Jobs with Justice Solidarity Calendar
Contents

 A Community Dialogue on Trade, A Critical Conversation, with dinner! 
   Migration and Job Loss, Monday, December 8th, 6:00 pm -9:00 pm, 306 NE Alberta
 Open House at the Day Labor Center, Wednesday, December 10th, 11am - 1pm, 240 NE MLK (corner of MLK and Everett)

Jobs with Justice Action Alert

National Jobs with Justice Week of Action
December 10th, International Human Rights Day

The Workers are "Key", Not the Banks!  No Bailouts for Union-Busting Banks!
Rally at the Bank!   Wed. December 10, 4:30pm
Key Bank, 726 SE Morrison St
Join Jobs with Justice for a week of action calling for a "People's Bailout" that fixes the real economy, restores a voice for working people in challenging corporate greed, provides emergency help to the victims of the crisis and begins building a fair economy that works for all, addressing crises in housing, health care, jobs, retirement security and the environment.

Key Bank was approved for $2.5 billion as part of the national bailout.   instead of using the money to give relief to those hardest hit in the current economy, Key Bank is misusing their bailout money to buy other banks and underwrite Oak Harbor Freight Lines, a company that has violated workers' rights by coercing and intimidating striking workers, discriminating against minorities and women and cutting off health care
for retired employees.

5. Save the Date! Saturday, January 31, 2009, 1:00-5:00pm, Town Hall on the Current Economic Crisis, First Unitarian Church, 1011 SW 12th Ave. at Salmon
 

It's the People's Bailout Week of Action! Find an action near you (updated daily) Tell Congress: We Demand a People’s Bailout Support Workers Occupying a Chicago Factory & Hold Bank of America Accountable Save Autoworker Jobs  As many predicted, the Wall Street Bailout has proven to be the gross give-away to the same financial bigwigs that have been pocketing millions while wrecking the real economy.  Little or no benefit has gone to the working people and the real economy, at a time that we face the greatest economic crisis since the 1930s.  By the time Obama is sworn in, hundreds of thousands of additional people will lose their jobs, lose their homes and lose their health care.     Tell Congress: We Demand a People’s Bailout   On Friday December 5th, the workers of Republic Windows and Doors, members of UE Local 1110, occupied their factory, which was due to close at 10:00 AM.  Republic Windows and Doors was forced to close after Bank of America, just weeks after taking $25 Billion in bailout money, turned its back on hundreds of workers making energy efficient doors and windows in Chicago by refusing to continue credit to the company.  To make matters even worse than putting 300 people out of work, Bank of America has instructed Republic to refuse to pay workers compensation they are legally entitled to, either earned vacation pay or the severance pay legally required under the WARN Act, in lieu of proper notice of plant closing.  Today is Day 4 of the occupation.  You can read more about the struggle in the NY Times and on the UE website.   Find an action near you (updated daily) Tell Congress: We Demand a People’s Bailout Support Workers Occupying a Chicago Factory & Hold Bank of America Accountable Save Autoworker Jobs  Send a letter to the following decision maker(s): President-Elect Barack Obama Your Congressperson Your Senators   Below is the sample letter: Subject: Support a People's Bailout Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here], As many predicted, the Wall Street Bailout has proven to be a give-away to the same financial bigwigs that have been pocketing millions while wrecking the real economy. Little or no benefit has gone to the working people and the real economy, at a time that we face the greatest economic crisis since the 1930s. The situation at Republic Windows and Doors, where workers are sitting-in to demand the pay they are due under the law after Bank of America witheld credit and forced the company to close suddenly, is just one example of how the Wall Street bailout money is doing nothing to help working people. It's time for a "People's Bailout" that fixes the real economy, restores a voice for working people in challenging corporate greed, provides emergency help to the victims of the crisis and begins building a fair economy that works for all. I ask you to immediately work to: - Pass a large economic stimulus/recovery package, on the scale of the emergency we face; - Pass the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA); - Stop evictions due to foreclosures; - Take emergency action so people losing jobs don't lose health care. - Lay the groundwork for a long-term recovery program including: Green jobs and clean energy; Restore worker justice, including EFCA and other reforms; Health care for all; Retirement security; Re-regulate the finance system and make the speculators pay to clean-up their mess; Fair policies on Trade and Migration, including renegotiating NAFTA and other trade agreements, to protect worker rights and the environment, ending ICE raids and supporting the rights of all workers, here and abroad. Sincerely, [Your Name]

3. A Community Dialogue on Trade, Migration and Job Loss, Monday, December 8th, 6:00 pm -9:00 pm, 306 NE Alberta
Issues of trade and migration affect all workers' ability to fight for rights in the workplace and rebuild the broken economy. Join us for dinner and a dialogue. We invite you to hear from workers and share your own experience and ideas on these topics: The race to the bottom, Job Outsourcing, Job Loss and Immigration.

 Hear stories from workers from both sides of the border whose jobs and livelihoods have been affected by Free Trade Agreements, workers in this country who have seen their employers undercut wages and benefits by hiring workers that can be exploited as cheap labor, and Immigrant workers about the conditions and exploitation that they face once they come to this country.

Current Co-Sponsors are The International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 8, The Northwest Worker Justice Project, Laborers Local 483, Laborers Northwest Regional Council, The Labor Education Research Center, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Locals 63 and 1005, Portland Peaceful Response, PSU Chapter of American Association of University Professors, State Representative Chip Shields, CAUSA, Oregon Fair Trade Campaign PCASC, SEIU Locals 49 and 503, AFSCME Council 75, AFSCME Local 88, The Inland Boatman's Union, The National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 82, The American Federation of Government Employees Local 2157, Voz the Workers Rights Education Project, The Beaverton Education Association, Northwest Region American Postal Workers Union, Ainsworth United Church of Christ, The Amalgamated Transit Union Division 757 and more are in the process of signing on. RSVP by December 4^th at 503-236-5573 or by email at eliana@jwjpdx.org
 

 

4. Open House at the Day Labor Center, Wednesday, December 10th, 11am - 1pm, 240 NE MLK (corner of MLK and Everett)

On behalf of the Voz Worker's Rights Education Project and the Day Labor Community we would like to invite you to our first open house. We are opening our doors to invite the larger labor community to meet day laborers and to see some of the fruits of our effort to better working conditions and wages for workers everywhere.  For more information contact Romeo at romeo@portlandvoz.org

5. Save the Date!
Saturday, January 31, 2009, 1:00-5:00pm, Town Hall on the Current Economic Crisis, First Unitarian Church, 1011 SW 12th Ave. at Salmon
Join us for a town hall meeting on the Economic Crisis. Hear from speakers and participate in breakout sessions focusing on educating ourselves on how we got into this mess and how we can take collective action to get out of it.