March 27th-April 4th The nation wide call to action is a great chance to bring labor issues to your campus, and, with the Employee Free Choice Act being considered in Congress, there could not be a better time to spark discussion on your campus. Last year there were more than 200 actions across the country on issues like the right to organize, fair wages for campus workers, sweatshops, and more. Campus Progress is sponsoring the mobilization again this year, and we would love to help you get involved! Here are a three easy ways to take action: 1. Join/Attend an Existing Action or Event: You can find information on all of the actions and events currently being planned across the country here. If you are already planning an action or event, we may be able to help! Let us know at organize@campusprogress.org. You should also register the event here. 2. Plan an Action - Campus Progress may be able to help you with publicity, media, or expenses. If you are interested in planning an action, let us know at organize@campusprogress.org, and check out the organizing guide for the week of action. You should also register your event here. Want to plan an action but unsure about what to do? Here are some ideas from the Student Labor Action Project for targets: 1) THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE - There is a conspiracy that continues to unfold on behalf of major corporations and the financial sector of the USA. While demanding huge tax breaks and benefits, corporations and banks continue to use this money to pay executives excessive salaries and bonuses, while not creating good jobs and opportunities in our communities. This includes funding the anti- Employee Free Choice Act campaign of lies. A driving force behind the corporate conspiracy against working people is big business's umbrella - the Chamber of Commerce. During the Week of Action, organize rallies, press events, bringing together community, faith, student and labor allies to highlight the corporate campaign of lies being lead by the Chamber of Commerce. There are local and state level Chamber of Commerce buildings across the country. For a location in your community or state, click here.
2) RITE AID - 600 Workers at a Rite Aid Distribution Center in Lancaster, CA voted to join the International Longshore and Warehouse Union in March of 2008. Nearly a year later, they still don't have a first contract. Rite Aid has failed to offer reasonable proposals at the bargaining table, agreeing only on trivial issues. A third of all workers who vote to join a union never see a first contract because of company delays like the ones Rite Aid is using today. This situation at Rite Aid demonstrates clearly why workers need the Employee Free Choice Act. Take action to demand that Rite Aid respect their workers' right to organize and bargain a first contract in good faith!
We are not calling for a boycott of Rite Aid stores, and actions should be in solidarity with workers in New York and some other places who are represented by the UFCW and SEIU. These unions are supporting the ILWU's calls for informational events at Rite Aid stores and you should reach out to your local SEIU or UFCW contacts before planning an action. Click here to find a local store.
3) CITIGROUP - Citigroup was one of the largest recipients of taxpayer "bailout" money, collecting at least $50 billion. Citi recently joined the fight against the Employee Free Choice Act when they held a private call designed to scare people about unions and the economy. The call was led by a senior executive of Chamber of Commerce and featured anti-labor "analysts." Citi also downgraded Wal-Mart's stock based on the potential passage of the Employee Free Choice Act. Citi claims to "make stock recommendations to investing clients, and in doing so they examine a broad range of factors that may
3. Plan an Event on the Employee Free Choice Act or Green Jobs- The Employee Free Choice Act would go a long way in preventing employer intimidation of workers trying to form a union, and balancing the playing field between workers and employers when it comes to forming a union. A recent report by the Center for Economic and Policy Research showed that pro-union workers are fired in more than 1 out of 4 union election campaigns. Young people have seen their student debt soar while watching their (inflation adjusted) wages stagnate in good times and plummet in bad, in part because union membership among young workers fell by almost 50% since the early 80's. This bill is one of the key steps that need to be taken if we want to make the economy work for our generation. Green Jobs have the potential to decrease unemployment while building for a clean and just energy future. Organizing a panel with local union and enviornmental leaders is a great opportunity to build bridges among progressives, and get people excited to tackle the economic and ecological challenges that our generation is facing. Campus Progress would love to help you put on an event - large or small - as part of the Student Labor Week of Action to highlight these issues. We can help with speakers, connect you with groups like the Student Labor Action Project that will put you in touch with local labor and community groups, cover speaker travel costs, and more. We can also send you postcards that allow people to take action on this issue at your event. If you are interested in setting up an event, contact us at organize@americanprogress.org or fill out the speaker request form.
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