What We Were Up To in 2012

At our December 2012 monthly meeting, we took time to savor and critique our JwJ coalition’s list of 2012 accomplishments. You might be interested to peruse them.

  • So-called “Right to Work”: mobilized volunteers to attend statehouse rallies (beginning Jan. 4); helped organize public forum in Bloomington (Jan.18); mobilized constituents to attend Owen County legislative breakfast (Jan. 21).
  • Wage Theft: persuaded Interfaith Worker Justice to produce a PowerPoint presentation on wage theft for general use; co-organized Wage Theft Summit (July 23), in partnership with Latino Programs & Outreach; gave IWJ PowerPoint presentations to White River Central Labor Council (Aug. 22) and Democracy for Monroe County (Dec. 6); led discussion at meeting of Monroe County Religious Leaders (Oct. 17); with WRCLC and IU Labor Studies, co-sponsored public presentation by IWJ senior staffers (Oct. 23), re-broadcast on public-access television (beginning Dec. 2012); consulted with IU Social Work about practicum student for worker center (Dec. 11).
  • Public Education: organized public forum on funding, collective bargaining and “grading” schools (Jan. 11); liaised year-long with local chapter of Indiana Coalition for Public Education; lobbied MCCSC and RBBCSC school boards to join IFT voucher lawsuit as plaintiffs; persuaded local ICPE to join IFT voucher lawsuit; with WRCLC, sent questionnaire to MCCSC and RBBCSC school board candidates; co-sponsored an ICPE forum with State Superintendent of Public Instruction candidate Glenda Ritz (Aug. 27); with ICPE, co-sponsored two MCCSC school-board candidate forums (Sept. 10, Oct. 15).
  • Public Sector Unions: sent solidarity statement and strike fund donation to Chicago Teachers Union (Sept. 13); encouraged signatories on CWA 4730’s petition opposed to privatizing IU parking operations.
  • Workers Rights Board: held orientation meeting for prospective members of Workers Rights Board (Oct. 30)
  • Congressional Action on the Economy: With WRCLC, lobbied Rep. Todd Young on Bring Jobs Home Act (Sept. 18); organized rally to protect Medicaid from cuts during the “budget showdown” (Dec. 8).
  • Health Care Reform: Sent participants to WellPoint rally (May 16); wrote in support of affordable contraception insurance (H-T, June 27); delivered petition with 92 signatories to Gov.-elect Pence in support of expanding state Medicaid coverage (Dec. 8)
  • Corporate Campaign Funding: gathered signatures for Move to Amend petition; spoke to Rep. Todd Young about the issue (Feb. 22); liaised year-long with local Move to Amend; supported local Move to Amend’s effort to persuade Bloomington City Council and Monroe County Commissioners to pass resolutions petitioning Congress for a constitutional amendment (passed June 20, Oct. 5).
  • Solidarity Actions: donated to state AFL-CIO tornado relief fund; donated to national JwJ training fund; joined NALC march to Rep. Todd Young’s office (April 13); signed letter in support of Steelworkers Local 7-0030 in Mitchell, Ind.; attended Steelworkers rally in Mitchell (May 3); brainstormed direct action in front of Blue Sage headquarters, Austin, Tex.; co-sponsored labor film series, IU Cinema (Sept. 6 & 7, Dec. 6); sent solidarity statement to Palermo Pizza workers; participated in protest of Wal-Mart labor practices at Bloomington Wal-Mart (Oct. 9); testified about Hyatt Hotel’s labor history to Bloomington City Council (Oct. 13, Nov. 7); mobilized volunteers to help with Worker Freedom Coalition’s informational picket of Lamar Construction on the IU campus (Nov. 14); participated in vigil at Bloomington Wal-Mart, in memory of Bangladeshi sweatshop fatalities (Dec. 19).
  • Regional/National Networking:  placed ad in Labor Day issue of H-T; invited folks in surrounding counties to join WRB; sent delegates to national JwJ strategic planning conference (Nov. 27-29); prepared to launch Web site (Nov. - Dec.)
  • Green Jobs Advocacy: attempted to identify attendee for “Good Jobs, Green Jobs” regional conference.

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