President Obama told two major newspapers that Congress needs
to pass the Employee Free Choice Act, and he doesn’t buy the lies
anti-worker groups are spinning about the bill.
New Goal: TWO Million
for the Employee Free Choice Act. Write a
letter to the editor for the Employee Free Choice Act! Great videos
at www.araw.org.
Tuesday February 24 (Fourth Tuesday)
HAMPSHIRE/FRANKLIN
CENTRAL LABOR COUNCIL
7:30pm,
Northampton Fire Station Community Room, 26 Carlon Drive at King St/Route 5, Northampton
(587-1148). Community and labor activist guests are welcome, but RSVP to
Pres. Fiore Grassetti, 877-725-0357, org7@comcast.net.
Wednesday February 25
CONGRESSIONAL
HEARING ON THE MASSACHUSETTS HEALTH CARE REFORM
2-4pm, 2226 Rayburn House Office
Building, Washington DC. Call the Congressional switchboard: 202-224-3121, ask
for your Representative’s office, and ask them to attend. Info: http://guaranteedhealthcare4all.org/.
To get involved locally: Western Mass. Single Payer Network, wmspn@wmjwj.org, and include your city or
town so we can connect you to a local group.
YOU CAN WATCH the hearing
at http://www.healthcare-now.org/campaigns/mass-plan/.
A statement and a 19 page report on Massachusetts can be found at http://www.pnhp.org/news/2009/february/massachusetts_is_no_.php.
Wednesday February 25 (Fourth
Wednesday)
WESTERN
MASS GREEN ECONOMY WORKING GROUP
5:30-7:30pm,
Pioneer Valley AFL-CIO Hall, 640 Page Boulevard, Springfield (732-7970). This
Working Group consists of advocates for a Green Economy which serves local
communities; guarantees workers' rights to organize; and promotes
community-owned sustainable projects. State Sen. Ben Downing, from
Pittsfield, will attend. He has been instrumental in the passage of Green
Collar Jobs and Green Communities legislation. Subscribe to the WMGEWG
listserve (“GreenWork”) at http://lists.gaiahost.coop/mailman/listinfo/greenwork
or send an email to greenwork-subscribe@lists.gaiahost.coop.
Info: Jon Weissman, 827-0301, wmjwj@wmjwj.org,
or Eduardo Suárez, 335-6224, echonyc@hotmail.com.
Wednesday February 25
FREE FILM: MADE IN L.A.
7-8:30pm, ADP Worker Center, 130
Union St, Springfield (739-7233). Followed by discussion with William Cano of
ADP Worker Center and Liana Foxvog of SweatFree Communities. Donations
welcomed. Made in L.A. (www.madeinla.com)
is an Emmy-award winning documentary that follows the remarkable story of three
Latina immigrants working in Los Angeles garment sweatshops as they embark on a
three-year odyssey to win basic labor protections from a mega-trendy clothing
retailer. In intimate verité style, Made in L.A. reveals the impact of
the struggle on each woman’s life as they are gradually transformed by
the experience. Compelling, humorous, deeply human, Made in L.A. is a
story about immigration, the power of unity, and the courage it takes to find
your voice. In English and Spanish with bilingual subtitles. Info: 586-0974, liana@sweatfree.org.
Thursday February 26 (normally Third Wednesday; changed
for school vacation this month)
PIONEER VALLEY CENTRAL LABOR
COUNCIL
5:30pm, AFL-CIO Hall, 640 Page
Blvd, near corner of Osborne Ter, across the street from the old Westinghouse,
Springfield. Community and labor activist guests are welcome, but RSVP
to Jon at 732-7970, mail@pvaflcio.org,
or Rick at 374-1492, rbrown@pvaflcio.org.
Thursday February 26 (Fourth Thursday) NOTE LOCATION
FRANKLIN COUNTY WORKERS' RIGHTS COMMITTEE
7-8:30pm, Traprock Center for
Peace and Justice, 24 Miles St, Greenfield (773-7427). Special video on the
Employee Free Choice Act. This committee is organizing local solidarity for
Franklin County workers and unions; nurses and other workers at Franklin
Medical Center; Greenfield municipal employees; and statewide and national
workers' rights campaigns, including People's Bail-Out and Employee
Free Choice Act. Info: 827-0301, wmjwj@wmjwj.org.
“CONTINUOUS
BARGAINING” A Union
Response to Workplace Change
6:30-9pm,
3rd Floor Gordon Hall (UMass Amherst Labor Center), 418 N Pleasant St, Amherst.
Charley Richardson, UMass Lowell Labor Extension, leads this Labor
Extension Program Workshop. Cost: $15/session; $25 for both this and
“Understanding the Economic Crisis” – Mark Brenner of Labor
Notes, date to be determined. In this challenging economic crisis it is
even more important that we develop tools to respond to changes management is
making in the workplace and the work process. Continuous bargaining is a
response that takes on management plans, inserts a collective voice into the
process of change and makes union-building an ongoing activity. Info: Dale
Melcher, 545-6166, dmelcher@lrrc.umass.edu.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Win
the Employee Free Choice Act - visit http://www.americanrightsatwork.org/, http://jwj.org/freechoice/index.html, and http://www.aflcio.org/joinaunion.
TO
UNSUBSCRIBE, send an email to wmjwj@wmjwj.org with a Subject of
"Unsub Workers' Rights" or to street_heat@pvaflcio.org with a Subject of
"Unsub Street Heat".
[Workers'
Rights] posts opportunities for you to learn about and show solidarity with
workplace and working class struggles. And these events are opportunities for
JwJ members to fulfill their pledge: "I'll be there for workers' rights at
least five times a year!" This is the core mission of Jobs with
Justice (www.jwj.org), affirming that workers' rights are
human rights. To subscribe, send an email to wmjwj@wmjwj.org with a Subject of
"Subscribe Worker's Rights".
Western
Mass Jobs with Justice
640 Page Blvd #101
Springfield MA 01104
(413) 827-0301
Street
Heat is the AFL-CIO mobilization program. [Street Heat] is the e-newsletter of
the Mobilization Committee of the Pioneer Valley Central Labor Council in
cooperation with the Hampshire/Franklin Central Labor Council. All
Affiliates and Delegates to these CLCs receive [Street Heat] unless they opt
out. Other activists may opt in by sending an email to street_heat@pvaflcio.org with a Subject of
"Subscribe Street Heat".
Pioneer
Valley Central Labor Council
640
Page Blvd
Springfield
MA 01104
(413)
732-7970