[Antiracism] [Workers' Rights] People's Bail-Out Now!

[WMass Jobs With Justice]

Call to Action!!  People's Bail-Out Now!!

 

National Week of Action:  December 7-13

 

As many predicted, the Wall Street Bail-out has proven to be the gross
give-away to the same financial bigwigs that have been pocketing millions
while wrecking the real economy.  Little or no benefit has gone to the
working people and the real economy, at a time that we face the greatest
economic crisis since the 1930s.  By the time Obama is sworn in, hundreds of
thousands of additional people will lose their jobs, lose their homes, and
lose their health care.

 

It's time for a "People's Bail-Out" that fixes the real economy, restores a
voice for working people in challenging corporate greed, provides emergency
help to the victims of the crisis, and begins building a fair economy that
works for all, addressing crises in housing, health care, jobs, retirement
security, and the environment.

 

We propose that all Jobs with Justice coalitions take part in an emergency
campaign over the next 2.5 months to get Congress and the new administration
to enact a People's Bail-Out that will

 

Immediately:

*	pass a large economic stimulus/recovery package, on the scale of the
emergency we face
*	pass the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA)
*	stop evictions due to foreclosures
*	take emergency action so people losing jobs don't lose health care

 

Lay the groundwork for a long-term recovery program including:

*	green jobs and clean energy
*	worker justice, including EFCA and other reforms
*	health care for all
*	retirement security
*	re-regulated finance system with the speculators paying to clean-up
their mess

 

JwJ, in coordination with groups such as Institute for Policy Studies, US
Action, American Friends Service Committee, ACORN, is calling for a national
week of action across the country, December 7-13. 

 

Timeline of emergency campaign:

*	December 2, 4pm ET:  network-wide phone call on economic crisis &
EFCA
*	December 7-13:  national week of action
*	Dec. 19:  network-wide conference call on economic crisis & EFCA
*	January 9:  network-wide conference call on economic crisis & EFCA
*	January:  people's assemblies and other actions
*	February:  JwJ/IPS briefing for Congressional Progressive Caucus

 

December 7-13

Take action - or multiple actions - during the national week of action,
using the theme of calling for a "people's bail-out now."  Some coalitions
are planning several actions during the week, with a different member group
taking the lead on a different aspect of what the people's bail-out should
include.  For example, Mass JwJ is holding a Worker Rights Board hearing,
and organizing an  anti-foreclosure action and workplace sticker actions.
Indianapolis is delivering a Grinch award to a health insurer, rallying for
workers demanding a first contract (EFCA) and doing media events. 

 

We are printing "Peoples Bail-Out Now" stickers that you can use in various
ways at events, and will serve as a unifying theme for the week of action.

 

Some examples of actions some locals are considering so far:

*	conduct or join a town hall meeting or teach-in on the crisis and
what's needed in a peoples bail-out, including the importance of building
worker justice through EFCA (note; several are already being planned by
allies, and we encourage participation/coordination where possible)
*	Do an action outside a company that's laying off workers, asking
employees and passers-by to wear "peoples bail-out' stickers and contact
Congress
*	Do street theater skits like "billionaires for the bail-out" or a
"ring-toss rescue" (allowing people to 'vote' on what part of the economy
deserves to be bailed-out by tossing a rescue ring to the appropriate
sector)
*	Rally at a bank to demand a moratorium on foreclosures (a bill has
been introduced in the Senate along these lines), or block the eviction of
someone being foreclosed upon
*	Deliver a local "Grinch of the Year" award (or national nomination)
to a local target
*	Rally for a worker struggle, to highlight the need for EFCA, health
care, etc.
*	Get local unions to sponsor workplace sticker actions, supporting a
people's bail-out
*	Recruit volunteers for the "Bucket Brigade" that will be needed to
fight for a peoples bailout
*	December 10, Human Rights Day, connect with allies around the
"worker rights are human rights" theme and collect EFCA cards and
endorsements
*	Expose the face of the other side, doing actions at corporations
that either benefit from the wall street bailout or lead the charge against
worker rights
*	Generate media, op-eds, letters to the editor etc.
*	Deliver eviction notices to banks
*	Announce/Conduct a training program for the hottest new job:  soup
kitchen management
*	various street theater skits (billionaires for bail-outs, etc.)
*	all the plumbers named "Joe' hold a conference
*	build a house made of bricks/boxes that represent components of
economic security

 

Please send your plans to allison at jwj.org and your Field Organizer

 

January:

*	Hold a "people's assembly" with allies to further develop a recovery
platform  (we are talking with some national allied networks to potentially
coordinate with in some cities)
*	other actions aimed at building the pressure for a People's
Bail-Out.
*	Continue getting cards and endorsements for EFCA

 

February:

*	Briefing for Congressional Progressive Caucus with allies

 

The National office will provide:

*	"Peoples Bail-Out Now" stickers
*	Background materials and templates for media, including a comic book
on the crisis
*	Sharing of info and good ideas among locals

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

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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:
<http://www.jwj.org/pledge.html> "I'll be there for workers' rights at least
five times a year!" This is the core mission of Jobs with Justice (
<http://www.jwj.org/> www.jwj.org), affirming that workers' rights are human
rights. To subscribe, send an email to wmjwj at wmjwj.org with a Subject of
"Subscribe Workers' Rights".



Western Mass Jobs with Justice
640 Page Blvd #101
Springfield MA 01104
(413) 827-0301 

 

 

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