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Winter/Spring SLACTIVIST
Hello from the SLAP coordinator
SLAP in action!
Update on National Campaigns
SAVE THE DATE- National Student Labor Week of Action from March 28-April 4
Upcoming conferences
Internships, jobs and other opportunities
Hello from the SLAP coordinator
During these harsh economic times, student and workers continue to struggle because of continued budget cuts and layoffs in our universities. SLAP has become a central space for the junction of these movements to unite and become a force not to be reckon with. Our work with USSA through the national campaign to defend education and jobs has proven to be successful by bringing workers and students together to take action on issues such as the passage of Student Aid Reform (SAFRA). We will be rallying to make defend higher education and jobs on March 4th and continue preparing for the National Student Labor Week of Action coming up from March 28th to April 4th. We invite you to join the movement for social change and be the ones we have been waiting for.
In Solidarity
Maria F. Escobar
Ps. We want to welcome to Boston University SLAP and SLAP at Brevard Community College
SLAP in action!
Philadelphia, PA
The Student Labor Action Project (SLAP) members decided to participate in President Gutmann's February 11th Snowman Building Contest. She liked the snowwoman, dressed in a hotel workers rising T-shirt, so much that she decided to take a picture with it. SLAP asked President Gutmann, how she supported hotel worker snow-women, but not live hotel worker women orgnizing in HEI hotels? President Gutmann then invited them to her cookie party in Lower Level Commons. SLAP attended and collected over 50 signatures for their Valentines Day Petition. For more info go to http://pennslap.blogspot.com/
UPenn SLAP and UPenn President Gutmann
Orlando, Fl
SLAP students and Central JwJ marching at the Annual Martin Luther King Jr parade in Orlando FL. Check out upcoming actions for Central Florida SLAP http://www.centralfloridaslap.com
Washington DC
DC SLAP and the DC JwJ marching in support of workers from DC-based subcontractor Wings Enterprises Inc. who walked out on strike in response to low pay, lack of health insurance, drinking water, and verbal abuse from management. In retaliation, Wings fired a group of strike supporters. More than 30 workers have been unlawfully terminated. Despite supportive words, George Washington University, who owns the land and commissioned the Square 54 project, has turned a blind eye to the situation.
Take action at
http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/Have_a_Heart_for_Striking_Wings_Workers?preview=t
Madison, WI
Picture courtesy of the USSA board member Cristina Trevino
SLAC at University of Wisconsin, Madison are pictured here after they did a teach-in about Nike outside of the Chancellor's office. They tore up paper Nike swooshes and put the pieces in a giant envelope addressed to their Chancellor asking her to cut contracts wiht Nike because of the workers' rights abuses abroad. For more info http://slac.rso.wisc.edu/
Update on National Campaigns
National campaign to defend Education and Jobs
A stop to balancing the budget on the backs of students and workers!
The Student Labor Action Project and the United States Student Association have launched this joint campaign in response to the attacks on students and workers by legislators and their disregard to prioritize education and working people in our states.
Our demands are:
-Full funding and access to higher
-Campus democracy and proportionate representation in decision making bodies
-Fighting corporatization/ privatization of our education
-State and federal government accountability
-Stopping layoffs and demanding good union jobs in our universities
Check out our factsheet and organizing manual for this amazing campaign
Join the movement by participating in our national conference calls- Next call happening February 25th @ 9pm est- 6pm pst. During this call we will also have as a special guest, Victor Sanchez, president of the University of California Student Association (UCSA). He has been in the forefront of the fight to save higher education in California and will share strategies on statewide coordination and mobilizations against these attacks to higher education. We will have a question and answer session afterward.
The call in number is (605) 477-2100
Participant Access Code: 1075104#
Let's pass Student Aid Reform by fighting the evil forces of Sallie Mae!
This week USSA is would like everyone to pay attention and tell their legislators that we need the passage of the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA) now! They have this cool tool on their website where you can just put your zip code, and choose what paper you want to send a pre written Letter to the Editor. You can also make some changes to it to make it more personal, but is pretty fast and simple.
Here is the link for the automatic Letter to the editor http://www.usstudents.org/get-involved/ways-to-get-involved#student-aid-reform
It would be great if you can do one for you area, it takes you less than five minutes and will help us combat the evil forces of Sallie Mae!
Oh and just in case you don’t know much about the malicious activity that Sallie Mae is doing to stop this bill from passing read some of the following articles;
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/29/lobbying-showdown-over-th_n_247506.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/05/us/politics/05loans.html
Jobs with Justice Economic recovery campaign
People across the country are angry - for good reason. Corporate greed and recklessness have driven our economy into a crisis, and leaders in Washington, DC have yet to offer any real solutions.
We will not allow our anger to be manipulated or deflected from the true causes of the economic crisis: 1) decades of corporate greed that have put the squeeze on workers and their unions 2) the corporate-driven, anti-government, free-for-all deregulation of Wall Street finance and 3) the housing bubble and its collapse.
It is up to us to take action to demand full and fair employment and a new economy that works for everyone.
Join JwJ during their upcoming national week of action from March 1-7 to fight back attacks to the public sector. Sign the pledge and join in the action! Check out www.jwj.org for a more info.
SAVE THE DATE- March 28th- April 4th
National Student Labor Week of Action- Addressing our shared crisis through collective action!
Get your organizing manual now to begin preparing for this amazing week of action!
From March 28 to April 4, students and workers across the country are
uniting on campuses and communities across the country to fight for jobs and
education. A wide coalition of student, youth, and labor organizations are
coming together to demand:
Access to HIGHER Education:
- Student aid reform - The Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA)
- Passage of the DREAM Act and advancing policies that ensure students who work hard enough to get into college have the financial resources to complete their degree unhampered by costs
- A stop to the cuts in higher education that are disproportionately impacting working people, students, and families across the country.
Good, SUSTAINABLE Jobs:
- A strong and vibrant program to create badly needed jobs. Legislation like the "Put America to Work Act of 2009" is a good starting point, but
we demand that Congress do more and act now.
- Through the Campaign for Fair Food and similar organizing efforts, we come together to demand that companies do their part to create better working conditions and opportunities for many of the most vulnerable workers in our economy.
- Transforming "bad jobs" into good, family-sustaining jobs by giving workers the freedom to join unions and bargain for better wages, benefits, and working conditions by passing legislation like the *Employee Free Choice Act.
Sign up at www.studentlabor.org!
Upcoming conferences
Democratic Socialism: Real Change for a Change
The National Conference of the Young Democratic Socialists
Join young activists from all over the country for a unique opportunity to attend interesting workshops, lectures, and discussions while connecting with youth working for radical social change.
Featuring:
Cornel West,Gayatri Spivak,Frances Fox Piven,Liza Featherstone,Christian Parenti,Bertha Lewis and more
When: Friday, March 5 - Sunday, March 7
Where: Norman Thomas High School,111 E 33 St. New York, NY 10016
Website: http://www.ydsusa.org/news/a-real-change-for-a-change
Registration: http://www.dsausa.org/yds/Feb2010/confreg.html
Contact: y...@dsausa.org, 212 727 8610, ydsusa.org
USSA Legislative Conference – Registration deadline today!!
From March 20-23 in Washington DC, join students from across the nation under a collective voice to ensure our lawmakers make higher education a priority. USSA believes that everyone has a right to an education, and together we will make this a reality. This conference gives us the opportunity as student leaders from around the country to use our power to demand that legislators prioritize sound education policy and
Register now!
Labor notes conference- April 23-25 in Detroit!
Labor Notes' biennial conferences host over a thousand activists from unions, worker centers, and workplace struggles. There are over 100 workshops for workers organizing in their unions, at their work, in their industries, and on their campaigns. From nitty-gritty skills-building workshops to sessions tackling strategic debates for the labor movement, the Labor Notes Conference is like a shot in the arm for our movement's grassroots activists.
These times are tough on workers. Employers are using this economic crisis to clamp down harder. More than ever, workers and labor activists need to strategize together how to fight for their rights at work. The Labor Notes Conferences provide a great opportunity for workers to network and to learn from one another skills they need to assist their struggles.
For more information on the conference please visit www.labornotes.org/conference
Keep in touch by calling 313-842-6262 or email confe...@labornotes.org
Internships, jobs and other opportunities
Organizing Internships/Apprenticeships with UNITE HERE
Gain hands on organizing experience learning key leadership skills by working closely with staff organizers and strong rank and file leaders. Full time positions may be available to experienced candidates.
To Apply:
Boston applicants: Send resume, completed application, and one letter of reference to recru...@local26.org Applications due no later than March 26th. Only 5 applicants will be interviewed. There will be 2 rounds of interviews starting March 1st and April 5th. All applicants will be notified of acceptance by April 14th.All applicants are highly encouraged to attend skills based training March 20th. Training will cover many of the skills necessary for the internship as well as an overview of our active campaigns.
Chicago applicants: submit application at http://jobs.unitehere.org/organizerapp.php
Following a phone interview, applicants may be considered for paid apprenticeship or unpaid internship, and invited to a 2-day training to be held in April.
Social Justice Union Organizers (various locations) Organizers work with members and unorganized workers to build the leadership and solidarity necessary to win respect and higher standards of living from their employers.
Desired Qualifications Include:
- Commitment to fight for justice and organize the unorganized, and previous experience with organizing workers.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Spanish language skills.
- Willingness to work long and irregular hours.
· Ability to effectively manage a workload with competing priorities, and thrive in fast-changing circumstances where it will be necessary to work independently and take initiative.
Apply Here: http://jobs.unitehere.org/organizerapp.php
Boycott Coordinators (various locations)
Boycotts are a critical component of our comprehensive campaigns in the hotel industry.
Responsibilities Include (but are not limited to):
- Researching hotel clients;
- Developing and carrying out strategy to move clients from hotels that are driving down industry standards;
- Recruiting/developing/maintaining volunteer committees;
- Working with community and labor allies;
- Coordinating actions such as leafleting, delegations and marches
Desired Qualifications:
- Applicants must be willing and able to relocate and/or travel to appropriate work sites;
- Must have passion for low wage and other worker struggles;
- Must have previous activist experience -- boycott experience a plus;
- Must be assertive and have excellent language, writing and computer skills.
Apply Here: http://jobs.unitehere.org/organizerapp.php For more information about our campaigns: www.unitehere.org
UNION RESEARCH SUMMER SCHOOL, June 13-18, 2010
The AFL-CIO and Cornell University are sponsoring a Strategic Corporate Research Summer School on June 13-18, 2010 in Ithaca, New York. The course (credit or non-credit) is designed for undergrad and grad students who are interested in working as union researchers and campaigners. The registration deadline is May 1. Credit scholarships are available. To obtain a registration form and other information, go to http://www.sce.cornell.edu/ss/courses/on/special/scr.php, or contact Becky Sheffield at 607-254-4749 or rjs...@cornell.edu .
Experience What It's Like to be Part of the Labor Movement with AFSCME
As one of the fastest growing unions in the United States, AFSCME is constantly in search of skilled, motivated and passionate activists who are interested in a career in the labor movement. Through the AFSCME/UNCF Union Scholars Program, you can join us in the effort to support public service employees who are organizing unions.
Are You Eligible?
If you meet the following eligibility requirements, the AFSCME/UNCF Union Scholars Program wants you to consider applying for this cutting-edge program that will not only help countless working men and women but you as well. This program will open annually on October 1. You must:
- be a second-semester sophomore or junior during the application and interview process;
- major in Ethnic Studies, Women’s Studies, Labor Studies, American Studies, Sociology, Anthropology, History, Political Science, Psychology, Social Work, Economics, or Public Policy;
- have at least a 2.5 grade point average;
- be a college student of color, including: African American, Hispanic American, Asian Pacific Islander American and American Indian/Alaskan Native;
- demonstrate interest in working for social and economic justice through the labor movement.
- have a driver’s license
What are the Union Scholar benefits?
If you are selected, AFSCME will award you a 10-week summer field placement, during which you participate in a union organizing campaign in one of several locations across the United States.
You will receive:
- a stipend of up to $4,000;
- on-site housing at your location;
- a week-long orientation and training;
- an academic scholarship of up to $5,000 for the school year, based on successful performance.
To Apply
Find the application online or call toll free: 1-866-671-7237. To be eligible, you must meet all eligibility requirements as identified above. Make sure that you are eligible before you attempt to complete the online application. The annual deadline for this program is February 28.
Generation Change Internships
Generation Change is excited to announce that it will place 20 full-time interns with organizations in Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Washington, DC in Summer 2010. Interns will receive direct experience working in the field of community organizing with local community based organizations.
The intern’s full-time work will focus on one or more of the Center’s three priority issues: immigration, healthcare, and worker justice/the economy.
Generation Change interns will experience an intensive five day training in Washington, DC; two summer sessions to network with their peers and learn from experts regarding local issues; and a final two day reflection gathering and skills training to cap their 10 week summer working experience.
Click here to apply to the 2010 GenChange Internship Program!
Please note that the deadline to apply is FEBRUARY 28, 2010
CPL’s New Leaders Internship Program
This program brings young people from underrepresented communities across the country with a demonstrated passion for progressive change to Washington D.C. for paid, on-the-job experience in a top progressive organization, leadership training, coaching, networking and community building.
The 2010 New Leaders Internship runs from June 7th - August 13th, 2010. The early decision deadline to apply is February 8th, 2010 and the regular decision deadline is March 8th, 2010. However, the application process is rolling and the earlier you apply, the higher likelihood you have of being matched with an organization of your choice.
Register -To apply to a 2010 New Leaders Program, you must fully complete the application. Get started by clicking on the link Begin the application process
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