Capital District Labor-Religion Coalition to discuss local labor struggles at Holiday Celebration

ALBANY, NY (12/10/2007)(readMedia)-- The Capital Region Labor-Religion Coalition, (LRC), is coming together with politicians, religious leaders and anchor labor organizations, NYSUT, PEF, CSEA and SEIU tomorrow evening, Tuesday December 11 from 6-8 p.m. to discuss worker issues in the spirit of Human Rights Day and celebration of the Holiday Season. Topics include the local struggle for living wage jobs and fair treatment in the Capital District’s workplaces. There will be personal testimony by local workers and discussion of how labor and religion are working together to address the issues. Highlights of the program include:

  • Caring for those who care for others: Direct Care workers from not-for profits who work with developmentally disabled citizens will discuss their current industry challenges in providing quality care for individuals with developmental disabilities. They will highlight their experiences in dealing with epidemic level, high turnover and how current workplace structure inhibits the best quality care.
  • Fighting mandatory overtime: A PEF union member will further discussion of troubles in the nursing industry. Building on Visiting Nurses Association contract struggle and what community support can do to help.
  • Organizing home-based childcare: A member of the new CSEA childcare union, VOICE/CSEA will provide testimony in celebration of recent childcare union victories in New York. A personal account of the struggle, how it relates to impact of change in the industry and providing quality childcare options in New York State.
  • Local leaders, NYSUT President Dick Iannuzzi and Rev. Alexandra Lusak, Worker Rights Board member and Labor in the Pulpits Pastor, will speak and introduce the many ways faith leaders, union leaders and volunteers from civil and human rights organizations are working together right here in the Capital Region, for the common good.
  • Sen. Neil Breslin will present a senate proclamation regarding the Building Skills & Bridges Project.
  • Rev. Victor Collier, Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church, Albany, mentor of the building Skills and Bridges Project of the Capital District Worker Center, an LRC sister organization. Gene Rodriguez, Sen. Neil Breslin, Albany County Executive Michael Breslin will discuss the importance of living wage jobs.
  • Paul Cole, Labor in the Pulpits speaker, secretary-treasurer emeritus of the New York state AFL-CIO and director of the American Labor Studies Center will discuss the values that faith and labor share and recognize Dec. 10 as International Human Rights Day.

A faith and labor breakfast series to continue discussions will be held from January to June around the region. National funding from the Washington DC based, Jobs with Justice in combination with local donations will fund the breakfasts.

“National Jobs with Justice is proud to support the innovative work of the Labor Religion Coalition of the Capital District. The groundbreaking work of the LRC to build alliances between the faith and labor communities is a model in our network,” said Sarita Gupta, Executive Director of Jobs with Justice. Jobs with Justice will present a check following through on their pledge to match local donations. It’s expected this grant could boost totals raised to as high as $10,000.

The breakfast series is a continuation of Labor in the Pulpits, a joint project of Interfaith Worker Justice and the AFL-CIO, coordinated through local interfaith groups such as the Labor-Religion Coalition.

The program will be held at NYSUT headquarters, 800 Troy-Schenectady Rd., 7-8 p.m.

The Labor-Religion Coalition is an alliance of unions, religious institutions, community organizations, student groups, and individuals who share a commitment to economic justice. The LRC is an affiliate of the Labor Religion Coalition of New York State and national organizations Jobs with Justice and Interfaith Worker Justice. Through education and advocacy the coalition helps low wage workers rise up to gain worker rights and respect for their profession.

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