DC JwJ Sets Economic Recovery Agenda, Local-Global Link

rnMomentum is growing to create an economy that works for everyone, and DC JwJ, along with our national network of local coalitions, is helping to set the agenda. On Saturday, April 25th Global Justice Action and DC JwJ will be hosting an all-day city-wide People’s Economic Forum from 1:00-9:00PM. Check out our recently-released “Economic Meltdown Funnies,”, a tool to help communities understand the history and ideology behind where we are today. rnrnEarlier this month the G-20 countries announced their solution to the global financial crisis: raise $1.1 trillion to finance the International Monetary Fund, the very institution responsible for this crisis. For the last decade, the IMF has coerced governments around the world to deregulate their financial system and privatize public sector services. The World Bank and IMF will be holding their annual joint Spring Meetings April 24-26 in Washington DC. The People’s Economic Forum will provide a space for the DC community to come together and build a local-global people’s platform for economic recovery.rnrnPeople’s Economic ForumrnSaturday, April 25th, 1-9pmrnSt Stephens Church, 1525 Newton St NWrn(corner of 16th & Newton)rnrnOne key piece of this agenda is the Employee Free Choice Act legislation which will make it easier for workers to form unions, protect their rights and improve their jobs. No situation better illustrates the connection between organizing rights and economic recovery than the fight of the workers at the Sheraton Crystal City in Arlington VA, who last month launched a public campaign for a fair unionization process. While Sheraton’s parent company, HEI, is one of the country’s fastest growing hotel chains, workers are facing unfair layoffs, unaffordable healthcare, and lack of respect on the job. In spite of rising unemployment, HEI keeps its hotels under-staffed, requiring room cleaners to clean as many as 32 rooms a day. In response to worker organizing, hotel management cynically laid off three longtime, hardworking employees, even though the hotel is full and staff are already over-worked. “We are committed to keep on fighting until we win,” said union organizing committee leader Hermen Romero, a cook at the Sheraton Crystal City for 5 years and one of the laid-off workers. “Now we are even more determined to fight, we will not take a step backwards.”rnrnIn addition to supporting the Sheraton workers, DC JwJ has been part of a national campaign to collect over a million and a half signatures in support of the Employee Free Choice Act, which would impose higher penalties on companies like HEI that violate workers’ rights and allow workers to form a union through majority card sign-up. rnrnPeople’s Economic Forum AgendarnCo-Sponsored by: Global Justice Action, Jobs with Justice, DC Students for a Democratic Society, Casa de Maryland, and the Washington Peace Centerrnrn1pm: Welcome from Global Justice Actionrnrn1:15-2:45: The World Economic Crisis Explainedrnrn3-3:30: History of the Global Justice Movement: The highlights, challenges, successes, and failuresrnrn3:45-5: Mapping the Crisis: Break out groups addressing how specific issues relate to the financial crisis and the IMF and World Bank, and discussing real alternatives and solutions (all break outs will occur simultaneously)rnrn * Housing & Homelessnessrn * Educationrn * Laborrn * Immigrationrn * Environmentrn * International Financial Institutionsrn * War & Militarismrnrn5-6: Reportbacks from the break out groups. Even thought you only got to attend one, you get to hear the highlights from all of them. From these reportbacks we will harvest key points to build an inclusive multi-issue platform for radically addressing the financial crisisrnrn6-7: Free dinner will be providedrnrn7-9pm: Alternatives Visions to Capitalism: Panel DiscussionrnrnOther Global Justice Action events:rnrnFriday April 24th Noon: 5k Run on the Bank – take a lunchtime run to the World Bank, meet at Malcolm X Park at 12 noon. Followed by a 1pm press conference at Murrow Park.rnrnSaturday April 25th AM: Direct Actions – disrupt the start of the IMF/World Bank meetings with blockades and unpermitted marchesrnrnSunday 2pm: March & Rally – permitted rally and march starting at Dupont Circle and ending in front of the World Bank