Dec. 16 Support USW in struggle with Goodyear
Please join ESSN/JwJ and JwJ chapters around the country
in supporting the United Steelworkers in their strike against
Goodyear Tire Co. Goodyear workers are striking to protect their
healthcare benefits and those of their retirees.
We will be delivering a petition and handing out leaflets
at the Goodyear store at 7th and Charnelton in Eugene, this Saturday
December 16th, at 9am. Please e-mail essn@efn.org
if you can make it !
Sept. 3 and Sept. 5
Action Alert! Speak Up and Stand Up for a Living Wage.
Two Chances to Show Your Support for a Living Wage!
FIRST:
Sunday September 3rd: KLCC's (89.7 FM) "Sunday at Noon" Program will feature
Claire Syrett, ESSN/JwJ Organizer, and the report ESSN/JwJ and LERC has
produced called "The Social Equity Factor". This report was compiled from
focus groups of workers and business owners to find out what people want
from "sustainable business."
Listen and call in to add your voice in support of businesses' that pay a
living wage, offer benefits and contribute to the well being of our
community. Mayor Kitty Piercy and Julie Daniel, Director of Bring Recycling
will also be on the program.
SECOND:
Tuesday September 5th
4:30 to 6:00 pm
Ferry Street Bridge (EWEB side near DeFazio Footbridge)
“Bridge the Economic Gap” with the Universal Living Wage
Join Living Wage activists across the country as we rally on bridges for a
federal living wage.
1 million homeless people could afford housing if we had a Universal Living
Wage.
Even with Oregon’s higher state minimum wage, the National Low-Income
Housing Coalition reports that a person would have to work 79 hours a week
to afford a two-bedroom apartment at fair market rent.
This year, 3.5 million people will experience homelessness almost half of
them workers unable to afford the cost of housing in their area. There are
10.1 million minimum wage workers in the US.
Minimum wage jobs, the ones that can’t be outsourced, were once
stepping-stones to better work. Now they are the jobs raising whole families
when coupled with subsidies.
The Universal Living Wage Campaign has a ten-year plan to fix the Federal
Minimum Wage by indexing it to the local cost of housing throughout the
United States.
By using existing government guidelines for military pay based on a 40 hour
work week, with a person spending no more than 30% of their income on
housing and using the HUD section 8 rental calculations we can ensure that
anyone working 40 hours in a week will be able to afford basic rental
housing, food, clothing, utilities, and access to health care through a
Universal Living Wage!
For more information and to join the campaign go to:
www.UniversalLivingWage.org
September 5th
“Bridge the Economic Gap” with the Universal Living Wage
Tuesday September 5th 4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Ferry Street Bridge
ESSN/JwJ joins in this nationwide action to promote the living wage and the
campaign to create a federal living wage.
http://www.universallivingwage.org/
August 25
No on Measures 41 & 48 Rally
Friday August 25th
12:30 – 1:00 p.m.
Campbell Senior Center
155 High St. (next to Skinner's Butte Park)
Join SEIU in raising the cry to VOTE NO on 41 & 48 (also known as TABOR)
These measures threaten our state’s most vulnerable residents.
Help push back against the out-of-state millionaire who are financing these
measures.
Hear from caregivers and their clients on how these two measures will gut
will devastate programs that serve Oregonians in need.
Save the Date: ESSN/JwJ Annual Meeting September 29,2006 6:30 PM Unitarian
Universalist Church 477 E. 40th Eugene
August 12
Don't miss the Labor Neighbor Canvass this Saturday August 12th from 9:30 to
Noon!
Enjoy the great weather while talking to union members about how they can
elect lawmakers who will stand up and fight for working families on health
care, good jobs and more!
The Lane County Labor Council, the Bus Project and others will be canvassing
for Vickie Walker who is in a tight race with former Eugene Mayor Jim
Torrey. Join them in the fight for working families!
When: Saturday August 12, 9:30 - Noon
Where: AFSCME Council 75
688 Charnelton
Eugene, Oregon
Food will be provided!
For more information contact Melanie Strahon, Labor Council Coordinator, at
(541)914-5555 or mstrahon@labor2006.org.
Although ESSN/JwJ does not endorse candidates for public office, we are very
supportive of our union sisters and brothers who work hard every year to get
out the vote for pro-labor candidates.
July 1
The Elected Board of EWEB needs to hear from you!
EWEB Rate Payers need to speak out for a fair settlement!
Support IBEW Local 659!
****Call Your EWEB Board of Commissioners ******
The union and EWEB have mediation scheduled for Monday morning.
Call your EWEB Commissioner today and tell them to accept the union's latest
concession.
Tell EWEB you expect them to settle with retroactive pay for these workers
who had
a contract IMPOSED on them by the EWEB Board.
Tell them you don't want scabs or out of state workers running your public
utility!
Make sure to tell them if you are an EWEB customer! This is a public utility
and should be responsive to the public!
EWEB Board of Commissioners Contact Information
Sandra Bishop (At large) 345-3277
345-5001
sandrabishopeweb@pacinfo.com
Ron Farmer (Ward 4 & 5) 687-0489
ronald.l.farmer@bankofamerica.com
Patrick Lanning (Ward 2 & 3) 334-5098
lanningp@lanecc.edu
Mel Menegat (Ward 6& 7) 345-4450
menegatmm@aol.com
John Simpson (Ward 1 & 8) 345-0858
john.simpson@eweb.eugene.or.us
Visit the EWEB website to find who your commissioner is:
www.eweb.org/About/commissioners/ward_map.htm
June 13
HELP SAVE WESTMORELAND STUDENT HOUSING
Eugene Can't Afford to Lose its Affordable Housing.
Support the Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation and their Student & Community Allies!
When: Today June 13 between 6 and 9 PM (Most supporters will be speaking around 7 pm)
Where: Westmoreland Community Center, 2065 W. 16th Way (off Arthur) in Eugene
If you cannot attend the hearing, send a letter to the address below this month. Eugene Citizens for Affordable Housing will forward it to the State Board before their July 14th meeting in Portland. We must speak out against the theft of this wonderful public resource because it’s the right thing to do!
See email below for more information
{ ESSN/JwJ tries to limit the number of Action Alerts we send in a week. We hope you will understand the critical nature of the actions we have chosen to forward and forgive the fact that there have been numerous Alerts in the past week. Thank you for your understanding.}
---
Eugene-Springfield Solidarity Network/ Jobs with Justice
PO Box 10272
Eugene, OR 97440
phone: (541) 736-9041
email: essn@efn.org
http://www.solidaritynetwork.org
-----Original Message-----
From: Hope Marston [mailto:hmarston@epud.net]
Sent: Monday, June 12, 2006 10:13 PM
To: hmarston@epud.net
Subject: Save Westmoreland Student Housing -- Tomorrow (Jun 13) 6 to 9 p.m.
-----Original Message-----
From: David Zupan [mailto:dzupan@msn.com]
HELP SAVE WESTMORELAND STUDENT HOUSING
Below is the op ed which will be in the RG . If you can make it, come to the hearing around 7 PM when most supporters of Westmoreland will be there. Otherwise anytime between 6 and 9 PM for 2-5 mins!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
We invite you to join friends and neighbors in testifying briefly tomorrow any time between 6 and 9 PM on behalf of saving Westmoreland at the Westmoreland Community Center, 2065 W. 16th Way (off Arthur). If you cannot attend the hearing, send a letter to the address below this month. We’ll forward it to the State Board before their July 14th meeting in Portland, which we encourage you to attend. We must speak out against the theft of this wonderful public resource because it’s the right thing to do!
Eugene Citizens for Affordable Housing – phone: 484-9167
OP ED: WE CAN AND MUST ACT NOW TO SAVE WESTMORELAND HOUSING FOR THE GOOD OF THE COMMUNITY
Recent press releases from the University of Oregon reveal a carefully orchestrated attempt to undermine the majority opinion of the community that the proposed sale of Westmoreland Family Housing is wrong. The UO spin control message is, “This is a done deal. Don’t bother resisting this decision because it won’t make any difference.”
We want to assure the community that we can stop the sale of Westmoreland because there are still many significant obstacles to the UO proposal and many serious flaws in their position.
Elected officials have raised serious objections to the UO plan, especially after two hours of testimony at a December forum sponsored by community and student groups and attended by more than 100 people. Far West, Jefferson and Friendly Street Neighborhood Associations have passed formal resolutions opposing the sale. Numerous campus groups are united in opposition including the UO Faculty Senate that voted twice against the sale despite heavy lobbying by the President. The reputation of this UO Administration is tarnished for pushing this misguided proposal.
Obstacles to the sale include the fact that the UO Administration has no legal right to sell Westmoreland. The real property owner, the State Board of Higher Education, may decide at their July 14th meeting at PSU in Portland not to approve the sale based on strong opposition from community members like you! Even if the Board approves the transfer, many legal and land use limitations may stop the UO from selling Westmoreland.
Westmoreland is zoned only for Public Land uses which means only a public agency or a non-profit can use the property. A change to private ownership requires legal rezoning and public input. It also creates another legally challengeable decision. Our organization is prepared to pursue legal remedies to demonstrate that the UO’s proposed action does not comply with Oregon law.
Despite the rhetoric about caring for its students, the UO’s plan to sell Westmoreland demonstrates misplaced priorities. A few UO administrators are eager to surrender 406 units of well-maintained, affordable housing in a truly diverse and safe student family community. Clearly they are not in touch with the hardships of low and middle class students and non-traditional, minority and international student families who find it increasingly difficult to afford higher education.
Affordable rents allow these diverse populations to gain access to the UO. Westmoreland also attracts high quality graduate students, who teach and do vital research, thereby furthering the academic mission of the University.
Yet Westmoreland costs the UO nothing. By law University Housing is a “self-supporting auxiliary” and all debt service, maintenance and management must be paid from student rent. Westmoreland has retired its debt and now generates surplus revenue. FY2005 Westmoreland rent provided $300,000 to service debt at the newer Spencer View Family Housing.
Without Westmoreland, rents at Spencer View would rise. If Spencer View were no cheaper, Westmoreland families would seek less expensive commercial rentals. The impact would be significant because of what is already described as a dismal market for renters with safe, affordable units in short supply.
At current rates, the difference between rent at Spencer View and Westmoreland amounts to a savings of $1 million dollars a year to tenants. This “savings” enables the university to provide incentives that further its academic mission by increasing access and diversity and attracting high quality graduate students. It costs the UO nothing because lower rents in effect create this subsidy.
Why liquidate student housing that is in significant demand? The short answer is that UO officials hope it would be “a better return on investment.” But at what cost? We cannot afford this misguided plan with its vague timelines and its risky exchange of real estate. Self-sustainable housing should not be used to fund building projects. Even if the proposed sale of Westmoreland would facilitate the proposed basketball arena project, it would also undermine the academic mission of the university and forever eliminate almost all affordable housing for Oregon college students and their families.
We invite you to join friends and neighbors in testifying briefly tonight any time between 6 and 9 PM on behalf of saving Westmoreland at the Westmoreland Community Center, 2065 W. 16th Way (off Arthur). If you cannot attend the hearing, send a letter to the address below this month. We’ll forward it to the State Board before their July 14th meeting in Portland, which we encourage you to attend. We must speak out against the theft of this wonderful public resource because it’s the right thing to do!
David Zupan, member
Daniel Stotter, attorney
Some of the other writers who helped: Kathy Ging, Aria Seligmann, Karl Sorg
representing Eugene Citizens for Affordable Housing, PO Box 5031, Eugene 97405 phone: 484-9167
June 2
JOIN THE ESSN/JWJ “BUREAU OF WORKER HEALTH” AND “QUARANTINE” WAL-MART
WHEN: Friday June 2nd 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM
WHERE: 4550 West 11th Ave. Wal Mart, Eugene - Meet at the east end of the
Target parking lot to get your Haz Mat suit, "Caution" tape and Quarantine
Notices.
WHAT: On Friday, June 2, as Wal-Mart convenes its annual shareholders
meeting, thousands of concerned citizens
in hazmat suits, face shields and rubber gloves will attempt to "quarantine"
Wal-Mart and related businesses in 30 actions across the country.
WHO: This "Bureau of Workers Health" is organized by Jobs with Justice and
the Ruckus
Society. Locally, the Eugene Springfield Solidarity Network will be armed
with yellow caution tape, health hazard signs, and "Notices of Quarantine."
CONTACT: Local Quarantine Co-coordinator John Evans 684-0038
Go to for more information: www.QuarantineWalmart.com
May 24
Support Workers & Protect Nursing Home Residents!
Join caregivers, family members and advocates in a public forum that will
discuss how Pinnacle Health Care Inc, which operates nursing homes in the
Eugene-Springfield area, contributes to the nursing home crisis in the area.
This forum will address Pinnacle’s troubling record regarding resident care
and workers' rights.
When: Wednesday May 24, 5:30 p.m.
Where: First United Methodist Church
1376 Olive Street, Eugene
Expert witnesses will provide testimony to a panel of community leaders on:
The responsibility to provide quality of care:
State inspectors have found harm-level deficiencies and incidents of abuse
at Pinnacle nursing homes in 2004-2005.The Department of Human Services has
assessed thousands of dollars in civil penalties against the homes within
that period.
The right to organize for the common good:
To date, Pinnacle has bribed, threaten, coerced and fired workers who have
dared to exercise their right to form a union.
For more information contact: Bobby Hayden, Nurses Aide(503) 781-3383
Matthew Rae (541)434-9513 or ESSN/JwJ.
May 18
Friday May 19th Take Action! – Call on Congress to Oppose the US-Oman Free
Trade Agreement
Monday May 22 "No More NAFTAs" Forum 6:00 pm Deady Hall Room 106, U of
Campus (more details below)
Call In Details:
IN THE SENATE…
Our Oregon Senators will soon have a chance to derail the US-Oman Free
Trade Agreement. Both Wyden and Smith sit on the Senate Finance Committee
which will hold hearings on the Oman Free Trade Agreement (OFTA) as early
as next week. Their opposition to OFTA is critical to derailing this
misguided trade deal. So make a call today:
Senator Gordon Smith • 202.224.3753 | Senator Ron Wyden • 202.224.5244
Remind our Senators that we need trade policy that boosts Oregon jobs, not
sweatshops in the Middle East. In Oman today, independent labor unions are
forbidden royal decree and more than 30% of the workforce is made up of
guestworkers from other countries who are especially vulnerable to
sweatshop labor conditions.
IN THE HOUSE…
Four Oregon Reps are stepping up to oppose the deal including
Rep. Darlene Hooley.........(503) 557-1324
Rrp. David Wu...............(800) 422-4003
Rep. Earl Blumenauer........(503) 231-2300
Rep. Peter Defazio..........(541) 465-6732
*** Let them know we support their bold leadership to stop this trade
agreement.***
And don’t forget Rep. Greg Walden, the only Oregon representative to for
CAFTA last year has yet to take a position on OFTA. Call Walden toll free
in his district: 1-800-533-3303
More info at www.citizenstrade.org/oman.php
‘No More NAFTAs’ The Oregon Fair Trade Campaign's workshop on the effects
of free trade and global outsourcing on Oregon workers.
Date: Monday May 22 2006,
Time: 6:00pm - 7:30 pm
Location: 106 Deady Hall, U of O Campus (East of Kincaid at the end of
12th Ave.)
Contact: Oregon Fair Trade Campaign (503) 736-9777 or ESSN/Jobs with
Justice (541) 736-904
The Oregon Fair Trade Campaign’s ‘No More NAFTAs’ workshop features
findings from 100 interviews with Oregonians who lost jobs due to free
trade and
outsourcing will be presented. Hosted by the Associated Students of
the University of Oregon with support from the Eugene/Springfield
Solidarity Network/Jobs with Justice
Event is free and open to all students, faculty, and community members.
May 17, 2006
EWEB Workers Walking the Line for Health Care!
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 657 needs your
support today!
****Call Your EWEB Board of Commissioners ******
Tell them you don't want scabs working for your public utility!
Tell them you want them to agree to binding arbitration.
Make sure to tell them if you are an EWEB customer! This is a public utility
and should be
responsive to the public!
(Contact information below)
*****Show your support at tonight’s EWEB Board meeting:
EWEB BOARD ROOM
500 E. 4 TH AVENUE
7:30 P.M.
*****Join the IBEW Picket Line!********
Show up to support and help with informational picketing. Starting
today, they are picketing on Coburg Rd. and 3rd (just south of the River
at the Ferry Street Bridge area--try parking on 3rd just off Coburg Rd.
and walking back). They will be picketing from 6:00 - 6:45 am, 3:30-
4:30 pm & 5:30 - 6:30 pm.
EWEB Board of Commissioners
Contact Information
Sandra Bishop (At large) 345-3277
345-5001
sandrabishop@pacificinfo.com
Ron Farmer (Ward 4 & 5) 687-0489
Ronald.i.farmer@bankofamerica.com
Patrick Lanning (Ward 2 &3) 334-5098
lanningp@lanecc.edu
Mel Menegat (Ward 6& 7) 345-4450
menegatemm@aol.com
John Simpson (Ward 1 & 8) 345-0858
JohnSimpson@eweb.or.us
Visit the EWEB website to find who your commissioner is:
www.eweb.org/About/commissioners/ward_map.htm
May 8, 2006
EWEB Workers Need Your Support!
Members of the IBEW 657 are holding pickets Today, Tuesday and Wendesday
from 3:30 pm to 6:30 pm on the Ferry Street Bridge.
Join Them and Show your Support for these workers who are fighting for
better health care and may vote to strike this week!
May 1, 2006
EWEB Workers are engaged in an informational picket in front of the EWEB building on 4th and on the Ferry Street Bridge
Join them in support Today at 3:30 pm and Monday May 1 at 7:00 a.m. They have mediation on May 4th and need our support!
Stand with immigrant workers on International Workers Day May Day:
National Day of Action !!!
What is happening on May 1?
On Monday, May 1st - International Worker’s Day - immigrants in Oregon and throughout the country will demonstrate the power of their economic contributions by not shopping or working.
Please !! join us for a Rally on Monday, May 1 at the Federal Building on 7th & Pearl. We gather at 3pm - Rally begins at 4pm. Wear white for peace and solidarity ! Bring signs and banners !!!
The struggle for immigrants is not over !! Once again we ask you to stand together in solidarity with Immigrants all across this country.
We are calling for just immigration reform that provides a pathway to citizenship for the 12 million undocumented immigrants currently in the United States, reunites families, and protects workers and our civil liberties.
For more information contact : Guadalupe Quinn at 688-7376
Lane County Regional Coordinator for CAUSA Oregon's Immigrant Rights Coalition
April 30, 2006
RALLY TO STOP THE GENOCIDE IN DARFUR
Join the Lane County Darfur Coalition for a National Day of Action
Sunday, April 30th, 2pm
Proclaimed ‘Eugene Stop Genocide Day’
By Mayor Kitty Piercy
Wayne Morse Free Speech Plaza (8th & Oak)
We must demand from our government that the U.S. take action to help stop
the murders, rapes and other crimes against humanity that are currently
taking place in Darfur, Sudan.
Opening circle led by Sheik Ishaq Jud
Speakers including: Paul Jeffrey, eye witness in Darfur, Rabbi Yitzak
Husbands-Hankin,
and Ibrahim Hamide
Spoken word performance by Iana
Closing: music by Kudana Marimba
April 17, 2006
Stand Up for the Universal Living Wage!
When: Monday, April 17th- Tax Day from 4:30-6:00 pm
Where: Downtown Eugene Post Office
In every state of the union people will rally to demand a federal living
wage!
Forget the Minimum Wage - We want a Living Wage!
The Universal Living Wage Campaign is fighting to Fix the Federal Minimum
Wage. The coalition includes the National NAACP, the National Coalition for
the Homeless, and more than 1,400 national, state, and local organizations,
businesses, religious groups and unions across America.
The campaign's simple formula will ensure that anyone working 40 hours in a
week will be able to afford basic rental housing wherever that work is done
throughout the United States.
We have found that American business has grown to rely on government
subsidies to pick up that portion of the basic wage that they have failed to
provide. Workers have been forced in ever increasing numbers to depend on
food stamps, general assistance, and TANF, which Congress intended to be
emergency, stop gap measures. Instead, many businesses have used these
government supports to meet basic payroll. A national shift is occurring
from the business responsibility of paying a “fair wage for a fair day’s
work” to creating an ever increasing burden on tax payers.
We know that if business paid its employees a fair living wage, we could
dramatically reduce the burden to tax payers across America.
Additionally, passage of the Universal Living Wage will end homelessness for
over 1,000,000 minimum wage workers.
After five years of local and national organizing, we have asked our
supporting organizations to join us at Post Offices across America and call
for a Universal Living Wage. On April 17th we will be in scores of cities
and in every single state.
National Contact: Richard R. Troxell
National Chairman
(512) 796-436
rrtroxell@aol.com
Local Contact: Claire Syrett
Eugene-Springfield Solidarity Network/ Jobs with Justice
PO Box 10272
Eugene, OR 97440
phone: (541) 736-9041
email: essn@efn.org
http://www.solidaritynetwork.org
April 9 2006
OREGON WORKS BECAUSE IMMIGRANTS WORK!
March for Dignity and Justice for Immigrant Workers
A million mobilized in Los Angeles, 100,000 in Chicago, and thousands in Portland and dozens of cities.
Now it is time to mobilize in Salem
as Congress decides on a legalizion program
or criminalization for the 12 million undocumented immigrants.
NO TO “HR 4437”
YES TO LEGALIZATION
SUNDAY APRIL 9
Gather at 2 pm; Rally and March at 3 pm.
Oregon State Capitol (900 Court St NE) Salem
Wear a white shirt - symbol of peace
For more information, call: Woodburn (503) 982-0243 Ext. 213
Salem: 503-315-2290 Eugene: 541- 968-6534 Portland: 503-233-6787
VOZ: Workers' Rights Education Project
CAUSA
Marcha por la Dignidad y Justicia de los Trabajadores Inmigrantes
OREGON TRABAJA PORQUE LOS INMIGRANTES TRABAJAMOS
En los Angeles, Chicago, Portland y decenas de ciudades,
La Raza ya se DESPERTO! y ahora nos toca en SALEM
Porque el Congreso pronto decidirá:
Legalización y/o castigos nuevos
NO A LA “HR 4437”
SI A LA LEGALIZACION
DOMINGO 9 DE ABRIL
Baile Azteca a las 2 pm, Marcha las 3 pm
En el Capitolio (mono de Oro) en Salem
PONTE TU PLAYERA BLANCA - EMBLEMA DE PAZ
Si deseas ayudar o tener mas información llamanos al (503) 982-0243 Ext. 207
Salem: 503-315-2290 Eugene: 541- 968-6534 Portland: 503-233-6787
VOZ: Workers' Rights Education Project
April 3, 2006
Contact: Nina Triffleman, Women's School Coordinator
Labor Center, The Evergreen State College
Telephone: (360) 867-6055; email: trifflen@evergreen.edu
The 16th Annual Summer School for Union Women and Community Activists
June 28 - July 2, 2006, Olympia, Washington
The Evergreen State College Labor Center is hosting its 16th annual Summer School for Union Women and Community Activists from June 28 - July 2, 2006 in Olympia, Washington. This year the school's theme is Women Bringing It Back Together: Building Alliances between Union and Community Activists to Realize Our Goals Locally and Globally.
The Summer School is a unique leadership program that helps women light their passion and find their voice in the labor movement. Discussions and brainstorming sessions happen in small working groups facilitated by past graduates of the school. This format enables participants to share their knowledge and skills. It provides a space for women to appreciate the diverse backgrounds/viewpoints they each bring to the movement.
Come develop creative organizing and leadership skills! Learn how we as women can build a grassroots labor movement from the bottom up by discovering our common ground, forging alliances, and sharing our strategies with community activists in the process of organizing. A past summer school graduate had this to say: "The Summer School was fantastic… but the best part is seeing my sisters come home each year fired up and how our local just gets better and stronger because of it." We are all indeed, the leaders we have been looking for!
Registration costs are $475.00, including meals and on-campus lodging; $410.00 for on-campus meals and lodging with child-care reduction; and $380.00 for commuters. The registration deadline is June 12th but space is limited to 60 participants so we encourage you to apply soon.
For further program and registration information or for help on obtaining scholarships, contact Nina Triffleman at (360) 867-6525; email, trifflen@evergreen.edu, or visit our website at www.evergreen.edu/laborcenter
Tuesday April 4
40 Years of Peace and Justice!
Community Alliance of Lane County Presents:
A Time to Break Silence
7 pm, Tuesday, April 4, 2006
First Christian Church
1166 Oak St., Eugene
No one who has any concern for the integrity and
life of America today can ignore the present war.
Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke those words on April 4, 1967. Exactly a year later, he was assassinated. To remember Dr. King and to lift up his still urgent message, Community Alliance of Lane County (CALC) is presenting a dramatic reading with diverse voices of A Time to Break Silence. Carol Horne is directing the reading of the prophetic 1967 speech, in which King connected the war on Vietnam with the struggle for social justice, and named the root causes of militarism, racism and materialism. The 7 pm event on April 4, 2006 will be at First Christian Church, 1166 Oak St. in Eugene. The program includes Images of War and Resistance, and dance pieces, Hip Hop Hope, by Culture Jam, and A Better Way, by People Embracing a Collaborative Experience.
Dr. King made his historic speech at Riverside Church in NYC under the auspices of Clergy and Laymen Concerned About Vietnam, as CALC was then known, and he was co-chair of CALCAV until his death. The April 4 presentation is the first in a series of anniversary events commemorating CALC’s forty years of working for peace and justice in Lane County.
March21, 2006
Take action today!
Send a message to Congress opposing the Sensenbrenner Bill
This repressive legislation will make criminals of people seeking work, as well as those who offer them water, food or shelter.
Join the 100,000 people who marched in Chicago to oppose this legislation.
You can take action from the website listed here: http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/usas_sensenbrenner/
More details:
On December 16, 2005 a rushed piece of legislation, "the Sensenbrenner Bill", was passed through the House. The bill gained fame as the most anti-immigrant legislation in recent history. It specifically targets day labor workers' centers for fines and would essentially close them down. It proposes to build a wall between Arizona and Mexico, classify all 11 million people currently in the U.S. without papers as aggravated felons and would charge anyone who aids undocumented people in any way with an aggravated felony. In other words...
If you find someone bleeding on the street and offer them a ride to the hospital where you find out they don't have papers, you just got charged with trafficking.
If you have a worker appreciation day for your custodial staff, some of whom may not be documented, you become a felon under this law.
Since its passage in the House, communities across the country have mobilized in opposition. Tens of thousands have rallied at the capital and in cities across the country with over 100,000 people marching in Chicago under the Banner "No to Sensenbrenner. We Are America." The Senate judiciary committee on immigration is currently reviewing a bill proposed by Senator Specter that would have similar provisions in a more watered-down form.
One piece that is rarely mentioned in all this activity is the affect such legislation would have on day labor workers centers like the Albany Park Workers' Center in Chicago or CTIWorC in Austin, TX or CHIRLA in Los Angeles. The bills would cut government funding to such Centers, require extensive immigration status checks, and prohibit municipalities from requiring the involvement in businesses that drive the day labor market. This is on top of already making all undocumented workers and anyone who aids them a felon. Essentially, it would force day laborers back to the street corners and into the shadows instead of passing reforms that would increase their ability to integrate into the U.S. and its workforce.
We need your help to defeat this legislation. Please go to http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/usas_sensenbrenner/ and send a letter to your Senator urging them to vote no on any bill that would negatively impact day labor workers centers.
---
Eugene-Springfield Solidarity Network/ Jobs with Justice
PO Box 10272
Eugene, OR 97440
phone: (541) 736-9041
email: essn@efn.org
http://www.solidaritynetwork.org
March 18, 2006
“Let’s Take Back Our America” March 18th March & Rally - Details Below
Workers and Peaceniks Unite!
End the War/Social Justice for All
ESSN/JwJ is rallying our union sisters and brothers to join other
progressive activists.
Stand up for our American way of life.
Show your union and American pride.
On the Third Anniversary of the invasion of Iraq it is time to bring our
focus back to this country and re-invest in our communities.
This is an historic opportunity to build community solidarity by joining
with those concerned with peace, civil liberties, environmental protection
and civil rights.
If we all stand together we can win justice for workers and win back our
county.
Please wear and bring your union shirts, buttons, banners and signs.
ESSN is gathering at the Lane County Fair Grounds (near the Wheeler
Pavilion) to start our March.
Join Us!
At 10:30 am, groups will assemble in three different venues:
Lane Co. Fairgrounds Wheeler Pavilion, procession led by Eugene Peace Choir
Alton Baker Park pedestrian Bridge, procession led by Samba Ja.
U of O-EMU, procession leader TBA
At 11 am processions will proceed and converge at noon on the Federal
Building for a series of speakers and musicians rallying to " Lets Take Back
Our America!"