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Sonya Massey should still be alive. We are horrified and outraged that when Sonya called the police for help, the responding officer instead threatened her and ended her life. Sonya was a mother, a neighbor, a person who was loved and cherished by others. She should have been treated with dignity and respect, her humanity honored and valued. Instead, in the presumed safety of her own home, Sonya was denied that.
Sonya Massey’s murder is a brutal continuation of racist violence that Black people and communities know too well. According to her family, Sonya was the descendant of William Donnegan, an 80-year old Black man who was lynched by a white mob during the 1908 Springfield Race Massacre. Like Sonya, Donnegan’s family called the authorities for help, and they were scorned and left unprotected. William was brutalized, lynched, and brought to St. John’s Hospital in Springfield, where he died shortly after. Over 100 years later, Sonya Massey called for help and was dehumanized, murdered, and brought to the same hospital.
Sonya is one of the 139 Black people killed by police this year. Her death is another tragic and unconscionable reminder that racism is violent, that many of our institutions are the legacy of our country’s violent origins, and that militarized policing does not make us safe. We know what keeps us safe: living in communities where people of every color and background have good jobs, affordable homes, quality schools, and a say in our collective future. We grieve for Sonya’s family and join in solidarity with calls for justice and for policies that truly keep people safe.
Dear John,
There has been so much news to process over the course of this past month, especially with dramatic events unfolding in federal politics. Add to the mix a slew of legal decisions that threaten the rights of everyday people, dangerously high temperatures all over the country, and a tropical storm that devastated millions across the Gulf Coast and the Caribbean. This month has been busy, difficult, and at times overwhelming. It’s a far cry from what we expect summer to be: a time for relaxation and joy. And yet, at the very least, I hope we can find time to pause and prepare ourselves mentally and emotionally for the months ahead.
I’m thinking back to questions from earlier this year: Who are we? What responsibilities do we have to each other? How do we use our shared resources to meet those obligations?
Right now, in the face of political violence and growing efforts to divide people, answering that first question is critical. At PowerSwitch, we’re focused on constructing a “we” that is broad and inclusive, one that can go up against the corporate and political forces that seek to control and exploit everyday people. From migrant farmworkers in California's Central Coast, to renters in Colorado, to Uber drivers in Chicago, to frontline communities in Texas and beyond, we are connecting our needs to our visions. We are tilling the soil and preparing the earth for the seeds of a multiracial, feminist, and democratic future. One where we all live in safety, comfort, and dignity.
I know that folks may be feeling a range of emotions right now, but I hold a deep belief that our world and the systems we live in can and will get better. As Mariame Kaba says, hope is a discipline. We can practice it every day by being in community with one another, acknowledging the needs of others, and building a world that truly works for everyone.
As the summer unfolds, you may travel to new places or spend time outdoors in your community interacting with folks outside of your usual circle. I hope that you can imagine yourself as part of that bigger “we” and find not only joy, but power in those moments.
Lauren Jacobs [[link removed]] In solidarity,
Lauren Jacobs
Executive Director
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Fast Food Fair Work Ordinance Advances in San José
After months of organizing by fast food workers, the San Jose City Council advanced the Fast Food Fair Work Ordinance [[link removed]] , creating a pathway for essential Know Your Rights Trainings and Paid Time Off. Fast food corporations have been pushing back against the policy, hiring well-known lobbyists and working through a coalition called Save Local Restaurants to try to spin the narrative around the ordinance and frame it as harmful to small business owners and employees. But workers, labor groups, and allies fought back. Together with Working Partnership USA, fast food workers shared their stories at City Council meetings, rallied across the city, and collected over 3,000 petition [[link removed]] signatures from local residents. Their efforts paid off last month when the City Council passed a new budget document, providing city resources to dedicate staff to look into this issue and collaborate with the county on establishing the Fast Food Fair Work Ordinance.
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Massachusetts workers, union members, and allies fight back against contracting corporations
Community Labor United (CLU) is fighting for strong project labor agreements (PLAs) that ensure safe, efficient, and cost-effective construction. Through their Green Justice Coalition, they’re working to ensure that federal funding for climate-related infrastructure is built with PLAs [[link removed]] that also emphasize strong job pathways and contracting opportunities for businesses owned by women and people of color. CLU and labor allies are going up against non-union contracting corporations and trade associations that are using lawsuits at both the state [[link removed]] and federal [[link removed]] levels to try and block these important agreements. Last month, CLU Green Justice Coalition members spoke at a rally at the Massachusetts State House [[link removed]] alongside union members and elected officials in support of current project labor agreement legislation.
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Senate Investigation Releases Report on Amazon’s Deadly Injury Crisis
Right when Amazon Prime Week kicked off on July 16th, the Senate HELP Committee released initial findings from its year-long investigation into Amazon’s injury crisis [[link removed]] . The report found that 45% of Amazon's warehouse workers are injured during Prime Week — much higher than the 10% injury rate the company has reported to the public. Across our network, workers, organizers, and allies have been sounding the alarm about Amazon’s safety crisis and fighting for ways to hold the corporation accountable. In May, Amazon worker leaders with Missouri Workers Center joined the Athena Coalition in DC to help introduce a federal Warehouse Worker Protection Act [[link removed]] that would prohibit dangerous work speed quotas. In June, ALIGN and the New Yorkers for a Fair Economy coalition helped to secure the Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act [[link removed]] , which will establish safety standards, require annual warehouse evaluations, and more. And thanks to Southern California warehouse workers speaking out, the California Labor Commissioner’s Office fined Amazon $5.9 million [[link removed]] for violating the state’s Warehouse Worker Protection Act. While Amazon enforces breakneck speeds, surveillance systems, and dangerous quotas in its warehouses, workers have been meeting with Senate investigators, filing OSHA complaints, and fighting back against Amazon’s exploitative and greedy business practices.
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Webinar on Monopoly Power and Structural Racism [[link removed]]
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“We have an issue with monopolies for a variety of reasons, but at heart it's because of how they affect the conditions of human beings.” – Lauren Jacobs
Earlier this month, the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) hosted a panel discussion to explore the findings and recommendations from their latest report: Power Play: How Monopolies Leverage Systemic Racism to Dominate Markets [[link removed]] . Our Executive Director, Lauren Jacobs, joined Sabeel Rahman (Cornell Law School), Jeremie Greer (Liberation in a Generation), Susan Holmberg (ILSR), and Gabrielle Rejouis (Workers’ Rights Institute and Georgetown University Law Center) for a conversation about monopoly power and structural racism. Watch the recording here [[link removed]] .
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We currently do not have any open positions on our team, but keep an eye on our website and newsletter for opportunities in the future!
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