Immigrant Rights Activists Hit The Streets In Portland

Monday Feb 15 7AM, TBA PICKET LINE.
Who: VOZ Workers' Rights Education Project
Background:
Starting on November 2, 2009, "Ivan" Favian Villalobos, a contractor, presented himself on the corner of the 6th and Ankeny to hire workers for a project. In total, he hired 11 workers and promised to pay them different wages based on their responsibilities, ranging from $9 to $13 an hour. He has failed to pay them and broken numerous promises of payment. Now, almost 3 months later, these 11 workers still have not been paid for roughly 1,584 hours, totaling nearly $15,846 in wages for work ranging from November 2, 2009 to December 14, 2009. Several attempts have been made contact Ivan about paying the workers. He has systemically given excuses resulting in continual denial of pay. He was given several opportunities to pay including a meeting at VOZ in which he agreed to come to and then failed to show up to. VOZ Workers Rights Education Project will be pressuring this contractor and his business on February 15 at 7am at this home in Happy Valley, Oregon to ensure that these 11 workers receive the wages that nearly 3 months late that they deserve. They want to insure that this individual and others like him stop abusing the rights of the working immigrant to wages and the earning of their daily bread. This public declaration will continue until all workers have their voice heard and their due dignity recognized by the contractors and employers who abuse the day laborer and immigrant workers. Please join VOZ in taking action - contact Romeo Sosa at 503-381-0848 or email him at romeo@portlandvoz.org

Thursday, Feb 18, 4:30pm Delivery of Postcards to Wyden's Office 911NE 11th Ave. Suite 630. Fair trade proponents will meet for an event outside Sen. Wyden's office to deliver the "NO WTO/YES TRADE ACT" cards that have been signed by hundreds of Oregonians to remind the senator that the "free" trade model has cost Oregonians thousands of jobs.

Friday, Feb 26th, 6pm Paul Cinefuegos Lecture and Reception First Unitarian Church, Eliot Chapel. 12th and SW Salmon. "Is a truly sustainable society achievable as long as corporate rights trump the rights of people?" Americans already want better environmental protection, and they are willing to pay for it according to polls. But our elected officials continue to allow the rapid degradation of our environment. Americans are strongly in favor of bold legislative responses to the climate crisis, but our elected officials hem and haw. Why? Because we, the people are no longer the primary constituents of the people we elect...corporations are! Why? Because corporate constitutional "rights" trump the rights of people. And how do we tend to respond to this travesty? By continuing to struggle against one corporate harm at a time, one corporation at a time, mostly via the regulatory agencies. We cannot possibly win in these arenas. We MUST change our tactics and start boldly challenging the constitutional RIGHTS of corporations to participate in American democratic processes. Only then can we achieve a truly sustainable society.

For questions, contact Hindi@cityrepair.org or call 503-267-2973