Jobs with Justice
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Jobs with Justice (JwJ) is a national campaign for workers' rights in the United States. It was founded in 1987, and includes both individual members and affiliated organizations.
JwJ's core belief is that in order to be successful, workers' rights struggles have to be part of a larger campaign for economic and social justice. To that end, JwJ has created a network of local coalitions that connect labor, faith-based, community, and student organizations to work together on workplace and community social justice campaigns. JwJ also provides training, coordination and networking at the national level for labor unions and other organizations.
As of 2005, Jobs with Justice coalitions existed in over 40 cities in 29 states in all regions of the country. Individual activists sign the Jobs with Justice pledge to participate five times a year in either their own or someone else's worker rights struggle.
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Faith in Action Jobs with Justice works with progressive religious leaders to support workers' rights and economic justice campaigns. The organization has succeeded in engaging clergy in demonstrations, rallies and protests as well as corporate and comprehensive organizing and collective bargaining campaigns.
Student Labor Action Project (SLAP) Founded in 1999, SLAP engages students and youth in worker's rights campaigns on their campuses and in their communities. SLAP sponsors the National Student Labor Week of Action, in which students organize protests and educational events in support of workers and unions. SLAP organizes roughly 200 events each year during the Labor Week of Action.
Worker's Rights Boards (WRB) The WRB strategy was developed as part of a protest at National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) offices in the U.S. in June 1993. More than 7,000 people participated in this experiment, and 400 people were arrested. JwJ has continued to hold WRBs across the country on an as-needed basis to investigate abuse of workers' rights. The boards are often comprised of leading clergy, members of Congress, academics, retired judges and others who support workers' rights. WRBs review worker complaints and often conduct public hearings. Employers encouraged to participate, and follow-up meetings with management are sought. The WRB then reports its findings in a public report and press conference and attempts to resolve any disputes between employers and employees. Prominent members of worker's rights boards have included Rep. Major Owens (D-N.Y.), Rep. Dennis Kucinich, former labor leader Bill Fletcher, movie producer Robert Greenwald and others.