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From the Journal Gazette: 2 women joining fight to improve worker rights |
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Organizing in the pandemic
Workers’ Project Friend Documents His Own Covid Case
A friend of the Workers’ Project, 13News investigative reporter Bob Segall, documents his own Covid case.
LET THEIR VOICES BE HEARD
A WORKERS’ PROJECT ORIGINAL FILM
Sunday, April 23, 2017
2:00 PM
Allen County Public Library Theatre
900 Library Plaza, Fort Wayne, IN
The Workers’ Project invited attendees of the 2016 Organized Labors’ Labor Day Picnic to step in front of a camera and share their concerns about the most pressing community issues. This documentary is a compilation of these citizens’ concerns, hopes, and dreams for our community. The documentary also features several Workers’ Projects volunteers and their vision for developing a community of empowered workers. The creators of the documentary will be available afterward to discuss the film. Workers’ Project volunteers will also be available to share how they are bringing voice and power to workers in Northeast Indiana and beyond.
View the documentary trailer on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6oqpibEEvI&feature=youtu.be
Tickets can be reserved online https://www.eventbrite.com/e/let-their-voices-be-heard-a-workers-project-production-tickets-33358168179
Find this event on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/events/367108033682759/
Getting Frank About “Get Frank With Frank” Food: The Correct Term is “Working Appetizers”
GET FRANK WITH FRANK
SATURDAY, MARCH 25, 6-9 PM, CS3 HIDEAWAY, 1925 SOUTH CALHOUN
About the food, working appetizers? No, not hors d’oeuvres or canapes or tapas. Heck, according to Wikipedia, hors d’oeuvres means “outside the work” but what we’re talking about is at-work food. This is a time-honored tradition for which the Workers’ Project is claiming the trademark on this soon-to-be trendiest new cuisine. It spans from back-in-the-day of 20th century factory rats to today’s food and health conscious food service workers.
For those of us factory rats who worked at GE, Harvester, Freuhauf, Falstaff, or you name the totally depopulated workplace, there was a tradition, usually on Friday at lunch. An enterprising co-worker would sweet talk the boss into allowing the worker to take orders from co-workers and then slip out a little before lunchtime to bring back dozens and dozens of some raucously sinful lunch delight. Coney Island Hot Dogs, Powers Hamburgers, Pizza and Sausage Rolls, Brooks Bar-B-Que, were common foods. Other times someone’s mother would make big batches of tamales. In any case, everyone on the shop floor, overate together, and never complained as they stretched their belts and lunchtimes.
We’re honoring that tradition and updating it. For our working appetizers we’ll have small but plentiful portions of Coney Island Hot Dogs, Powers Hamburgers, River Bend (original and authentic Lexy’s) pizza and sausage rolls, rib tips from newly resurrected Brooks Bar-B-Que, and Mexican food from Los Cabos.
We’ve also update the menu from Northeast Indiana’s 21st century workers. We’ll serve Burmese samosas, vegetarian foods, healthy snacks, and, of course, a variety modern delicacies from Calhoun Street Soups, Salads, and Spirits (CS3).
One upgrade from eating at work, we’ll have an official cash bar.
And what are you going to do about it?
Our democracy, economy, politics, institutions, and civil society seem to be unraveling
And what are you going to do about it?
How about we work our way out of this mess? Together. From right here. From the bottom up. It will take some money and plenty of work. Are you in?
The Workers’ Project starts by asking the fundamental questions. “What do you like about living and working here that you don’t want to see changed? What don’t you like about working and living here that you’d like to see improved?” We listen carefully, scientifically, conduct some research, get folks together, sort through the results, and then set the stage for changing things. It is a process of collective self-education and collective action. Educate to organize and organize to educate. Present, re-present.
After years of experimentation and forays, we’ve now formed semi-autonomous work groups. We call them workers’ circles or workers’ hubs. Either name, it is where research and education by widely varied people like you leads to action. Here are a few of our groups—and we need your help.
Economic Development Accountability
Purpose: Research Economic Development practices and develop standards of accountability
Actions: 1). Research and Evaluated Compliance Practices 2). Educate Public about GASB 77 3). Develop Standards of accountability
Representational Research
Purpose: Social science research of, by, and for workers intended to help workers find voice and power
Actions: 1). Documentary movie production 2). Annual survey of unemployed and anxiously employed 3). Assist groups of workers develop their own research tools for collective self-representation
Workers’ Education
Purpose: develop and provide worker and community education programs
Actions: 1). Race/Gender/Culture/Class series 2). How to make your workplace better without getting fired 3). Public Meeting Participation 4). Economics for people
Hispanic Workers’
Purpose: Spanish-speaking workers representing their collective interests at work and in labor market
Actions: 1). Map Spanish speaking labor market in NE Indiana 2).Catalog labor market pathologies 3). Help workers address their collective problems
Burmese Workers’
Purpose: Burmese-speaking workers representing their collective interests at work and in labor market
Actions: 1). Map Burmese Speaking labor market in NE Indiana 2). Catalog labor market pathologies 3). Help workers address their collective problems
Events
Purpose: Produce and direct public education events and fund raisers
Actions: 1). Tom Frank Events March 25 & 26 2). Workers’ Project Movie April 3). Labor Day Picnic
Legal
Purpose: Provide legal and paralegal support as needed for other circles
Actions: 1). Legal round-table colloquium in March 8 2). Legal research 3). Legal consultation
Others circles in development include: workers with disabilities, children’s issues, communications….
Interested in knowing more? Email wpi@workersproject.org or phone 260-483-3355