Recent Activities: California-Western Region
Last December, the California-Western Region of the Jewish Labor Committee joined members of the Communication Workers of America, California Nurses Association, members of USW Locals 675, 2801 and others rallying in Long Beach, CA during a nationwide day of support for Goodyear Tire and Rubber workers. On October 5th, responding to unacceptable contract offers Goodyear management, over 14,000 USW members went out on strike for job security and the guarantee of healthcare in their retirement. 86 days later, the union members at Goodyear ratified a new three-year contract. All striking Steelworkers returned to work January 2, 2007. [Photo by Cookie Lommel]
This year's Los Angeles Labor Seder, the "Entertainment Industry Labor Passover Seder," will be held at the headquarters of the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists. The seder was a projecty of the California-Western Region of the Jewish Labor Committee and AFTRA, in conjunction with Habonim Dror, Ameinu and Na’amat USA.
CA-WR JLC is active in the Hotel Workers Rising Campaign of UNITE HERE, and has been since we participated in its launch at the downtown Sheraton Hotel in Los Angeles in February. This campaign is aimed at highlighting poor working conditions and help increase wages for hotel workers who are not making a living wage. The hotel industry is one of the faster growing industries in America. Notables at the event included Senator John Edwards and actor Danny Glover, who were among a range of celebrities, labor leaders and community activist who joined several hundred hotel workers to launch a mu1ti-city awareness campaign.
On Saturday, April 1st, at Historic Olvera Street in downtown Los Angeles, California-Western Region JLC members and staff joined thousands who gathered to celebrate the 8th Annual Cesar Chavez Walk L.A. We’ve participated in these walks since their inception.
CA-WR JLC joined with faculty members, students other community supporters of the California Faculty Association at a rally held in February during the California State University Board of Trustees budget meeting in the CSU Board of Trustees Auditorium in Long Beach. The purpose of this gathering was to draw public attention to the increased student fees, low wages for the professors, lecturers, librarians and counselors on 23 CSU campuses through the California State University System.
CA-WR JLC is supporting IATSE Local 33 in its dispute with Temple Shalom for the Arts. IATSE Local 33, the union representing theatrical stage hands, has launched an educational campaign at the Wilshire Theatre in Beverly Hills, California. For the first time in 30 years, the Wilshire Theater's new owner, Temple Shalom for the Arts, has turned staging over to a non-union company, leaving 50 IATSE workers without work.
Since Temple Shalom purchased the Wilshire Theatre late last year from the Nederlander Organization, its leadership has refused to negotiate with Local 33. As a result, IATSE Local 33 has launched a campaign to let Temple Shalom's officers, board of directors and congregants know about the anti-union stance in order to bring them to the table. This is a complicated matter, as most of the congregants who attend Temple Shalom for the Arts are members of entertainment industry unions and guilds. IATSE Local 33 has a long history with both the Wilshire Theater and the Temple Shalom for the Arts - Local 33 members have worked at the Wilshire Theatre when Temple Shalom held its High Holy Day services there in the past. However, when the Temple held its most recent services, for their annual Shared Heritage of Freedom service, on March 17, 2006, the stagehands were non-union.
Director Lommel was a guest on KPCC Radio "Talk of the City with Host Kitty Felde,” a broadcast roundtable discussion commemorating the 40th anniversary of the City of Los Angeles Human Relations Commission.
CA-WR JLC is now represented by Director Lommel on the Council of Affiliate Organizations (CAO) of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, Executive Committee; as a result, JLC has greater visibility within the Jewish Federation and gives our work in the community a higher level of exposure. CAO is the only place in the Jewish Federation where individuals can run for a seat on the Federation board and the only place where potentially, all Jewish organizations and synagogues could come together.
And here are some activities from 2005:
California - Western Region [CA-WR] Director Cookie Lommel noted JLC coordinated two debates of Los Angeles mayoral candidates, held in January, 2005 at two major synagogues. Approximately 200 people attended each event.
Also in January, Director Lommel was active in the national AFL-CIO Martin Luther King, Jr., weekend observance, January 13th - 17th, held for the first time in Los Angeles.
This April’s Labor Seder in Los Angeles, “the Jewish Labor Committee Annual Entertainment Industry Labor Seder,” was cosponsored by two entertainment industry unions, the Writers Guild of America West, and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. Among the 90+ attendees were the mayor of Los Angeles, actor Ed Asner, the secretary-treasurer of the Los Angeles Federation of Labor, the president of Local 434B SEIU, representatives of the California Nurses Association, and the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners.
On June 5th, the CA-WR JLC held its Annual Awards Recognition Brunch, marking the 71st Anniversary of the founding of the Jewish Labor Committee. The Honorable Fabian Núñez, Speaker of the State Assembly; William S. Lambert, Director of Government Relations of the United Teachers Los Angeles; Jim Santangelo, President of Joint Council 42, IBT, and Shirley Roberts, community activist and Vice President of the CA-WR JLC, were the awardees at this event in Hollywood. Also present was Mayor-elect and JLC member Antonio Villagarosa.
In August, CA-WR JLC endorsed Proposition 79, the “Cheaper Prescription Drugs for California” Act, intended to provide affordable prescription drugs for eight to 10 million low- and moderate-income Californians who need help with high prescription drug costs, including seniors, the working uninsured, and people with chronic illnesses. The Act harnesses the state’s purchasing power to negotiate enforceable discounts from prescription drug companies.
In September, Local 685, AFSCME, the Los Angeles Probation Officers Union, reached out to JLC for assistance – they had been working without a contract and were having a problem with the Board of County Supervisors. We were able to arrange a meeting with Rabbi Steven Carr-Rueben, president of the Southern California Board of Rabbis to advance the officers complaint. Later in the year, we spoke with high school age students of Rabbi Carr’s congregation on the labor movement, the history of the American Jewish labor movement, and today’s work of the Jewish Labor Committee.