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Dear John,
Things are heating up with #HotStrikeSummer! I’m so energized by the solidarity and action that we’re seeing across industries—from writers, hospitality workers, and Starbucks baristas to Uber drivers, UPS Teamsters, and flight attendants. I’m also reminded of the power of local organizing: how people who work and live in the same city can build meaningful connections and fight together for the things they need to thrive.
Los Angeles is an obvious example of where we see this happening. The WGA/SAG-AFTRA strike continues to build momentum and working people across industries are showing their solidarity online and on the picket line. Among the supporters are UPS Teamsters, who have been gearing up for a potential strike and just yesterday announced a historic tentative agreement [[link removed]] . Last month, hundreds of hospitality workers and allies took over Century Boulevard [[link removed]] to demand a livable wage. And as the SoCal Hotel Strike continued last week, WGA West, SAG-AFTRA, and hospitality workers with Unite Here Local 11 rallied together against corporate greed [[link removed]] . These fights aren’t happening in a vacuum and they’re much more than issues between workers and an employer in a single workplace.
Whether it’s writers in LA or Uber drivers in Chicago or Teamsters in NYC, these fights are about communities taking on corporate power in their cities and winning . And for national industries like UPS and hospitality, there are lessons and strategies that can then roll out in other cities. I believe that bravery seeds more bravery. When working people see others taking action and fighting for what they need, they can put those fights into the context of their own labor struggles. The possibilities become much more real: we all should have a livable wage, we all should be safe on the job, we all should be able to afford to live where we work, and much more.
As this activity with organized workers continues to grow, what power are we leveraging to bring in new people and new supporters so that this movement is sustained for the long run? This is a labor fight, but it’s also a fight for housing and economic justice. Strikes do not (and should not) last forever, but they can breathe life into our movements, unite people across issues and places, and set us up for even bigger wins.
Lauren Jacobs [[link removed]] In solidarity,
Lauren Jacobs
Executive Director
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Welcome Minsu, Sawsan, and Lisa! [[link removed]]
We’re excited to welcome three new staff to our national team:
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Minsu
Longiaru,
Senior
Staff
Attorney
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Worker
Power
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Sawsan
Abdurrahman,
Events
&
Operations
Coordinator
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Lisa
Lei
,
Lead
Online
to
Offline
Organizer
Get to know them here! [[link removed]]
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WIN: NY warehouse workers protected from abusive production quotas
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Together with labor groups, community organizations, and local businesses, ALIGN started the New Yorkers for a Fair Economy (NYFE) coalition and recently won the Warehouse Worker Protection Act [[link removed]] (WWPA). Signed into law at the end of 2022, the WWPA is now officially in effect and protects warehouse workers from exploitative production quotas and subsequent physical injuries.
WIN: Proyecto Campesino - Farmworker Resource Center opens in Santa Barbara
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CAUSE, Mixeco Indigena Community Organizing Project (MICOP), and farmworker advocates have been pushing for years to establish this support center. Thanks to their advocacy efforts, the Santa Barbara County Farmworker Resource Center - Proyecto Campesino [[link removed]] is now open! One of four of its kind in the state, this mobile office connects agricultural workers with resources including cash aid, food aid, medical coverage, as well as job training, support with job searches, and information about critical issues like employment and labor rights.
WIN: Workplace Justice Fund approved in San Diego
[[link removed]] Back in May, the Center on Policy Initiatives (CPI) and local labor groups urged the San Diego Board of Supervisors to put $100,000 into a new worker justice fund. As part of CPI’s fight against wage theft [[link removed]] , the fund would provide financial assistance to workers experiencing wage theft, retaliation, and other violations of their rights. On June 13, the Board approved the fund, which now works in two ways: 1) workers can receive $4k if their employer retaliates against them; and 2) any worker who has filed and won a wage theft judgment can get up to $3000 from the fund.
WIN: First microgrid project approved in Chelsea, MA
[[link removed]] In Massachusetts, Community Labor United (CLU) is co-leading efforts to democratize energy and build climate resilience through the development of microgrid projects in Chelsea and Boston’s Chinatown. Just last month, the Chelsea City Council voted unanimously to invest in the construction of Chelsea's first microgrid [[link removed]] !
“Dot’s Home Live” – a new interactive play about housing justice and time travel – premieres in Detroit!
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After months of collaboration with Detroit Action, Rise-Home Stories Project, and theater group A Host of People, we presented Dot’s Home Live [[link removed]] , an interactive performance adapted from the award-winning video game Dot’s Home. Community members, organizers, and artists came together to tell the story of Dot Hawkins, a young Black woman living in Detroit who travels through time and confronts the racist housing policies her family has endured for generations. After the show, the audience engaged in a community conversation about racist housing policy, housing insecurity, neighborhood disinvestment, and how to take action together to win housing justice.
Oakland workers speak out against wage theft, unsafe working conditions, and more
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EBASE and other members of the Fair Labor Oakland (FLO) Collaborative hosted staff from the Oakland Department of Workplace and Employment Standards (DWES) on a citywide tour to hear directly from low-wage workers about the abuses they face at work. Day laborers, restaurant workers, hotel workers, and construction workers connected with department staff about addressing issues such as wage theft and unsafe working conditions. At a press conference hosted after the tour, elected leaders emphasized the need for funding for the DWES in order to hold employers accountable for unfair practices.
Supporting Georgians with Medicaid redetermination
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Over 15 million Americans, including 450,000 Georgians, could lose their coverage due to the upcoming Medicaid redetermination process. Immediately jumping into action, Georgia STAND-UP has organized [[link removed]] several convenings with community, faith, and political leaders to strategize and provide resources for constituents at risk of losing their health insurance.
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“Delivering the (Common) Goods.” In response to a Democracy Journal essay about “deliverism” and economic policy success, our Executive Director Lauren Jacobs, Stephen Lerner, and Joseph McCartin argue that Bargaining for the Common Good can be a model for transforming our country. Read their piece here [[link removed]] .
PowerSwitch Action @ Netroots Nation! Earlier this month we joined organizers, activists, and communicators for the 3-day conference in Chicago, IL. We moderated a panel with drivers and organizers with the Chicago Gig Alliance about how Uber and Lyft drivers are organizing online and offline [[link removed]] . Our Climate Justice Manager, Dieynabou Diallo, also joined a discussion about winning utility justice and achieving energy democracy [[link removed]] in cities across the US.
“The minimum wage just went up in several Bay Area cities—will it make a difference?” Isaiah Toney, Deputy Director of Oakland Campaigns at our affiliate EBASE, shares concerns about how wages are failing to keep up with cost-of-living and inflation increases. Read the article in The East Bay Times [[link removed]] .
“Reining In Amazon to Build Up People-Powered Democracy.” Our ED Lauren Jacobs and Stacy Mitchell, Co-director at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, unpack how Amazon is consolidating power and undermining our democracy while groups like the The Athena Coalition fight back and build collective power. Read their piece in The Forge [[link removed]] .
“The state of working East Bay, 2015-2019.” A new report released by the UC Berkeley Labor Center and EBASE sheds a light on the economic struggles of working people in the East Bay prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The report shows that a return to a pre-pandemic economy is not enough to sustain many East Bay workers and their families. Read the report here [[link removed]] .
Nonprofit of the Year: Central Coastal Alliance United for A Sustainable Economy (CAUSE) was named “Nonprofit of the Year” for California Assembly District 38! Check out the announcement here [[link removed]] .
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We are seeking experienced individuals to join our team! If you know anyone who would be a great fit, please send them our way. The ideal candidates will have a deep commitment to social, racial, gender, economic, and environmental justice.
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Network
Strength
Director
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California
Coalition
for
Worker
Power
(CCWP)
Coalition
Coordinator
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Our affiliates are hiring! Check out open positions across our network [[link removed]] . Did someone forward you this email? Sign up to receive updates directly to your inbox [[link removed]] .
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