Hundreds of statewide labor activists joined with community leaders and local residents to call on Hollander-Marriott and all Greater Tacoma low-paying, taxpayer-money-taking companies to fuel an economic recovery with good jobs. Washington State JwJ is a leading force calling for responsible development, which led to this event as the largest local worker rights action in recent memory. Radio and corporate print media more than noticed.
Hollander-Marriott purchased their downtown Courtyard site at a “deep discount” from taxpayers, snatched waterfront-mountain views from the taxpayer’s Convention Center, and “brutalized” the architecture of Tacoma taxpayer-financed luxury renaissance, according to the press. The City Council agreed to this in the name of jobs as Hollander-Marriott made promises to the Mayor, Council, and residents and their unions.
But Hollander-Marriott “went back on their word” to pay living wages, hire locally, and abide by a labor harmony agreement, according to former Mayor Baarsma. Hollander built the downtown Marriott using Canadian workers earning poverty-wages. The hotel continues to operate without providing affordable family health care and living wages to Tacoma workers.
Reviving a core demand from the August 28, 1963 “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom” Jobs with Justice is declaring a national “jobs emergency” and calling for Full and Fair Employment. Protests are expected in dozens of cities across the country on September 15.
“It’s time for corporate apologists in the Senate, who are blocking a recovery for the rest of us, to recognize what workers already know: we are in a jobs emergency that requires a bold, emergency response,” said Sarita Gupta, Jobs with Justice Executive Director. “With record long-term unemployment and communities losing vital public services, it is time to put Full and Fair Employment and a massive federal works program, core demands from the 1963 March for Jobs and Freedom that Glenn Beck wants us to forget, back on the national agenda.”
The demands of the September 15 protests are full and fair employment – including passage of legislation like Local Jobs for America Act which would save or create 1 million jobs, extension of the emergency Temporary Assistance to
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
Are you unemployed? Are you receiving unemployment compensation? Are you about to lose your unemployment benefits? Do you care about people who are unemployed?
If your answer to any of these questions is yes, then you most certainly will want to join Kentucky Jobs with Justice on Sept. 15, along with allies from organized labor, community groups, faith leaders, student activists and progressive elected officials, as we hold a day of direct action on full and fair employment.
This day of direct action stems from energy generated at the July 7 march and rally in downtown Louisville at Sen. Mitch McConnell’s office and the U.S. Social Forum, which drew over 25,000 national activists to Detroit (including more than 125 from Kentucky) for issue awareness and massive networking to solve social ills on the principle of: “Another world is possible, another U.S. is necessary.”
A month before the Sept. 15 day of direct action, we will begin building relationships with individuals who are directly impacted by the jobs crisis by visiting the unemployment office located at Sixth and
North Texas Jobs with Justice initiated a news conference on July 2, 2010, and a broad group of progressive leaders responded — progressive people and organizations are coming together for this fight.
This crisis is immoral
Among them were a faith leader, a community organizer, and several unionists. The Reverend Ed Middleton of First Community Church read scripture and interpreted Bible verses to show that people must become involved in the most just cause of today — survival!
Stop the layoffs!
Christopher Head of the Steelworkers union talked about the cuts hanging over the heads of Dallas City employees. He told the assembled reporters, including three television crews, that Keynesian economics should be used to rescue workers from the ravages of unemployment, just as it was used in the last great jobs crisis.
Mickey Morris, Texas President of the National Association of Letter Carriers said that there is no reason for the post office to go through with plans to end Saturday mail service. It would cause more tens of thousands of layoffs and would diminish our ability to communicate through the mails.
Join together
Perry Forshee, who organized the previous week’s “Rally for
Unemployment benefits expired for 2.5 million long-term jobless back in May. Since then, the Senate has almost restored unemployment benefits three times, but each time Republicans have blocked the votes with procedural delays.
Tomorrow, the unemployment benefits extension is expected to come to a vote. Tell your Senators not to fall for GOP scare-tactics about the budget deficit — or their offensive assertions that the unemployed are “spoiled” brats who are just “sitting there” collecting unemployment benefits.
One job for every five people looking for work is a jobless emergency, and we need emergency action now!
Earlier today, members of the Chicago Jobs with Justice Unemployed Workers’ Council and allies paid a visit to Representative (and Illinois Senate candidate) Mark Kirk’s office in Northbrook, Illinois to protest his opposition to extending unemployment benefits.
Jorge Ramirez, President of the Chicago Federation of Labor, spoke to Rep. Kirk’s staff, “that’s the primary reason why a lot of these folks are here. They’re unemployed, their unemployment benefits are getting cut off… he needs to know that the votes he makes in Washington are directly accountable to the people you see in this room.”
The House has already voted to extend unemployment benefits (without Rep. Kirk’s support), but it has yet to pass the Senate. A Senate vote is expected Tuesday.
Yesterday was an exciting day of education and action at the U.S. Social Forum!
JwJ coalitions convened and spoke at a variety of workshops, including: Uncovering the Truth on Police & ICE Collaborations (DC JwJ), Social Networking for Social Justice (KY JwJ), Writers’ Circle (Missouri JwJ), The Impact of Financial Restructuring on Michigan Workers and the Union Response (SE Michigan JwJ), Good Jobs for All: Winning Full and Fair Employment for a New Economy (National JwJ), and The TRADE Act as a Tool for Global Justice (Southern Oregon JwJ).
Jobs with Justice members participated in the Excluded Workers Congress People’s Movement Assembly which focused on how we can expand workers’ rights to organize. We heard inspiring testimony from a variety of workers who are fighting for their rights on the job (stay tuned for more on this, including video).
In the evening, JwJ co-sponsored a march and rally with AFSCME Council 65 and the Metro Detroit AFL-CIO to demand, “Money for JOBS, not Banks!”
Jobs with Justice held an orientation session for local coalition folks early in the day and then got on buses to meet up with local labor activists for the USSF opening march.
JwJ joined the march with the other members of the Inter-Alliance dialogue more than 10,o00 people for a lively march through downtown Detroit and then convened at Cobo Hall for the USSF opening ceremonies.
Tonight JwJ held a meeting of our local coalition leaders to discuss our ongoing jobs campaign. We had a rich discussion about the depth of the jobs emergency and possible approaches for how to address it, including challenging the corporate- funded scare tactics about the deficit that are distracting us from the reality of the jobs crisis. We came away from the meeting with renewed dedication to a more coordinated strategy to challenge the right wing agenda and win good jobs for all.
For over a year, JwJ has been sounding the alarm that we are in an economic crisis calling for bold action and that there is no such thing as a “jobless recovery.” But leaders in Washington DC still don’t get it.
What we really need is a major jobs creation program, but the 15 million jobless Americans need support – NOW!
Unless Congress acts, 300,000 people will run out of unemployment benefits next week. Unless Congress continues jobless benefits, like the subsidy for COBRA payments, 144,000 per month will likely lose health coverage.
Hollander-Marriott purchased their downtown Courtyard site at a “deep discount” from taxpayers, snatched waterfront-mountain views from the taxpayer’s Convention Center, and “brutalized” the architecture of Tacoma taxpayer-financed luxury renaissance, according to the press. The City Council agreed to this in the name of jobs as Hollander-Marriott made promises to the Mayor, Council, and residents and their unions.
Dozens of protests planned for September 15
