the legendary Congressman John Conyers, AFL-CIO Executive VP – Arlene Holt Baker and Deepak Bhargava of the Center for Community Change. US
Continue reading Recommit to the Dream and the Commitment to Economic & Social Justice
DUTCH PENSION FUND DUMPS WALMART: Cites repeated violation of international labor standards
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Leaders of the Making Change at Walmart campaign hailed the news that one of the largest pension funds in the world has decided to divest from Walmart stores. Algemeen Burgerlijk Pensioenfonds (ABP) announced today that the retirement fund would no longer invest in the retail giant due to the company’s repeated violation of international labor standards. The fund, which has over $300 billion in assets and is the third largest in the world, had over $147 million invested in Walmart as of September 30, 2011.
“This is an important day for Walmart associates who want to be treated with respect,” said Dan Schlademan, director of Making Change at Walmart. “We’re pleased to see that ABP realizes that Walmart might be saying the right thing about respecting workers, but continues to engage in all kinds of bad behavior. This should send a clear message to Walmart and its shareholders: treating workers poorly is bad for business.”
Last October, Walmart associates brought that message to company shareholders during the annual analyst meeting in Bentonville, Arkansas. Workers testified about the unfair tactics deployed by management against employees. One of those workers, Ernestine Bassett, hailed today’s decision.
“I’ve been targeted for
Continue reading DUTCH PENSION FUND DUMPS WALMART: Cites repeated violation of international labor standards
And the winner is…
This years Scrooge of the Year is Rob Walton!
The vote was close and went up until the last minute, but across the nation people made their voices heard – and Rob Walton is the biggest Scrooge of them all! A quick reminder of why Rob Walton was given this nomination:
Deemed a “billionaire bully” by Brave New Films, Rob Walton is the Chair of Walmart’s board of directors. His estimated net worth is around $21 billion. As a family, the Waltons control 49% of Walmart stock, and are predicted to gain a controlling share in the next 12 months. The Waltons are the richest family in the United States, with a combined net worth is $93 billion. The Walton Family has as much wealth as the bottom 30% of American families combined – more than 35 million families. Waltons make up 4 of the 11 wealthiest people in the United States according to Forbes Magazine, and they could give more than $4,700 to every resident of New York and still have $1 billion left over. With the economy as it is, that would make a huge difference!
The family’s dividends from their Walmart stock alone are more than $2
Continue reading And the winner is…
Victory in Arizona! Now What?
Today the Department of Homeland Security announced that it is terminating Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s 287(g) agreement and “restricting” his access to the “Secure Communities” program.
This happened hours after the Department of Justice concluded its three year investigation into civil rights abuses caused by the Sheriff. The report from the DOJ does more than just describe Sheriff Arpaio’s reign of terror. It shows that DHS and ICE programs led to this crisis. Now, the White House needs to apply the lessons learned in Maricopa County and end all programs that entangle local police in the business of immigration enforcement.
Today marks a pivotal moment.
PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION TO END S-COMM & 287(g) HERE.
We join with many others in calling for Sheriff Arpaio to resign and be indicted, but the fight we’ve waged together in Arizona has always been bigger than the Sheriff himself. Sheriff Arpaio is the symbol of the disastrous Secure Communities and 287(g) programs.
It’s time to end those as well.
PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION TO END S-COMM & 287(g) HERE.
Countless acts of bravery and solidarity across
Continue reading Victory in Arizona! Now What?
Vote for the 2011 Scrooge of the Year!
It’s that time of the year again! What do Rob Walton, Publix, ALEC and Eddie Hull all have in common?
They have been nominated for Scrooge of the Year! Read their full bios below and then click this link to cast your vote for who you think is the Scrooge of the Year and be sure to pass this along to your friends!
Rob Walton, Chair of Walmart’s Board of Directors
Deemed a “billionaire bully” by Brave New Films, Rob Walton is the Chair of Walmart’s board of directors. His estimated net worth is around $21 billion. As a family, the Waltons control 49% of Walmart stock, and are predicted to gain a controlling share in the next 12 months. The Waltons are the richest family in the United States, with a combined net worth is $93 billion. The Walton Family has as much wealth as the bottom 30% of American families combined – more than 35 million families. Waltons make up 4 of the 11 wealthiest people in the United States according to Forbes Magazine, and they could give more than $4,700 to every resident
Continue reading Vote for the 2011 Scrooge of the Year!
Colorado Jobs with Justice Rallies to Support Verizon Workers
This past Saturday, December 10th, more than forty activists from Colorado Jobs with Justice rallied to tell Verizon to bargain fairly with its workers. All across the East Coast, forty five thousand CWA and IBEW members are trying to hold on to middle class jobs, but the massively-profitable Verizon wants to cut starting pay, force retirees to pay up to $6,000 a year for healthcare they’ve already earned, make it easier to outsource jobs, and cut pensions. Jobs with Justice coalitions across the country have been taking action in solidarity.
Here in Denver, in front of the Verizon Wireless store on the 16th Street Mall, the gathered crowd heard from Mary Taylor, Vice President of District 7 for CWA, Brother David Garner of Interfaith Worker Justice, and Seth Donovan, Co-Chair for Colorado Jobs with Justice. Mary Taylor said CWA is “proud of the fact that [we've] worked hard to make sure our member have stable middle-class jobs. . .what Verizon is doing is not just an attack on
Continue reading Colorado Jobs with Justice Rallies to Support Verizon Workers
Stand with UMass SLAP and Protect Student Jobs
Last week, you heard about 73 undergraduate student workers being fired without cause or transparency. There was no student input or say in the matter.
Today the fight continues, and students need your support – will you sign this petition?
I passed along a message from UMass SLAP member Ben Bull after students had received word that these workers would be losing their job at the end of the academic school year. Students, faculty, staff and members of the community have come out in force to support these workers and denounce the lack of transparency by Residence Life Director Eddie Hull but we need your support too.
“The ResEd department at UMass made the decision to eliminate student jobs that provide academic and social support to students, without involving students in the reorganization process. The elimination of these jobs leaves students deprived financially and academically.” – UMass Peer Mentors
All you have to do is sign this petition and show your solidarity. Together, we can get these jobs back.
Our actions
Continue reading Stand with UMass SLAP and Protect Student Jobs
Act Now to Save Unemployment!
Millions of hardworking Americans—nearly 2 million in January alone, and over 6 million in 2012—will be cut off from the emergency lifeline of federal unemployment insurance, unless Congress acts to renew the program before it expires December 31st.
Our country is facing the worst economic crisis of a generation. Big corporations shipped jobs overseas and Wall Street speculators took more and more of our wealth, getting rich quickly at the expense of workers and families. The only way to turn this crisis around is to create good jobs–one where workers have collective bargaining rights, employment security, and wages and benefits that allow their families to enjoy a decent standard of living and earn a fair share of the wealth produced by their labor.
If Wall Street and the country’s private sector cannot create good jobs, and if Congress cannot fund good jobs in the public sector, then the least they can do is to extend unemployment benefits until the economy recovers. In the past three years, federal unemployment insurance has helped more than 17 million Americans while
Continue reading Act Now to Save Unemployment!
OUR Walmart, JwJ Pay a Visit to Walmart’s Board of Directors
On December 6th, Jobs with Justice leaders joined small delegations of OUR Walmart and UFCW members and community allies to visit the local offices of members of Walmart’s Board of Directors. In DC, San Francisco, New York, Miami, Seattle and Chicago, workers and community leaders asked board members to meet with OUR Walmart, dropping off a letter and a DVD outlining the concerns of many of Walmart’s 1.4 million workers.
While Walmart associates are the lifeblood of the company, they aren’t always treated with the respect they have earned. Associates work tirelessly to serve Walmart customers and have earned the right to respect, the chance to work full-time in stores with enough staff to take care of customers, a predictable work schedule, a pay rate that allows us to take care of ourselves and our families, and affordable healthcare.
Jobs with Justice and other allies had previously joined OUR Walmart in Bentonville, AR at the company’s international headquarters to deliver the Declaration for Respect to CEO, Mike Duke and ask for a meeting. Mike Duke would not meet. Hundreds of JwJ activists called Mike Duke, Karen Casey and
Continue reading OUR Walmart, JwJ Pay a Visit to Walmart’s Board of Directors
Health Care Workers Occupy Congress, Urge Lawmakers To Generate Jobs—Not Health Care Cuts
Health Care Jobs Heal Economy While Protecting Lives of Seniors and Families
Washington, D.C. — Hundreds of health care workers will join with people helped by Medicaid and Medicare at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, December 7, to call on Congress to focus on creating jobs rather than proposing budget cuts that harm patients and eliminate jobs from our weak economy. The event is part of a week of actions in support of the “Take Back the Capitol” initiative.
Nationally, the health care sector is the nation’s top job creator, generating 20 percent of the country’s new jobs over the past year. Repeated proposals to slash health care programs like Medicaid and Medicare jeopardize job growth and economic recovery, as well as the health of countless seniors, children, people with disabilities and working families.
On Wednesday, health care workers from around the country will tell personal stories about how Medicaid and Medicare benefits ensure their economic security while providing critically important services to the people they serve.
Tomorrow, members of Caring Across Generations (CAG), Health Care for America Now (HCAN), Campaign for Community Change (CCC), the Rev. Paul Sherry (DC public policy director of Interfaith Workers Justice), William McNary
Continue reading Health Care Workers Occupy Congress, Urge Lawmakers To Generate Jobs—Not Health Care Cuts
Trade-Unionists from Africa and the World Converge in Durban around COP 17 in Search of Solutions to the World’s Economic and Climate Crises
Durban, South Africa–
As governments of the world gather in Durban, South Africa for the 17th Conference of Parties (COP 17) as part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to supposedly negotiate viable solutions to the devastating increase in climate change world-wide, so are peoples’ movements from around the world. Trade-unions, including rank and file members, shop stewards, union officials and staff from among other places South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique, Senegal, Ethiopia, Europe and the US organized a series of seminars, workshops and discussions in the World of Work Pavilion (WoW) as part of the civil society space around the COP 17 at the University of KwaZulu Natal in Durban (UKZN).
This program was designed to educate, agitate and foment dialogue around the key areas of economic activity related to the escalating emission of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG’s) causing climate change and its devastating impacts including: extreme energy extraction (oil, coal, tar sands) and renewable alternative forms of energy (namely solar and wind), transportation (of materials and people). WoW was organized by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), Congress of South African Trade Unions
Continue reading Trade-Unionists from Africa and the World Converge in Durban around COP 17 in Search of Solutions to the World’s Economic and Climate Crises
Tell ICE’s Southern Office: Respect the Civil Rights of Immigrant Workers!
Ever since SB1070 passed in Arizona, Southern states like Alabama have been quick to pass legislation that take the racial profiling bill to the next levels of hate.
At the same time, the Obama administration has announced that Immigration Enforcement’s regional field offices now are empowered to use their discretion with who is or is not deported.
That means that ICE’s Southern Field Director in New Orleans, Scott Sutterfield has a decision to make.
Last August, his office coordinated the violent ambush of thirty workers in New Orleans who had gathered to receive their paychecks. Now, the New Orleans Workers Center for Racial Justice and community leaders across the South are demanding Mr. Sutterfield attend a town hall meeting on the state of civil rights in the era of Alabama-style hate.
Jobs with Justice has been working on this fight for a long time as a part of the Turning the Tides movement building, and we want to make sure that Sutterfield won’t stand in the way of their civil rights.
You can support their call with three quick steps
1. Watch the video about their case
2. Continue reading Tell ICE’s Southern Office: Respect the Civil Rights of Immigrant Workers!
Community Coalition Slams Walmart, Gray for Sham Benefits Agreement
(reposted from Respect DC)
WASHINGTON, DC, November 22nd — Today, DC Mayor Vincent Gray and Walmart announced a so-called “community partnership” between the District and the retail giant. Community activists called the agreement a failure of leadership by the Mayor, noting the agreement is not enforceable and included no significant concessions from Walmart.
“As a Ward 7 resident, I am very disappointed,” said Rev. Kendrick Curry of the Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church. “This has no teeth. This will allow Walmart to drain what is already in the community to nothing.”
Instead, the agreement only provides a window dressing for the reality that Walmart will drive good jobs from the District and replace them with low wage jobs without benefits. The backroom deal contains no specifics around wages, local hiring, or the limited workforce development plan. Most disturbingly, there is nothing in the partnership to ensure the creation of good jobs for DC residents.
“This includes nothing to address wages or the quality of these jobs,” said Marina Streznewski of the DC Jobs Council. “The DC living wage is $12.50 an hour. How will people working at these stores afford to live in DC?”
Critics also noted that the announcement today failed to include many critical sustainability components. For example, Walmart will not offer public transit subsidies to
Continue reading Community Coalition Slams Walmart, Gray for Sham Benefits Agreement
Nominate your candidate for the 2011 National Scrooge of the Year
The holiday season is fast approaching, and around here that means one thing: it’s time for our annual “Scrooge of the Year” election!
Jobs with Justice national is now accepting nominations for the greediest, most cold-hearted company, CEO, or politician of the year for our eleventh annual “Scrooge of the Year” election.
Nominate your candidate for the 2011 National Scrooge of the Year.Last year’s Scrooge of the Year was the U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for leading the Senate in aggressively blocking almost all legislation from passing, especially laws that would help working people. Other past winners of this dubious honor include: Walmart, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the Wall Street executives who broke our economy.
We’ll pick the top nominees and start the national Scrooge of the Year election shortly after Thanksgiving. Be on the lookout for the start of the national election and keep an eye on your inbox to see if your local Jobs with Justice coalition is planning a party to elect a local Scrooge.
