Author: admin
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City on the Edge
Read more: City on the EdgeProduced by labor filmmaker and documentarian David Koff, City on the Edge criticized the low-wage policies of the tourism industry and challenged political leaders to embrace equitable development. Released after the violent assault of Rodney King by LAPD officers, and shortly before the 1992 Uprising that followed their acquittals, the film drew attention to the deep inequalities in the city that were impacting its image and reputation, seemingly anticipating the civil unrest that would follow.…
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Building sustainable peace in Guatemala, the union perspective
Read more: Building sustainable peace in Guatemala, the union perspectiveFrom the 1970s to the 1990s, the Central American nations of El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Guatemala experienced civil war, government-sponsored death squads, and genocide. Many who fled the violence settled in Los Angeles were they joined other immigrant workers in low-wage service sector jobs, and became part of the unionization drives of the 1990s. Immigrants workers then mobilized their unions in support of the peace process by welcoming visiting delegations and lobbying federal officials. This…
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Press Release Commenting on Beating of Rodney King by Los Angeles police
Read more: Press Release Commenting on Beating of Rodney King by Los Angeles policeLocal 399 condemned the LAPD beating of Rodney King, while connecting it to the LAPD attacks on a Justice for Janitors demonstration in Century City on June 15. The press release reflects the suspicion that working people and communities of color held for the LAPD during the late ’80s and early ’90s and supports demands for civilian oversight and accountability in the LAPD. Watch: an “Eyewitness Account: J4J in Century City, 1990″ here. From the…
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Cleaning Workers to Go on Strike
Read more: Cleaning Workers to Go on StrikeA clipping of a 1990 article describing a Justice for Janitors training held in from of the Los Angeles Police Department. Janitors were preparing to use non-violent civil disobedience in their strike on Bradford Building Services in November of that year. Translated from Spanish by Juan Torres. “Cleaning workers to go on strike” La Opinion, October 19, 1990 By Miguel Molina Image caption: Janitors stage an arrest drill to prepare for what will occur as…
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Stop the Cooperation between the Police and the INS
Read more: Stop the Cooperation between the Police and the INSA flyer announcing a protest rally and march organized by the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA) in the fall of 1990. Formed in the wake of the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act, CHIRLA drew together organizations and activists from many communities to demand inclusion for immigrants. Reflecting growing progressive coalition in Los Angeles, co-sponsors of this rally included labor unions, religious, civil liberties, and immigrant rights organizations Los Angeles. From…
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Justice for Janitors to Put O’Melveny and Meyers on Trial
Read more: Justice for Janitors to Put O’Melveny and Meyers on TrialDuring the Justice for Janitors’ campaign against Bradford Building Services, one of the largest cleaning service providers in downtown Los Angeles, a group of attorneys and community supporters organized a street theater action outside the law firm of O’Melveny & Myers, one of Bradford’s largest clients. Organized by the Friends for Justice for Janitors, a community organization formed to support the organizing efforts of SEIU’s Justice for Janitors campaign, the lunchtime action included a musical…
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Bruised But Not Beaten | Herridos pero no vencidos
Read more: Bruised But Not Beaten | Herridos pero no vencidosOn June 15, 1990, the LAPD armed with nightsticks attacked group of 500 peaceful demonstrators outside Century City that included women and children. LAPD officers in full riot gear chased janitors into a covered parking structure and beat them with clubs and when union officials tried to approach the officer in charge, they were pushed back on to the ground. More than 100 people sustained injuries that day, some 40 people were sent to emergency,…
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Police Violence in Century City
Read more: Police Violence in Century CityOn June 15, 1990, the Justice for Janitors mobilized their largest action to date: a march down Olympic Boulevard in Century City against ISS (International Services Systems). ISS was a Danish-owned cleaning contractor, the largest in the world at the time, and had acquired a Southern California based cleaning company (Doral Industries) and severed existing union contracts. Many of the buildings where they held contracts were based in Century City and they became the focus…
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Seguro Medico? Si Se Puede! Mopman y Local 399 Luchando por tus Derechos!
Read more: Seguro Medico? Si Se Puede! Mopman y Local 399 Luchando por tus Derechos!The Justice for Janitors campaign frequently used street theater to enliven their demonstrations and dramatize their cause. Among their most recognizable characters was a luchador named Mop Man, who (in comics and performances) defended janitors against abuses by the boss. In this cartoon from the Justice for Janitors campaign, two workers worry about the cost of healthcare. The superhero Mopman tells them that having good health insurance is like “having extra money in your pockets.” Mop Man…
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“Trabajador Inmigrante” Conoce Tus Derechos! | Immigrant Worker: Know Your Rights!
Read more: “Trabajador Inmigrante” Conoce Tus Derechos! | Immigrant Worker: Know Your Rights!The Justice for Janitors campaign frequently used street theater to enliven their demonstrations and dramatize their cause. Among their most recognizable characters was a luchador named Mop Man, who (in comics and performances) defended janitors against abuses by the boss. In this flyer, Mop Man explains that employers may not require workers to present immigration paperwork, and instead must accept other forms of identification like a drivers license. Workers are encouraged to contact the National Immigration Law…