Labor in Illinois

Central Illinois Jobs with Justice
News and Upcoming Events
March 22, 2007

In this update:

1. Steering Committee Meeting, Saturday March 24, 2007, 10 AM IDF
2. Coalition of Immokole Workers events, March 29, April 9-10, and April 13-14
3. Rev. Mike Mulberry speaks on Oaxaca, March 28
4. Rev. Charles Bayer on "Putting Faith Into Action," March 28
5. City council and school board elections, April 17
6. Labor folksinger Anne Feeney at IDF April 28
7. AFL-CIO Organizing Institute in Chicago, June 22-24
8. JwJ at US Social Forum, Atlanta June 27-July 1st

1. Steering Committee Meeting, Saturday March 24, 10 AM IDF
The next meeting of the Central Illinois Jobs with Justice Steering Committee will be Saturday, March 24, at 10 AM, at the Illinois Disciples Foundation, Springfield and Wright, Champaign. Parking lot and accessible entrance on west side of the building.
Agenda items will include: upcoming Immokole events, campus unions update, upcoming lobby days for education, nominations for a vacancy on the Executive Committee.

2. Coalition of Immokole Workers events: "Behind the Golden Arches"
Thursday March 29 at 7:15pm, Channing Murray Foundation, 1209 West Oregon in Urbana

Come see this documentary presentation focussing on conditions for America's impoverished, mostly immigrant tomato pickers and the struggles of these workers to improve their lives.

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers, a farmworker organization, is asking McDonald's to pay a penny a pound more for its tomatoes, as Taco Bell agreed to do in 2005. McDonald's is refusing. Come hear the Immokalee Workers' plan, and how you can help. www.ciw-online.org

Farmworkers with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and students with the Student-Farmworker Alliance will be in Champaign-Urbana Monday and Tuesday April 9-10. There will be several events, including a public rally/protest against McDonald's on campus. Big rallies/protests will follow at McDonald's headquarters in Chicagoland Friday and Saturday April 13-14.

Local contact: Ricky, 328-3037 or baldwinricky@yahoo.com.

3. Rev. Mike Mulberry speaks on Oaxaca, March 28

OAXACA Witness for Peace Presentation -- Mar. 28, 2007. Sponsored by AWARE
"I Have Seen the Future of the United States and it is Mexico" Slideshow and Presentation by Reverend Mike Mulberry of the Community United Church of Christ.

[Rescheduled due to bad weather on its originally planned February date.]

Wednesday, March 28, 7:00 PM
Urbana City Council Chambers
400 S. Vine Street Urbana, Illinois

4. Rev. Charles Bayer on "Bring Them To Justice: Putting Faith Into Action."
http://www.prairienet.org/idf/bayer.html

Wednesday, March 28, 7:00 PM
Illinois Disciples Foundation, Springfield and Wright, Champaign. Charles Bayer leads a workshop on the role of progressive religion in addressing social concerns like the war in Iraq, and putting faith into action. Rev. Bayer is a retired Disciples of Christ minister and author of "Connect: Faith Into Action."

Sponsored by IDF. Contact: Jen Tayabji, 352-8721.

5. City council and school board elections, April 17

There are local elections for city council and school board in Champaign and Urbana on April 17. Jobs with Justice is a 501c3 and cannot endorse candidates or participate in candidate campaigns. But we can publicize the date and encourage people to participate. Turnout in these elections is usually low. There are economic justice issues
at stake. Mark your calendar.

6. Anne Feeney at IDF April 28
Labor folksinger Anne Feeney will perform at IDF on April 28. The event is from 3-7 pm. Contact: Dave Johnson, unionyes@ameritech.net.

7. Organizing Institute, AFL-CIO, www.organize.aflcio.org

2-Day Member Training: These trainings are for union members to give them essential organizing skills so that they can organize on any type of campaign. April 21-22, St. Paul, MN

3-Day Organizer Training: These trainings are offered to members and non-members to give the basic skills needed to organize non-union workers. June 22-24 Chicago, IL
[This is a useful entry point for people who are thinking about becoming union organizers.]

8. US Social Forum, Atlanta June 27-July 1st

From National Jobs with Justice:

Plans are well underway for the first U.S. Social Forum to take place in Atlanta June 27-July 1st, and attendance is expected to be 5,000-15,000. The USSF will provide space to build relationships with other activists and movement building organizations in the U.S., learn from each other's experiences, share our analysis of the problems our communities face, and bring renewed insight and inspiration. It will help develop leadership and develop consciousness, vision, and strategy needed to realize another world. The USSF sends a message to other people's movements around the world that there is an active movement in the US opposing US Policies at home and abroad. We must declare what we want our world to look like and begin planning the path to get there. A global movement is rising. The USSF is our opportunity to demonstrate to
the world Another World is Possible!

Jobs with Justice nationally is helping to organize parts of the USSF; JwJ is on the national planning committee for the forum, we are helping facilitate a labor working group, we are planning a series of workshops, Atlanta JwJ has proposed the major action that everyone will participate in, we are planning a party to take place during the Forum that will celebrate JwJ's 20th Anniversary, and most importantly, we are organizing a JwJ delegation to "be there". Since we have postponed our JwJ National Conference to 2008 and since we expect hundreds of JwJ activists to attend the Forum, we will use the USSF as an opportunity to do some sharing and thinking among our own network as well as the larger USSF.