The economic news continues to demonstrate that workers are facing a jobs state of emergency. Some pundits call it the “horror show” and many economists predict a ‘double dip’ recession.
Corporate America calls it a “jobless recovery,” – and likes it. Wall Street bailout bandits are making bumper earnings, and corporations are sitting on so much reserve cash that only 20% of that money could hire 5 million Americans at $70,000/year … for 5 years! But the private sector cannot and will not put America back to work without government intervention.
For the past year, JwJ has brought together community, religious, student and labor organizations to challenge bank greed and foreclosures, fight plant closings and layoffs, oppose outsourcing and call on congress to act on the jobs emergency with the same urgency as the financial crisis. JwJ coalitions and our allies won financial reform and a new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, saved jobs at Hugo Boss and Hartmarx, won several extensions of emergency unemployment benefits, and federal funding for needed medical aid and keeping 140,000 teachers in the classroom.
But the crisis is far from over. With Congress immobilized by conservatives protecting their corporate backers, (hiding behind largely bogus fear-mongering on the budget deficit), grassroots groups are laying the groundwork for a sustained nation-wide push for Full and Fair Employment.
During the US Social Forum June 22-26 in Detroit, JwJ helped build the movement in multiple ways. JwJ teamed up with the AFL-CIO and National Peoples Action to lead 2 workshops on the jobs crisis and how to build a stronger grassroots response and build new alliances. As part of the Inter Alliance Dialogue, JwJ helped coordinate a congress of ‘excluded workers’ and joined 5 other national networks in issuing a call to action on immigrant worker rights, climate change, and jobs, including a National Day of Action for Jobs on September 15, which was affirmed by the Peoples Movement Assembly. JwJ also facilitated sessions on organizing the unemployed, building labor-community coalitions, living wage campaigns and more.
During July, armed with the proposal for a September 15 National Day of Action for Jobs and October 2 march on Washington, JwJ convened representatives of more than 100 organizations in regional meetings around the country. These sessions helped local organizers share experiences and strategies for mobilizing, including engaging constituents most affected by the crisis and plans for the September 15 Day of Action.
“I just think it’s been great to have JwJ leaders from many organizations and across the region,” said Ricky Baldwin, of SEIU 73, a Central Illinois JwJ leader. “We can learn from each other and start to really build the national network for the long haul.”
“This discussion with people from multiple cities brought out the sense that we are really in a jobs emergency, and we’re overdue in calling it what it is,” said Central Indiana JwJ Organizer Allison Luthe. “It was both a challenge and an inspiration to our coalitions.”
