[Antiracism] [May Day 2009] Initial Organizing

[WMass Jobs With Justice]

Dear friends,

 

This is our annual letter to our Members, subscribers, and quite a range of
activists, performers, historians (professional and amateur), and folks who
have shown an interest in Western Mass. People's History, including the
dozens of good-hearted folks who aided and/or abetted our previous "Voices"
performances (October 2005 "People's History" event with Howard Zinn; May
Day 2006, 2007, and 2008 adaptations of that script).  

 

Please forward to friends you think might be interested.  I have specific
questions for you (and your friends) at the end, including whether you want
to continue on this list for May Day 2009.  It is an Opt In list, so I need
you to Reply.

 

Western Massachusetts Jobs with Justice traditionally celebrates
International Workers Day.  The event is also a fundraiser for WMJwJ.  There
are suggested donation ticket prices, but no one is turned away for lack of
funds.

 

Lately we've produced "Voices of Working People's History" - readings,
music, and slides that tell the origins of International Workers Day in the
US in the 1880s and carry its themes up to the present.

 

However, this year we will build the event around a visit by Stewart Acuff.

 

Stu is Special Assistant to the President of the AFL-CIO, National Jobs with
Justice Board Member, former AFL-CIO Organizing Director, former Service
Employees International Union (Texas, Georgia) and Central Labor Council
(Atlanta) officer, and a former community organizer in Missouri, Texas,
Tennessee, and New Hampshire for organizations affiliated with ACORN and
Citizen Action. 

 

He is a stirring speaker (you
<http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=Stewart+Acuff&aq=f
>  can watch many of his speeches at YouTube) and will focus us on an
economic recovery that puts Main Street before Wall Street, passes the
Employee Free Choice Act and restores workers' right to organize, ensures
health care for all, creates good green jobs, and holds bailed out banks
accountable to the people.

 

The program will still include lots of music.  But this year the idea is to
have the singer-songwriters who participate perform their own songs on those
issues (and sell their CDs).

 

So, some specific questions:

 

1. Would you like to be in the program?  

 

2. Would you work on a committee?

-- Organizing? (primarily the Chairs of the other, work committees)

-- Program? 

-- Publicity? 

-- Bake Sale? 

-- Day-of Volunteers?

 

3. For our first meeting, how's Thursday March 5, 7-9pm?  We'll get a place
convenient for most people who can come.  Not everyone need come, but a lot
of people need to help!  RSVP!

 

4. Do you want to stay on this [May Day 2009] list?

 

Please let me know!

 

In solidarity,

 

Jon 

 

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

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

 

Founded in 1987, Jobs with Justice <http://www.jwj.org/> 's mission is to
improve working people's standard of living, fight for job security, and
protect workers' right to organize. We believe workers' rights are human
rights and to be successful, we have to be part of a larger campaign for
economic and social justice. 

 

To that end, "J with J" has created a national coalition and a network of
local coalitions that connect labor, community, student, and faith-based
organizations and activists on workplace and community social justice
campaigns.  Western Mass JwJ - founded June 5, 1993 - is now a coalition of
almost 60 organizations. 

 

WMJwJ publishes the following mobilization emails:

 

[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
(www.jwj.org <http://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". 

 

[Health Care Action] posts events and information that support the large and
vibrant Western Mass. movement for health care justice. Nationwide, Jobs
with Justice (www.jwj.org <http://www.jwj.org/> ) has prioritized Health
Care as a basic human right. To subscribe, send an email to wmjwj at wmjwj.org
with a Subject of "Subscribe Health Care Action".

 

[People's History] posts events and other information related to a people's
history of Western Mass. To subscribe, send an email to wmjwj at wmjwj.org with
a Subject of "Subscribe People's History".

 

[Solidarity Calendar] posts other events of interest to the Western Mass.
coalition.  To subscribe, send an email to wmjwj at wmjwj.org with a Subject of
"Subscribe Solidarity Calendar".

 

 

 

 

 

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