Cities for All: Integrating our Communities

August 21^st 2010, 9:00 AM

Clinica de la Raza,
1515 Fruitvale Avenue, Oakland CA

The Alianza Latinoamericana por los Derechos de los Inmigrantes (ALIADI) Would like to cordially invite you to a national conference focusing on the social integration of marginalized communities by implementing a successful Municipal Identification Card Program.  Since we have not seen any commitment from the Obama administration to support a federal immigration reform this year for over 12 million immigrant workers, and even if it happens, these millions of workers will have to wait at the end of the line for many years.  We have been working on alternatives to integrate them and their families in our communities.  we need to work on alternatives. As well, we encourage social workers and civil rights defenders who repeatedly face the bureaucratic wall of prejudice and discrimination against people of low income or in the trans identity process, to join us.

The purpose of this conference is to highlight and explain the implementation of municipal identification cards as a tool for the social, economic and political integration of our communities.  As you have probably already learned there are currently two cities–New Haven CT and San Francisco, CA– in the United States that have adopted municipal identification card programs that offer ID/resident cards to all city residents.

These programs, initially pushed by the undocumented community have turned into inclusive, community-wide positive projects that help provide proper governmental identification cards to those that otherwise do not posses one.  For an array of reasons many in our cities often lack a valid government issued identification which prevents them from accessing bank accounts and libraries and exposes them to identification verifying issues with local police and businesses.  Many of these residents are already marginalized members of our community like those with low income, the homeless, youth, elderly, youth, LGBT,  domestic violence and immigrants; the lack of an ID only exacerbates and entrenches the economic and social marginalization that already exists.

For these and many other reasons we are hosting the third National Cyber-Conference; Cities for All: Integrating our Communities, to share the experience of the SF and Oakland ID Card programs, as well as other cities updates on similar projects like New Haven, and Trenton New Jersey, Chicago, Minneapolis, Marin County, Richmond, but also to brainstorm with you about how similar programs can be established in your cities to help integrate all our residents.  Such programs are legally valid and well within the general powers of our municipal governments.

At first the concept of a municipal ID may seem unnecessary.  However, in addition to providing an official ID to those who would otherwise lack one, groups working on these programs have learned that the implementation of municipal identification cards can creatively and effectively spur local economic activity and make our communities safer. For example, groups in Oakland local business and recreational activity discounts have been attached to the ID project, helping stimulate the economy. In New Haven, public safety has improved as individuals who were once afraid of being harassed for not having some form of identification, are now more willing to cooperate with police. In the case of San Francisco, cardholders have discounts in business and access Healthy San Francisco Program.

The Third National Cyber-Conference; Cities for All: Integrating our communities,  will be taking place on August 7^th 2010, Oakland California.

The conference’s main goals are to:

a)     Consolidate the implementation of municipal ID’s in different cities country wide. (In addition to the adoption of a municipal ID program in SF (there are four other cities where community organizations have been taken the lead to implement such a program)

b)    Present the numerous benefits of implementing a municipal ID program and demonstrate how such a program benefits marginalized sectors of society, including (but not limited to) low-income workers, the homeless, youth, elderly, LGBT, domestic violence victims and immigrants from every nationality

c)     share current experiences of municipal programs already implemented and those that are under way with other organizations and political authorities from different states.

d)    Break barriers and convince, with valid justifications and facts, that the municipal ID card is the solution to many of the community problems.

e) Involve the participants in a national movement.

Conference Design:

a) Community panels:

Experiences shared by immigrant, homeless and LGBT groups.

b) Back ground information: What is a Municipal ID Card? And FAQs

c) Overcoming barriers and introducing strategic planning.

d) Supporting new coalitions and offering community presentations.

e) Establish a timeline by which to launch a national movement.

Workshops/presentations Include:

• People Privacy-Inclusiveness
• Economic/Social/Political Context for Federal Law Immigration Reform.
• Identity and Safety.
• What is a Municipal ID Card and its Multiple Uses
• Legal Basis/ Municipal Government Legislation/ Yale Report.
• Grassroots Strategies to Integrate Our Communities.
• Local Commerce and Economic Sustainability for Marginalized Communities and new technologies.
• Overcoming Politics of Division Cross-Alliances.
• Implementation, Key Studies: New Haven/San Francisco/Oakland

Among the panelists we have confirmed: Journalist/Writer David Bacon, Phil Hutchins (Black Alliance for Immigration Reform, Nativo V Lopez, President of MAPA, Professor Raul Hinojosa, as well as elected officials from different cities.

A short list of endorsers include: ALIADI Bay Area Chapters, Oakland City ID Coalition, Centro Latino Cuzcatlan, Community in Action, General Brotherhood of Workers, Hermandad Mexicana Latinoamericana, Mexican American Political Association MAPA, MUAI, Mujeres en Liderazgo, National Latino Congreso, Nuestra Casa East Palo Alto,

We would be truly grateful if your organization joined us in this important effort to integrate our communities.  As the national conference date is coming up soon, please let us know as soon as possible if you will able to join us.

If you would like to support the integration of marginalized communities giving a presentation, endorsing or becoming a cosponsor, of this conference, please contact us to talk about the different ways you can collaborate.

Best regards,

Miguel Robles

Latin American Alliance for Immigrant Rights (ALIADI)

Founder/coordinator

415.368.1576

alianzalatinoamericana@gmail.com

ALIADI stands for the Alianza Latinoamericana por los Derechos de los Inmigrantes, a network of community members throughout California who share information and resources to uphold the rights and social integration of our immigrant community.  www.aliadi.org

.

City ID Card it’s Multiple Uses and Ways to Integrate our Communities.

When? Fri, 06/25/2010 – 10:00am – 12:00pm

Where? WSU-S South TV Lounge 2^nd floor

This workshop will focus on the implementation of City/County ID Cards to engage in civic integration, provide public safety, public health, and promote the economic participation of immigrants, homeless, LGBTQQI, children/elderly and low income. It has been designed to incorporate immigrant advocates to the movement “Cities for All Integrating our Communities.” Since we have not seen any commitment from the Obama administration to support a federal immigration reform this year for over 12 million immigrant workers, we need to work on alternatives. As well, we encourage social workers and civil rights defenders who repeatedly face the bureaucratic wall of prejudice and discrimination against people of low income or in the trans identity process, to join us, and to learn from our experiences in San Francisco and Oakland.

Join ALIADI in Detroit during the USSF 2010

Fight Back Against State, County & City Driver License Checkpoints and Towing and Impounding Schemes Against Unlicensed Immigrant Drivers.

When? Wednesday, 06/23/2010 – 10:00am – 12:00pm

Where? Wayne County Community College Rm 131

This workshop will focus on issues facing immigrant drivers related to the taking and impoundment of their vehicles by local law enforcement for driving without a license. Impounding vehicles of unlicensed immigrant drivers for 30 days (as in California) causes great social and economic hardship. In fact the towing and impound scheme of local governments is driven by the Government’s need to generate revenue but at a great cost to immigrant drivers who reside in the United States without documents and can not obtain drivers licenses issued by the state where they reside. These families who use their vehicles to take their children to school, doctor’s appointments and to go to work are being targeted by local law enforcement who often work on a quota system. This workshop will also focus on organizing campaigns and fight back strategies to empower local communities to stop this law enforcement practice.

Los Sheriff de los condados de San Francisco y Oakland, ciudades que han sido catalogadas lideres en su “Política de Santuario” por la promoción y defensa de los derechos de los trabajadores inmigrantes, han decidido firmar un compromiso de colaboración con el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional bajo el programa de “Comunidades Seguras”, el cual ya ha sido implementado en 160 jurisdicciones de 20 estados, por el departamento de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas ICE, e colaboración con autoridades locales.

Consideramos que esta decisión contradice el discurso pronunciado las ultimas dos semanas por las autoridades de las ciudades de San Francisco y Oakland, en el cual condenaron la ley SB1070, que aparte de vulnerar el estado de derecho y promover la discriminación y el racismo, regresa a la sociedad estadounidense a los tiempos mas oscuros de evolución en cuanto a la aceptación racial y la integración social.

Con esta nueva ley se pone en riesgo no solo la integridad de miles de familias integradas por  ciudadanos estadounidenses, cuyos padres han trabajado sin documentos por la falta del compromiso y capacidad política del gobierno de Obama, también se amenaza a conductores que carecen de licencia de conducir, por la falta de sensibilidad política y moral del gobernador de California, que se ha empeñado en obstaculizar cualquier ley que permita obtener una licencia de manejo, y en favorece la incautación de miles de autos cada año, beneficiando de esta manera a las compañías de grúas con millones de dólares, y poniendo en situación de vulnerabilidad extrema a estos conductores quienes sufren el inminente peligro de ser deportados si son detenidos manejando sin licencia, hecho que ya ocurre en ciudades como Fremont, Hayward y Santa Rosa, solo por mencionar algunas. En California la incautación de automóviles por 30 días contra inmigrantes, es el equivalente de la SB 1070 de Arizona.

Exigimos a la mesa de Supervisores de la Ciudad de San Francisco y al Concilio de Oakland:

Fortalecer la Política de Ciudad Santuario!

Detener la Incautación de Autos por 30 Días!

Monitorear Testimonios de Personas que Sufren de racismo!

Ningún Ser Humano es Ilegal!

Todos Somos Arizona pero California no es Arizona!

ALIADI es la Alianza Latinoamericana por los Derechos de los Inmigrantes, una red de miembros de la comunidad a través del estado de California, que comparte información y recursos para defender los derechos de los inmigrantes y promueve su integración social y económica.

Información/Solidaridad/Comida/Música/Poesía

Contacto: 415 368 1576

La Alianza Latinoamericana por los Derechos de los Inmigrantes ALIADI

le invita cordialmente a  su evento semestral de planificación, desarrollo de estrategias

y recaudación de fondos.

Cuando: Miércoles 12 de Mayo a las 7:00 PM

Donde: Calle Valencia No. 522, San Francisco CA (Auditorio)

Agenda

1.   Presentaciones………………………………………………………………….…7:00

2.   Introducción………………………………………………………………………..7:10

3.   E- Verify

Campaña educacional y alternativas legales……………………….……… 7:20

Rocío Ávila experta en derecho laboral, La Raza Centro Legal

4.   Identificación Municipal

noticias sobre la implementación en Oakland……………………..………7:40

Claudia Burgos jefa de la oficina del consejero Ignacio de la Fuente

5.   Decomiso de Autos

Campaña local y Estatal……………………………………………………………8:00

Miguel Robles Coordinador de ALIADI

6.   Arizona y la Reforma Migratoria

Análisis legislativo……………………………………………………………..…….8:20

Mark Silverman Abogado analista del Immigrant Legal Resource Center

7.   Estrategias y Calendario de Actividades…………… …………8:40

Además de los miembros y aliados de ALIADI, hemos invitado abogados y autoridades de diferentes niveles a este evento, del cual se desprenderá el trabajo de ALIADI para los próximos 6 meses. Esperamos contra con su presencia así como saber de sus inquietudes y propuestas para contrarrestar estos problemas que afectan de manera dramática a la comunidad inmigrante y amenazan su estabilidad social y económica.

ALIADI es la Alianza Latinoamericana por los Derechos de los Inmigrantes, una red de miembros de la comunidad a traves del estado de California, que comparte informacion y recursos para defender los derechos de los inmigrantes y promovueve su integracion social.. www.aliadi.org

Fremont CA

Caminata de 2 millas.

Sabado 1ro de Mayo a las 10:00 AM (vestir de blanco)

41933 Blacow Road, Fremont CA

Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de guadalupe

Se dirigira a la Iglesia de nuestra sra. de Guadalupe en Fremont Blvd. Donde habra consulta legal y musica.

Legalizacion para todos Ahora!

Alto al Decomiso de Autos!

Todos somos Arizona!

Plan para Boicotear Arizona!

No al E-Verify!

San Francisco

Calle Mission esq. con 24 a las 12:00 PM

Se dirigira al Civic Center

Oakland

Estacion del BART de Fruitvale a la 1:00 pm

San Rafael

50 Canal Street Pickleweed Park

A las 11:00 AM

San Jose

Story & King road a las 4:00 PM

Los Angeles

Olympic esq. Broadway, downtown Los Angeles A las 10:00 AM

WHERE AS plastic bags consume massive amounts of energy in their production, and are made up of substances derived from petroleum that can take up to 1000 years to decompose. Furthermore, they decompose into toxic particles that become part of the soil and water and have been linked to endocrine disruption which leads to cancers, birth defects, immune system suppression and developmental problems in children; and

WHERE AS there is no limit on the discarding of plastic bags, contributing to the contamination and pollution in cities, land and ocean ecosystems, threatening numerous plant and animal species, and our water supplies; and

WHERE AS each year 500 billion plastic bags are used in the world, of which a tiny fraction of them are recycled. The United States and the European Union consume 80% of the worlds production of plastic bags, with California consuming 19 billion bags a year; and

WHERE AS bills passed like Assembly bill 2449 in California, which requires large retail stores to provide recycling bins to help consumers recycle plastic, are not enough to halt the damaging use of plastic bags in our communities; and

WHERE AS it is a basic human right that Latino communities learn the toxic effects of plastic bag use, as it is often marginalized communities that are the most effected by environmental damage;

1. THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the organizations represented by delegates at the National Latino Congress endorse and promote reusable, harmless and biodegradable bag use instead of plastic bag use in the Latino community; and

2. THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the ALIADI will begin the campaign in 2010 by linking with environmental groups on the local, national and international level, as the Latino community is often left out of the environmental movement and awareness.

El Mundo te lo Agradecerá!

Que es el Movimiento Azul?

El movimiento azul nace como una alternativa para detener el impacto residual genera a traves del uso de bolsas plasticas y del cual gran cantidad se concentra en los oceanos, como una muestra podemos ver las imagenes que este sitio web nos ofrece en diferentes estudios y articulos que analizan este problema y ofrece graficas y fotos:

http://www.algalita.org/Algalita-in-the-News-2008.html

El Movimiento Azul busca la reversion del daño que se ha causado a los ecosistemas y a la salud publica deteniendo el uso de bolsas plásticas entre la comunidad latina en los Estados Unidos.

Es un derecho humano básico que nuestras comunidades tengan información sobre los efectos tóxicos de las bolsas plásticas en la salud.

Mas razones de porqué debemos detener el uso de bolsas plásticas?

La producción de bolsas de plástico consume grandes cantidades de energía.

Se calcula que el tiempo de vida de una bolsa plástica es de 8 minutos.

Cada año se usan y desechan 500 billones de bolsas plásticas en el mundo, de esta cantidad solo una pequeña fracción es reciclada.

Los Estados Unidos y Europa consumen el 80 por ciento de la producción mundial de bolsas de plástico.

Algunas de las substancias derivadas del petróleo tardan hasta 1000 años en descomponerse, dejando sus partículas toxicas mezclarse con la tierra y el agua, lo cual ha sido relacionado con enfermedades que afectan a los seres humanos como cáncer, defectos en recién nacidos, afectaciones en el sistema endocrinológico, depresión del sistema inmunológico y problemas en el desarrollo de los niño, entre otros.

No hay un limite ni control en el desecho de bolsas plásticas en el medio ambiente y eso ocasiona que la mayoría terminen en los bosques o los océanos donde millones de animales, entre ellos aves, delfines, tortugas, pingüinos y otras especies, corran el riesgo de tragarlas y morir asfixiados.

Que podemos hacer?

Obtener una bolsa hecha de materiales biodegradables, la cual pueda ser utilizada una y otra vez cuando se va de compras.

Preguntarle a las personas de la tienda donde usted hace sus compras si tienen bolsas biodegradables. (El papel puede ser mejor)

Educar a sus hijos, amigos, vecinos, compañeros de trabajo.

Invitarnos a hacer una presentación, nosotros vamos a donde guste.

Y recuerde que los bosques, los océanos, sus hijos y pricipalmene su salud, se lo agradecerán.

Infórmese mas en nuestro sitio Web: aliadi.org

Nosotros somos el futuro!

Por un mundo sin fronteras!

Close
Snap Shares for charity
La Lucha: SEIU Local 1877 Statewide Elections 2009
Just another WordPress.com weblog
SEIU Local 1877’s Statewide Elections: A Look Into Local Union Politics
November 26, 2009 by sharale

During the summer of 2009, I spent two months working with labor unions in the industrial sector in Nicaragua. As an international intern for United Students Against Sweatshops, I lived with a family of union organizers, shadowing them to training workshops and planning meetings, compiled extensive research about specific cases of labor rights violations, and interviewed workers and organizers in the labor rights movement from the local to national level. I had already been active with the Stanford Labor Action Coalition (SLAC), a campus group that organizes with workers at Stanford to protect their rights, but my experience in Nicaragua gave me a far greater conceptual understanding of the logic and politics of labor rights organizing, as a necessity for workers who are suffering daily but also as a site for structural change in a society that systemically oppresses its working class.

After returning to school from Nicaragua, I became increasingly interested in understanding union politics locally. Over the past three months, I spent time with workers active in their union. I attended meetings with them on campus with Stanford workers, with union members employed by other companies in the area, joined the protests organized by SEIU, observed the elections in late October, and most importantly, got to know the workers and organizers. This is a collection of glimpses into the importance of union representation to workers as well as the challenges they face in voicing their needs and exercising control within their own union.

In the San Jose SEIU Local 1877 office.

The majority of the janitors who clean and maintain Stanford University are represented by Service Employees International Union Local 1877. 18 million janitors in California as well as another 5 million workers in other sectors such as airport maintenance and security make up SEIU Local 1877 statewide.

“Nosotros los janitors sí necesitamos una unión, sí queremos estar organizados, sí queremos estar unidos, sí queremos luchar por mejorar nuestros salarios, nuestros beneficios, y condiciones.“

-Trabajador en Stanford

“We the janitors do need a union, we do want to be organized, we do want to be united, we do want to fight for better salaries, benefits, and conditions.”

-Stanford worker

Mural at the SEIU Local 1877 office in San Jose

Fighting for Workers

During the late summer and fall of 2009, workers at Colony Landscaping, one of the subcontractors hired by Stanford to hire workers to maintain the campus premises and work on construction, came forward to SEIU and to SLAC about abuses they were experiencing. Colony Landscaping had not been paying many of their workers the living wage, a violation of Stanford contractor rules. They had not been giving their employees adequate health care coverage, any paid vacation days or sick leave. Colony was not allowing workers to use protective gear when spraying poison chemicals because, Colony management reportedly stated, “it would scare the students.” Workers at Colony were not allowed to organize a union to bargain for better treatment, and the company actively intimidated workers with demands to produce proof of legal status.

The union successfully intervened to demand a living wage and back pay for those workers who had not been paid a living wage for the past several years. Finally, on October 9th, 2009, three of these workers were fired in what the union believed to be retaliation for standing up for these workers’ rights.

SEIU Local 1877 organized protests at Colony’s headquarters several times throughout the the fall to deliver the message to Colony that they must end these injustices and pay a living wage. Though SLAC has met with Stanford administrative officials, Stanford has been slow to act on these violations of its policy. Colony’s contract with Stanford will expire soon.

SEIU 1877 organizer Diana Aventura tells Colony, “Si no hay unión, no hay paz” (“No union, no peace”) at a rally on December 4th, 2009

Flyer by the Stanford Labor Action Coalition for a rally against Colony Landscaping’s labor rights violations

“Colony: Respeta el proceso para organizarnos” (“Colony respect our right to organize”)

Diana Aventura and Frankie Preciado, organizers with SEIU Local 1877 tell Colony managers about the concerns the workers had raised about labor rights violations at Colony headquarters during a rally on November 6, 2009.

A colony worker looks on during a rally and delegation to tell Stanford to pick a responsible contractor after Colony’s contract expires.

Workers after a rally at Colony headquarters.

The Struggle Inside

Though the work of the union in protecting workers’ rights is recognized and appreciated, many workers are gravely concerned about their treatment within the union’s structure. Namely, they feel, the bureaucracy of SEIU is increasingly anti-democratic. The current president of Local 1877, Mike García, has been in power for over twenty years. Workers feel that his administration is not concerned with fighting for their needs, while he receives an upper class salary for work that is meant to represent janitors, some of the lowest paid workers in the country.

Part of the problem is the lack of democratic systems within the union’s functioning. There is little discussion between representatives and the larger union membership. However, there are also charges of additional financial corruption. Precisely because the type of work exemplified by what SEIU Local 1877 organizers have done around rectifying Colony Landscaping’s abuses is so crucial, some workers are starting to organize themselves to reform the union and ensure that such campaigns are frequent and democratically run. On October 29th, SEIU Local 1877 held statewide elections for president, vice president, and executive board positions. Many of these workers organized a slate to challenge the administraiton of incumbent Mike García.

Doroteo García, candidate for vicepresident and leader in the campaign to make the union more democratic.

Doroteo García’s platform

The challenging slate was very active during the months before the election. They talked to SEIU workers on day shifts and night shifts in cities and towns from Sacramento to Los Angeles, driving hours just to talk to a group of ten workers for one. As an observer, it was apparent to me that this campaigning was in itself an accomplishment. Most workers were reluctant to participate in any discussion or listen to any speech about the union, responding at first with comments like “the union just steals our money, they don’t care what we think.” But Doroteo and others explained that this is exactly the problem, that it was time to retake the union and place decision-making power back into the hands of the membership at large, rather than a small group of administrators.

Nicolas Rivas, candidate for the executive board running with Doroteo García’s slate, campaigns in Salinas, CA.

Notes from a meeting of the slate challenging the incumbents to plan campaigning on election day.

Two workers during a discussion Doroteo leads about corruption in SEIU Local 1877.

Comparison

Almost all the janitors represented by Local 1877 are immigrants from Latin America. Several of those who are pushing for more democracy within the union remarked to me about the differences they saw between union politics in the United States and in their home countries in Central America. Some said that it is the hyper-bureaucratization of unions that is the main difference. The institutionalized nature of many big nationwide unions in the U.S. is in their opinion the reason there is such a disconnect between the regional administration’s actions and the workers’ needs and opinions. There is an absence of dialogue and more and more workers feel that they lack control and a voice in their union. During my time in Nicaragua, I too noticed this contrast. A look at how union leadership is chosen might be a metaphor for the comparison, a window into the constantly returning question of whether to prioritize democracy or efficiency?

Workers vote for the board of directors of their union at a factory near Managua, Nicaragua. There is a lot of discussion, sometimes heated, in which concerns are raised and considered before the voting begins

Workers at a national conference of a union confederation vote for their board of directors. With so many people, the process is tricky.

Ballots during the SEIU 1877 election.

Voting booths on election day for SEIU 1877

Inside of the SEIU 1877 San Jose Office

The Campaign

Though originally 23 people were running against Mike García’s slate in the election for statewide offices with SEIU 1877, the García administration allowed only 5 to run, justifying the disqualifications as consequences for the candidates’ petty technical flaws in the process to join the election, allegations that seem to be bogus.

Flyer distributed to workers listing the candidates challenging the incumbent administration. Only those candidates that have been circled in pen were not disqualified by the current administration.

Doroteo explains how the ballot works to an SEIU member during last-minute campaigning on election day.

Entering the polling location on election day

Inmar Laborio, active in the union, acts as observer on election day.

On election day two union members hold a sign that says, “Retake your union. Vote for Doroteo García, Laura Plumer, Jose La Serna.”

When there is water in the moon….

The incumbents won the election. A great deal of fraud is suspected by the challenging slate from using resources paid for by the union to campaign for the incumbent Mike García to allegations of mailing in filled out ballots in the name of workers who did not vote themselves.

One evening soon after the election results became known, Doroteo texted me the following:

“Si hay agua en la luna puede haber democracia en mi unión”

“When there is water in the moon there will be democracy in my union.”

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

*
*
Pages
o About
*
Archives
o November 2009
*
Categories
o Uncategorized (1)
*
Blogroll
o WordPress.com
o WordPress.org
*
Meta
o Log in
o Valid XHTML
o XFN
o WordPress

Blog at WordPress.com.
Entries (RSS) and Comments (RSS).