From Southwest Workers' Union: After much discussion and heated debate, the Hondo City Council included raises for workers that benefit those earning the least. Southwest Workers Union sees this as an important step towards achieve a Living Wage of $12.21 an hour for City employees. Currently, many workers are earning under $20,000 a year for full-time work, leaving them to make hard choices about how to support their family. More >>
From Vermont Workers' Center: This summer, volunteers and staff from the Vermont Workers' Center have been asking working Vermonters a simple question — "Do you believe we have a human right to healthcare?" More >>
From UE: Day service workers at Arc Bridges went on strike for one day August 1 against the unfair labor practices their company is committing. The strike was a huge success, with 70 percent participation, and a strong blow against the employers effort to decertify the union. The workers are members of the new amalgamated Local 1123, chartered as a UE local in March. More >>
From UE: Plans for bargaining, organizing and political action were intensely discussed as UE Local 893-Iowa United Professionals held its 26th annual convention July 26 . Members representing all areas of the state were in attendance and they were enthusiastic about the issues, says Local President Becky Dawes. Our Local will be heading into negotiations with the state in late fall and early winter, and we anticipate a difficult time due to the national economy and the additional impact of the states recent natural disasters. More >>
From UE: On July 30, one day before expiration of their old contract, UE Local 262 members at Madico, Inc. voted to approve a new three-year contract that includes wage increases of 4 percent each year, retirement improvements and increases in other benefits, as well as language improvements and a bonus plan. More >>
From UE: Members of Local 204 used stickers, lunch time meetings, vocal chords, and a final-day march to the front office to achieve a three-year contract the committee could unanimously recommend, and the members would overwhelmingly ratify. They won wage increases averaging more than 3.7 percent each year: 2 percent, 3.6 percent and 3.6 percent (paid each year in August) plus and another 2 percent in January 2011. The typical first shift wage goes up $1.76 over the three years, from $15.12 to $16.88. More >>
From SWOP: Since 1980, the mission of the SouthWest Organizing Project has been to empower the disenfranchised to realize equality and justice. These arent just nice words on paper meant to make us feel good, we actually believe this is possible. More >>
From UE: UE Local 799 has negotiated a new two-year agreement with the Delaware City Schools, with an across-the-board wage increase of 2.5 percent each year and additional raises based on years of service. "I think its the best contract weve gotten so far, says Local President Nina Williams. More >>
From Vermont Workers' Center:
Monday,
September 1st
PARADE
PICNIC
CONCERT
at BATTERY PARK More >>
From Southwest Workers' Union: Even without the rate increase yet in place, CPS profits are growing -- at the expense of us, the rate-payer. (see San Antonio Express-News article). Costs for electricity this summer, like gas, are the highest residents have ever seen. More >>
From Southwest Workers' Union:
On August 7, over 400 community members, advocates, professionals and SWU representatives gathered In Victoria, TX to hear the Unities States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) conduct a public outreach meeting. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the application planned to be submitted by Exelon for two new nuclear reactors just 12 miles south of downtown Victoria. The NRC is the regulatory body that reviews license applications, performs safety reviews and conducts environmental impact assessments. There was a strong turnout by pro and anti nuclear advocates including Nuclear Energy for Texans (pro-nuclear) and Speak Up Victoria (anti-nuclear). The steering committee for Nuclear Energy for Texans includes Exelon and San Antonios very own CPS. Speak Up Victoria is a coalition of citizens with a mission to ask the hard questions around nuclear energy. More >>
From Southwest Workers' Union: The Roots of Change Community Garden has gone through some drastic changes in the past few weeks, changes which will enable more people to have a hand in the growth of our ever-expanding community green space! More >>
From SWOP: This was produced by 4 incredible young women who spent their summer here at SWOP planning, shooting and editing this film, not to mention building consciousness. They were a part of the Summer Youth Intern Program with 4 other young women working to build our Take Control Campaign against military recruitment. More >>
From SWOP: To hear the audio click here: Take_control_action.mp3 More >>
From SWOP: For Immediate Release: Press Advisory August 9, 2008
Contact: Monica Cordova, SouthWest Organizing Project, 505-385-6590 More >>
From Community Voices Heard: CVH Leaders Brenda Beal, William Cerf, and Randolph Robinson had their issues aired once more in this article in the City Limits Weekly on the last of the state Economic Security Cabinet hearings held in Harlem. Brenda Beal spoke about the inhumanity of people having to live in poverty in such a rich state; William Cref spoke about the need for REAL job training and job search assistance rather than simply a hand-off of a list of websites for people to search under; and Randolph Robinson spoke of the challenges of finding work as a former felon.read more More >>
From Community Voices Heard: CVH Sustainable Communities Project sent 5 members to Brooklyn to support partner group Families United for Racial and Economic Equality (FUREE) in their battle against John Catsimatidis, a developer who demolished grocery store and hasn't been quick enough to put new stores in their place. Read the attached article to find out more about the demonstration. See CVH members Keith Gamble and Larry Gadson standing behind Council Woman Leticia James.read more More >>
From Domestic Workers United Blog:
Written By: Gloria Esteva, leader at POWER (People Organized to Win Employment Rights) in San Francisco, CA. (english follows below). Photo by: Yona Paskova for the New York Times. More >>
From SWOP: This summer internship was incredibly fun and full of great experiences! We were involved in the South X Southwest gathering and also got the opportunity to learn about how to become a good facilitator, about how to break down advertisements, and much more in workshops and trainings. The bulk of our internship was working on two different projects for the Take Control Campaign, which is a campaign to get students to realize that there are many opportunities for them after high school besides the military. More >>
From Community Voices Heard: At noon today, July 30, 2008, members of Community Voices Heard (CVH), a grassroots organization of low-income families, organized a soup line in front of New York City Hall. Members of the organization stated that they wanted to highlight the precarious situation of many low-income families in the present economic downturn. CVH members handed out cups of soup from tables that they were calling the Linda Gibbs Soup Line. Linda Gibbs, the New Yorread more More >>
From Community Voices Heard: Below are English and Spanish PDF editions of our Spring / Summer 2008 Newsletter, Enjoy. More >>
From Community Voices Heard: On Tuesday, July 29th, CVH members met face to face with 3 of the most powerful Newburgh City Officials. Mayor Nick Valentine, City Manager Jean-Ann McGrane, and Director of Planning and Development Bob McKenna came to the Forum to answer to CVH's concerns about housing policies in the Master Plan and the planned Waterfront Development. 6 CVH members gave testimony about their experiences with housing living as a low income resident of Newburgh, and then asked a specific question to each of the City Officials.read more More >>
From Southwest Workers' Union: Toxic chemical levels not alarming'
Anton Caputo - Express-News More >>
From Vermont Workers' Center:
UPDATE: Over 60 service center workers and supporters from the VWC rallied in St. Albans on July 14, while USCIS workers in California took action as well. More » More >>
From Domestic Workers United: BY ZACHARY R. DOWDY AND LAURA RIVERA | zachary.dowdy@news July 4, 2008 A live-in nanny in Syosset died yesterday after she jumped into a backyard swimming pool to rescue a 3-year-old boy in her care who was struggling to stay afloat, Nassau police said. Authorities did not release the name of the woman, whom they described as in her 60s. She was pronounced dead at Syosset Hospital. The medical examiner will do an autopsy to determine the cause of death. She died as she tried to help the boy, who was wearing a life vest although it may have slipped off him before he began floundering in the pool at 12 Flo Dr., said Nassau police spokesman Det. Sgt. Anthony Repalone. "It's possible that the 3-year-old child removed his jacket and got into the pool," Repalone said. "And the nanny, in an attempt to save that child, jumped into the pool." Investigators said the pool had a deep end but did not specify its depth. Authorities said they were unsure whether the woman could swim... More >>
From Domestic Workers United Blog: June 23rd marked the closing of the 2008 Legislative Session, and with it, it concludes our fourth year of our fight to win a New York Domestic Workers Bill of Rights. The Domestic Workers Bill of Rights would amend state labor law to provide much needed labor protections for the more than 200,000 women working as nannies, housekeepers and elderly caregivers. More >>
From Domestic Workers United: A wealthy New York woman has been sentenced to 11 years in jail for keeping two Indonesian women as slaves. Varsha Mahender Sabhnani, 46, and her husband Mahender Murlidhar Sabhnani, 51, kept them as slaves and abused them physically and psychologically. The couple had been found guilty on 12 charges in December, including involuntary servitude, harbouring aliens and forced labour. Mr Sabhnani is to be sentenced later on Friday and may get a shorter term. In addition to prison, his Indian-born wife was fined ,000 (12,600). "I just want to say that I love my children very much," she told the federal court in Central Islip, on New York state's Long Island, as two of her grown children looked on. "I was brought to this earth to help people who are in need." Her husband wept as his wife's sentence was announced. The wealthy couple, who run a perfume business and have four children, had brought the women to their large house to work as housekeepers, and forced them... More >>
From Vermont Workers' Center: Traven Leyshon, Workers' Center Coordinating Committee member and President of the Central Vermont Labor Council, interview with Bill Fletcher, Jr. and Fernando Gapasin on their new book, Solidarity Divided: The Crisis in Organized Labor and a New Path Towards Social Justice. Joined by VT Workers Center Director James Haslam. More >>
From Domestic Workers United Blog: Quite recently while walking down the street I saw an ad on a pole which read "Dog Walker for hire, $12 for half and $20 for a hour". When i saw this i had a terrible feeling within my gut to see that employers do not want to pay their Domestic worker a livable wage for taking care of their prized possession (namely their children) but they are willing to pay $20 a hour to have their dog walked. Thinking about this for a moment then clearly made me realise what or who they consider their prized possession. Here in a Global City like New York domestic Workers are treated less than human beings yet they continue to do the work that make all other work possible allowing their employers to go to work and have leisure time. Some domestic workers earn as little as $250 per week, some cant even afford to pay their or afford the necessity of a telephone. With no laws to protect us, no right to collective bargaining and no right to organize we are left at the whim of these employers. It is about time that we be given respect and recognition for the work we do , as a former proud nanny (who contributed a lot into educating and building a solid foundation for those in my care) i can identify some of the abuse and exploitation workers faced within this industry. There is a solution to these problems, this solution is The Domestic Workers Bill Of Rights it is about time this bill be pass to reverse the history of injustice that Domestic workers face, it is about respect, recognity and dignity ,it is about fair labour standards and most of all its about HUMANITY. More >>
