Choosing Democracy: Cesar Chavez Day - Organize

Choosing Democracy: Cesar Chavez Day _ Organize

Cesar Chavez Day - Organize

Cesar Chavez Day 

         

  Cesar Chavez Day is a state holiday in California – one of eight states to recognize the  date, and one of the few holidays  in the nation  dedicated  to a labor leader.   Sacramento and dozens of cities, counties and labor federations will celebrate the life of Cesar Chavez on March 31.

On March 26, U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis honored Cesar Chavez and the UFW founders by dedicating the auditorium at the Department of Labor in Chavez’s name. 

The Cesar Chavez celebrations focus on  the struggle for union rights and justice in the fields of California.  Along with Dolores Huerta, Philip Vera Cruz, and others, César created the United Farm Workers  (UFW) the first successful union of farm workers in  U.S. history.  There had been more than ten prior attempts to build a farm workers union.

            Each of the prior attempts to organize farm worker unions were destroyed by racism and corporate power. Chávez chose to build a union that incorporated the strategies of social movements and community organizing  and allied itself  with the churches, students,  and organized labor.  The successful creation of the UFW changed the nature of labor organizing  in the Southwest  and contributed significantly to the birth of Latino politics in the U.S.

            Today, under the leadership of UFW president Teresa Romero only about 8,000  farm workers enjoy benefits on the job. Wages and benefit in farm labor have again been reduced to the pre union levels.  Unionized workers   are incorporated into California's educational, health and civic communities.  The UFW has shown unions that immigrants can  and must be organized. Today the UFW is working to pass a new immigration law that would assist farm workers.    

             Chavez and the UFW are best known helping to create instrumental role in passing the  California Agricultural Labor Relations Act in 1975 under then Governor Gerry Brown  which gives workers collective bargaining rights.  The law was made necessary by the assault on the UFW of the Teamsters Union.  While workers are often able to win elections under the ALRB, they seldom can win a contract.  Growers stall and delay until the workers leave the area. 

        César Chavez, Dolores Huerta,  Philip Vera Cruz, and others deliberately created a multiracial organization, Mexican,  Mexican American, Filipino, African- CONTINUE READING: Choosing Democracy: Cesar Chavez Day _ Organize

antiracismdsa: Voices : Immigrants Struggles in the Time of Covid

antiracismdsa: Voices : Immigrants Struggles in the Time of Covid

Voices : Immigrants Struggles in the Time of Covid

Webinar: Immigrants’ Struggles in the Time of Covid/La lucha en los tiempos de Covid!

Join us for a  webinar: Immigrants’ Struggles in the Time of Covid/La lucha en los tiempos de Covid! by the Immigrants’ Rights Working Group of DSA.  Hear from comrades on the front lines of the immigrants’ rights movement discussing the resistance in the concentration camps, struggles on the job, and find out ways for you  to get involved!

Be sure to fill out this form to receive the webinar Zoom info.

Join us for an evening of discussion.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2020 • 8:00 PM • EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME (US & CANADA) (GMT-04:00)

Moderator: Alexander Hernandez – IMWG Steering Committee

Adelina Nicholls, Executive Director, Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights (GLAHR). GLAHR educates, organizes and trains the Latino community in Georgia to defend and promote their civil and human rights. Their work has been crucial in exposing the atrocities taking place in Georgia ICE detention centers.

Rossy Alfaro from Migrant Justice. Migrant Justice is a grassroots organization founded and led by immigrant farmworkers sustaining Vermont's dairy industry. Our mission is to build the voice, capacity, and power of the farmworker community and engage community partners to organize for economic justice and human rights.

Jorge Mujica, IMWG Steering Committee. Organizador de trabajadores inmigrantes y de bajos ingresos con Arise Chicago/ Immigrant and low-income workers Organizer with Arise Chicago. Arise Chicago builds partnerships between faith communities and workers to fight workplace injustice through education, organizing, and advocating for public policy changes. Committee,

Edgar Franks, Political Director, Familias Unidas por la Justicia (FUJ). FUJ is an independent farmworker union of indigenous families located in Burlington, WA representing over 500 Triqui, Mixteco, and Spanish speaking workers at Sakuma Bros. Berry Farm. FUJ formed on July 11th, 2013 with the hopes of securing a better future for hand CONTINUE READING: antiracismdsa: Voices : Immigrants Struggles in the Time of Covid

Choosing Democracy: SCUSD Proposal for English Learners is Totally Inadequate

Choosing Democracy: SCUSD Proposal for English Learners is Totally Inadequate

SCUSD Proposal for English Learners is Totally Inadequate 

 To: SCUSD School Board In the new Learning Accountability and Attendance plan,

 We know that English learners, particularly young English learners, require face to face social interaction to advance in English. We do not find plans to provide English learners with the required designated English Language Learning instruction. In your plan you have listed 60 minutes per week of instruction. That is totally inadequate. A child can not learn English with this minimal instruction. 

 It is clear under SB 98, that the district receives specific and designated funding for services to English learners. We do not find plans to track and apply the funding specifically for the English Learners. You are required to show that the supplemental money you receive for English learners actually improves the learning achievement of English learners. (Ed. Code, § 43503(b). We do not find evidence that you are going to measure, record, and report this achievement. 

 We advise the district to revise your plan to describe how the district is increasing or improving services in proportion to funds generated by low-income students, English learner and students in foster care under the local control funding formula (LCFF) as required by the continuing SB 98 legislation.

 As we have advised you for four years, your planning has not shown that funds generated by English learners are principally directed and effective to meet the needs of the students who generated them. Now, in your present proposed Learning Accountability and Attendance plan, you are again required to show how the funds generated by English Learners are principally directed and effective to meet the needs of the English learners who generated them. Should your plan fail to demonstrate evidence of this required direction of funding, we may need to oppose the approval of your plan.

 Parents of English learners are more likely than other parents to not have substantial internet connectivity. How will the district provide needed additional support to non English speaking, or limited English speaking parents as required by SB 98 ?

 In your required effort to support mental health and social and emotional well-being of pupils and staff during the school year, it is essential that many of the specialists and counselors providing services be bilingual in the languages spoken in the district. We do not find plans for providing certified bilingual counselors in the district. Your plan should be improved in this area. 

 We request specific and detailed responses to our continuing concerns. 

 Dr. Duane E. Campbell.

 Dolores Delgado Campbell Co Chairs – Education Committee 

 LULAC/Sacramento 

League of United Latin American Citizens 

 PO Box 162790 Sacramento , Ca. 95816

Choosing Democracy: SCUSD Proposal for English Learners is Totally Inadequate