On the even of August 5, 2011, during the pinnacle banquet of the National Jobs with Justice conference, student guestworkers who had traveled from all over the world only to work in a plant in Hershey, Pennsylvania made a pitch for solidarity.  Like the Verizon workers who were about to go on strike the very next day, these workers too were planning to take courageous action.

They certainly had high expectations.  And why shouldn’t they have?  Just before they got on stage, workers with the National Guestworkers Alliance from a previous campaign against Signal had just been there claiming victory against the company and a reunion with their families.  So, the 30 that had come stood up and told a story about how they each paid $3,000-$6,000 to come to the U.S. this summer for what they thought would be a cultural exchange program through the State Department’s J-1 visa. Instead, they found themselves packing chocolates at the Hershey’s plant in deeply exploitative conditions. After automatic weekly deductions for rent in company housing and other expenses, they net between $40 and

Continue reading Victory at Hersheys!

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

Continue reading Recommit to the Dream and the Commitment to Economic & Social Justice

South Florida Jobs with Justice and our community coalition partners on the Wage Theft Ordinance Task Force had a huge victory on September 22nd at the Miami-Dade budget hearings. The county removed the funding in the 2011 budget for the for enforcement of the Wage Theft Ordinance. Since the passage of the Wage Theft Ordinance in 2010, $580,000 in lost wages have been collected from scofflaw employers for the workers in Miami-Dade County.

Recognizing that without enforcement there would be little or no wage recovery, South Florida Jobs with Justice and the Wage Theft Task Force went into action. We visited Commissioners and deluged the Mayor’s office with phone calls. When we were called to speak at the budget hearings, the Mayor announced that the funding for the Wage Theft enforcement position in the Department of Small Business Development had been restored.

It was quite a victory! A big thanks to SF JwJ Board member, Fran Menes, who “herded cats” as the Wage Theft Task Force Coordinator. South Florida Jobs with Justice Board member, John Ratliff who attended the hearing, commented: “Good job at the podium and before

Continue reading Wage Theft Ordinance, Victory in Miami-Dade!

From August 5-7, 2011, Jobs with Justice held our National Conference in Washington, DC. The Conference, which was attended by nearly 700 activists from across the country, was intended to re-energize and recommit workers’ rights activists and advocates to working together in solidarity to address the rights of workers everywhere and to collectively engage in strategy discussions around the economy, corporate accountability, and strengthening grassroots organizing base around a variety of issues.

Most importantly the event allowed Jobs with Justice, our network, partners, and supporters to reflect on two critical questions: how do we protect and expand the right to organize and collectively bargain in this critical moment in our labor movement; and what is the role of Jobs with Justice in mobilizing the network, its allies, partners, and everyday workers around workers justice issues during this period.

In the period since our last national conference in 2008, we have regrettably lost a series of legislative strategies—including most potently the

Continue reading JwJ Conference: Building a Transformative Vision to Expand Workers’ Rights

HERSHEY, PA, August 24, 2011—Just hours after four federal government agencies launched investigations into the exploitation of J-1 student workers in the Hershey’s packing plant—including a surprise inspection of the plant Tuesday by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)—Hershey’s directed its subcontractors to offer the students paid vacations.

Early morning Tuesday, OSHA began a surprise inspection of the Hershey’s packing plant in Palmyra, which it continued all day Tuesday and was set to resume Wednesday morning. OSHA also confirmed Tuesday that it had opened a Whistleblower Protection Program investigation into the case.

The Department of Labor’s (DOL) Wage and Hour Division launched its own investigation into the exploitation of J-1 student workers at the Hershey’s plant, and the U.S. State Department scheduled interviews with the students for Thursday, August 25, as part of its own investigation.

Hours after learning of the four investigations, Hershey’s abandoned its claims that it bore no responsibility for the exploitation of J-1 students at its packing plant, and directed its subcontractors to offer the students paid vacations.

Hershey’s

Continue reading After triggering federal investigations, Hershey’s offers guestworkers paid vacations

On July 28th executive director of Jobs with Justice, Sarita Gupta joined with workers, members of Congress, community leaders, people of faith, and others at Rebuild the American Dream’s Emergency Default Crisis Rally in front of the U.S. capitol building last Thursday.

On that hot, hot day, she set the record straight regarding who was responsible for the default crisis: Wall Street and the ultra rich.

The rally exposed politicians who are pointing the blame at workers and calling for us to make sacrifices, while distracting us from the real issues at hand. Sarita Gupta clarified the real conversation happening in the capitol,

“At the root of what Congress debates is not the debt ceiling or the national deficit. The root of this debate is whether the role of our government is to serve and protect working people, or if the role of government is to make it easier for large corporations and Wall Street to make swelling profits on the backs of our communities.”

In the lead up to the national conference, Jobs with Justice asks “When are we going to

Continue reading Speaking of Debt, When Are We Going to Get Our Money Back?

The Jobs with Justice National Conference is just a few weeks away!  We have some exciting program pieces coming together. Check it out: