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By Chris Hicks, on January 27th, 2012
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
By Chris Hicks, on January 18th, 2012
 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
By UFCW News Service, on January 5th, 2012
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
By jwjnational, on December 21st, 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!
The family’s dividends from their Walmart stock alone are more than $2
Continue reading And the winner is…
By jwjnational, on December 15th, 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.
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?
By jwjnational, on December 15th, 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!
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!
By Colorado Jobs with Justice, on December 13th, 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.
 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
By Chris Hicks, on December 9th, 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.
“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
By jwjnational, on December 8th, 2011
 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.
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!
By jwjnational, on December 7th, 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.
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
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