Hello Friend,
In just 23 days the whole DC Jobs With Justice community will come together to celebrate the I'll Be There Awards. Together we will recognize our collective success and honor those who are making a significant impact and positive change in our community.
Our spotlight today highlights two special awardees this year, the Mundo Verde Union and Rev. Delonte Gholston of Peace Fellowship Church. But first, please take a second to purchase a ticket so you can join us on October 17th, from 5:30 – 8:00 PM at All Souls Church, 1500 Harvard St NW. You can also show your support for DC JWJ and our awardees by sponsoring the awards (deadline for sponsorship is this Thursday, September 26th!).
The Mundo Verde Union
The Mundo Verde Union will be the first charter school union to ratify a union contract in the District of Columbia. The Mundo Verde Union is part of the District of Columbia Alliance of Charter Teachers and Staff Local 1927 which is an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers. The union represents over 100 workers. The unit is “wall-to-wall”, meaning we represent instructional, operational and support professionals within Mundo Verde.
Thanks to an outpouring of support from families, students, former staff, neighbors, educators from other schools and local organizations Mundo Verde organizers were overwhelmingly successful in their union representation election. Staff voted more than 3 to 1 in favor of joining DCACTS local 1927. After winning the election in May 2019, the bargaining team has been negotiating with school leadership. So far the process has been very collaborative and we have been able to reach tentative agreement on some very important articles. When ratified, Mundo Verde will be the only charter school in DC where employees enjoy just cause employment protections, due process, and a binding neutral arbitration procedure for dispute resolution. The Mundo Verde Union is looking forward to ratifying a contract which puts students' interests at the forefront, empowers educators, and ensures all workers and community stakeholders of Mundo Verde have a transparent community school.
Rev. Delonte J. Gholston
Rev. Delonte J. Gholston is the Senior Pastor of Peace Fellowship Church, a multicultural, multi-socioeconomic and inter-generational church in Washington DC. He is a native Washingtonian who is a graduate of DC public schools, and an alumnus of Swarthmore College and Fuller Theological Seminary (MDiv). His passion is to live at the intersection of art, activism, and theology for the sake of the least of these. This calling has put him in service of police accountability and transformation work in Los Angeles, anti-racism work with former coal miners in West Virginia, orphan care in Malawi, social entrepreneurs in South Africa, and affordable housing advocacy in DC. You can find his writing in the Huffington Post, Relevant Magazine and Sojourners Magazine. He is married to his best friend Claire Wiggins Gholston and they have a five month old daughter named Evyn.
Please join us in honoring our awardees by buying a ticket or sponsoring the awards! Your support sustains our work year-round.
We look forward to celebrating our movement with you!
Elizabeth Falcon
Executive Director
DC Jobs with Justice
