LCLAA's Bi-weekly Newsletter | Mar. 24, 2022
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"Honoring the Legacy of Social Justice Leaders"
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Dear LCLAA members and allies,
This week, I was fortunate to listen to parts of Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation hearing as the supreme court nominee. Mrs. Jackson, who currently sits on DC’s federal appellate court and has been confirmed multiple times for prior positions, has had a glowing record as a public servant and judge. However, for some on the hill, this high-stakes confirmation hearing is an opportunity to dehumanize her in an attempt to undermine her credibility.
We have witnessed this repeatedly as people of color have stood up to bring light to workers' rights, discrimination, and inequality. Our duty as trade unionists has been to fight for the voiceless. To stand up against injustice and intolerance. These union ideals were not lost on Cesar Estrada Chavez, who we celebrate this month. Cesar knew the importance of registering people to vote, the strength of collective bargaining, and the power of unions. So much so that in 1962 he used his life savings to establish the National Farm Workers Association.
Another great leader in our community who we also remember and celebrate today was Archbishop Oscar Romero, who was assassinated on March 24, 1980, in El Salvador as he was preparing the gifts of the offertory. He was assassinated because he demanded an equal playing field for the millions of oppressed and poor Salvadorans in that country. He clearly understood that to stand up against injustice and influential people in control was part of his duty.
Oscar Romero and Cesar Chavez both had firm commitments to social justice. They both chose not to follow the establishments' rules and norms and denounced inhumane laws and practices. They were trailblazers because they would not sit on the sidelines, they provided a voice for the poorest and powerless in this world.
So today, lets' celebrate the rich commitment of these past leaders and wish Judge Jackson all the best as she continues to embark on her journey as the supreme court nominee.
In solidarity,
President Yanira Merino
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Election officials have become prime targets of those purveying the Big Lie that the 2020 presidential race was “stolen.” A new Brennan Center poll of local election officials shows how damaging these sustained attacks have been. Among the dire results: 77 percent feel that threats against local election officials are increasing, and 30 percent know of one or more who have quit at least in part due to safety concerns. They also fear that conspiracy theories will infect impartial election administration. All levels of government must act now to protect our elections and the people who run them. Read the Brennan Center for Justice Report.
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Over the past year, women have been leaving their jobs in droves — and it looks like many of them are quitting for better paying gigs. That's according to the Atlanta Federal Reserve's wage growth tracker, which shows that the rate of wage increases for women has been outpacing their male peers for six consecutive months. AFL CIO Chief Economist Dr. William Spriggs, told Insider that although female workers have had a rockier pandemic recovery, they have also flocked to industries with a lot of potential for growth. Read the full article.
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Few workers are at greater risk of exploitation than domestic workers. Nannies, au pairs, house cleaners, home health aides – all too often these workers work alone under the supervision of their employer, and under informal and precarious work arrangements. Sexual harassment and wage theft are frequent occurrences. To make matters worse, they have historically been excluded from coverage under labor and employment laws. That may be about to change in Washington DC. On Tuesday, March 15, DC Council member Elissa Silverman announced release of the DC Domestic Workers Employment Rights Amendment Act. Read more here. - Catholic Labor Network
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NEW YORK, N.Y.—Fourteen labor unions have signed a letter urging state leaders to enact a bill that would prohibit landlords from evicting tenants without a specific “good cause.”
As the state’s moratorium on evictions during the pandemic expired in January, it added, “Good Cause is what is needed to protect working-class tenants from price-gouging, speculative displacement, and discriminatory evictions. Read the article from Labor Press
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Support the DC Domestic Workers Bill of Rights: Domestic work is one of the most important and fastest growing jobs in the country, yet it is some of the most unprotected and vulnerable work, excluded from basic labor rights and protections and primarily done by women of color and immigrants. Click here to sign the petition.
Support Maximus workers are on strike: Maximus workers are demanding livable wages, paid leave for all and better working conditions. Maximus workers handle all the 1-800 calls for Medicare and the Affordable Care Act. They’ve been trying to form a union for years. However, Maximus has launched an anti-union campaign to interfere with their right to organize.So the workers are going on strike today, the anniversary of the signing of the Affordable Care Act. This is the first strike ever of federally contracted call center workers. Click here to sign the #MaximusStrike Community Support Letter.
Boycott Wendy's to stand with fast food workers: Support migrant farm workers by demanding verifiable protections against sexual violence, forced labor and other human rights abuses in Wendy’s supply chain. Click here to support!
Email California lawmakers to support Senate Bill 1162, the Pay Transparency for Pay Equity Act: Employer transparency is key to achieving equal pay for women and people of color. We can't fix what we can't see. Take Action Now!
Support Low-Paid Families with the Build Back Better Act: Email your Representatives to support the Build Back Better Act, a federal bill would address a number of issues affecting women and families across the country in the wake of COVID-19, by lowering the cost of child care, creating new jobs, allowing parents to get back to work, and more. Click here to Take Action!
50 for 50 Membership Drive: Help grow LCLAA by recruiting 50 new members! If you participate with your local chapter, you can help raise funds and win swag! Check out the rules for more details, and take the pledge to participate.
Join the fight against toxic pesticides: Nerve-agent pesticides called organophosphates (OPs) are deeply harmful to children’s brain development and toxic to farm workers. They also tend to impact Latino workers and communities more than any others. Join us in calling on the EPA to ban OPs. Sign our petition now!
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Oportunidades - Opportunities
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Oportunidades y más
- Communications and Policy Associate: LCLAA seeks a thoughtful and dynamic Communications and Policy Associate to build upon a broad and robust communications program, and bring our work to the next level. The Communications and Policy Associate is a key member of the National Staff team. Read the full description
- Advocacy, Communications and Policy Internship Program:LCLAA’s Internship Program is project-oriented and will expose you to administrative, communications, research, and legislative advocacy work in our daily operations. Through this internship, you will have the opportunity to develop leadership skills like political organizing, writing and public speaking, event planning and team management. For more information email Kpineda@lclaa.org
- El Colegio Chicano del Pueblo in partnership with Prescott College in Arizona offers eligible candidates a pathway to earn college credits through Prescott College. If certain conditions are met, you may be awarded up to 32 transfer credits. Click here to learn more about CCP’s innovative approach to helping YOU achieve your educational goals
- Martin Luther king Jr. Freedom Center is looking for Social Justice Organizers. Click here to learn more
- Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Center is looking for a Communication Staff. Click here to learn more
- The AFL-CIO Organizing Institute (OI) announced its training schedule for March through September 2022. The goal of the training is to partner with labor organizations to provide their members and staff organizers with the principles and skills critical to winning respect and dignity at work through organizing a union. Click here to learn more
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El Avance is published by the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), the leading national organization for Latino(a) workers and their families. LCLAA was born in 1972 out of the need to educate, organize and mobilize Latinos in the labor movement and has expanded its influence to organize Latinos in an effort to impact workers' rights and their influence in the political process. LCLAA represents the interest of more than 2 million Latino workers in the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), The Change to Win Federation, and independent unions. Visit us on the web at lclaa.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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The Labor Council
for Latin American Advancement
815 Black Lives Matter Plz NW
Washington DC, 20006
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