June 2012

Arizona’s SB 1070 Provides Evidence of a Larger Threat to Workers

Submitted by Natalie Patrick-Knox on June 29, 2012
SCOTUS SB1070 Hearing

Monday’s Supreme Court decision on Arizona’s SB 1070 was better than most expected, setting a strong precedent that immigration is in the hands of the federal government and validating prosecutorial discretion policies.  The court struck down three of the four provisions it heard, including the provision that would have criminalized the act of working for the first time in our history.  Despite the good news, the continued peril of SB 1070 is real and goes beyond the “papers please” racial profiling provision left behind.

SB 1070 has been divisive and expensive at a time we need to be working together to fix our economy.  SB 1070 has spawned copy cats in other state, drawing yet more boycotts, protests and lawsuits and costing business owners, taxpayers and communities.  The divisive language has moved us further away from discussing real solutions for our broken immigration system.  It has pitted worker against worker, instead of fostering understanding through a shared identity.

A Step in the Right Direction: The Affordable Care Act is upheld

Submitted by Jonathan Williams on June 28, 2012

by Samuel Nelson, Student Labor Action Project & Caring Across Generations Organizer

In a major victory for health care advocates, the Supreme Court in a 5-4 decision upheld not only the individual mandate, but every aspect of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act save for the power of the federal government being able to terminate states’ Medicaid funds. The mandate has been interpreted by the Court as a legal tax, with Chief Justice Roberts, who was appointed by George W. Bush in 2005, writing the opinion. The upholding of the entire act means insurance companies cannot raise premiums without cause, cannot deny people with preexisting conditions, and with the insurance exchange, it means reduced costs overall for millions of individuals and families across the country. The ruling is particularly good for seniors, who will benefit from more affordable prescription drugs and increased access to free preventative services.

"This is a great step in changing the way we care for our aging population, people with disabilities and each other when faced with illness,” said Caring Across Generations co-director Ai-jen Poo. “The political naysayers who said the ACA was too confusing are stuck in the status quo, and scared of the challenge to make sure we all have the supports and care we need to  be healthy and happy, as a country. Now we can move forward to address the looming challenge of our aging population.”

UPDATED: Guess which green hero Mark Ruffalo thinks can save the planet?

Submitted by Carlos Jimenez on June 28, 2012

UPDATE:

An Update from Rio de Janeiro, site of the Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development and the Rio+20 Cúpula dos Povos (People’s Summit), where social movements convened to strategize and share their current approaches to the global economic and climate crises. For a report on those activities, click here.

Jobs with Justice's National Field Director, Treston Davis-Faulkner, joined the Grassroots Global Justice delegation, and sent us pictures of some of the various workshops and sessions where the financial transaction tax (ftt) was the subject of discussion.

Jean Ross of National Nurses United Speaks about the Robin Hood Tax

One exciting session was a meeting and rally of trade-unionists and NGOs regarding the Robin Hood Tax in Rio during the Rio +of 400-500 trade-unionists, NGOs and movement organizations  at a local bank. 

When we fight we win: CARE Across Generations

Submitted by Jonathan Williams on June 27, 2012

By: Rani Gupta

Family and community are cornerstones of social justice. We know that if we want a strong movement, we need everyone to join in as we build a more just society. That is why, more and more, seniors and people with disabilities are fighting to stay in their homes, where they can live their lives with dignity and independence. However, we do not currently have the infrastructure to meet this need. So, all across the country, workers and care consumers are coming together through the Caring Across Generations campaign, a movement to transform long-term care in the U.S.

On June 16th, care workers and care consumers met for the Boston Care Congress, a town-hall style event that brought together 200 care workers, seniors, and people with disabilities to organize around the issue of care in the U.S. The Congress immediately followed the first annual Massachusetts Domestic Worker Convention, when domestic workers came together to start working to pass a Domestic Worker Bill of Rights in Massachusetts.  
The Boston Care Congress began with keynote speaker Ai-Jen Poo, co-director of Caring Across Generations and one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World.

“We are building a movement to create big change,” she said, highlighting that Caring Across Generations has the power to dramatically improve the lives of many in Massachusetts and across the country.

As Supreme Court prepares to rule on the Affordable Healthcare Act, Vermont leads the way

Submitted by Mackenzie Baris on June 27, 2012

Vermont Can Lead the Way to universal healthcare for all

by James Haslam, Director, Vermont Worker Center

This week there will be a lot of attention paid to the Supreme Court decision on the Affordable Care Act. But the people of Vermont need your solidarity. Vermont is establishing a universal health care system that provides healthcare as a public good for all, financed through equitable, tax-based contributions. This pioneering effort was the result of a people’s movement convened by the Vermont Workers’ Center called Healthcare is a Human Right.

Over the past four years, the Healthcare Is a Human Right campaign and our growing grassroots people’s movement has led to Vermont becoming the first state to pass universal healthcare legislation. Act 48 declares that healthcare is a public good and should be grounded in human rights principles. Watch "The Vermont Breakthrough" to learn more about how we won.

The importance of this victory cannot be understated. If Vermont can actually implement universal healthcare, they can lead the way for states across the country to do the same. As you are reading this letter, people in Maryland, California, Oregon, New York, and Maine are working together on using strategies from the Healthcare is a Human Right campaign in their states. It is already happening. 

Independent Probe Confirms Forced Labor at Walmart

Submitted by Erica Smiley on June 22, 2012

On June 20, 2012, the Worker Rights Consortium, an independent investigative agency, released findings of “systematic violations of labor law and grossly inhumane treatment” of H-2B guestworkers by a Walmart seafood supplier in Louisiana called C.J.’s Seafood.  A week after Walmart attempted a cover-up of forced labor at its supplier C.J.’s Seafood, one of America’s top labor rights watchdogs has found conditions there that they say “rival any sweatshop in China or Bangladesh.”  Walmart had agreed to open a similar investigation, but nothing has resulted from it so far.

Rio +20: Hope or Dope?

Submitted by Treston Davis-F... on June 21, 2012

The convergence of nations and communities at the “Rio+20” United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil this June 20-22 is a key moment for world governments to either act to protect our future, or continue on with the same failed strategies of industrial extraction, production, pollution and waste that have caused great ecological disruption and economic impoverishment the world over.

Among the competing interests at Rio+20 are the “global 1%”—wealthy industrial nations and multi-national corporations--who will unveil their “Green Economy” strategy. As much as ever, these powerful economic interests enjoy a deafeningly loud voice to spread their message, but we know that just calling something “green” doesn’t mean it’s good for people or for the planet. 

ICE Refuses to Recognize Civil and Labor Rights in the South

Submitted by Jonathan Williams on June 15, 2012
Members of the Southern 32 in D.C.

by Natalie Patrick-Knox, Immigration and Workers’ Rights Campaign Organizer

Last week, six workers from New Orleans made the trip to DC to tell decision makers how they ended up detained and in deportation proceedings for standing up for their labor and civil rights.  Sitting with Representative Gutierrez one of the workers, Melvin, told how he was hired to clean up after Hurricane Ike, but he and other workers were denied safety gear for working in toxic sludge – and then weren’t paid the wages they were owed. When Melvin helped organize a strike, his employer called the police. He was arrested and put in deportation proceedings – all for having the courage to speak out.

Melvin and the five other workers that came to DC represent a larger group of 32 workers from the South who have all suffered similar injustices.   As is all too common, these workers were retaliated against for trying to organize themselves and for defending their rights.  Because these thirty-two were immigrant workers ICE was used to limit their access to justice and they are currently on the verge of deportation.

Photo courtesy of New Orleans Workers Center for Racial JusticePhoto courtesy of  New Orleans Workers Center for Racial Justice

American Airlines Acting Un-American

Submitted by Jonathan Williams on June 14, 2012

American Airlines Acting Un-AmericanWednesday (June 6th, 2012) afternoon, the National Mediation Board decided to move forward on a union representation election for 10,000 American Airlines’ passenger agents seeking to be represented by the CWA, and ordered American Airlines to set the wheels in motion. This decision comes after months of delay due to American Airlines’ efforts to stall the election procedure and prevent their employees from participating in an election.

American Airlines has been doing everything it can think of, legal and not, to stop nearly 10,000 agents from exercising their legal right to a union representation vote. The airline repeatedly refused to turn over the list of agents, violating a direct order from the National Mediation Board. The latest outrage was a lawsuit filed by the company on May 2, in which American Airlines is seeking to substitute its own judgment for that of Congress, so it can stop passenger service agents from having a union voice. Finally, American Airlines has been criticized for filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy with $4 billion in the bank, a tactic many large companies employ to use bankruptcy claims as a cover for throwing out long-standing contracts with their employees.

Announcing a New Chapter for Workers’ Rights

Submitted by Sarita Gupta on June 12, 2012

Announcing a New Chapter for Workers’ Rights

June 12, 2012

We are proud to announce a new chapter in Jobs with Justice’s 25-year history.

Unions are about the collective being stronger than the individual – that together we can achieve what we cannot on our own. What’s true for construction workers and nurses, for janitors and teachers, is also true for Jobs with Justice. That’s why we’re joining together with our friends at American Rights at Work by merging.

DC responds to S-Comm activation with legislation to limit ICE's reach

Submitted by Mackenzie Baris on June 9, 2012

In response to news that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) planned to implement the Secure Communities deportation program in DC on June 5th, the DC Council unanimously passed emergency legislation to limit ICE's access to people being held in DC police stations and jails. In doing so, DC joined Cook County, IL, Santa Clara, CA and several other communities who have recently adopted similar policies.

A broad coalition of  community, faith, and labor organizations had been working with the Council to draft the legislation, which was introduced by Councilmember Phil Mendelson (D-At-large), and will limit Immigration and Customs Enforcement's use of District facilities and equipment and also narrows S-Comm’s deportation dragnet by only responding to immigration detention requests for individuals who are over 18 and have been convicted of a dangerous crime. Last fall the permanent version of the act, the Immigration Detainer Compliance Amendment, was unanimously co-sponsored by all DC councilmembers. The act builds upon the Mayor’s Order 2011-174 (October 19, 2011) that prohibits all public safety agencies from inquiring about individuals’ immigration status or transmitting information about immigration status.

A Powerful Spring for the 99% - What do you think?

Submitted by Jonathan Williams on June 7, 2012

Share your thoughts on 99% Power, the unprecedented wave of protests targeting corporate abusers.

Post a comment below and let us know what you think!


This Spring has been unprecedented.

In April, we launched the 99% Spring, a nationwide effort to train 100,000 people in organizing and direct action. Hundreds of people were trained, and within weeks they were hosting their own trainings for thousands of others.

99% Power turned that training into action. In a wave of protests confronting the worst corporate abusers, we’ve faced off with Wellpoint, Walmart, Sallie Mae, Verizon, Bank of America, and more.

And we weren’t alone. This shareholder season saw a record number of resolutions introduced by the shareholders themselves to cut CEO pay and to disclose lobbying expenditures. Shareholders of Citigroup, one of the largest banks in the U.S., successfully voted to reject a fat CEO compensation package. Meanwhile, dozens of companies have dropped ALEC, the shady organization responsible for creating model legislation such as the Stand Your Ground law that has received national attention in the Trayvon Martin shooting.

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