by DC Jobs with Justice | Nov 1, 2012 | Projects, Student Labor Outreach Project
Student activists from multiple DC campuses gathered on Sunday, October 28th to attend a student organizing training put on by DC Jobs with Justice and UNITE HERE Local 23. “Learning about what other students are doing and their organizing strategies was very valuable, especially given how they can be tied in to what we’re doing on my campus,” said Alex Teplyakov, a freshman at George Washington University. Moving forward, DC Jobs with Justice will continue to provide support for these students on their own campuses, as well as help plug them into ongoing campaigns, such as UNITE HERE’s Real Food Real Jobs campaign. ...
by DC Jobs with Justice | Nov 28, 2009 | Campaigns, Justice At Wings, Projects, Student Labor Outreach Project
Taking time from cramming for mid-terms, students from the George Washington (GW) University and members of DC Jobs with Justice’s Student Labor Action Project joined striking Wings workers on a delegation to the university to demand that the institution take action to ensure a rapid resolution of the strike. rnrnWorkers at Wings are know as “rodmen” and do the tough work of placing the reinforcing steel in the concrete structure of buildings. The company – the biggest of its type in the region – does work on campuses around the area, including University of Maryland – College Mark and George Mason University, in addition to GW.rnrn”In 2008 I suffered an accident on the job,” explained Mauricio, one of the striking workers. “I was working on a wall and the foreman asked me to come down to the floor. I was descending slowly but the foreman shouted at me that I should come down more quickly. When I jumped down I seriously injured my left foot and left shin. The company did not offer to provide any medical attention, pay for the days I missed or compensate me for my injury.” rnrnStudents also requested that the company launch an investigation into working conditions for Wings workers on the Square 54 construction site, which is being managed by Boston Properties and Clark Construction Group. “As GW students, it’s important to us that the workers building our facilities are treated fairly,” said Aaron Keshner, a student at GW and leader of the Progressive Student Union. “We had a good discussion with the president’s office, and will work to ensure that they follow...
by DC Jobs with Justice | Nov 28, 2009 | Projects, Student Labor Outreach Project
Cold fall rain did not deter more than 40 students and staff who rallied Nov. 13th at Georgetown University to support campus police officers. Representatives from a variety of student organizations, as well as Georgetown staff, gathered on Red Square to show their support for the Georgetown Department of Public Safety (DPS) officers in their union negotiations. The officers’ union, Allied, has been in negotiations with the university since August; the university has yet to agree to the union’s proposal to bring hourly wages – now about $3 less than other area colleges — on par with other campus police in the metro Washington area. rnrnThe issue was brought to forefront after Georgetown experienced two hate crimes based on sexual orientation. Students involved in the resulting dialogue about campus safety realized that the uncompetitive salary for DPS salary resulted in an understaffed department and a lack of resources for officers. After speeches by representatives of the Georgetown chapter of NAACP, the Latino-American group MEChA, Asian American Students Association, and the labor rights group Georgetown Solidarity Committee, the demonstrators carrying signs saying “Show Us Your Values” and “How Much is Your Safety Worth?” marched to the offices of President DeGioia and Vice President Dimolitsas to deliver petitions with hundreds of signatures from students, professors, and organizations, including the College Democrats and Republicans. rnrn- report/photo by Julia...
by DC Jobs with Justice | Oct 6, 2009 | Projects, Student Labor Outreach Project
More than 200 highschool students wearing all black walked out of classes Monday to protest the layoff of 388 school employees last week. Chanting “No counselors, no college!” students met at McKinley Technology High School and marched towards schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee’s office. “We are here because our education in on the line,†said one student. “We have no teachers. All our counselors have been laid off. I am a senior, I want to graduate, I want to go to college, I want to have a future but how can I do that without a school counselor.rnrnAt McKinley officers from the Metropolitan Police Department entered classrooms at around 2:45pm Friday to escort the teachers out of the classroom, “I was in class, the police came in, told my teacher to leave the classroom and escorted her to her car. We knew the layoffs were coming but we didn’t know who or when it would happen. It was very distressing,” explained Tamika DeBose, a student at McKinley Tech. As McKinley students gathered peacefully in the school courtyard on Friday, police attempted to disperse them, pepper spraying DeBose directly in the face. Another senior, Teyvon Cooke, began to voice her opposition to the layoffs when the police allegedly grabbed her neck, threw her on the ground, injuring her face and then arrested her, falsely accusing her assaulting a police officer. “Rhee mismanaged this situation badly,” said Kelvin Sherman, a 12th grader who filmed the incident and was expelled today after he shared the footage to with news stations. “At the end of the day it’s students who suffer.” rnrnRhee argues that...
by DC Jobs with Justice | Mar 23, 2009 | Projects, Student Labor Outreach Project
rnThe 10th annual National Student Labor Week of Action, hosted by the Student Labor Action Project, is an opportunity to reclaim our future by mobilizing our communities. From March 27th to April 4th, in honor of the lives of Martin Luther King Jr. and Cesar Chavez, students and workers will unite and demand:rn * The passage of the Employee Free Choice Act and living wages for all campus employeesrn * University codes of conduct that support workers’ rights both on campus and overseasrn * Fair wages & working conditions for the people who grow our food and harvest our cropsrnrnDC’s Student Labor Action Project was formed as a coalition of progressive organizations at universities across DC, with the goal of promoting economic justice both on and off campus. Together, we stand in solidarity with workers, and have worked on various campaigns fighting labor exploitation in the city. We also work closely as a coalition to support each others’ actions; our coordination as a group helps empower students to take action in their communities. In the past, DC SLAP has fought for living wages, anti-sweatshop apparel, and the right to organize for workers in the district.rnrnThe week of action kicks off On March 24th, when hundreds of students from across the nation will gather at the US Capitol to demand the passage of the DREAM Act and the Employee Free Choice Act. From there, groups will take action on their own campuses. rnStudent groups at Georgetown, George Washington, American, and UMD are all planning events in support of worker justice, and calling on our communities to take action. This year,...
by DC Jobs with Justice | Feb 13, 2009 | Projects, Student Labor Outreach Project
rnAdd worker unrest to the economic problems facing the Gap. Last Sunday, the clothing retailer’s Georgetown store was picketed by local students who are supporting Teamsters who have been on strike against Gap contractor Oak Harbor Freight Lines since last September. The workers struck after the company cut healthcare benefits for workers and retirees. rnrn”People seemed genuinely interested in what was going on,” said the Georgetown Solidarity Committee’s Joe Parker. “It was a very energetic event, and even the manager seemed concerned about the situation with Oak Harbor.”rn- Originally printed in Union...
