NEWS  

Declaration of Independence

On June 25th, HCAN and their partners mobilized thousands of people in our Capitol to demand quality, affordable health care for all.  We told our Senators and Representatives that we can't wait any longer for reform that will lower health care costs, offer the choice of a public health insurance option, and keep the insurance industry honest.  See video from the Rally here!

The American public is now declaring its independence from the insurance industry, and we are signing up people across the country to tell Congress that we need an American solution to meet our health care needs.  It's time to have a choice when it comes to our health insurance. 

We hold these truths to be self-evident;  we need health care reform that will provide:

·      Coverage we can afford;

·      Comprehensive benefits we can count on;

·      Choice of a private or public health insurance plan;

·      Equal access to quality care

Sign the Petition Here

When President Barack Obama spoke at the Westin last month, the downtown hotel's former doorman, William Selm, received a special invitation to attend. The irony wasn't lost on Selm: He'd been invited to hear the president speak about labor unions at a hotel where he'd been fired after discussing forming a labor union. more

JwJ Asks AG To Investigate Indiana Health Insurance Market

Request Follows Report Detailing Lack of Competition, Soaring Prices

Click here to see the letter

Click here to see the media advisory

Click here to see the full report

JwJ Asks Indiana Chamber of Commerce President, Kevin Brinegar, to stop the lies and declare neutrality on the Employee Free Choice Act.

Click here to see the letter.

JwJ passes Resolution in support of CWA workers bargaining with AT&T

Click here to see Resolution.

Since April 4, 2009, when the collective bargaining agreements covering union workers at AT&T expired, 125,000 CWA members have been working without a contract.  The CWA members have voted to strike when and if CWA’s leaders deem it necessary to call a strike. 

AT&T is one of America’s largest corporations – fourth behind Exxon, Wal-Mart and Microsoft – with a market capitalization of nearly $150 billion dollars (4/15/2009).  In 2008, the company earned $12.9 billion on revenues of $124 billion. 

Send a letter to the AT&T CEO, Randall Stephenson, CEO, encouraging AT&T to play a leadership role in helping to preserve middle class jobs and to promote the need for national health care reform that will help its workers, and the nation. Be sure to email us a copy of your letter.

Report Details Need for Competition in the Indiana Health Insurance Market

Media Advisory

Final Report

Press Release

President Obama and Indiana Democratic Party leaders support Hotel Workers

For more than two years, hotel workers have been requesting a fair process to form a union at their hotel.  Westin GM, Dale McCarty has given them anythign but a fair process.  Click here to see the letter sent to Westin GM, Dale McCarty by the Keep Indiana Blue Committee, signed by Andre Carson, Baron Hill, Brad Ellsworth, and Joe Donnelly.  You should contact Dale McCarty, too.  Click here to send him an email.

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NO HOLDS BARRED - The Intensification of Employer Opposition to Organizing. 

Released May 20, 2009 by the Economic Policy Institute and American Rights At Work.  Click here for the fact sheet.

Watch the new TV  ad airing in Indiana for a public health
insurance option!

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Will you "Be There"?

Sign the Jobs with Justice Pledge to "Be There" five times over the next year for someone else's cause.  Click here.  Help us achieve our goal of 2010 pledge signers by the year 2010!!

Jobs with Justice is the
AFL-CIO Ally of the Week 

Jobs with Justice of Indiana are making invaluable contributions to the Employee Free Choice Act campaign.  Today two Indiana representatives will be headed to Washington DC ... Read More and Watch the Video

Tell Senator Bayh,
Health Care Reform Can't Wait!

Please contact Senator Bayh right away, to demand support for President Obama’s budget because it includes a down payment on fixing health care.  Senator Bayh has suggested health care reform might have to wait. 

Call for free 1-888-436-8427, just ask for Senator Bayh’s office.  Ask Senator Bayh to support the President's budget and tell him Health Care Reform cannot wait!  We need health care reform in 2009!

Thanks!

Check out the Hotel Workers Video!

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JwJ to Host Workers' Rights Board Hearing on the effects of Privatization in the workplace.

more info  

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Bring Bill Back!  Sign the Petition

A few weeks ago, the Westin Hotel in downtown Indianapolis threw out the Employee of the Year!  What did he do, you ask?  He voiced his concern for his co-workers who were outsourced in the restaurant.  His department had been outsourced a few months before, so he has some experince in this area.  Click to learn  more and Sign the petition to Bring Bill Back.

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Share your justice tidbits on our Blog!!

Central Indiana JwJ has launched a blog!  Check it out at www.centralindianajwj.org/blog.  Here you will find social justice tid-bits, and more current information about the going-ons in our local movement.  Share your ideas, concerns, fustrations and successes with the rest of us!!  

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Double your Donation

Through a generous donation from the JwJ national network, new donations will be matched dollar for dollar through May 31, 2009.  Double your impact today by making a tax deductible donation.  Click here.

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 authorizing 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, harass 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.    

Calendar

6/24/09 Janitors Rally at Noon at 36 S Meridian Street.  Another downtown building has cancelled the contract with a union janitorial company and hired a non-union company that downsized the number of employees and is not providing liveable wages and affordable health care. Come show your support!

6/23/09 Health Care Roundtable at 1 p.m. at IBEW Local 481, 1828 N. Meridian St., Suite 205, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202

 Come voice your opinion and share your story about the need for health care reform.

6/19/09  Bloomington Rally against the Chamber of Commerce

at 400 W 7th Street, Bloomington, IN  outside the Chamber of Commerce to protest their attacks on the Employee Free Choice Act

6/18/09 Rally against CVS at 12 noon, 5110 E 38th Street, Indianapolis

Join the effort to cure CVS now.  CVS is the nationa's largets retail drugstore chain.  But instead of leading the way in providing quality medicine, goods and services, CVS has a questionable record on custome health and safety.  Join us for a rally and petition signing.  More info...

6/13/09 JwJ walks with the AFL-CIO and Hotel Workers Rising in the Pride parade.  Meet at 9:45 a.m. at the corner of Mass and College.

6/10/09 Student Delegation to Senator Bayh's Indianapolis Office

Any high school or college student interested in talking with Senator Bayh's Regional Director, Andrew Homan, about the Employee Free Choice Act or the public health insurance option is invited to attend.  Contact Allison to get on the attendance list or call (317) 917-0723 x33

6/4/09 Info Picket against the Chamber of Commerce

8:30 a.m. to 4:00 under the Arts Garden at the corner of Illinois and Washington Streets.  The Indiana Chamber of Commerce is holding an anti-Employee Free Choice Act Workshop limited only to business leaders, excluding anyone from a union. In reponse, we will be picketing outside the National City Center and distributing info to the community.  RSVP to Allison or call (317) 917-0723 x33

5/28/09 Prayer Vigils for Employee Free Choice Act

Fort Wayne:  5:00 PM
Union Baptist Church
2200 Smith St.

South Bend:  @ 9:00 AM
Robert A. Grant Federal Building
204 S. Main St.

Indianapolis:  1:00 PM
Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church
414 West Vermont St.

5/21/09 Noon; Tell CVS:  Indianapolis Deserves Better.  105 E Ohio Street

CVS stores in Indianapolis are selling expired products and violating health codes.  Join us for a rally and petition signing. 

Click here for more info.

Click here to see the news coverage from Channel 6.

5/20/09 Rally for Health Care  11:00 a.m. at Monument Circle following the WellPoint Shareholder's Meeting.

5/1/09 May Day Celebration at6:00 p.m. with the Democratic Socialists of America; Rathskellar Restaurant downtown

4/23/09 Health Care Townhall Meeting in Evansville:  Fix the Economy?  Fix Health Care!!! This event will take place at the Teamsters Local #215, 825 E Walnut, Evansville.  Rep. Brad Ellsworth is invited to hear abou the community support for giving Americans the choice of a public health insurance plan.  Free and open to the public.  Map

4/15/09 5:00 p.m. EST Rally for Health Care in Jeffersonville, IN.  Tell Rep. Baron Hill and Senator Bayh to support Health Care Reform NOW! 

3/31/09 Tippecanoe Activist Training & Mobilization Event, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.

IBEW #668 Hall, 2535 S 30th Street, Lafayette Indiana 47909 Map  This event is free and open to the public.  Come learn about the Employee Free Choice Act, Health Care for America Now, and get the tools needed to take action in your community.

3/4/09 First Wednesday Discussion with the ACLU of Indiana.    12:00 noon at  IUPUI Campus Center, Room 305. 

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

Central Indiana JwJ 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 

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. 

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