December 2011

And the winner is...

Submitted by JwJNational on December 21, 2011

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!

Victory in Arizona! Now What?

Submitted by JwJNational on December 15, 2011

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.

Vote for the 2011 Scrooge of the Year!

Submitted by JwJNational on December 15, 2011

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!Vote for Scrooge of the Year!

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 of New York and still have $1 billion left over.   With the economy as it is, that would make a huge difference!

Colorado Jobs with Justice Rallies to Support Verizon Workers

Submitted by JwJNational on December 13, 2011

 

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.

Stand with UMass SLAP and Protect Student Jobs

Submitted by Chris Hicks on December 9, 2011

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.

Act Now to Save Unemployment!

Submitted by JwJNational on December 8, 2011

Take Action Tell Your Members of Congress: Renew Unemployment Insurance for 2012

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.

OUR Walmart, JwJ Pay a Visit to Walmart's Board of Directors

Submitted by JwJNational on December 7, 2011

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.

Health Care Workers Occupy Congress, Urge Lawmakers To Generate Jobs—Not Health Care Cuts

Submitted by JwJNational on December 6, 2011

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.

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

Submitted by Treston Davis-F... on December 6, 2011

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).

Tell ICE's Southern Office: Respect the Civil Rights of Immigrant Workers!

Submitted by JwJNational on December 1, 2011

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

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Jobs with Justice is a national network of local coalitions that bring together labor unions, faith groups, community organizations, and student activists to fight for working people. Our members are in the streets in 46 cities in 24 states across the country.

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