Come Celebrate Juneteenth In Salem!

 

Some Leading Labor Movement News And Events: organizing, a boycott, attacks on civil rights, requests for solidarity, and union victories!

From Portland Jobs with Justice:

The monthly Early Ed social is happening this Friday, April 12th, on the heated back patio at Bye and Bye, 6:30 - 9pm. Get support and strategies from fellow early educators, about anything from working conditions to education!

Under 21 welcome until 8pm. Tell a friend.
Preschool teachers, nannies, sitters, any childcare workers - please stop by if you can! Solidarity means a lot to people working in a tough field.

Friday, April 12th from 6:30 - 9pm!
Bye and Bye (1011 NE Alberta St)
Contact: pdxccla@gmail.com / IG @pdxchildcarelaboralliance

Please join Postdocs at OHSU for a picket on April 16, gathering at Elizabeth Caruthers Park outside of OHSU CHH2 building. This marks the only day of mediation that OHSU is willing to schedule, despite that they have made no indication they are willing to invest in their postdoc researchers. Join us to call for justice for Postdocs!

Tuesday, April 16 from 12 - 2pm
Elizabeth Caruthers Park (outside of the OHSU Center for Health & Healing)

Radio Jornalera - Day Laborers & Oregon Migrant Community Launch Community Radio Station - Get involved!

On Friday, March 29, Viva Inclusive Migrant Network and NDLON (National Day Laborers Organizing Network) launched Oregon’s “Radio Jornalera” at Augustana Lutheran Church! The radio station in Portland will aim to promote migrant rights, workers rights, music, art, and culture through programs hosted by Day laborers, other members of the migrant community, and other social justice movements.

How you can help:

* Volunteer to support the radio show and expand the programming by adding your own show, too! Every Wednesday there will be a training on the boards.
* Are you skilled in content creation (banners, flyers) or setting up websites? Help the radio station with theirs.
* Do you have experience with setting up 501c3s, websites, and/or writing grants? Viva Inclusive Migrant Network is looking for help with setting up its nonprofit.
* Connect with Viva's community defense project, Defensa del barrio, to be ready to respond when there is wage theft or when there is a raid.
* Please tune in to the programming on Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube, which is currently Monday and Friday, 6pm.

Please email, call, text Francisco Aguirre at VIVA Inclusive Migrant Network at  francisco@oregonviva.org, 503-752-4882) about any of these opportunities.

Boycott Coors!

The Coors family, executives, and stockholders are living the high life while refusing to negotiate a fair contract with workers who make the beer. The workers behind the Molson-Coors brand beverages and record profits were forced onto the picket line Feb. 17 after the company refused to offer more than 99 cents an hour in new wages. Teamsters have renewed their long-running national boycott of the brand for it's anti-worker positions.

Until Molson Coors serves up a fair deal for hardworking Texas Teamsters in Fort Worth, join us in putting them on ice. Take part in a bit of history, renewed by Texas Teamsters, and join us in supporting the Boycott!

Teamsters Local 223 members in Eugene kicked off a Day of Action by flyering customers and supermarkets about the Boycott. Here in Portland, members circulated flyers and promoted the Boycott at recent actions! Support the Boycott and circulate the flier, here!

From Red Hot Worker Hits:

From Portside:

FEDERAL COURT STRIKES MAJOR BLOW TO BLACK VOTING RIGHTS

A federal district court’s order on Thursday allowing South Carolina to use a racially discriminatory congressional map for the 2024 election cycle is a gut punch to Black voters.

“For over a century, the NAACP has worked fervently to protect Black Americans’ access to the ballot box. Make no mistake — these discriminatory maps are a direct attempt to suppress Black voices ahead of a consequential election,” Brenda Murphy, the president of the South Carolina State Conference of the NAACP, a plaintiff in the case, said in a statement.

Without a fair map, it would be enormously difficult for Black voters to elect a representative who has their interests at heart and who would fight for them on issues ranging from education to criminal justice to health care. READ MORE HERE.

From Jacobin:

Ron Carey’s Lessons in Labor Movement Reform by STEVE EARLY RAND WILSON

Books about union presidents are usually penned by professional writers — either academic historians, labor journalists, or paid flacks. Past accounts of the life and work of labor organization chiefs like John L. Lewis, Walter Reuther, Jimmy Hoffa, or Cesar Chavez have run the gamut from hagiographic to constructively critical. Few have had a biographer whose view of their leadership role is rooted in firsthand experience as a blue-collar worker in the same industry and union.

Ken Reiman’s personal connection to the subject matter of Ron Carey and the Teamsters resulted from his long career as a UPS driver and activist in the local union that Carey led before becoming president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) in the 1990s. Reiman’s insights into the workplace culture and organizational politics of IBT Local 804 in Queens, New York, before, during, and after Carey’s presidency provide a rank-and-file perspective on the challenges of institutional change in organized labor over the past fifty years.

Carey’s story, as told by Reiman, contains many important lessons for younger union activists, whether they are Teamsters or involved in other unions. Organized labor today is in a state of very positive ferment. A reform movement in the United Auto Workers (UAW), modeled after Teamsters for a Democratic Union (TDU), has had similar success winning direct election of top officers and using that system to oust old-guard officials. READ MORE HERE.

From IATSE:

Following three days of in-person negotiations, IATSE Local 871 reached a tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) on their craft-specific issues on Wednesday. Now seven of the 13 West Coast Studio Locals (80, 600, 695, 706, 729, 800 and 871) have reached tentative agreements with the AMPTP.

More information regarding these Local agreements will be provided to members by their Local Unions once Memorandums of Agreement have been formally drafted by the lawyers of both parties and submitted to the corresponding Local for approval. It’s important to note the process is not complete until the conclusion of Basic Agreement General Negotiations, which cover issues like wage increases, pension and health contributions, artificial intelligence (AI), job security and residuals. In other words, members should expect the Local agreements to be only part of the overall package to come in the General negotiations, which are expected to restart on April 29 and run through May 16. READ MORE HERE.

Dodger Stadium Tour Guides Vote to Unionize Join Local B-192

During a National Labor Relations Board election on Tuesday afternoon, a group of nearly 40 tour guides, tour leads and one plant data collector (a.k.a. the guide of the stadium’s “garden tour”) voted to join IATSE B-192, a growing Local that represents fellow tour guides at Universal Studios Hollywood and ushers at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre. Workers are responsible for leading the wide array of tours that the stadium now offers — from basic stadium tours to pregame tours to Jackie Robinson and “Fernandomania” (devoted to Fernando Valenzuela) tours, with offerings in English, Spanish and Japanese — the tour guides work year-round.

Doing Black History In Oregon With CBTU

We are fortunate to have a state chapter of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) here in Oregon with strong leadrship and participation. The Chapter draws its energy from the spirit of the founders of CBTU, the victories and advances being made by Black union members and leaders nationally, and from members of AFSCME, AFT, SEIU and other unions here in Oregon. This blog often highlights CBTU events for the good and simple reasons that Black lives matter and that we can't have union growth and stability without mass participation and leadership coming from Black workers. Please notice that a standing item on this blog is an advertisement for the KMUZ Community Radio show produced by CBTU members and for the KBOO radio show that CBTU members help produce and lead.

I believe that we could talk and post all day about the Oregon CBTU Chapter and its great leadership and accomplishments and that we would still be remiss if we did not give readers some idea of what a CBTU event looks and feels like. The Chapter did a compelling series on Black history last month---not totally on what happened in the past, but on what is carried forward from the past into the present and what challenges are facing us as all of us work to construct a better future for all. If all you did was read about CBTU here you would not get the full flavor of what CBTU does, what a CBTU event looks and feels like. You might go away thinking that it's just another organization and later for that. But hold on.

Vinnie Blanco, a Labor Relations Director at Blanco Labor Solutions and a CBTU leader here in Oregon, has sent around and posted the photos below. Here we see Brother Blanco with State Senator James Manning, Chapter President and AFSCME retree leader Tina Turner-Morfitt, and State Representative Travis Nelson with many others. This event was the Chapter's final salute (for now) to Black excellence during their 2024 Black History Month Celebration. The photos remind me that we should be fully about making every day about Black history and advancing the shared interests of people of color and labor.

This is a view into the future of Oregon, progressive politics, and the labor movement. This strength and joy is what you will see at every CBTU event and meeting. Now that you know---join and show up!  

Some Union Struggles & Union Wins In The Headlines This Week

 

Fairfax Connector bus service workers, members of ATU Local 689, 

are on the  12th day of their strike. Photo from

the Metro Washington Labor Council. 

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) reached a new 

milestone of 300,055 members in February!

AFGE voices support for a new piece of legislation that would prevent states

 witha history of voter discrimination from enacting new laws that would suppress

 the vote. This is the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.

Named in honor of the late Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights icon and member of

 Congress,the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act was introduced in the Senate

 by Sens. Dick Durbin and Raphael Warnock. The bill is needed because there have been 

efforts to erodevoting rights since the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, a landmark

 law that removed race-based restrictions on voting such as literacy tests and poll taxes.

Text and graphic and photo from AFGE.

During a Thursday Austin (Texas) City Council meeting, a group of local Google

 workers who are members of Alphabet Workers Union-Communications Workers of 

America (AWU-CWA) Local 9009 learned they’d lost their jobs while commenting on

 a proposed city resolution intended to support their cause. Photo and text

from the AFL-CIO.

Go here for more information.

It looks like a Teamster win at Anheuser-Busch!

Black History Movie Night In Portland On Thursday, Feb. 29 at 7:00 PM

 

Join SEIU Local 503 AFRAM Caucus, the Oregon Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, and Portland Rising for a Black history movie night at the SEIU Local 503 office on 2/29 at 7pm. Representative Travis Nelson and Oregon AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Sarina Rohrer will be leading the event.

Solidarity needed now, a few learning opportunities, and some quick labor news

CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. delivered the keynote address

at the University of Michigan’s Black Men in Unions Conference.

Read about it here.

Teamsters Local 223 & Eugene/Springfield Solidarity Network

stands in solidarity with Oregon Nurses Association! Photo from Tizoc

Arenas.

From a press release signed by Johnny Earl, SEIU 503 Higher Ed Bargaining Team Chair and
Custodial Coordinator, University of Oregon:

Here are some more ways you can help:

1. Send an email to the University Presidents asking them to settle a fair contract with classified workers and to tell management’s bargaining team to stop their hardball tactics at the negotiating table. (Click here for a list of the president’s email addresses.) If you have questions, please ask Len Norwitz at norwitzL@seiu503.org.

2. Attend one of the action the list below next week. If you can attend any of these, we would love to have your support. Please wear purple if you can, but if you can’t we’d still love to see you there. To RSVP or to get more information, email Len Norwitz at norwitzl@seiu503.org.

Come to Western Oregon University (Monmouth) on Thursday, February 22nd, from 11 am to 1 pm to help distribute flyers and have conversations with the campus community and students. And participate as we deliver our support petitions. Get oriented/meet at the Werner University Center on North Monmouth Ave.

Come to Portland State University (Portland) Smith Memorial Student Union on Wednesday, February 21st, from 9:30 to 11:30 am for an open campus strategic planning session hosted by President Ann Cudd.

Come to Oregon State University (Corvallis) McNary Dining Center on Friday, February 23rd, from 11 to 11:30 am and be a part of our delegation – “OSU cannot ignore us!” - to the Annual UHDS Soup-Challenge event that is open to the community.

Come to the University of Oregon (Eugene) EU Ampitheatre on Monday, February 26th, from noon to 1 pm and be a part of the gathering and delegation to the President’s office - “We will not be ignored”.

Southern Oregon University (Ashland) - 2/26 – Event info TBD

Oregon Institute of Technology (Klamath Falls) - 2/26 – Event info TBD

Eastern Oregon University (La Grande) - 2/26 – Event info TBD

We appreciate your continued support for our Higher Ed members and thank you in advance for seeing this through to a fair contract.

From Portland Jobs with Justice:

On Monday, the editorial staff of the Portland Mercury, The Stranger, EverOut Portland, Bold Type Tickets and across Index Media have announced they have joined together to form the Index Media Union, as members of the Pacific NW Newspaper Guild! JWJ was thrilled to hear about this new union at our most recent Steering Committee meeting, as all workers deserve a union! We strongly urge management at Index Media to voluntarily recognize the union in order to proceed swiftly to negotiating a fair first contract! You can find JWJ's letter of support, here!

Share their announcements over Instagram and Twitter, and give them a follow, too!

Please join the Oregon Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, JWJ's Portland Rising, and the SEIU-AFRAM Caucus for a special Black History Month Movie night! It will feature two short films and a special presentation moderated by Vinnie Blanco Jr.:

Travis Nelson, Representative, House District 44 will talk on health care inequities and efforts to create a new health care system, and

Sarina Roher, Secretary-Treasurer, Oregon AFL-CIO will talk on bargaining challenges for health care unions and the challenges of being a health care worker.

Thursday, February 29 from 7 - 9pm
SEIU Local 503 (525 NE Oregon St Portland OR 97232)
Masks encouraged!Join Coalition of Black Trade Unionists for great Black History Month programming all month, including the 2/15 Health Forum (on Zoom.) Find more at this link!

 

Get the truth and gain an understanding on AP African American studies here.

All of the members of the Georgia State Senate Democratic Caucus wore red bandanas last week in solidarity with CWA members who are leading the fight against an anti-union bill. The bill would make companies that respect their workers’ right to form unions through voluntary recognition ineligible for state economic incentives. (Photo and text from CWA)

My heart was troubled to learn this morning that Remington Arms is moving from New York to Georgia and that our United Mine Workers of America will be losing about 300 members as this move takes place. Perhaps Remington workers will go union in Georgia. 

An Important Discussion On Labor & Civil Rights

The following comes from the latest issue of the Pacific Northwest Labor History Association (PNLHA). I highly recommend joing and supporting the PNLHA and using their magnificent wall calendar for educationg yourself and others about labor history in the Pacific Northwest. Bill Fletcher, Jr. is one of our great union organizers and thinkers. His books and articles are especially important to building our labor movement.

On Martin Luther King Day, January 15, Michael Honey and Bill Fletcher discussed the state of labor and civil rights on the Tavis Smiley talk show on Los Angeles radio KBLA 1580. Here are parts 1 & 2 of their conversation. https://p.ftur.io/kblaam/13770 https://p.ftur.io/kblaam/13772 The International Labor Organization purchased 500 copies of Martin Luther King, Jr., All Labor Has Dignity, edited by Michael Honey (Beacon), and James Lawson, Revolutionary Nonviolence; Organizing for Freedom (UC Press) with Michael Honey and Kent Wong, has gone into a paperback edition and circulating throughout the California labor movement. *James M. Lawson, with Michael Honey and Kent Wong, with Forward by Angela Davis, Revolutionary Nonviolence, Organizing for Freedom: https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520387843/revolutionary-nonviolence In Jacobin, 55 years Since King, by Michael Honey https://jacobin.com/2023/04/mlk-death-memphis-strikers-labor-civil-rights

Oregon Coalition of Black Trade Unionists: Black History Month Events

Black History Month

Oregon Coalition of Black Trade Unionists: Black History Month Events

Ongoing throughout February both on Zoom and in person in Portland

The Oregon Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) cordially invites you to join us for a month-long recognition of Black excellence in conjunction with the Pacific Northwest Labor History Association, Portland Rising, Oregon AFSCME, and AFRAM/SEIU Local 503. The primary focus is health care.

February 8, 2024 at 6:30pm: Black Relevance in Politics Forum

February 15, 2024 at 6:30pm: Health Care Forum

February 22, 2024 at 6:30pm: Labor History Workshop (In Person at Oregon AFL-CIO)

February 29, 2024 at 7:00pm: Movie Night (In Person at SEIU Local 503)

Click here to learn more about these exciting events!

AFSCME is asking for your help!

 

AFSCME is asking for your help!

The United Mine Workers is supporting AFSCME by voting for their "I Am Story" limited series podcast at this year's NAACP Image Awards.

The 1968 Memphis sanitation strike is a powerful example of the change working people can make through collective action. Thirteen hundred African American sanitation workers, represented by AFSCME Local 1733, put everything on the line for dignity and respect, marching with signs that declared their humanity with the slogan, “I AM A MAN.” It is one of American history’s most compelling fights for labor rights and civil rights.

Last year, to mark the 55th anniversary of the strike, AFSCME President Lee Saunders produced a five-episode podcast called “I AM Story” that introduced a new generation of activists to this iconic struggle. The podcast has now been nominated for an NAACP Image Award in the Outstanding Podcast – Limited Series/Short Form category, and we can vote to determine the winner.

VOTING IS EASY!

1. Click on this link.

2. Click on the “Outstanding Podcast – Limited Series/Short Form” category under the “Recording” header.

3. Click the “Vote” button located underneath the “I AM Story” podcast—please note that this does not officially count your vote!

4. You must click “Back to Categories,” which will return you to the original page.

5. Finally, scroll to the bottom of the categories page and click the “Submit Your Votes” button.

6. Enter your email into the pop-up window, and once it says, “Vote received,” your vote has officially been counted.

At a moment when issues of racial and economic justice are again front and center, it is more important than ever that we honor the Memphis strikers, raising their profile and telling their remarkable story.

Thank you so much for helping us carry on the legacy of the Memphis sanitation strike. Our union siblings at AFSCME, the strikers, and their families appreciate your vote.

In Solidarity,

UMWA Activist Team

A very special Black History Month Movie Night & Discussion will be presented by CBTU, Portland Rising, and SEIU AFRAM on Feb. 29

The Oregon Chapter of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) is pleased to announce a very special 2024 Black History Month Movie Night presented by CBTU, Portland Rising, and SEIU AFRAM (African American Caucus). We hope you will join us and let others know about the program. Please forward this post to others.

Thursday, Feb. 29 from 7-9 pm
SEIU Local 503 Office
525 NE Oregon Street, Portland 97232

The program will focus on the intersections of black history with labor organizing, women’s work, and health care. It promises to be an excellent night of learning and fun.

We’ll show two short films:

“I Am Somebody” (1970) is a 30-minute documentary about black hospital workers on strike in Charleston, South Carolina, made by Madeline Anderson, a pioneering African American director. As the civil rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer described it: “This film packs a tremendous punch and is deeply moving at the same time. The fact that 400 black women were able to take on the power structure of the state of South Carolina - and win - is of decisive importance to all of us.”

“The Politics of Race and Medicare for All” offers a brief history on the creation of Medicare in the 1960s

Then there will be a special panel moderated by Vinnie Blanco, Jr.:

Travis Nelson, RN, State Representative, House District 44, will talk on health care inequities and efforts to create a universal health care system, and

Sarina Roher, RN, Secretary-Treasurer, OR AFL-CIO, will discuss bargaining challenges for health care unions and the challenges of being a healthcare worker.

All are welcome. We encourage mask wearing to address the cold and flu season, but masks are not required. CBTU, JWJ and Health Care for All Oregon will have information tables at the event.

The song remains the same...

This photograph was taken in Richmond, VA. around 1940. The woman with the sign was a member of the Food, Tobacco, Agricultural, and Allied Workers (FTA-CIO). FTA-CIO was a great union and far ahead of its time in many ways.  
 

Black History Month with the Oregon Chapter of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists

The Oregon Chapter of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists CBTU) is having a dynamic series of learning opportunities as part of Black History Month. No union person should miss taking part in these events. A list of what's coming is below. If you can't read that, try clicking on the image to make it larger or go to the Oregon Chapter of CBTU Facebook page or contact us and on the blog and I will send it to you.

A reminder from the Communications Workers of America

 

On this day and every day carry the message on!

 

Some quotes from Martin Luther King, Jr. to live by

Two upcoming events in Portland honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and a reminder about the Seattle event

And please remember the related Pacific Northwest Labor History Association event in Seattle!
 

An Important Black History Event Happening This Week

 

The Oregon Coalition of Black Trade Unionists Would Like To Share With You Our Special Recognition of Kwanzaa.

The information is from the National Museum of African American History and Culture – The web address is https://nmaahc.si.edu/kwanzaa:  

We call it Kwanzaa – The name actually comes from a Swahili phrase… Matunda Ya Kwanzaa – which means “First Fruits of the Harvest” and is rooted in first fruit celebrations which are found in cultures throughout Africa both in ancient and modern times.

December 26th begins the season of Kwanzaa!  A time for families and communities to come together to remember the past and to celebrate African American culture.

Created in 1966 by Maulana Ron Karenga, Kwanzaa is an African American and Pan-African holiday that celebrates history, values, family, community, and culture. The ideas and concepts of Kwanzaa are expressed in the Swahili language, one of the most widely spoken languages in Africa.

The seven principles which form its core were drawn from communitarian values found throughout the African continent. 

These principles are: 

Umoja – Unity: To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.  -  (Dec. 26)  

• Song for reflection: Worth His Weight in Gold (Rally Round the Flag), Steel Pulse.  
• The corresponding candle is Black, placed in the #4 position (center) of the Kinara, and the first candle lit, and the only candle lit each day.

Kuujichagulia – Self-Determination: To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves.  -  (Dec. 27)

• Song for reflection: I am the Black Gold of the Sun, Rotary Connection & Minnie Riperton.  
• The corresponding candle is Red, placed in the #3 position of the Kinara, and the 2nd candle lit.

Ujima – Collective Work and Responsibility: To build and maintain our community together and make our community’s problems our problems and to solve them together.  -  (Dec. 28)  

• Song for reflection: Optimistic, Sounds of Blackness.
• The corresponding candle is Green, placed in the #5 position of the Kinara, and the 3rd candle lit.

Ujama – Cooperative Economics:  To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together.  -  (Dec. 29)

• Song for reflection: We’re a Winner, Curtis Mayfield,
• The corresponding candle is Red, placed in the #2 position of the Kinara, and the 4th candle lit.

Nia – Purpose:  To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.  -  (Dec. 30)

• Song for reflection: Higher Ground, Stevie Wonder.
• The corresponding candle is Green, placed in the #6 position of the Kinara, and the 5th candle lit.

Kuumba – Creativity:  To always do as much as we can to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.  -  (Dec. 31)

• Song for reflection: Africa, John Coltrane.
• The corresponding candle is Red, placed in the #1 position of the Kinara, and the 6th candle lit.

Imani – Faith:  To believe with all our hearts in our people and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.   -  (Jan 1).

• Song for reflection: Keep Your Head to the Sky, Earth, Wind, and Fire.
• The corresponding candle is Green, placed in the #7 position of the Kinara, and the 7th candle lit.

Listen to the lyrical interpretation of those principles as sung by “Sweet Honey in the Rock” in their song Seven Principles.  Original song  written by Bernice Johnson Reagon.

• Umoja – Unity that brings us together
• Kuujichagulia – We will determine who we are
• Ujima - Working and building our union
• Ujama – We’ll spend our money wisely
• Nia - We know the purpose of our lives
• Kuumba – All that we touch is more beautiful
• Imani – We believe that we can. We know that we can, We will any way that we can.

Kwanzaa is a time of learning, family, and celebration.

During the week of Kwanzaa, families and communities come together to share a feast, to honor the ancestors, affirm the bonds between them, and to celebrate African and African American culture. Each day they light a candle to highlight the principle of that day and to breathe meaning into the principles with various activities, such as reciting the sayings or writings of great black thinkers and writers, reciting original poetry, African drumming, and sharing a meal of African diaspora-inspired foods. The table is decorated with the essential symbols of Kwanzaa, such as the Kinara (Candle Holder), Mkeka (Mat), Muhindi (corn to represent the children), The colors of the Pan-African flag, red (the struggle), black (the people), and green (the future), are represented in spaces, as decorations and in the clothing worn. These colors were first proclaimed to be the colors for all people of the African diaspora by Marcus Garvey.

Meals play a large part in the celebration of Kwanzaa. Throughout the week, favorite African American dishes, as well as traditional African, Caribbean, and South American recipes, are on many menus, and served in many homes, churches, and celebrations.

On December 31, the sixth day of Kwanzaa, there is a large feast called Karamu. Just like other Kwanzaa meals, any dish can be included as part of the Karamu.

"HOLLA...For Labor!!!", Labor Radio In Salem & Portland, And The Oregon Chapter Of The Coalition For Black Trade Unionists

 

Over the past 10 years, the Oregon Chapter of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) has been working in collaboration with a labor continuum here in Oregon in the audio production of Labor Radio segments on KBOO Radio 90.7 FM. The continuum consists of seven contributors: Oregon CBTU, Jamie Partridge, Lane Poncy, Stephen Siegel, Tim EAnneMcD and Michael Cathcart. Our declarative statement of “highlighting the works of the working class, by the working class, for the working class” is broadcasted weekly at 6:00 pm on Monday night. Each week our storylines are labor intensive pieces relevant to organized labor and the impact on everyday workers. Our broadcasts reflect on the lives of actual workers involved in daily struggles and successes of lasting one day longer, contract negotiations, relevant legislative actions, union activism, and varied opinions on local, national, and sometimes international issues that buttress against ordinary workers as they go about making ends meet.

Recently within the past 2 years Oregon CBTU has expanded to include a rebroadcast of our
labor radio contributions on Willamette Wake Up, a weekday local public affairs program, on KMUZ Community Radio (88.5 & at 100.7 FM), fashionably coined as, “HOLLA FOR LABOR”. This new affiliation enables us to design labor radio segments more inclusive of the Mid-Willamette Valley workers.

The Oregon CBTU Labor Radio and HOLLA FOR LABOR segments consist of monthly ½ hour
segments featuring 3 on air contributors, Tina Turner-Morfitt, Dr. Audrey Terrell, and Deborah Hall. We are the 3 principal officers of Oregon CBTU. Each month our interviews feature guest which include a varied mix of activist from Oregon, the Pacific Northwest and national guest covering various topics. Our overall goal with each segment is “to make labor something you can feel again.”

Our most recent segment featured Dan Torres, the Executive Director of the Oregon Labor Candidate School. Brother Torres can be described as a political operative/organizer/strategist from Portland Oregon. He works in Labor, Democratic, and Progressive advocacy. He has 8 cycles of electoral experience ranging from State Rep races up to the United States Senate. He has worked 6 long sessions in various roles from legislative staff to advocacy and engagement, to lobbying. He has extensive experience in organizing, communications, electoral politics, field, data, training, leadership development, coalition building, collaboration, and political navigation and strives to maintains the program’s apolitical status in preparing future candidate seeking out leadership roles. The mission, vision and values of the Oregon Labor Candidate School are listed accordingly:

MISSION

The mission of the Oregon Labor Candidate School is to train leaders to be successful candidates for elected office. OLCS alumni will champion policies which positively impact all Oregonians, including, living wages, a superb education system, access to quality and affordable healthcare, a secure retirement, and to defend and grow the labor movement in Oregon. Our curriculum includes an equity lens, providing candidates with the tools to make justice-oriented policy decisions.

VISION

The vision of the Oregon Labor Candidate School is to increase the representation of union members in elected office who will champion policies which reflect the values of the labor movement and benefit working people in Oregon.

VALUES

Collective Action * Economic Fairness * Empowerment * Equity * Solidarity * Respect * Democracy * Justice

The 2024 electoral contest is quickly gaining on us. Tune into this segment of ‘HOLLA FOR LABOR’ to examine the rigorous process candidates will face in their bid to draft a successful campaign.

Join us for full segments of labor radio each month:

 KBOO Labor Radio (97.4 FM) at 6 pm the first Monday, of each month. The podcast can be found on https://kboo.fm/media/117754-labor-radio

 KMUZ Community Radio on Willamette Wake Up, the fourth Thursday of each month at 8 am. The podcast can be found on kmuz.org.