James Thindwa - Jobs with Justice
By: Hub Intern
Posted: May 27 08
Witnessed: 2035 times
Regions: United States
Issues: Freedom of opinion & expression, Labor unions
Tags: James Thindwa, Jobs with Justice, labor, respression, Rights, unions, workers, workers' rights
This interview was conducted by a fellow participant at the US Human Rights Network National conference in Chicago April 17th-20th, 2008. James Thindwa discusses the work of "Jobs with Justice".
Jobs with Justice engages workers and allies in campaigns to win justice in workplaces and in communities where working families live. JwJ was founded in 1987 with the vision of lifting up workers’ rights struggles as part of a larger campaign for economic and social justice. We believe in long-term multi-issue coalition building , grassroots base-building and organizing and strategic militant action as the foundation for building a grassroots movement, and we believe that by engaging a broad community of allies, we can win bigger victories. We reach working people through the organizations that represent them—unions, congregations, community organizations—and directly as JwJ activists. Nearly 100,000 people have signed the Jobs with Justice pledge to Be There at least five times a year for someone else’s struggle as well as their own.
In more than 40 cities in 25 states across the country, we are building coalitions of labor, religious, student and community organizations that are committed to each other for the long haul. Our campaigns make a difference for workers facing hostile bosses, knowing they are not alone in their struggle. At JwJ, solidarity is a two-way street: when communities come out for unions, they can expect unions to come out for them. Union victories are crucial, but they are not enough. We must maintain a strong commitment that our coalitions will weigh in on community fights.
In 2005, Jobs with Justice coalitions worked on 197 workplace justice campaigns affecting more than 243,400 workers . JwJ Coalitions supported more than 135,000 workers in 107 organizing and first contract campaigns, we denounced employer harassment of immigrant workers, and we resisted cost-shifting of health care benefits. Local coalitions also worked on 169 social justice campaigns on critical issues, supporting community organizations’ efforts to secure affordable housing and defend public services, and leading proactive campaigns that can only be won when we fight together – such as economic development policies, living wage ordinances, and statewide fights to win health care for all.
Actions
Take the Pledge
...standing up for our rights as working people to a decent standard of living.
...supporting the right of all workers to organize and bargain collectively
...fighting for secure family-wage jobs in the face of corporateattacks on working people and our communities
...organizing the unorganized to take aggressive action to secure a better economic future for all of us.
...mobilizing those already organized to join the fight for jobs with justice.
Resources
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