Jobs with Justice Blog » michigan

Sit-In in Indiana, Huge Protest in Ohio, and more!

Allison Fletcher Acosta — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 22:25:41 +0000

The stories of worker solidarity across the country are breaking on a daily minute-by-minute basis! Here’s a quick update:

INDIANA

Central Indiana JwJ organized a sit-in at the Statehouse today to protest the Right to Work bill that passed out of committee yesterday. The sit-in was suspended when word came that Democrats had left the Statehouse in order to block the bill was moving forward.

Meanwhile, the Indianapolis Star reports that Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels “signaled this afternoon that Republicans should drop the right-to-work bill that has brought the Indiana House to a standstill for two days and imperiled other measures.” Mitch isn’t the only Governor who’s worried about the people power on display from workers and community across the midwest – Republican Governors Rick Scott of Florida and Rick Snyder of Michigan also went on the record to say their states should continue to support collective bargaining rights for public workers.

OHIO

An estimated 10,000-15,000 people are rallying

Continue reading Sit-In in Indiana, Huge Protest in Ohio, and more!

Foreclosure Stopped! Belva Davis Will Stay in Her Home

Allison Fletcher Acosta — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:42:01 +0000

Under pressure from the community, Jobs with Justice, and other groups, Wells Fargo has agreed to terms that will allow Belva Davis to stay in her home.

Homeowner Belva Davis of Detroit’s East English Village fell behind on her mortgage while unemployed. Last December, Wells Fargo started to foreclose on Belva’s home.

Belva got a new job, and wanted to renegotiate terms and pay the mortgage. For months Wells Fargo refused to modify Belva’s loan, but they weren’t counting on the outpouring of support Belva got from her neighbors and allies throughout Detroit and across the country.

Belva’s struggle to stay in her home turned a corner after SE Michigan Jobs with Justice brought labor into the fight. On September 29, more than 50 people picketed the Wachovia/Wells Fargo branch office in Grosse Point Woods, MI to demand that Wells Fargo not evict Belva Davis and the thousands of homeowners like her who have fallen behind on their mortgages.

Immediately following the rally, the bank called Belva’s
Continue reading Foreclosure Stopped! Belva Davis Will Stay in Her Home

Michigan Activists Rally Against Wachovia /Wells Fargo Evictions

Allison Fletcher Acosta — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:44:18 +0000

On September 29, more than 50 people picketed the Wachovia/Wells Fargo branch office in Grosse Point Woods, MI. They rallied to demand that Wells Fargo not evict Belva Davis and the thousands of homeowners like her who have fallen behind on their mortgages.

Homeowner Belva Davis of Detroit’s East English Village fell behind on her mortgage while unemployed. She has a new job and wants to pay the mortgage, but Wells Fargo refuses to modify the loan.

Last year, bailout bandit Wells Fargo pocketed $25 billion in taxpayer money. Even after the government gave it another $2.8 billion to modify mortgages, Wells Fargo has restructured only 6% of its eligible loans, well below most banks (see http://www.makinghomeaffordable.gov/).

Wells Fargo spends millions lobbying against pro-citizen bills like the Employee Free Choice Act, the Foreclosure Prevention Act (S 2636), and House Bill 3609, which would allow judges to modify mortgages. Where is the bailout for Wells Fargo customers & their neighborhoods?