Jobs With Justice NYC
From Social Justice Wiki
Jobs with Justice is a national coalition of community and workplace organizations. The overall mission of the organization, according to their web page, is "to improve working people's standard of living, fight for job security, and protect workers' right to organize." Jobs with Justice unites community, faith-based, labor, and student organizations that are committed to social and economic justice.
A major objective of Jobs with Justice is to unite the labor movement into a consolidated organization that preserves the autonomy and necessary self-determination of each of its members. It seeks to foster communication and cooperative relationships between diferrent groups in the interest of creating long-term improvements in the lives of working people. The organization requires that each of its members pledge to participate in at least five campaigns that are not directly affiliated with their community or immediate interests. In this way, Jobs with Justice hopes to raise awareness of the interconnections between various social and economic issues while enlarging their member organizations' base of support.
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Tactics
Direct action plays an essential role in Jobs with Justice's strategy. The organization encourages its members to contribute their resources to other members' strikes, walkouts, boycotts, marches, and other forms of non-violent protest. Their website includes no published position on the use of violence in social movement politics, nor does it lend any overt support to the practice of violent tactics; however, this absence does not necessarily suggest a philosophical commitment to non-violence. Through the use of direct action techniques, Jobs with Justice empowers its constituents to achieve concrete victories in their struggles.
Information and Action
Education constitutes an important component of JwJ's strategy. Jobs with Justice seeks to inform its membership about campaigns for social justice around the country and across the globe. While it encourages members to learn about current events, it does not emphasize the historical background of the US or the international labor movement. Nor does the organization present a systematic analysis of current economic conditions. Instead, it has crafted its position to unite a broad constituency focused on the basic injustices of the global economy.
Internationalism
Translating nationally-oriented labor organizations into an international context remains one of the greatest challenges to organized labor of the twenty-first century. Jobs with Justice has begun to address this challenge by forming solidarity networks with workers in other countries, particularly those that provide labor for American corporations.
Localism
However great its emphasis on global connections, Jobs with Justice maintains an unwavering focus on issues that affect small communities. As a federation of existing social justice organizations, JwJ provides resources and inspiration for local campaigns. At the same time, it seeks to foster awareness that each of its member organizations are part of a larger effort to create a more just and sustainable economic system for everyone.
State Coalitions
Northwest and West Coast Region
To contact a JwJ coalition, or to get involved in your area, check out Jobs with Justice
To get involved with JwJ in New York City, follow this link: NYJWJ
Group 19: Matthew Alexander Smith, Michael B. Klingler, Melissa Valenzuela