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Thoughts from the Jobs With Justice National Conference

May 12, 2008

Beth Myers:

Working in the movement
for social justice is hard. We all know this but we often don’t admit it. There
are days when you just feel tired and defeated both in you heart and in your
body. Sometimes it feels as though we aren’t making as much of a difference as
we want. With this in mind, it is vital that those of us who fighting for a more
just economy find the time to reconnect with our allies and refocus on the core
missions of our work. The Jobs With Justice Conference was definitely one of
those opportunities for me.  The conference brought together some of the best
and brightest who have chosen to devote their time and energy to building a
better country and world.

Think before you pick up that banana or pineapple

May 6, 2008
  1. There is no freedom to organize on the banana and pineapple plantation in Costa Rica.  To illustrate with some examples, we will expose the following:
    1. Union affiliated workers are under the constant threat of being fired
    2. There are “black lists” which include the names of workers that are fired
    3. The constant threat of the closing of plantations if the workers organize

Vermont Becomes Seventh Sweatfree State

April 29, 2008

Whitney Smith, another senior, said: “It's important for students and community
members to realize that sweatshops are prevalent in the garment industry. Our
research shows that Vermont is currently buying products made by companies that
have been cited for labor violations. That's why we pushed for this law – to
urge companies to improve conditions in their factories and respect workers'
rights.”

Celebrate Mother's Day by Supporting Flower Workers

April 28, 2008

There are 40,000
flower workers in Ecuador and over 100,000 in Colombia,
working to grow, harvest, and package the roses and carnations sold in the United States.
More than half of them are women who commonly face labor rights violations
including sexual harassment, pesticide-related illnesses, and forced pregnancy
testing. Proceeds from the raffle will support the legal, health and safety,
and advocacy work done through ILRF's Fairness in Flowers Campaign.

 


Does the Pope Care about Worker’s Rights?

April 15, 2008

First Sermon
Focused on Worker’s Rights

Despite the behavior in regards to
school teachers and unions, Pope Benedict did use his first Sunday sermon as the
newly ordained Pope to stress the importance of dignity, solidarity, and respect
for workers.

Here’s the excerpt from a story from
the Catholic News Service: http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0502694.htm

Bush's War on Workers

April 14, 2008

First, we already have a trade deal with Colombia.  This so-called 'free trade' agreement is just a different set of rules, to replace the current set of rules.  Not better or worse, and certainly no more 'free,' just a different set of rules.  Editorial boards of major papers should read the details before jumping in to suggest that we are somehow withholding access to our markets by failing to pass this particular deal.

Wal-Mart Speaking Tour visits Dover, OH

April 11, 2008

As a union member, I would like to thank Savin and Didier for having the
strength to come here and share their experiences. Giving people a face to put
with the stories that we hear about is very important as we try to educate local
communities of the inhumane conditions workers face everyday in other countries
so that products are available here in the US. Cheap goods come at a high cost
somewhere down the line even if we don’t see it. Big corporations are reaping
huge profits at the expense of workers and consumers.

We stand with Savin and Didier, and others like them, to continue their
struggle to organize and fight for fair, safe, equitable, and humane working
conditions all around the globe.

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