A NOTE ABOUT PUBLIC
MEETINGS & CHEMICAL SENSITIVITIES: Men and women are requested to
avoid wearing scented personal products when attending public meetings. Scents
trigger adverse responses in those with chemical sensitivities. Note that many workers
develop chemical sensitivities on the job.
Thursday November 13 – Channel 22 coverage
is at http://www.wwlp.com/dpp/news/wwlp_local_unionworkersprotestoutsidemarriott_20081113081244
(when did 60 become “several”?). Write a
letter to the editor for the Employee Free Choice Act!
& TELL YWCA: WORKERS DESERVE A RAISE!
Please support United Auto
Workers Local 2322 members employed at the YWCA of Western Massachusetts by
contacting the Executive Director and Board President and telling them to give
their workers a raise. Exec Dir Mary Johnson is at (413) 732-3121 x101 and mrj@ywworks.org, also info@ywworks.org. President of the Board of
Directors Lt. C. Lee Bennett is at clbennett@springfieldpolice.net.
YWCA workers have been in
contract negotiations since May, and the YWCA has said they “cannot
afford” any raise at all for the workers who perform the vital services
the organization is known for and Johnson loves to brag about. However, the
UAW’s review of YWCA financial records shows the YWCA had $593,000 in
unrestricted funds as of March 31, 2008. And Johnson has claimed in her annual
report that the YWCA has operated at a surplus for the last 24 years. There has
been enough money so that she and other members of the YWCA upper management
have received substantial raises annually. In fact Johnson received a 19% raise
in fiscal year ending (FYE) 2006 and a 7.8% in FYE 2007 bringing her total
salary to $129,303. That does not include her “benefits” package of
$8,669 for FYE 2007. Additionally, the YWCA has spent in excess of $200,000
over the last several years in lawyer’s fees to a known antiunion law
firm to fight their workers’ rights to a union.
Info: Ron
Patenaude, President, UAW 2322, 534-7600, uaw2322@uaw2322.org,
www.somethingaboutmaryjohnson.com.
Tuesday November 18
CLERGY-LABOR LUNCH
Noon, Calvary's
Love Church, 19 Oakland St, Springfield (733-5300). Info, RSVP: Fred
Rose, Pioneer Valley Project, 827-0781, fredrose.pvp2@verizon.net.
Wednesday November 19 (Third Wednesday)
MASS SENIOR ACTION
COUNCIL – WESTERN MASS MONTHLY MEETING
1:30-3:30pm, 1124
Berkshire Av, Springfield. Massachusetts Senior Action Council was founded in
1981 to promote the rights, well being, and dignity of all people, particularly
vulnerable senior citizens. Open to people of all ages. MSAC has a proud
history of effective community organizing and legislative advocacy on health
care, housing, transportation, and other issues. Info: 543-2334, mbewsee@masssenioraction.org, http://www.masssenioraction.org/.
Wednesday November 19
JUSTICE FOR JASON MARCH
3:30pm, rally in Pulaski Park on
Main St next to Academy of Music, march down Pleasant St to District Atty
Elizabeth Scheibel's office, 1 Gleason Plaza, near Union Station (586-9225).
Jason Vassell, a black student at UMass, a senior hoping to go to med school,
was the object of an unprovoked attack at 5am while in his dorm room by two
drunk white men who are not students. Jason was charged with
assault and battery and attempted murder. DA Scheibel, perhaps because of
public outcry, dropped the attempted murder charges but let stand the assault
and battery. If he is found guilty at trial (which may take place in January or
February), he could go to prison for 30 years. The more aggressive of the white
men has been charged now with four misdemeanors, which could mean 18 months in
jail. Please visit www.justiceforjason.org.
November 20-21
“BUILDING A LOCAL
ECONOMY THAT WORKS FOR ALL IN THE PIONEER VALLEY & BEYOND”
8:30am-5:00pm each day, First
Congregational Church, 102 Middle St, Hadley. Price: sliding scale $25-$150,
includes lunch and materials. Workshop led by Felice Yeskel (Director, Class Action), Rhonda Soto (Race/Class
Intersections Program Coordinator, Class Action) and Steve Schnapp (Senior
Education Coordinator, UFE). Info,
to register: http://www.classism.org/program_detail.php?id=185.
Thursday November 20
BOOK LAUNCH: REIGNITING
THE LABOR MOVEMENT
5pm, Amherst Books, 8 Main St,
Amherst. In Reigniting the Labor Movement: Restoring Means to Ends in a
Democratic Labor Movement, UMass Prof Gerald Friedman uses information from
16 countries including the UK, US, Germany, and France to chart declining
fortunes of the labor movement over recent years. As unions have lost
membership, declining economic clout and political leverage has left them as
weak props upholding wages and programs for social justice. Since the earliest
days of the labor movement, activists have debated the appropriate strategy,
the mix of revolutionary and reformist goals, and the proper relationship
between labor unions and broader social and political movements. Reviewed at http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1552&context=ilrreview.
Info: 256-1547, 800-503-5865, books@amherstbooks.com,
http://www.amherstbooks.com/Events/eventsNovember2008.shtml.
Thursday November 20 (Third Thursday)
NORTHAMPTON LIVING WAGE
COALITION
7pm, Western Mass Legal
Services, 20 Hampton Ave, Northampton, enter near Pleasant St. Drafting a City
Council resolution updating the Northampton Living Wage to reflect the cost of
living increase since 1998, bringing the living wage from $7.49/hour for
employees with health insurance to $9.52, and from $9 to $11.44 for employees
without health insurance. Collecting petition signatures supporting the
resolution. Asking local business owners to commit to paying a living wage or
at least commit to working toward a living wage. Info, to help get
signatures: Kathryn Collins, kathryncollins52@yahoo.com.
WMASS JOBS WITH JUSTICE HAMPSHIRE
WORKERS' RIGHTS COMMITTEE meets with the NORTHAMPTON LIVING WAGE COALITION.
Info: 827-0301, wmjwj@wmjwj.org.
Saturday November 22
CLEAN ENERGY CONFERENCE:
GREEN JOBS IN MASSACHUSETTS
9am-4:45pm, MassMutual Center, Speakers include UMass
Amherst economics professor Robert Pollin; Bracken Hendricks, a founder of the Apollo Alliance, and co-author of
“Apollo’s Fire: Igniting America’s Clean Energy
Economy”; State Sen. Benjamin Downing; State Rep. Daniel Bosley; Phil
Giudice, a commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources;
and Chris Kilfoyle, president of Berkshire Photovoltaics Corp. Clean Energy
Connections is intended to be a forum for individuals and organizations
accelerating the growth of the clean energy economy in Massachusetts and those
seeking clean-energy career information. Pre-registration is required. Info:
545-2706, www.umass.edu/green.
Monday November 24 (changed this month from normally
Third Wednesday)
PIONEER VALLEY CENTRAL LABOR
COUNCIL
7pm, 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.
Tuesday November 25 (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.
Tuesday December 2
SPRINGFIELD HEALTH
EQUITY FORUM
4:30-7:30pm, Greek Cultural
Center, 22 St George Road, near Carew (Route 20A) & Main Streets,
Springfield (737-1496). This forum will examine the burden of health problems
on our communities, and give voice to the concerns and ideas of the community.
This is an opportunity to help many different health initiatives move forward
– by learning from and working directly with community residents. Space
will be limited, and food will be provided, so please RSVP as soon as
possible to Sara Herring at 794-7739.
Wednesday December 3 (changed from normally Fourth
Thursday for November & December)
FRANKLIN COUNTY WORKERS'
RIGHTS COMMITTEE
7-8:30pm, First
Congregational Church, 43 Silver St, Greenfield. 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. Info: 827-0301, wmjwj@wmjwj.org.
Thursday December 4 (First Thursday)
MASS CITIZENS AGAINST THE
DEALTH PENALTY
7-8:30pm, Unitarian Society, 245
Porter Lake Drive, Springfield (736-2324). Agenda items include reports on
Sacco Vanzetti 2008 and recent Ehrman Award Program; a look at the Troy Davis
situation in Georgia; and preliminary thoughts about Sacco Vanzetti 2009. Info:
567-3451, CAJOWL66@aol.com.
Saturday December 6
WESTERN MASS SINGLE PAYER
NETWORK
9:30-11:30am, Lathrop Village
Community Room, 1 Shallow Brook Drive, off Bridge Rd, Northampton. WMSPN is a
nonpartisan, nonprofit coalition of advocates committed to achieving a universal
single payer health care system. At our quarterly meetings, we check in with
each other to see how we're doing on meeting our Organizational Goals:
1) to increase visibility of
universal single payer health care across western Massachusetts;
2) to strengthen the universal
single payer movement through increasing numbers of people familiar with and
committed to a single payer health care system;
3) to work in concert with
eastern Massachusetts single payer groups, as well as other groups throughout
the country who share the single payer mission. Info: wmspn@wmjwj.org.
Saturday December 6 (First & Third Saturday of each
month)
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS AT
WORK!
Noon-4pm, ADP Workers
Center/Casa Obrera, 130 Union St, Springfield. Registration required.
Comprehensive know your rights training. Also serves as orientations that are
mandatory for people who want to join the Workers Center. The ADP Worker Center
has a number of programs and benefits for members, including a food co-op, ESOL
classes, democracy school, leadership training, and a legal clinic. Info,
to register: William Cano, 739-7233, william@a-dp.org.
Monday December 8
COMMUTER RAIL HEARING
6pm, TD Banknorth Conference
Center, 1441 Main St, Springfield. ConnDOT will hold public hearings for the
preparation of an Environmental Assessment (EA) for the New
Haven-Hartford-Springfield commuter line. Info: http://www.ct.gov/dot/cwp/view.asp?Q=425266&A=1373.
Wednesday December 10
INTERNATIONAL HUMAN
RIGHTS DAY
Events being
planned. Details to come.
Wednesday December 10
NEIGHBOR TO NEIGHBOR ANNUAL
FUNDRAISER
6-8pm, 104 Irving Street,
Cambridge. Info, RSVP: 617-747-4497, n2nma@n2nma.org.
Saturday December 13
WMCOSH TRIP TO NYC
$35 tickets are now on sale for
a trip to New York City – a fundraiser for the Western Massachusetts
Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health. The Peter Pan bus will depart
West Springfield High School, 425 Piper Road, at 8am, and will leave New York
City at 7:30pm. The bus will make several stops in Manhattan. Passengers will
be on their own for the day in New York. Info: 827-0643, nancywrites@verizon.net, or send name,
phone number, and check payable to Western MassCOSH to 640 Page Boulevard #104,
Springfield MA 01104.
And don’t forget! Join One Million Strong
for the Employee Free Choice Act.
More events at http://www.westernmassafsc.org/calendar/calendar.html
& http://people.umass.edu/jgerber/SustEvents.htm.
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[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
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Western
Mass Jobs with Justice
640 Page Blvd #101
Springfield MA 01104
(413) 827-0301