I am for living wages, health care for ALL, fair trade, immigrant rights, global justice, fair wages, safe working conditions, equal pay, unions, Worker POWER, corporate accountability, climate justice, green jobs, racial EQUALITY, student power, refugee rights, public transportation, job security, International Solidarity, organizing the unorganized, and JOBS WITH JUSTICE. 

Central Indiana Jobs With Justice is an organization of labor, faith-based, community, and student organizations and individuals to build a broad and long-term coalition to support worker rights and social justice. We are building a movement...More 

Take action against Key Bank. 

KeyBank was approved for $2.5 billion as part of the national bailout. But instead of using the money to give relief to those hardest hit in the current economy, KeyBank is using their bailout money to increase corporate profits by buying other banks and underwriting Oak Harbor Freight Lines, a company that has cancelled its retirees health care and violated US and international labor laws affecting hundreds of striking Teamsters in Washington, Oregon and Idaho.  Listen to an ad about KeyBank

Click here to take action:  http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/keybank

Calendar

• 11/29/08: Alternative Gift Fair

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  10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Earth House Collective, 237 N East Street.

• 12/5/08 2008: Grinch Party

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  2008 GRINCH Party being held at the Ramada Inn on Pendleton Pike from 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.  Click here for tickets.

• 12/5:  Justice for Janitors Rally

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  downtown at 10 W Market 4:00 p.m.

•  12/6 - 12/13/08:  JwJ National Week of Action

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  Mon. 12/8:  Showing of "Diagnosis Now" Documentary.  CLC Holiday Party. 7:00 p.m.

Tues. 12/9:  Flier distribution to support hotel workers.  Tuesday, November 25th, hotel workers from the Hyatt Regency downtown requested a fair process from the hotel management to organize themselves and form a union.  Fliers and stickers will be distributed downtown Tuesday to show community support.  More info coming. 

Wed. 12/10:  Economic Recovery Plan, Health Care Reform and the Employee Free Choice Act on the Concerned Clergy Radio Show.  7:00 p.m.

Thurs. 12/11:  Presentation of 2008 Corporate Grinch Award to Wellpoint Board of Directors.  3:30 p.m.

Thurs. 12/11:  JwJ Film Series Launch:  Salt of the Earth.  7:00 p.m. at the Earth House Collective at 237 N East Street.

Fri. 12/12:  Free Speak and Justice Jam Open Mic at Earth House 8:00 - 11:00 p.m. 237 N East Street.

• 12/17:  Candlelight Vigil & March for hotel workers

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  To support the hotel workers of the Hyatt Regency who just asked management for a fair process while they form a union.  They join the workers of the Westin downtown and Sheraton at Keystone/Crossing who have been waiting for more than a year for management to respond to their request.  Join us at 4:30 p.m. at Monument Circle and Market Street for a prayer vigil and solidarity march.

• 12/19/08:  Protest at KeyBank downtown branch. 

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  Jobs with Justice, a Key Bank customer, will be rallying with members of Teamsters Local 135 in support of Oak Harbor workers in Portland, Oregon who have been on strike for more than 12 weeks.  Key Bank received $2.5 billion in the national bail-out and will use these funds to grow even bigger by acquiring other banks, and continues to underwrite Oak Harbour frieghtline while the workers strike.   

• 1/20/08:  Presidential Innauguration Celebration!!

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  The historic event will be celebrated at the Earth House Collective, 237 N East Street.  Details Coming

   

   

Check back here regularly for information on upcoming actions and ways you can get involved and advocate for social justice.  

Hotel Workers Rising

In Indianapolis, workers at the Westin downtown and Sheraton at Keystone at the Crossing have been waiting for more than a year for management to honor their request to form a union.  Hyatt workers made the same request to their management a few weeks ago.  These hotels honor the union in other cities, and the workers there more, even when the room charges are very comprable.  Currently hotel workes are distributing flyers to educate the community about the unfair wages.  A prayer vigil will be held on Wednesday, December 17th at 4:00 p.m. at Monument Circle. 

Janitors of EMS

In the Spring of 2008, the Janitors won a historic contract providing for increased wages and benefits.  An Indianapolis based business, EMS, refuses to recognize this contract.  In October, 2008, Amerimar, the building manager at 101 W Ohio exercised their right to terminate a contract with a union janitorial company and hire EMS, giving them even more business. They did not hire the seventeen workers who had worked for the union company, which is normal practice when companies are acquired or new contracts are assumed.  Jobs with Justice has been supporting the janitors by conducting a Workers' Rights Board and rallying with them outside the buildling.  On Wednesday, December 17th, the Janitors will journey to Philadelphia to meet with representatives from Amerimar.  Stay tuned.

Employee Free Choice Act

Have you signed on to support the Employee Free Choice Act?

Some struggles of the hotel workers and janitors could be eleviated by the passage of The Employee Free Choice Act would basically do three things:

• Establish stronger penalties for violation of employee rights when workers seek to form a union and during first-contract negotiations - like writing up workers for wearing a union button, or passing out information at break time.
• Provide mediation and arbitration for first-contract disputes - This means that management will have to negotiate with the union; they cannot simply ignore the workers' request.
• Allow employees to form unions by signing cards authoirizing union representation - the secret ballot procedure that currently exists can still be used, but it is not secret and provides management the opportunity to intimidate, harrass and violate workers' rights.

Every day, corporations deny employees the freedom to decide for themselves whether to form unions to bargain for a better life.  They routinely intimidate, harass, coerce and even fire people who try to organize unions, and the current penalties for breaking labor laws are so insignificant that many companies threat them as just another cost of doing business. 

The system has to be changed to give all working people the freedom to make their own choice about whether to have a union and bargain for better wages and benefits.  Currently, employers are under no obligation to recognize and bargain with the union, even if 100% of workers have signed authorization.  People call the current NLRB election system a secret ballot election - but in fat it's not like any democratic election held anywhere else in our sosciety.  Management controls when the election happens.  While management is allowed to bombard employees with anti-union messages anywhere, anytime in the workplace, workers can only talk about the union while they're on breaks in the break room or before or after work.  Union organizers have no right to set foot in the workplace.  No employee has free choice after being browbeaten by a supervisor to oppose the union or being told they may lose their job and livelihood if workers vote for the union.

Central Indiana JwJ is organizing Indiana as part of the Health Care for America Now! campaign.  

Click here to learn about HCAN in Indiana.

Health Care reform in Indiana should be a top priority.  The time is now for an American solution that will secure our families' health and a healthy economy.

The first order of business for the new President and Congress in 2009 should be to pass health care legislation that guarantees quality, affordable health care for all.

We're asking you to tell us which side are you on?

In just five years, insurance companies’ profits rose more than 1,000%.

Learn more about HCAN Indiana.