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By Chris Hicks, on March 25th, 2011
National Teach-in on Debt, Austerity and How People Are Fighting Back Tuesday, April 5th, 2011, at 2:00 PM
Wall Street Banks, American corporations and their political allies have declared a one-sided war on the American people. This war is being waged at our schools and colleges, on public employee unions, in our workplaces and in our communities.
Today, Americans are working harder and earning less while corporate profits soar. Homeowners, consumers and students are seeing their wealth being stripped away by banks. Our government plunges into debt waging trillion dollar wars. Meanwhile, our infrastructure erodes, climate change proceeds unchecked, our schools, daycare centers, senior facilities, clinics, parks and emergency services are all starved while corporations and elites get billions in tax breaks!
“Austerity” policies falsely suggest that spending on social needs is the reason why governments– at all levels– are facing massive budget short falls. NO! Our debt and deficit problems are a direct result of corporate tax breaks and extortionist bank practices that have lead to a scandalous and unprecedented transfer of wealth– from hardworking Americans to the richest segments of US society.
The courageous actions by the citizens in Wisconsin are an inspiring defense of the core values
Continue reading A Call to Learn, A Call to Escalate Action
By Chris Hicks, on February 25th, 2011
The United States Student Association and Jobs with Justice are excited to announce SLAP’s national Day of Action on March 2nd as a part of the Where’s the Funding? campaign.
Across the country students and workers are uniting in the fight against attacks to the public sector as conservative politicians push corporate agendas. Now is the time to step up and bring the student and labor movements closer together than we ever have as both are being targeted – sign up here to tell us what you’re doing on March 2nd.
As we fight back, what’s happening in Wisconsin has helped energize student labor solidarity nationally. Students, community, faith and unions have come under the same banner of social and economic justice and stood against the attacks on workers’ rights. “We are united in solidarity with our professors and teaching assistants, we fight for their rights. This is only the beginning for students, we will protect our education and Wisconsin’s education system,” commented Jolie Lizotte, United Council Board Member and UW-Madison undergraduate student. United Council of UW Students is an organization representing over 140,000 students on 20 campuses across the UW System and
Continue reading Students, Workers Unite to Save the Public Sector on March 2
By Chris Hicks, on February 25th, 2011
I’ve been saying it, I’ll say it now, and I’ll say it again; the movement that is happening in Madison is creating a relative epicenter for the progressive movement in the U.S.
Walking into the Capitol one encounters elementary, middle, and high school aged children. There are students, staff, and faculty from higher education institutions across the state. I don’t think anyone could even begin to imagine the impact this is having on our young people as they truly experience the epitome of democracy in action.
But it’s not just students and teachers; labor unions are well represented. There are public AND private sector employees. There have been marches of police and fire personnel, sometimes with bagpipes, around the Capitol. Walking home from the Capitol today I saw a large tanker truck sounding its horn as it drove around the Capitol Square.
So how did this all begin, and how did so many young people get involved? Speaking specifically from the undergraduate perspective we began organizing on Friday night branding our campaign around the idea that Mr. Walker is limiting collective bargaining, thus affecting the basic rights of our
Continue reading We Will Not Be Defeated
By Chris Hicks, on October 8th, 2010
 The Pell Grant will be underfunded by $5.5 billion next year. Tuition is going up 8% every year for a national average. Student debt is now the largest form of debt in the United States, surpassing credit card debt. 65,000 students are denied the right to an education every year based on their documentation status.
These somber facts and figures led to students walking out of classes and holding more than 75 rallies in 25 states yesterday, as higher education faces the largest crisis it has ever come up against. Students declared a National Day of Action to Defend Higher Education, organized in part by the Student Labor Action Project.
At Wichita State University, students created a guillotine with debt as the blade coming down on their heads. “Debt is cutting us off from the jobs we used to dream of having, like being a teacher,” said Aaron Rivers, a student at Wichita State. “It forces us into the corporate sector to find a higher paying job to pay off loans… and we don’t even know if these jobs exist.”
At the
Continue reading Budget Cuts Don’t Heal: Defend Higher Education Day of Action
By jwjnational, on October 6th, 2010
Tomorrow, Student Labor Action Project (SLAP) activists will participate in a national day of action to beat back state budget cuts to higher education. The October 7 Day of Action to Defend Higher Education is a follow up to walk-outs last March. Students will join with teachers and other public sector workers to demand state legislators stop cutting funds to public higher education.
List of SLAP actions. List of all actions.
Consider the story of Margaret Bastar, a SLAP student at the University of Central Florida in Orlando:
I worked hard while in high school to earn a 4.7 GPA, and an IB diploma that promised me 100% tuition and books for 4 years. I received 2 semesters of coverage on books before that changed, and every semester I study there seems to be less money, and I pay more. I don’t qualify for the Pell Grant, though I work hard and my mother doesn’t have the money to give me for school. I’ve exhausted every option I have in student loans. I have three jobs right now. In addition to being a student, I’m a Leasing Agent for Campus
Continue reading Tomorrow: National Day of Action to Defend Higher Education
By Maria Escobar, on April 26th, 2010
 The past two months have been unprecedented, filled with victories and actions that have proven to be successful in bringing real change to our communities.
The first victory for working class people was the passage of the Student Aid reform. This bill will take away subsidies given to loan companies and invest them into programs such as the Pell grant and community colleges. “Students across the country were able to see their amazing direct-action organizing payoff with comprehensive student aid reform becoming the law of the land,” said USSA President Gregory Cendana. “This is especially critical for working class students and families who have struggled the most in affording their education.”
The second victory was the agreement reached between for the Coalition of Immokalee workers, the Student Farmworker Alliance, and giant food service provider Aramark. Marc Rodriguez of the Student Farmworker Alliance said:
Aramark becomes the 8th major food corporation to agree to work with the CIW to improve wages and root out modern-day slavery in its tomato supply chain. This is a huge step forward for our campaign, because it means that the
Continue reading Student Labor Week of Action Builds on Successes
By Maria Escobar, on March 25th, 2010
Tonight we are on the verge of one of the biggest victories in the recent student movement: the passage of the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA).
 This victory has come with hard work from students nationwide who have marched, rallied and lobbied in support of this legislation. Last Tuesday as part of the U.S. Student Association’s Legislative Conference, hundreds of students swarmed Capitol Hill demanding the passage of this legislation and reminding their Senators that they should prioritize students and workers over banks. This effort by USSA has proven to be successful as we see the biggest reform in the student loan industry in the past years.
This march and victory is a great opening for the National Student Labor Week of Action. This week happening from March 28th and April 4th brings together students and workers in actions across the country demanding a prioritization in education and worker’s rights.
Check out the grid of actions to find an action near you!
Sign
Continue reading Major Victory to Kick-Off the National Student Labor Week of Action
By jwjnational, on March 24th, 2010
Students at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, FL held an all day rally on campus fighting for workers rights and student representation. They started at 8:00 AM and did not finish with everything until Midnight. The goal of the event was to raise student awareness about their own power and raise the awareness about low-wage workers on Eckerd’s campus (housekeeping, groundswork, maintenance, etc.). Throughout the day, students made signs, spoke with workers, other students, and the administration about their call for a living wage. Collaboration between other clubs provided creative and interesting ways for students to actively participate in the struggle for a living wage. Everything from planting seeds with the student run community garden to making and bagging sandwiches for the homeless of St. Petersburg happened throughout the day. The day ended with a vigil for women’s rights around the world and in the Eckerd Community, as most low-wage workers at Eckerd College are women.
The rally was organized by the Coalition for Community Justice, a student run organization dedicated to creating a socially responsible campus environment. They have been working for over 6 years for a living wage with little success. On March 4, they changed their reputation
Continue reading Eckerd College SLAP Rally Helps Workers Win
By Maria Escobar, on March 19th, 2010
 STUDENTS & WORKERS UNITE!
From March 28 to April 4, students and workers across the country are uniting on campuses and communities across the country to fight for ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION & GOOD, SUSTAINABLE JOBS.
Visit www.studentlabor.org to learn more. You can sign up, find an action near you, or download an organizing kit.
Want to participate, but not sure what to plan?
Justice at American Red Cross Day of Action – March 31st, 2010
Donor safety at risk
Red Cross is the largest supplier of blood and blood products in the United States, controlling more than 40 percent of the U.S. blood supply.
Campus blood drives are big business for Red Cross. In 2009, it had $2.2 billion in revenues from its blood operations.
 While giving blood addresses a critical medical need, Red Cross has a horrendous track record of protecting the safety of the U.S. blood supply. Since 2003, Red Cross has been fined $21 million for repeated safety failures. Decisions on additional fines are currently under consideration at the FDA.
Working
Continue reading Student Labor Week of Action! March 28-April 4
By Maria Escobar, on March 10th, 2010
 From Florida to California, March 4th marked an exceptional moment for the student and worker movement in recent U.S. history. People took to the streets to demonstrate their frustration with the government’s failure to pass legislation that would benefit young people such as Student Aid Reform and the DREAM Act. The mainstream media seemed taken by surprise of all these coordinated actions across the country – How could students and workers come together on one specific day? Was this an organized effort? Were people demanding change from the government and legislators?
I got the opportunity to march along with students, staff, and faculty at U-Mass Amherst. Being there reminded me about the power of organizing and strategic escalation. Students at this school provided a deadline for their administrators to accept their demands around fees, budget cuts, treating staff & faculty fairly, and improving the school’s climate. We will be watching their administrations’ response and actions to come. Check out video from the great actions at the University of Central Florida and the University of California system. You can also go to Continue reading Students and Workers Organizing for Justice
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