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The labor movement is the largest and most powerful economic justice organization in the world. From its beginning, the union movement and some parts of the religious community have worked together to help bring justice to our society.  The American Federation of Labor (AFL) in 1909 recognized this connection by designating the Sunday before Labor Day as Labor Sunday, a day dedicated to the spiritual and educational dimensions of the labor movement.

Labor organizers have often drawn from the deep wells of religious imagery to lead struggles for economic justice.  As scholar and author Perry Bush points out, “They have been able to do so because a great mass of U.S. workers have held religious convictions that were not easily stripped away or transmuted into mindless obeisance to the power of the wealthy.”

Labor Day and Labor Sunday are times for the religious community and the labor movement to not only celebrate working people and their contributions to society. It also is a time to remember the struggles that workers endured to achieve the many benefits we now enjoy but take for granted.  Benefits such as the eight-hour day, workers’ compensation, overtime pay, pensions, health and safety laws, Social Security, Medicare, vacation

Continue reading Labor Day: Recommit to Full Employment

The Mario Solis Marich Show on 760 AM
August 31, 2010

Padres & Jovenes Unidos youth organizer, Julieta Quinonez and Diego, an undocumented college graduate speak about the urgent need to pass the DREAM Act.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE RADIO INTERVIEW (FORWARD TO THE 22:36 MARK TO GO DIRECTLY TO THIS STORY)

Tue, 08/31/2010 The Mario Solis Marich Show 760 AM TV and Radio

Working people are frustrated and angered by the inability of lawmakers to stop the massive loss of jobs and decline in living standards, while Republicans-and some Democrats-freely hand over the economy to corporations that are growing richer and more powerful each day.

To help renew the American Dream for everyone, some 200 progressive groups, including the Vermont and national AFL-CIO,Vermont Workers Center - Jobs With Justice, labor and civil rights, environmental, immigrants rights, US Labor Against the War and other peace organizations, have come together in One Nation.

One Nation is a multi-racial, civil and human rights movement whose mission is to reorder our nation's priorities to invest in our nation's most valuable resource-our people. One Nation is holding an Oct. 2 rally at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. with 100s of thousands of working people taking part.

We have OCT. 2ND BUS SEATS FOR $10! FIRST COME FIRST SERVED. PLEASE CONTACT TRAVEN TO MAKE RESERVATIONS ASAP [traven.L@gmail.com or 802-522-3484]

We plan to run vans and a car pool leaving about 6 p.m. Friday evening Oct. 1st down to meet the buses in Albany, NY. We may also car pool from Brattleboro to meet buses in Springfield, MA. You would be back in Vermont very early Sunday a.m. We are seeking contributions to make the cost of transport down to Albany or Springfield free.

At its Aug. 4-5 meeting in Washington, D.C., the AFL-CIO Executive Council issued a statement supporting One Nation and saying we must fight the fear mongering and scapegoating that is dividing our country.

We have to fight this hateful demagoguery that only benefits our foes, and we can't do it alone. History has taught us that the best way to fight the forces of hatred is to address the economic policies that led to our economic suffering, and that our fight must draw its strength from an alliance of the poor and the middle class-everyone who works for a living.

Speaking at Harvard University, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka warned that massive unemployment and growing inequality threaten our democracy. Saying "the stakes couldn't be any higher," Trumka told the mostly student audience:

If you care about defending our country against the apostles of hate, you need to be part of the fight to rebuild a sustainable, high wage economy built on good jobs-the kind of economy that can only exist when working men and women have a real voice on the job

The organizations that form One Nation support the union movement's agenda of an economy that works for all; good jobs, fair jobs, safe jobs, and more jobs; reforming Wall Street; repairing our immigration system; quality education for every child; and ensuring that everyone in America has the opportunity to contribute to and strengthen our country, according to the statement:

The Council statement also issues a rallying cry to workers:

Working people can make a difference when we rely on ourselves and act collectively.

*For what we could and should be doing in Vermont to create good jobs, see the video podcast:

Organizing to Meet the Job Crisis

We speak with Anja Rudiger of National Economic & Social Rights Initiative and Jeff Thompson with Political Economy Research Institute on the issues surrounding jobs. View at: http://www.cctv.org/watch-tv/programs/organizing-meet-job-crisis

and Equal Time radio's audio podcast: Economic Development in New England: A Positive Growth Agenda
Jeffrey Thompson, PERI Research Professor, author of a new study: Prioritizing Approaches to Economic Development in New England: Skills, Infrastructure, and Tax Incentives, explains that investing in areas at the core of the public sector mission - providing education and maintaining infrastructure - are effective at creating jobs in the short term and building prosperous economies over the long term; that the tax cuts and business-subsidies approach to economic development, on the other hand, does little to create jobs in the short run, and is not the most effective approach to generating growth over the long term. Download audio file or listen at: http://equaltimeradio.com/?q=node/273

August 31st was an unforgettable day for DWU and domestic workers all over the world. Governor Patterson SIGNED the Domestic Worker's Bill of Rights! It will go into effect exactly 90 days later. The signing ceremony was held at the Dwyer Cultural Center in Harlem with at least 200 members, workers, allies, politicians and journalists in attendance. Governor Patterson, Priscilla Gonzalez, JFREJ member Donna Schneiderman and DWU member Delores Wright all spoke about the struggle and victory of this momentous moment.
You can watch the video clip from NY 1 here.
"We've made history today, not just for us, but for generations to come to prove that change can happen when we stand for dignity, justice, & respect for all!"

~Priscilla Gonzalez, Domestic Workers United

This morning, New York Governor Patterson signed into law the first-ever U.S. law that upholds domestic workers’ rights.  200,000 nannies, housekeepers, and elder caregivers in New York will be covered under a law that provides guaranteed sick days, overtime pay, a day of rest, protection from discrimination, and notice before termination.  This groundbreaking victory is a result of a six-year campaign led by Domestic Workers United and supported by a broad coalition of labor and community organizations, including JwJ coalitions in NY State.

“Today we correct an historic injustice by granting those who care for the elderly, raise our children and clean our homes the same essential rights to which all workers should be entitled,” Governor Paterson said. “I am grateful to the sponsors for their extraordinary efforts to enact this landmark bill, and most of all to those domestic workers who dreamed, planned, organized and then fought for many years, until they were able to see an

Continue reading First-Ever Law Protecting Domestic Workers’ Rights Signed in New York

Bernie's message was loud and clear at 6 events in the Northeast Kingdom this weekend, he will support us in every way he can to help us win a universal healthcare system for Vermont.

This weekend hundreds of people came out to Bernie Sanders town hall meetings and events in Canaan, Island Pond, Newport, Craftsbury, Barton and Morrisville.
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Dozens of workers' center members turned out to these events and collected nearly 500 signatures on our "Healthcare is a Human Right" Petition. (Sign it now if you haven't yet.) Support for Vermont to lead the way and create a system that treats healthcare as a basic right and public good is even bigger than we thought. Nearly everyone we talked to signed the petition.

The event in Morrisville, which was filmed for CSPAN, drew hundreds including at least 50 people wearing Healthcare is a Human Right t-shirts and many more wearing buttons.

When asked by Vermont Workers' Center leaders what could be done to make sure we get our healthcare system even though we know there will be big money opposition telling us lies and trying to stop it, Bernie responded that we must keep doing what we're doing: grassroots organizing.

Aug 31, 2010 "Domestic Workers Make History in New York" Labor Notes Mark Brenner Domestic workers gathered at the foot of the Harriet Tubman memorial in Harlem today to celebrate New York’s groundbreaking domestic workers legislation, which the governor signed into law at a nearby community center. Deloris Wright told the crowd of fellow domestic workers, supporters, and reporters, “Today is about generations of domestic workers that came before and those who are still to come.” Wright is a member of Domestic Workers United (DWU), the organization that spearheaded the legislation. The new law guarantees domestic workers time-and-half pay after working more than 40 hours and ensures at least a day off each week. They will also be covered under the state’s worker compensation and anti-discrimination laws and gain access to unemployment insurance. The law mandates the state Department of Labor to study the feasibility of collective bargaining for domestic workers and report...

Aug 31, 2010 NY1 News Reporting by: Bobby Cuza Domestic workers in New York are now guaranteed more rights than anywhere in the nation. Governor David Paterson signed the Domestic Workers' Rights bill into law Tuesday morning. It guarantees overtime pay, a minimum of one day off every seven days, three days of paid leave per year, and protections against sexual harassment and racial discrimination. The bill also mandates that a feasibility study be done to see if there is a possibility of these workers unionizing. The law covers the estimated 270,000 domestic workers – including nannies, housekeepers and caregivers – employed statewide, and is being hailed as a civil rights victory since the majority of the workers are not only women, but also women of color. "They are the structure and function of our society," Paterson said. "They have been the skeleton and underpinning of our success. They are the wind beneath our wings. And we have totally disrespected them,...

History was made today. Governor Paterson signed the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights into law this morning, Tuesday, August 31st! About 200 domestic workers, supporters, and allies attended the ceremony in Harlem, along with bill sponsors Keith Wright and Diane Savino. New York 1 News Reports: "Domestic workers in New York are now guaranteed more rights than anywhere in the nation. Governor David Paterson signed the Domestic Workers' Rights bill into law this morning."

Forty-seven years after the 1963 March on Washington, the union movement and our allies are preparing for our own march in October. Under the banner of One Nation Working Together, union members, civil rights activists and other concerned citizens will rally in support of good jobs, a quality education for every child, immigration reform and workers’ freedom to form a union.  Our rallying cry is that we must reverse the dangerous trend toward greater income inequality and finally create an economy that works for all.

To achieve that goal and to become a truly united nation working together, leaders of the One Nation coalition partners—particularly our nation’s labor leaders—could learn a valuable lesson from that earlier march on Washington: The road to justice and equality must go through the South.

During the 1963 march, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. eloquently illustrated this point when he said:

“Let freedom ring from the mountains of New York… Pennsylvania…. Colorado…. California. But not only that: Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia…. from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee….f rom

Continue reading Opinion: Workers Who Win the South Change the Nation

Teachers in Winooski, members of the Vermont NEA, have now entered their third year without a negotiated contract. The 2008-2009 school year ended with imposed working conditions by the school board. In August, the school board voted to impose working conditions again for the 2009-2010 school year and now teachers enter the 2010-2011 school year with no negotiated contract.

RALLY AT SCHOOL BOARD MEETING:
The Winooski Education Association is holding rally before the next School Board meeting starting at 6pm, Weds, September 8th.

OTHER WAYS TO HELP:Please help reach out to folks you know who live in Winooski for their help and to contact their school board members at: http://www.winooski.k12.vt.us/207610102012231707/site/default.asp
Contact James Haslam at james [at] workerscenter.org if you would like to learn how you can help.

BACKGROUND:
The Winooski School Board is the ONLY school board in Vermont history to impose working conditions for two consecutive years. The board did so after only meeting with the union four times in the last year. After the fact finding impasse proceedings, the board waited exactly 30 days - the bare minimum number of days required by law - to impose working conditions.

The Winooski Education Association has yet to receive final wording of the 2009-2010 working conditions, but they are expected to include increasing the teachers' health insurance co-pay to 15% (almost all other Chittenden County teachers pay 10%), minimal new money (less than 1.5% total new money) for salary increases for teachers in 2009-2010 school year, and removal of the step movement process. Teachers will be frozen at their current salary for the 2010-2011 school year and actually take home less pay due to the increase in health insurance co-pay and increases to their state retirement contribution. Step movement is a common contract provision in EVERY teacher contract in the state. It is not an "automatic raise." Instead it reflects previous bargaining between both sides to plan out increases for teachers as they increase their successful years of experience at the school.

Winooski teachers are the lowest paid teachers in Chittenden County and work with arguably the highest needs student population because of the large number of English language learning students and refugee population.

Last week, Winooski community members and VWC members joined the teachers for morning informational pickets before school started and at an emergency school board meeting. There was a huge amount of community support demonstrated by supporters beeping and waving as they drove past the pickets which lined both sides of the street.

Teachers simply want the board to return to the table to negotiate a fair settlement. They are keeping all of their legal options on the table, which include a labor strike. Teachers are scheduled to vote on a strike on September 7th.

MORE: "Winooski School Board Makes History: First Vermont Board to Impose Working Conditions for 2 Straight Years"
http://vtnea.org/winooski_protests_2nd_straight_imposition/imposition.aspx

More info also at www.vtnea.org.

Hundreds of statewide labor activists joined with community leaders and local residents to call on Hollander-Marriott and all Greater Tacoma low-paying, taxpayer-money-taking companies to fuel an economic recovery with good jobs. Washington State JwJ is a leading force calling for responsible development, which led to this event as the largest local worker rights action in recent memory.  Radio and corporate print media more than noticed.

Hollander-Marriott purchased their downtown Courtyard site at a “deep discount” from taxpayers, snatched waterfront-mountain views from the taxpayer’s Convention Center, and “brutalized” the architecture of Tacoma taxpayer-financed luxury renaissance, according to the press.  The City Council agreed to this in the name of jobs as Hollander-Marriott made promises to the Mayor, Council, and residents and their unions.

But Hollander-Marriott “went back on their word” to pay living wages, hire locally, and abide by a labor harmony agreement, according to former Mayor Baarsma.  Hollander built the downtown Marriott using Canadian workers earning poverty-wages.  The hotel continues to operate without providing affordable family health care and living wages to Tacoma workers.

Continue reading Hollander-Marriott Takes Tax Money, Fails to Provide Good Jobs

We will be registering people to vote at the Metropolitan State College student fair on the following dates:

• September 2
• September 15
• September 16

Event Location: 

Metropolitan State College

More Info: 

Julieta Quinonez at (303) 458-6545 and julieta@padresunidos.org.

Date:  Fri, 09/10/2010 - 5:30pm Event Location: 

Padres & Jovenes Unidos
3025 W. 37th Ave. Suite 206
Denver, CO 80211

More Info: 

Julieta Quinonez at (303) 458-6545 or julieta@padresunidos.org.

We will be canvassing with Mi Familia Vota on the Bad 3 ballot initiatives. Join us!

Date:  Sat, 09/11/2010 (All day) Event Location: 

Contact us for more information (303) 458-6545.

More Info: 

Julieta Quinonez at (303) 458-6545 or julieta@padresunidos.org.

Padres & Jovenes Unidos will be at Fiestas Patrias to build support against the Bad 3. We will be registering people to vote, passing out information on the Bad 3 to educate the community and collecting voter pledge cards to show mass opposition of these ballot initiatives. Join us - we'll need all the help we can get!

Date:  Sun, 09/12/2010 (All day) Event Location: 

Fiestas Patrias at the Denver Civic Center Park.

More Info: 

Julieta Quinonez at (303) 458-6545 or julieta@padresunidos.org.

WHAT:
Students will participate in a DREAM University press conference, hear testimonies, march, and perform street theatre, to demand Congress pass the DREAM Act as a standalone bill this year! Wear your cap and gowns and join us!

WHEN & WHERE:
Thursday, September 2, 2010.

Date:  Thu, 09/02/2010 - 4:00pm Event Location: 

• 4 – 4:30 pm: DREAM University and press conference at Confluence Park (15th and Little Raven, in front of Senator Michael Bennet’s office).
• 4:30 – 5 pm: March from Confluence Park to 16th and Stout
• 5:00 pm: Street theatre at 16th and Stout
  

More Info: 

Julieta Quinonez at (303) 458-6545 or julieta@padresunidos.org.

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Dozens of protests planned for September 15

Reviving a core demand from the August 28, 1963 “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom” Jobs with Justice is declaring a national “jobs emergency” and calling for Full and Fair Employment.  Protests are expected in dozens of cities across the country on September 15.

“It’s time for corporate apologists in the Senate, who are blocking a recovery for the rest of us, to recognize what workers already know:  we are in a jobs emergency that requires a bold, emergency response,” said Sarita Gupta, Jobs with Justice Executive Director.  “With record long-term unemployment and communities losing vital public services, it is time to put Full and Fair Employment and a massive federal works program, core demands from the 1963 March for Jobs and Freedom that Glenn Beck wants us to forget, back on the national agenda.”

The demands of the September 15 protests are full and fair employment – including passage of legislation like Local Jobs for America Act which would save or create 1 million jobs, extension of the emergency Temporary Assistance to

Continue reading 47 Years After King’s March, JwJ Revives Call for Full & Fair Employment