Dear Friend,
Thanks to everyone who fought with us for a DC budget that meets the needs of DC workers. We had a great win of $41 million for Excluded Workers - our largest to date. We also have a few final updates on our Paid Family Leave and Hero Pay campaigns. Head over to our website for a detailed breakdown.
We are pleased to introduce you to two new DC JWJ organizers, Shayna Lonoaea-Alexander and Melinda Fiedler. Shayna will be taking on our rent control related work while Melinda will be managing DC JWJ's Just Pay enforcement campaign and support our solidarity campaigns.
On a more bittersweet note, this summer we're also sending off Nikko who is going off to grad school in New York this fall and Ina who has joined Color of Change. And I am excited to share that I will also be on maternity leave with my first child starting August 27 through January of 2022.
These are really exciting changes, and we want to get a chance to connect in person. Please join us next Wednesday at 6 PM at Wundergarten to welcome our new organizers and say "see you later" to old friends going through big transitions.
Welcome/Goodbye Happy Hour
Wednesday, Aug 11, 2021 at 6 PM
RSVP
A little bit about our new organizers:
Shayna Lonoaea-Alexander, Rent Control Organizer
"Coming from Hawaii, I know what it's like to be priced out of the home and neighborhoods our families come from. That's why I'm excited to join the Rent Control team and together build worker-led, fair housing policies that empower residents to thrive in the city they call home."
Shayna Lonoaea-Alexander (she/they) is a queer hapa abolitionist and community organizer. Their work is informed by their and loved ones’ experiences surviving institutionalization, poverty, incarceration, and the letters from friends inside. Prior to her work at DC JWJ, Shayna worked on issue and electoral campaigns at the Wyoming Democratic Party, Hawaiʻi State Legislature, and ACLU Hawaiʻi where she mobilized for policy change through legislative advocacy and community education. You can reach Shayna at [email protected].
Melinda Fiedler, Worker Solidarity and Just Pay Organizer
"After over a decade of living and creating a home in DC, I am thrilled to join the DC JWJ team and continue to uplift our incredible community!"
Melinda Fiedler (she/her) is a passionate workers rights advocate with a background in union organizing alongside a wide variety of workers, including adjunct professors, healthcare workers, journalists, and ballet dancers.
You can reach Melinda at [email protected].
These are exciting times and also big changes for our little organizations. I am confident that we will continue to be the organization that you rely on to stand with workers, communities, and tenants. And I am counting on our community of organizers, activists, and union leaders to continue to invest in the success of DC JWJ. Please join us in celebrating all of these changes.
In solidarity,
Elizabeth Falcon
Executive Director
DC Jobs with Justice
She/her/hers
Sequnely and Eliana (far left and right) will continue to be at DC JWJ while Elizabeth is out on leave. And thanks to one of our four awesome summer interns Litzi for her support (second left)
