Join Us for Picket May 29!
At a leadership luncheon on May 20, Jobs with Justice activists committed to picketing a North Texas Chamber of Commerce facility in solidarity with the national effort to ask local businesspersons to break with the anti-worker campaign coordinated by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Join us!
- 4-6 PM Friday, May 29
- Bank of America Building (housing Oak Cliff Chamber of Commerce)
- Corner Zang & 12th (400 Zang) in Dallas
Everybody will be welcome as long as they focus on winning the Employee Free Choice Act. The Act already has a good majority in both the U.S. House and Senate, but, as of May 20, did not have the certain 60 votes that is required to get anything through the Senate. President Obama and Vice President Biden have spoken out publicly in favor.
One big problem is the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. National Jobs with Justice says that they are the chief co-ordinators of the campaign against Employee Free Choice. They are spending millions of dollars to mislead working people into opposing our own interests. Their principal argument is that the Act would abolish the present unfair system of organizing unions, which is pure baloney! The Act would leave the present system intact, and workers could choose to organize under present law if they preferred it -- but not if only the bosses preferred it, as is now the case!
The picket is set for rain or shine. There is a lot of free parking in the area, and 25 cents will buy an hour on nearby parking meters. Meters are effective only until 4:30 PM. Like all our public actions, this will be completely legal and peaceful.
Jobs with Justice activists met at Eno's Pizza in Oak Cliff to make our final arrangements. A Fox News reporter filmed us, but Channel 4 did not 
run the footage. Nevertheless, we had a great time getting to know other people who are involved in the fight for worker justice. Theologian Dr. David Brockman was there to show support for the Employee Free Choice Act and to ask activists for interviews for his research project on how religious leaders can help win worker justice.
An established expert on justice issues, Reverend L. Charles Stovall, also attended from the religious community. Unionists from the retail clerks, meat cutters, service employees, ironworkers, and autoworkers unions swapped stories about difficult organizing drives. A strong delegation of student activists drove in from Denton for the occasion. Everybody agreed to return with picket signs on the 29th. How about you?
Below: Dr. David Brockman, left, traded views with acvivists from UFCW, SEIU, Ironworkers, and UAW
