Welcome to Philadelphia Jobs with Justice
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
It's hard to believe it, but this year Philly JwJ is turning fifteen. That's fifteen years of fighting for worker justice-- and we think it's an occasion to celebrate with old friends.
 So on May 7th, we'll be using our annual Solidarity Awards dinner to celebrate our founding supporters.
Jobs with Justice Solidarity Awards Dinner
May 7th, 5:30 pm
1315 Spruce Street, Philadelphia
honoring some of our founding member organizations:
• AFSCME 1199c
• AFSCME DC 33
• AFSCME DC 47
• CWA District 2-13
• SEIU 32BJ Local 1201
• USW 10-1
…and two special individuals:
• Liz McElroy, former Philadelphia Jobs with Justice labor co-chair
• John Braxton, Philadelphia Jobs with Justice founder
We hope you'll join us as we celebrate fifteen years of fighting for justice!
posted by gwen at 5:06pm
Friday, January 24, 2014
Hey, JwJers--
The state legislature just got back from recess, but conservatives in Harrisburg aren't losing any time in pushing forward an aggressively anti-worker agenda.
One push is for HB 1507, an insidious bill that could literally decimate unions in our state. Drafted by the corporate masterminds at ALEC and backed by the money and muscle of the Koch brothers, HB would prevent unions from collecting dues via payroll the way charities like United Way collect donations-- forcing unions to spend an enormous amount of money and time on a process that's easily automated.
We'll be heading down to Harrisburg next Tuesday, January 28th, to rally at the Rotunda and let our legislators know we won't stand for HB 1507.
Can you join unions, workers advocates, and community allies in telling Harrisburg to vote with the workers, not the Walmarts? Click here to reserve a ride on buses donated by AFSCME 1199c.
Buses will leave from AFSCME 1199c (1319 Locust St) at 7:00 am, 1/28-- please arrive at 6:30 am.
Meanwhile, another bill, HB 1960, would prevent local governments like Philadelphia from requiring paid sick days. If it passes, it would prevent our city from doing the right thing for public health and worker rights.
Whether you can make it to Harrisburg or not, we need you to take action today and tell legislators they work for the people, not for corporations:
• Email your legislators and tell them NO WAY on HB 1507!
• Call members of the House Labor Committee and tell them NO to HB 1960!
We hope you can join us as we remind our legislators that in a true democracy, the government serves the people-- not the corporations.
posted by gwen at 3:27pm
Monday, November 18, 2013
First, in case you missed it-- we're having a happy hour at Bards (2013 Walnut) at 6 pm tonight. Good people, Guinness (union-made!), and a chance to get caught up on all the exciting stuff happening at JwJ-- be sure to stop by.
Now, on to business: The Scrooge of the Year contest marches on!
Thanks to everyone who submitted nominations-- it's time to vote in the Scrooge runoff and narrow down the options to our final candidates.
You nominated:
• Mayor Nutter
• Governor Corbett
• Philadelphia School Reform Commission
• Post Brothers
• Eric Cantor
• David Cohen (of Comcast)
• Ballard Spahr
• ASPIRA Charters
Guys, you know Scrooge-ness when you see it!
So let's get to it and pick the final seven--be sure to vote in the runoff and at the end of the week, we'll announce the final candidates.
Final voting will work kind of like US elections: every dollar buys you a vote. Once we get the final seven candidates, it's on to the final election! From Wednesday until THE RECKONING (12/12, 5:30pm @Bards), we'll open the polls (online and by check) for voting for the Scrooge finalist.
Solidarity, and happy hunting!
posted by gwen at 12:33pm
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
This December, Philly JwJ will be hosting our first annual Scrooge of the Year-- a holiday party with attitude. Now through Friday, we're accepting nominations for our Scrooge of the Year award by email and on Facebook.
How do you spot a Scrooge? Dickens tells it like it is: “a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone… a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner!"
Is there a particularly evil and Ebeneezer-like character you'd like to see visited by the Ghost of Injustices Past?
Be sure to get your nomination in via email or Facebook by Friday!
After a runoff to determine the final candidates, make sure to vote for your final choice of Scrooge, to be announced at...
Scrooge of the Year: THE RECKONING.
December 12th, 5:30 pm
Location: Bards (2013 Walnut Street, Phila)
Tickets: $15.00 per person (votes $1.00 each)
RSVP on Facebook.
Oh, and by the way: in the spirit of true American democracy, every dollar will buy you a vote. So get your nominations in, put the party on your calendar, and then get set to join us for the Scrooge of the Year: THE RECKONING. There, we will serve our final judgment. Also, buffalo wings!
posted by gwen at 3:50pm
Monday, October 21, 2013
Our Good Neighbor campaign to make mega-nonprofits pay their fair share is gaining serious traction. Stories about making local mega-nonprofits pay their fair share have been recently featured in the Inquirer, the Daily News, KYW, and several other local news sources.
And mega-nonprofits are getting nervous. Last week, they released a report (funded and commissioned, of course, by them) claiming they shouldn't have to pay their fair share. Mega-nonprofits are on the defensive, and we need to keep the pressure on.
Join us tonight for our monthly happy hour, and find out how to get involved:
Monthly Happy Hour at Bards!
2013 Walnut Street
6:00- 7:30 pm
posted by gwen at 12:40pm
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Last week, Penn SLAP announced a second victory in their Justice on the Menu campaign! On Monday, September 30, they announced that the rest of the non-unionized full time Bon Appetit employees won union recognition after a card check with Bon Appetit Management Company.
Here’s an excerpt from Penn SLAP’s announcement:
“This victory is the product of a unique partnership between students and dining hall workers who have come together to demand change on their campus and in their workplace. Using creative tactics and building strong relationships, Pennstudents and workers built a strong alliance that enabled this victory.
“What has happened today shows that worker and student power is built through relationships, community-building, and a shared vision of a better future” said Eliana Machefsky, a senior at Penn and organizer in the PennStudent Labor Action Project. “When students and workers stand together, real power is built.”
This comes as the second round of union recognition this year. In the spring semester, students in the PennStudent Labor Action Project worked alongside members of the Falk Dining Commons as they went public with their concerns about the workplace and then unanimously voted for union recognition by Teamsters Local 929 last April. The card check this morning formalized Teamsters Local 929 as the union representation for the latest round of workers as well.”
Find out more here: www.justiceonthemenu.com
posted by penny at 8:04pm
Saturday, October 5, 2013
The 2013 Taproot Training was a huge success!
A diverse group of students, representatives from organized labor, community organizers, and trainers spent the weekend of September 20-22 learning the basics of the JwJ model of social change.
The training covered a wide range of topics from the components of a successful meeting, to understanding what motivates our opponents, to what makes up a long term strategy. Two important points from the training were that power and money are neutral. It is the values of the people who have power and money that determines whether they are good or bad.
Armed with these tools, we are ready to grow our organized people and organized money to build power here in Philadelphia!
**Interested in participating in the training next year? Be on the lookout for more information soon for the 2014 Taproot Training. If you have immediate questions, contact Gwen at director at phillyjwj.org.
posted by penny at 7:49pm
Friday, September 6, 2013
JwJ’s annual Taproot Training is coming up again! Held every year with a diverse group of participants
from students to rank and file workers, this training provides insight into value-based organizing’s key concepts and skills.
In the words of 2012 Taproot participant Jimmy Perry, “Taproot training taught me to be more patient, that you can't
change things overnight, or with one action. You need to build a movement. It also taught me how to engage people
in a way that doesn't have to be confrontational, how to listen and build relationships. It was very challenging and
took me out of my comfort zone, which happens in real situations, and made me more prepared for them.”
2013 Taproot Training September 20, 21, 22
Friday: 9-5:30pm
Saturday: 9-6pm
Sunday: 9-2pm
Location: DC 47, 1606 Walnut St.
Check out the Facebook event
-All meals will be provided on Friday and Saturday. Breakfast and lunch will be provided on Sunday.
-Cost: We suggest a donation of $200 per participant. There are a limited number of scholarships available.
Please indicate your need for scholarship on the application form.
-*Application deadline: September 10.
We hope that this training will help build a stronger, more powerful movement for justice in Philadelphia!
posted by penny at 10:06am
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
September 7th-- our annual Sustainer Soiree-- is right around the corner, and we're just 17 people away from making our 2013 goal of 100 sustainers!
Thanks to our growing sustainer base, in the past year we’ve been able to hire part time staff member and launched a campaign to generate revenue for our schools and public services. We've fasted beside the #phillyfast hunger strikers, left the SRC school closure meetings in handcuffs, and continued our fight for paid sick days in Philadelphia. Without the help of individual donors like you, we couldn't have had the impact we did.
We've also been working hard this year to build our grassroots support base and further reduce our dependence on grants. This spring, we launched our Cultivating Justice campaign, challenging ourselves to reach a total of 100 monthly supporters by our September 7th Sustainer Soiree.
In the past four months, thanks to our membership's enthusiasm, we’ve grown our base from 40 sustainers to 83 sustainers.
Steelworkers and students, rabbis and professors, nurses and grandparents-- folks from all different backgrounds are stepping up to support our work fighting for justice.
Will you join them?
Can we count on you to sustain JwJ and help us reach 100?
Workers are under attacks from every direction. With your help as a sustainer, JwJ can continue its growth--and its role as a rising force against economic injustice in Philadelphia.
posted by gwen at 3:46pm
Friday, August 23, 2013
Thanks to all of you who joined us-- first at Corbett's office, then at 440 last week-- to fast in support of student safety.
We stood hungry together in the hot sun, prayed with leaders from many faiths, and demanded reinstatement for school safety staff. We stood strong alongside those who fasted, and spoke to an obvious truth: our children deserve to be protected.
This week, the School District sent recall letters to the 1,157 previously laid off student safety staff. Because of the resolve of activists, workers, students, and parents like you, Philadelphia children can learn in safety this September.
There is still a long and difficult road ahead for Philadelphia Public Education, but it's vital to recognize that when we stand together, change is possible.
With this in mind, we hope you'll join us to celebrate this moment of victory at our Sustainer Soiree on September 7th, from 7pm to 11pm at 1512 Spruce Street. With live music and an open bar, we'll take a moment's respite and regroup for the fight ahead.
Tickets are $50, but sustainers get in free-- please consider showing your support by signing up as a sustainer today. We're just 17 people short of hitting our goal of having 100 sustainers by the night of the Soiree!
Thank you again for taking a stand with us-- things only change when we stick together.
posted by gwen at 1:33pm
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