by DC Jobs with Justice | Sep 25, 2017 | About, Get Involved
DC Jobs With Justice Seeks Lead Organizer Overview: DC Jobs With Justice (DC JWJ) is a coalition of labor unions, community organizations, faith institutions, and student organizations dedicated to protecting and advancing the rights of working people in the DC metropolitan area. DC JWJ has helped win a precedent-setting minimum wage increase in DC, as well as led various campaigns to hold large corporations accountable to DC communities. In the past we have worked on a range of issues, from labor law to health care; from union organizing campaigns to immigrant rights. Please see www.dcjwj.org for more information. DC JWJ is seeking a Lead Organizer to lead the organization’s campaigns and programmatic work. The ideal candidate will excel at developing and implementing strategic campaigns, building and maintaining relationships, and building consensus among diverse stakeholders with different priorities to enable effective work together on a common goal. This person will be a team player, excited about the role of unions and coalitions in social change, and committed to justice in Washington, DC. This position will report directly to the Executive Director of DC Jobs With Justice. This position is part of the IFPTE Local 70 bargaining unit and subject to the provisions of the union contract. Job Responsibilities: Campaigns: Lead strategic coalition campaigns to promote economic, racial, and social justice in Washington, DC. Coordinate and facilitate coalition campaigns by working with members and allies to develop campaign strategy and plans. Convene coalition meetings on a regular basis to develop campaign strategy Oversee strategy implementation among coalition members Mobilize and develop infrastructure to support ongoing activities Assess and develop campaigns targeting bad...
by DC Jobs with Justice | Jul 19, 2016 | About, Press
We are extremely pleased to announce that Ms. Elizabeth Falcon will be the next Executive Director of DC Jobs with Justice. For over a decade, Ms. Falcon has been a passionate advocate for social change in Washington, DC and across the Deep South, with a proven track record of running effective campaigns and maintaining strong coalitions. She is an experienced coalition leader who believes in the power of bringing people and organizations together. Throughout her career, she has led community partners to build consensus on strategic direction, developing effective campaigns such as the Housing For All Campaign and Save Our Safety Net. Under her leadership at Coalition for Non-Profit Housing and Economic Development (CNHED), the Housing for All campaign became a well-recognized force, with over 4,000 individual supporters and hundreds of participating organizations, winning over $300 million in affordable housing investments. As a result, she is a trusted partner with advocates, labor, and diverse communities across the District. We are thrilled to have Ms.Falcon join our team as the Executive Director. Her campaign planning skills, strong local relationships, and dedication to developing affected DC residents to lead campaigns will be critical as our organization moves into the future. Ms. Falcon officially starts at DC JWJ on August 15, 2016. Our current Executive Director, Nikki Lewis, will step down on August 31,...
by DC Jobs with Justice | May 6, 2015 | About
Today marks the 10 day countdown to our first-ever DC Jobs With Justice Day! I’ve been with DC JWJ for three years, and that’s been long enough to see the broad and indispensable role we play in the struggle for a more just Washington, DC. Our coalition has a duty to protect all workers: when unorganized day laborers faced thieving contractors and perilous job sites, we partnered with Foundry United Methodist to organize and nurture a grassroots organization that today stands as the independent, member-led Trabajadores Unidos de Washington, DC. Our coalition seizes the moment: when politicians scuttled our effort to hold Walmart and big box retailers accountable to DC residents, we learned, we pivoted, and we led an effort to win paid sick days for all workers AND a higher minimum wage. Most important, our coalition builds long-term relationships for long-term victories: after years and years of fighting wage theft, we – with our partners and supporters – built enough power to pass the strongest protections against wage theft in the country. And you better believe we’ll be there for 15 more years, making sure our government and employers follow those rules. I’m proud to work alongside residents, union members, people of faith, and students for a vision of DC that puts people before profits. Help us celebrate and accomplish that vision today by supporting our work with a donation on DC Jobs With Justice Day. Your support will help DC Jobs with Justice lead our campaigns, coalition building, worker organizing, and training this year! Thank you for your solidarity, Ari Schwartz Lead Organizer, DC JWJ ...
by DC Jobs with Justice | Jun 10, 2014 | About
Yanely Perez is a rising sophomore at Georgetown University. She is majoring in Government and Psychology with a minor in German. She is originally from Covadonga, Guanajuato, Mexico but she moved with her family in 2000 to Oklahoma. Throughout her school career and in her personal time she has helped with issues pertaining directly to the homeless population and animal rights. Because her family has a long history of immigrant workers she has found a passion advocating for workers rights. What she has to say about her decision to join DCJWJ: “I feel like I have so much to learn about some of the serious issues affecting DC and I believe DC JWJ will help me not only become more informed but also channel that information into action. The staff at DCJWJ is great and their work is really creating change. I can’t wait to get started!” Marisha Wickremsinhe hails from Indianapolis, Indiana, the twelfth largest city in the country. She is a rising senior at Georgetown University, studying International Health. Her interest in organizing grew out of a commitment to the public education system in Washington – after the Spring 2013 school closings slated to occur in the District, several schools were able to advocate that they remain open. Organizing efforts on the part of students, parents, teachers, and neighborhoods proved effective, but the influence of distinct racial and socioeconomic lines was glaring. In that Fall of 2013, Marisha worked as a DC JwJ Intern, and was blessed to attend the National JwJ Organizing Training in October. It was INCREDIBLE. Marisha became invested in organizing as a...
by dcjwjeditor | Feb 10, 2014 | About, Wage Theft
Councilmember Tommy Wells, chair of the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, held a hearing at the Wilson Building on new legislation to “Ban the Box.” The bill would prevent employers from asking job candidates about their criminal history on their applications. The hearing gave the public a chance to testify about the wording on the proposed “Fair Criminal Record Screening Act of 2014” (1). During the 4 hour hearing, almost 40 people gave testimony about the legislation. The stacked line-up included many public witnesses, as well as advocates from many community organization speaking in support of the bill (2). Among those who presented were the Reentry Network for Returning Citizens, DC Employment Justice Center (EJC), Restaurant Opportunity Center (ROC), Bread for City, and our very own Executive Director, Nikki Lewis! As Councilmember Wells explained, DC is estimated to have 60,000 residents with criminal histories and approximately 8,000 returning citizens annually. With the current background check for employment and housing applications, finding a stable job and place to live is nearly impossible for these formerly incarcerated individuals, as many of the public witnesses conveyed in their testimony. As a result, residents and family members of those that have had previous contact with the criminal justice system are unfairly forced to suffer unequal discrimination. With our broken system not providing the opportunity for employment and housing, many end up back in jail. Perhaps because of the strong public support for the bill, Wells expressed that he plans to make sure the bill passes as one of the most comprehensive pieces of ban the box legislation in the nation. Significantly, however, many testimonies applauded...
by DC Jobs with Justice | Feb 2, 2012 | About, Campaigns
Dyana Forester a DC native joined the staff of DC Jobs with Justice in September to work on our Walmart: Respect DC campaign. rnrnShe began her career as an organizer with the United Food and Commercial Workers’ Union organizing Walmart workers. From there she moved on to work as an organizer at Teaching for Change, where she supported parents at DC Public Schools in leading campaigns for quality and equitable education for their children. Most recently, Dyana was Lead Organizer at ONE DC, where she organizing unemployed residents around demanding access to jobs and funding for job training programs. rnrnDyana brings deep knowledge of the DC political process and considerable campaign strategy experience. She is also a proud mother of two beautiful girls, Briana(14) and Dylan-Marie...
