Welcome to Philadelphia Jobs with Justice
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
On April 22, the New York Times reported that Walmex, Walmart's largest foreign operation, had passed more than $24 million in bribes to politicians to grease the wheels of its expansion in Mexico. The article described how, after discovering the corruption, the retail giant's U.S. management moved to cover up the scandal. A call for the resignation of the company’s top executives is mounting nationally.
What: UFCW Rally: Change Walmart Now!
When: May 9, 2012-- 5 to 7 pm
Where: Walmart Store #5891
2200 Wheatsheaf Lane (off Aramingo Ave.)
Philadelphia, PA 19137
posted by jwjadmin at 11:09am |
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tags: walmart, rally
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
It's been an amazing year of solidarity, reciprocity, and direct action. It's time to celebrate with an OPEN BAR, refreshments, and some fantastic honorees!
When: May 23rd, 2012, 5:30 - 7:30 pm
Where: AFSCME 1199c Union Hall, 1319 Locust Street, Philadelphia
Join Philadelphia Jobs with Justice in recognizing the amazing organizing work of:
President Henry Nicholas (AFSCME 1199c; Occupy supporter)
Jody Dodd (Occupy Philly Legal Collective)
President Jim Savage (USW 10-1 and Occupy eviction night arrestee)
Amanda Geraci (Occupy Philly organizer)
Occupy Philadelphia
Individual tickets $75 ($10-30 sliding scale for low-income, fixed income, students, and unemployed). Mail checks to Philly JwJ, 1315 Spruce St, Philadelphia PA, 19107--or donate at door!
posted by jwjadmin at 12:00pm |
Thursday, April 12, 2012
A solidarity request from our friends at CIW:
RALLY AT CHIPOTLE FOR FARMWORKER JUSTICE
Food WITHOUT Integrity
Saturday, April 14, 2012 at 3:00pm
Chipotle at 39th St. & Walnut (3925 Walnut)
Come join the Coalition of Immokalee Workers Saturday, April 14th as we call on Chipotle to live up to its ethical image and help put an end to farmworker exploitation. Chipotle has refused to come to the table with farmworkers to sign a Fair Food Agreement, which would secure a living wage and basic labor protections for workers in the fields of Florida. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) — an internationally-recognized farmworker-led organization — has reached groundbreaking agreements with ten of the world's leading food retailers, including Whole Foods and Trader Joe's.
Chipotle has built it’s 1163 stores and $2.27 billion revenue on it’s image of serving “Food with Integrity.” They claim to focus on ensuring the products they use “are grown, made and shipped without exploiting people.” Yet they refuse to sign a Fair Food Agreement with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and put an end to injustices in their tomato supply chain. Chipotle clings to a go-it-alone approach that lacks transparency, rejects worker participation and, most of all, demonstrates no lasting commitment to upholding the rights of farmworkers. The steps the company claims to be taking fall far short of the substantive, verifiable and enforceable standards that other companies have embraced, consumers have come to expect, and the situation requires.
Join us in calling on Chipotle to make real a commitment to Food With Integrity by signing a Fair Food Agreement with the CIW!
posted by gwen at 10:49am |
Thursday, November 17, 2011
The Labor Working Group of Occupy Philly is issuing the following collaboratively written statement on the issue of relocation from Dilworth Plaza.
We, the members of the Labor Working Group, stand with Occupy Philly, and respect the decision-making process of the General Assembly.
The Labor Working Group aims to represent the broadest unity in the Philadelphia labor movement, and is comprised of a diverse representation of union organizers and labor activists who have been regularly involved with Occupy Philly.
The Philadelphia labor community has overwhelmingly supported the Philadelphia occupation. However, we are concerned by developments that may compromise our ability to unanimously defend Occupy Philly at its current location, and wish to articulate a clear position on the question of relocation from a labor perspective.
We support relocation for the following reasons:
1) Jobs. We recognize that the construction industry has been devastated by the current recession, and right now suffers from over 40% unemployment. This unemployment is creating great hardships for many working families.
2) Access. We recognize that many of our differently-abled brothers and sisters have advocated and fought for equal access to the public transportation hub at City Hall for decades, and are finally seeing their efforts come to fruition through the planned renovation of Dilworth Plaza.
3) Framing. We are concerned that the city has recently been able to use the issue of relocation to divide our movement and distract us from our core message of economic justice and democratic principles. The key issues for Occupy Philly must be movement-building, democratic process, and economic justice--not relocation. We have changed the national discourse; we must continue to do so.
4) Defensibility. The Labor Working Group stands strongly in solidarity with the rest of Occupiers and strongly supports our right to occupy a public space. In order to successfully continue our support and defense of Occupy Philly, however, the entire labor movement must be able to remain united on this issue. If Occupy Philly remains at its current location, the issues of job creation and accessibility issues will make it impossible for labor to sustain that unity. Further, we fear that should the General Assembly choose to stay at Dilworth Plaza, and should a police raid at that location occur, the Occupy Philly movement may be damaged irreparably.
We again reaffirm our commitment to the Occupy movement, and to the decision-making process of the General Assembly. We propose relocation as a strategic act of movement solidarity.
In solidarity,
The Labor Working Group
posted by gwen at 1:03pm |
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
On the day of the General Strike in solidarity with Occupy Oakland, local representatives of the 99% - including Gwen Snyder, Jobs with Justice Executive Director, and Diane Mohney, JwJ Community Co-chair - "occupied" the lobby of an icon of the 1%: Comcast Corporation headquarters in Philadelphia's financial district. The Occupiers were demanding that Comcast give back its abatement and pay its fair share of taxes. The rich and their institutions have become the direct targets of the ire of the 99%. See below pictures of the action, which resulted in the arrest of the protesters for "trespassing on private property". When a police officer lining the cordon where the arrested would be taken was asked if there was a contradiction between the rights of free public speech and private property, he remarked that the police were there to serve the private corporation. We were reminded that the Supreme Court recently reaffirmed the "human rights" of corporations in this country, and that it is apparent some "human rights" are more important than others. Today's civil disobedience showed what the 99% think about the justice system imbalance that favors the 1%.
Some of the Occupiers of Comcast HQ in Philly on November 2, in solidarity with the Occupy Oakland General Strike by the 99%. Diane Mohney and Gwen Snyder are seen at the left next to the "father and son" statue.
Many of the 99% were locked out by Comcast guards, but stayed to show their support for those who made it into the lobby.
Since Day One, Jobs with Justice, especially in the person of Gwen Snyder, the Executive Director, has been a steady and vocal presence at the Occupy Philly site at Dilworth Plaza next to City Hall.
As a result of acting in the long and cherished American tradition of civil disobedience, Diane Mohney and Gwen Snyder are arrested, handcuffed and led out of the Comcast HQ.
The Occupy Philly encampment at City Hall's Dilworth Plaza by the 99 percenters continues. Supporters of the cause of the 99% - against greed, corruption and the government's austerity measures imposed on the behalf of the richest 1% - are encouraged to visit and experience the occupation of public space to express the grievances of the 99%.
posted by jwjadmin at 9:46pm |
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
In case you've been living under a rock: The Occupy Wall Street is spreading. And it's coming to Philadelphia.
At Tuesday's General Assembly, more than 1,000 people representing Occupy Philadelphia voted to begin occupation THIS Thursday, October 6th, at 9 am at City Hall.
After the meeting, I was walking back to my bus stop with an organizer I respect a whole lot. He said this:
"I don't buy this whole 'it doesn't count because there are multiple issues' crap. People are mad. We know what we're mad about. And the corporations and politicians that have something to lose, they know what we're mad about, too--and that's why they're trying to dismiss this as meaningless."
I couldn't say it any better. Listen: there is a lot to be mad about. Labor knows it. The unemployed know it. You and I know it. And I genuinely believe that this occupation has the potential to be the opportunity we need to connect together and build our movement.
Will you join us in realizing that potential for true solidarity?
posted by gwen at 9:24pm |
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tags: occupy philly, solidarity
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