What We Do
Jobs with Justice is action-oriented. During each year, members and organizations take the Jobs with Justice Pledge to "be there" at least five times for someone else’s fight as well as their own. That means joining picket lines, attending contract rallies and participating in other actions or demonstrations for economic and social justice. Pledgers are mobilized through mailings and a phone tree. In addition to assisting member organizations with "street heat," Jobs with Justice coordinates St. Louis’ Workers Rights Board, a group of justice-oriented community leaders who are willing to use their moral authority to create a highly visible public forum to defend workers’ rights. Jobs with Justice works to build skills among St. Louis’ key forces for economic justice. Each year we organize a delegation to the Jobs with Justice Annual Meeting, This year’s delegation included 16 St. Louis community and labor activists. The conference included workshops on strike support, global solidarity, fighting racism in our work, art in activism, building student movements, and much more. Such shared opportunities for local community activists and union members are key to building solidarity, as well as our capacity to fight for economic justice in St. Louis. The Annual Meeting delegation is only one way JwJ builds solidarity among member organizations. JwJ also organizes an annual "Grinch of the Year" holiday party. Member organizations nominate and campaign their candidate for Grinch. The crowd then elects its "winner." Last year, Contract Cleaners Association of St. Louis took the Grinch Award for its treatment of area janitors, members of SEIU Local 50. In December 2002, WAL-MART was voted the new Grinch of the Year, and this year Terry Egger of the Post-Dispatch won this dubious honor. The party is a great way for member organizations to educate each other about our struggles, and have fun at the same time.
