Portland Jobs with Justice
A Labor-Community Organizing Hub
Organize, Unite, Win – JWJ’s 2023 Faith Labor Breakfast Served up Solidarity!
On Tuesday, February 21st, JWJ held its 21st Annual Faith Labor Breakfast: Organize, Unite, Win!
In 2023, we returned to St. Andrew Catholic Church for the first time since 2020. Organized by the Faith Labor Committee and opened by Rev. Chris Dela Cruz, Associate Pastor, Westminster Presbyterian Church and Fr. Dave Zegar, Pastor, St. Andrew Catholic Parish, we began with a Land Acknowledgement and Interfaith Prayers including Rabbi Ariel Stone to ground and open the event.
Next, we moved into hearing from workers organizing across the community – moral struggles for dignity and fairness. Workers shared stories of being underpaid, overworked, understaffed and who, through solidarity and unity, are winning back power in the workplace!
We were honored to be joined by Arthur Pratt of Starbucks Workers United, Charlotte Garner of AFSCME Local 88 at Central City Concern, Nat Glitsch who spoke about Growing Seeds Workers Union, and New Seasons Labor Union. Workers shared their stories of great courage and determination as they and their colleagues work to create conditions beyond a status quo which is failing them. Several workers spoke about the fact that not a year ago, forming a union was unknown territory, but they started the essential work of a union by joining together to collectively confront workplace issues.
The Faith Labor Committee was honored to host as Keynote Speaker, Oregon Labor Commissioner Christina Stephenson. A longtime lover of math and statistics, Stephenson’s speech drew on mathematical concepts as a metaphor. She learned early on about the concept of multiplicity – that she could achieve more through getting others to join. The concept of multiplicity, when applied to organizing for social justice, is “solidarity” by another name. The common denominator that working people share is that the math of the global economy has failed to deliver prosperity in a very, very rich world. But we are stronger together and greater than the sum of our parts. When we organize and unite, we can win: we can all achieve a solidarity dividend! You can check out her full speech at the link below.
Faith Labor committee members and friends Hannah Sloane-Barton (Co-chair), CJ Alicandro, Joel Glick provided musical interludes and sing-a-longs that called us to our feet.
Thank you, thank you, thank you to all who made this event and our everyday work possible! Whether you purchased a ticket, organized members to attend and/or share with us, or stepped up to volunteer your time or services to make this event and many others a success– thank you! Thank you for being the base of support that keeps this movement running!
Check out our live Twitter thread here! If you are interested in joining an upcoming committee meeting, send a message to hsloanebarton@oregonafscme.org or dbrown@fullerton.edu. If you are a worker in struggle, we’d love to invite you for solidarity!
Please spend some time listening to Commissioner Stephenson’s speech, below!
Organize, Unite, Win! Join us for Portland JWJ’s 2023 Faith Labor Breakfast!
JWJ’s beloved Faith/Labor Committee kicks off 2023 with hosting their annual Faith/Labor Breakfast.
The theme “Organize, Unite, Win!” sets the stage for the year ahead!
We’ll hear from Oregon Labor Commissioner Christina Stephenson and feature organizing stories from workers across the city! Light breakfast is provided.
Tuesday, February 21st
7:30am – 9:00am
St. Andrew Catholic Church
806 NE Alberta St, Portland
CLICK HERE to purchase tickets!
Tickets are $25 but no one will be turned away.
If you’d like to send a check, please make it out to Portland Jobs With Justice and mail to:
2710 NE 14th Ave. Portland, OR 97212
Please contact Jill for more ticket information — jill@jwjpdx.org
We look forward to seeing you there!
Portland Rising Presents: Night-in At The Movies film discussion!
JWJ’s Portland Rising Committee is doing something different for our January film night. In the past we gathered on zoom to watch and discuss a film on the same night. This time, because our film, Pride, is longer than our usual fare, we are asking people to watch the film on their own when convenient and then join us on Friday, January 27, at 7 pm to discuss it.
The film can be seen on several streaming platforms–including on Amazon (free for Prime members) and YouTube, Google Play Movies & TV, and Vudu—for under $3. So, watch the film, and then join us on zoom on January 27, at 7 pm, for a fun and thoughtful conversation.
You can get the zoom link by emailing: portlandrisingprograms@gmail.com.
Pride is a 2014 British comedy-drama based closely on a true story. The film takes place during Margaret Thatcher’s neo-liberal rule over British society and is about a group of lesbian and gay activists who raise money to help struggling mining families during the national miners’ strike of 1984. This heart-warming and heart-breaking story has much to teach about the challenges and rewards of building community solidarity. Here is the short trailer for the film—well worth a watch.
This Holiday Season, Make a Difference for Seafarers who come through our Ports!
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The Pacific Coast Coalition for Seafarers is a campaign close to our heart, their work changes lives every day!
Since 2020, the Coalition has mobilized community and labor to uphold the dignity, rights, and wellbeing of seafarers – through generating resources and fostering solidarity. We call on JWJ members and organizations to come through this holiday season for migrant seafarers that pass through the port of Portland, OR and Vancouver, WA!
This holiday season the Coalition is hoping to raise $2000 and prepare holiday care packages for 250 seafarers that will be passing by Portland, OR and Vancouver, WA. They are seeking donations of the following items or monetary donations: toiletries, snacks, warm clothing, for $10 you can sponsor a seafarer, for $250 you can “Adopt a Ship.” This amount will ensure each seafarer on one ship will receive a care package filled with the supplies listed above. The Coalition will be sure to send you photos after the ship visit to share the joy you brought to the seafarers with your generous donation!
For information on how to donate, or if your org would like a presentation on the seafarers struggle, email pccseafarers@gmail.com. Donate by Paypal: tinyurl.com/PCC-SEAFARERS
More about the Coalition:
Since the Coalition’s launching in June 2020, participants have visited ships to deliver care packages and learned more from the seafarers themselves about their conditions. On top of the dangerous and exploitative conditions seafarers face, being away from their families back home can have severe mental and emotional impacts especially during the holiday season when families are all coming together to celebrate. It is in this regard that we are committed to supporting seafarers in any way we can to show them that there are people who care about them even being away from their loved ones.
Join JWJ’s Annual Scrooge of the Year!
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The most wonderful time of the year is right around the corner. That’s right, Portland Jobs With Justice SCROOGE OF THE YEAR IS BACK! Click here for tickets!
Every holiday season Portland JwJ comes together to celebrate our community, and to bestow this not-so-coveted award. This award is given to a boss, politician, corporation, or some other deserving institution that has been particularly Scroogey over the past year.
Congratulations to our 3 Scrooge of the Year FINALISTS!
- I.A.T.S.E. Local 28 nominated METRO for contracting out their AV workers.
- AFT-Oregon nominated Portland State University Administration.
- OFNHP nominated Mary Mongrain from Peacehealth Southwest.
On Thursday, December 8th at 6:30pm at Taborspace we will vote for one of these bosses to be named Portland’s Scrooge of Year.
Our 3 finalists will write and perform a 7-10 minute entertaining skit demonstrating why we should vote for their nominee. Then we all vote for our favorite/most hated Scrooge.
As we know, votes cost money. So, the nominee who sells the most votes wins the award!
Votes are the tickets to the party. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Each ticket sold is worth 20 votes to put toward your Scrooge nominee. Participants can make additional donations to get more votes for your nominee. More money, more votes!
Share the link below and event flyer with any and everyone!
Ticket donation link: https://bit.ly/3zYTW2z
Thank you for supporting Portland Jobs with Justice!
Thank you to everyone who attended, donated, volunteered, and worked the JwJ Annual Dinner on Thursday, October 6th! It was an amazing and powerful evening, and we couldn’t have done it without you!
Huge shout out to the fantastic band, Lorna Baxter Trio – proud members of American Federation of Musicians Local 99, and the talented A/V team at People’s AV & I.A.T.S.E. Local 28.
If you couldn’t make the event but want to donate to the cause, click here for a direct donation site.
Thank you again and see you soon!!
