Help launch our Stop Wage Theft Campaign!

Work is fundamental to who we are as human beings.  Work has different meanings for different people, but for all workers, it is the way we meet our basic needs, sustaining ourselves and our families.  For too many residents in Shelby County, their hard work is often underappreciated and even goes unpaid.  These workers are victims of wage theft.

Many workers each year experience wage theft, often forcing them to choose between paying their rent or putting food on the table.  I invite you to stand with workers and ask our county to put an end to wage theft today!

Take action: Here's what you can do to help stop Wage Theft in Shelby Couty:

1) Call the Board of Commissioners at 901-222-1000
Tell your Commissioner it is necessary for workers to have a process to file complaints against employers who steal wages from employees in Shelby County. Our entire community benefits when workers are paid correctly and all employers are held to the same standards.

2) Read and Share The Epidemic of Wage Theft in Shelby County, Tennessee. Stories of Unprotected Workers and How We Can Address This Crisis.  
This wage theft report shares the experiences of 7 workers in Shelby County that have experienced wage theft, gives background information about wage theft, and ways that you can help prevent wage theft.  Page 14 of the report includes e-mail addresses for all County Commissioners! 

3) Read Windi Thomas's excellent article on WIN's campaign to get a wage theft law passed that appeared in the  Commercial Appeal on Sunday, June 3, 2012. 

Thank you for standing with workers struggling for justice on the job!

40 Hour Fast to Unite Reflection, Action Against Wage Theft



      You're invited to join the 40 Hour Fast: from Wage Theft to a Moral Economy. From Thursday, March 22nd at 7:00 p.m. until Saturday, March 24th at 11:00 a.m., workers, people of faith, and community members will join together in prayer, reflection, sacrifice, and action.

    The fast is being held because two out of three low-wage workers experience wage theft. Things don't have to be this way. We can build a moral economy that reflects God's justice for workers, where everyone who works shares in the fruits of their labor.

    I invite you to sign the pledge to join the 40 Hour Fast. There are a variety of ways you can participate in the fast, including:

• Going without solid food for as much of the 40 hour period as you can. This may mean fasting the entire time; fasting from sunset to sunrise; or fasting from one or more meals.
• Joining with others for an opening interfaith prayer vigil on March 22nd, and/or a closing meal on March 24th (see below for details).
• Reflecting and praying for workers who experience wage theft, and for employers who steal from them.
• Taking action against wage theft by calling Mis Pueblos Restaurant on Hacks Cross Rd., which currently owes a group of 5 workers over $31,000 in stolen wages. Call manager Guillermo Diaz at (901) 751-8896. Urge him to pay the $31,000 in wages he owes to his workers. Tell him you want to see the restaurant follow all minimum wage and overtime laws for their workers.

Interfaith Prayer Vigil to Open the Fast

Even if you're not physically able to fast, please join us in praying with workers who face wage theft.

Thursday, March 22nd at 7:00 p.m.

St. John's United Methodist Church

1207 Peabody Ave.

Featuring a reflection by Rabbi Aaron Rubinstein of Beth Sholom Synagogue

The vigil will be held in the chapel. Please enter the church through the green canopy entrance, off of the parking lot.

Simple Meal and Breaking of the Bread Service to Close the Fast

After a short service to close our fast, we will join together in a simple meal of soup and bread.

Saturday, March 24th at 11:00 a.m.

Collins Chapel CME Church

678 Washington Ave.

Sign the pledge to join the 40 hour fast, or download this flyer to learn more and spread the word.

March 7th Lobby Day: Your Chance to Defend Workers' Rights

Legislators' decisions in Nashville will have major impact on workers throughout state

"There's just an energy in the air," Renee Dillard says of her experience at Lobby Day last year.



State Decisions, Local Impact

     What happens in Nashville does not stay in Nashville. Decisions made by state legislators can change the lives of workers in Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Martin, and all across the state.

    Just ask public school teachers who lost their right to collective bargaining last year. Or ask a low-wage worker at the University of Memphis who finally got her first pay raise in four years.

    That's why Workers Interfaith Network and the United Campus Workers union invite you to join forces in a statewide Lobby Day at the legislature on Wednesday, March 7th.

Your Chance to Be Courageous

     Before participating in Lobby Day last year, Rev. Renee Dillard says she hadn't been to the state capitol since a 7th grade field trip. "Lobbying was a little intimidating to think about," she says. "But the training I got ahead of time helped me know what to expect and how to talk about the issues. On Lobby Day, I met new people, and the exchanges we had with legislators were more positive than I thought they would be. It felt good to know I was doing my part to make a difference with workers."

What We're Asking Legislators to Do

      On Lobby Day, we'll be pressing our legislators on two main issues. The first is rejecting a dangerous and misguided bill that bans living wage ordinances in our state. If passed, Sen. Kelsey and Rep. Casada's bill will repeal large portions of the living wage laws that the City of Memphis and Shelby County passed years ago. The bills are just one example of conversative lawmakers who say they believe in local government control for one moment, then turn around and interfere in local affairs when they don't like something a city governmet does.

      The second focus of Lobby Day will be pressing legislators to pass a fair pay raise for employees at public colleges and universities across Tennessee. In his State of the State address, Gov. Haslam proposed a 2.5 percent pay raise for state workers. While this proposal is a good start, a percentage raise won't do much for workers who are paid poverty wages. For example, a typical custodian at the University of Memphis would get a $425 annual raise under the Governor's proposal, while the University President would get a $7,600 raise.

    At Lobby Day, you'll be pushing for a much more fair solution: a $1 per hour pay increase for all higher education employees. While top administrators don't need a huge bump in pay, ordinary workers will use this pay raise to meet urgent, basic needs for their families.

    During Lobby Day, we'll also rally on the capitol steps for good jobs and living wages at noon.

Sign up for March 7th Lobby Day

    Register for Lobby Day online or call Zach Ferguson at 901-332-3570 for more information. Once you have registered, we'll schedule lobbying appointments for you and arrange for your transportation. At this point, we know for sure we will have buses leaving from Memphis and Knoxville, and there will probably be caravans forming in other cities.

Schedule for Lobby Day

The Memphis bus will leave at 5:30 a.m. Central time and the Knoxville bus will leave at 7:00 a.m. Eastern time.

9:00 - 10:30   Training for lobbying teams

10:30 - noon   Visits to legislators in teams

Noon - 1:00    Rally on the capitol steps

1:00 - 3:00     Visits to legislators and/or lunch break

3:00                Return to home cities

Your best shot at protecting workers rights in the legislature

      The Tennessee legislature went into session this week, spending most of its time fighting over re-districting lines. But it won't take long before legislators begin debating bills that will have a big impact on the rights of workers across our state.

      Workers Interfaith Network wants to help advocates like you be more prepared and informed this year. That's why we're launching a brand new email list dedicated to tracking and taking action on worker rights bills in the legislature. Sign up here so that you'll know exactly what to do when critical bills come up, like:

• positive bills that will create fair raises for Tennessee's public higher education workers
• negative bills that will repeal our local living wage and prevailing wage laws
• negative bills that will take away the voice of union members in our political process
• negative bills that scapegoat immigrant workers and don't protect their labor rights.

      You may have noticed a pattern: a lot more negative proposals than positive ones. If you kept up with 2011 legislative session, you know that workers' rights were under heavy attack.

      Tennessee's teachers were stripped of the collective bargaining rights they had for over 30 years. Legislators passed a bill that gives permission to local government contractors to discriminate against workers based on sexual orientation. Another law passed requires Tennessee employers to use the deeply flawed e-verify system to check workers' immigration status, an act that will surely lead to hiring discrimination against job applicants who look or sound foreign.

      If you're like me, you're ready to let legislators know that you expect them to stand up for Tennessee's workers, not attack them. So please, sign up for legislative alerts today.

     You may be asking, "If I already get emails from WIN, do I need to sign up for legislative alerts?" Yes, if you want to take action at the legislature, please sign up. This is a separate list from our general WIN email list, which mostly concerns local Memphis issues.

     How else can you stand with Tennessee's workers at the legislature this year?

• Share this post on your Twitter or Facebook page, or easily email to your friends by clicking on one of the buttons at the end of this post. Let people know why you're signing up for alerts, and encourage them to as well. We need folks from every county in the state to sign up!
• If you're part of a union, community group, or congregation that has a gathering coming up, use our print sign up sheet to collect names of others who want to be on the list. Then, just mail it back to WIN using the address at the bottom of the sign up sheet.
• Save the date for a worker rights lobby day in Nashville on Wednesday, March 7th.  Transportation will be available from Memphis and Knoxville, and may be available from other cities too. More information will be coming soon on the blog and through the legislative alert email list.

Gov. Haslam must go farther in stopping living wage repeal

Last week, Gov. Bill Haslam stated in a national CBS story that he didn't think the state should be getting involved in local governments' decisions about passing living wage laws. But Haslam stopped short of saying whether he would veto a proposed legislature ban on local living wage ordinances.

Sign the petition to Gov. Haslam, telling him he should commit now to vetoing any ban or repeal of living wage ordinances in Tennessee communities.

What is this bill about?
For those of you who are new to the living wage fight here in Tennessee, here's some background. In 2006, the City of Memphis passed our state's first living wage ordinance, require the City's contractors to pay workers at least $10.27 an hour with health insurance, or $12.32 an hour without insurance. In 2007, Shelby County passed a similar law for their local government contractors.

The logic behind these laws is simple: workers on government contracts are doing work for the City and are paid by taxpayer dollars. Therefore, the City has a special responsibility to make sure its resources are not being used to create poverty jobs.

Ever since activists like you got these living wage laws passed, state legislators (including many who don't live anywhere near Shelby County) have tried to get these laws repealed.

What happened to local control?
While a living wage should not be a partisan issue, most Republican state legislators are not in favor of living wage initiatives. As the Tennessee legislature has grown a deeper shade of red the past couple of years, this has put our local living wage laws in serious jepoardy.

The ban on living wages would also mean other local governments in Tennessee would never be able to debate and consider their own living wage laws for their local government contractors.

Gov. Haslam stated in the CBS article that "he's not a fan of living wages." We're not asking him or state legislators to promote living wage laws.

We are asking them to uphold a principle that conservatives do say they support: local decisions should be made at the local level. Aren't our local elected officials in a better position to decide what to do with their own contracts than the state is? If the federal government had new requirements for state of Tennessee contractors, conservative state legislators would howl about big government interference in their affairs.

Gov. Haslam's statements are a good start to taking the momentum away from the living wage repeal bill. But we need more than just words: we need a commitment that he will veto this bill if the legislature passes it.

What you can do:

• Sign our change.org petition to Gov. Haslam urging him to pledge to veto the living wage repeal.
• Spread the word among your friends across Tennessee that their signatures are also needed. Change.org  has easy to use features that allow you to share the petition with your Facebook friends, on Twitter, or by email.

Misleading comments from Sen. Brian Kelsey
    In the CBS article about Haslam's comments, Sen. Brian Kelsey, a sponsor of the anti-living wage bill, tried to claim his actions stem from a concern about the working poor. The truth is that Sen. Kelsey is trying to mislead people about what local living wage ordinances actually do.

    Kelsey claims that living wage ordinances cause unemployment among minority teens, presumably because companies paying living wages would no longer want to hire these young workers. His statement makes people think that living wage ordinances cover all businesses, when they are actually very targeted.

    Living wage ordinances only cover local government contractors, and only cover the jobs that are performed directly for the City or County. The jobs covered by our local living wage laws are primarily janitorial, security, and landscaping jobs worked during the school day. Teens would not be filling these jobs even if they paid the minimum wage. Furthermore, the Shelby County ordinance specifically exempts contractors from paying a living wage to persons under the age of 18 or those completing student internships.

Do you hear an outcry from businesses?
    Rep. Glen Casada, sponsor of the House version of the anti-living wage bill, complains that living wage ordinances are just too burdensome on businesses. In a Tennessean article, he said businesses just can't keep up with different wage requirements in different places.

    If this is true, where is the outcry from businesses in Memphis and Shelby County about our living wage ordinances? When these bills were being debated, I was present at each of the three City votes and County votes where the bill was heard. No business came forward to say that these ordinances would hurt them if passed. I've heard legislators like Casada claim to speak for these businesses, but I haven't seem local contractors going to the legislature, calling for the living wage repeal to be passed.

    The truth is, the living wage repeal is not being requested by businesses. It is a huge overreach by state government into local government affairs. And it hurts workers who have been taking care of their families for years now with the living wages they earn. We must let Gov. Haslam, and all our legislators know, that Tennesseans do not want this bill.

Gutting the union Dr. King died to establish

    With the City of Memphis facing a large budget deficit, City Council members are considering all kinds of proposals to generate more revenue or cut expenses.
    One proposal that is sending chills down the backs of workers rights and civil rights activists comes from Councilman Kemp Conrad. In recent budget hearings, he has repeatedly brought up the idea of privatizing the City's entire sanitation department.

    These are the same workers who spent three months on strike in 1968 to win the right to a union - the workers who Dr. King died supporting.
    It isn't even clear if privatization would save the City money, since contractors would need to make a profit. What is clear is that long-time sanitation workers would be jobless. The companies that replace them will likely oppose workers having a union, pay low wages, and offer workers few benefits.
    Please join the hard-working people who keep our City running in rallying to stop privatization and severe job cuts:

Rally with City workers to stop privatization and cuts

Tuesday, June 7th

2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
CORRECTION: Rally starts at 3:00 p.m.

in front of City Hall, 125 N. Main St.

Want to take action with workers seeking justice? Sign up for email action alerts from Workers Interfaith Network at http://www.workersinterfaithnetwork.org/index/involved/subscribe.htm

State Legislative Update: Your Action Still Needed

     Here's your update on worker rights bills in the Tennessee Legislature. Workers still need you to sign a quick petition or make a short phone call on some of these bills.

     While this has been a very tough legislative session, you've shown that when Tennesseans act together, we can stall, and sometimes defeat, bad bills that attack workers' rights.

Taking away teachers' collective bargaining
     This bill takes away the right that Tennessee teachers have had for other 30 years to sit down with school boards to negotiate their wages and working conditions. Educational reform does not have to include taking away teachers' rights.     
Latest update: This bill has passed the Senate and was expected to pass the House yesterday. But a surprise amendment meant the bill has to go back to the Education committee again. This could mean that the votes are not present to pass the bill.                                                                                        
Action needed from you: Sign WIN's petition on change.org which will go to all legislators urging them to oppose this bill.

On March 15th, more than 1,000 Tennesseans raised our voices for workers' rights at the capitol. Your voice is needed again!

Fair raises for state higher education workers
This bill proposes a $2,000 flat dollar pay increase for all state higher education workers, who haven't had a raise in four years.
Latest update: While this bill is unlikely to be acted on, Gov. Haslam has proposed a 1.6% pay increase for state workers. It's important that this cost of living increase be distributed in a fair manner that benefits low wage workers the most. We are urging University of Memphis President Shirley Raines to distribute the raise as an equal dollar amount because this will help low-wage workers' paychecks the most.
Action needed from you: Call President Raines' office at 901-678-2234. Tell her that you are a community member who wants to see all University of Memphis workers earn a living wage. Ask her to take the first step toward the living wage by implementing an equal dollar cost of living increase for all employees.



Repeal of Memphis and Shelby County living wage ordinances
Good news! This bill, which would have invalidated large parts of the living wage ordinances you worked so hard to get passed, has been sent to summer study committee.
Latest update: Bills are often sent to summer study when there is not enough support to pass them. WIN will be monitoring the study committee, but it may be that the bill is not even brought up for discussion over the summer.
Action needed from you: Give yourself a round of applause for stopping this misguided bill that would have lowered workers' wages!

Anti-immigrant Arizona copycat bill
This bill requires that when police have "reasonable suspicion" that a person does not have legal immigration status, that law enforcement verify the person's immigration status. It will undoubtedly lead to racial profiling, and the fiscal note on the bill estimates state and local governments will have to spent nearly $5 million the first year alone to implement the bill.
Latest update: In the House, the bill has been delayed a couple of times in the Finance subcommittee. In the Senate, the Judiciary committee will not consider the bill until their last meeting of the session (probably 2 - 3 weeks from now.) This could be a sign that support for the bill is weakening.
Action needed from you: Our friends at the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition have a petition you can sign in opposition to this bill and other anti-immigrant bills.

Special access to discriminate act
This bill prohibits local governments in Tennessee from telling their contractors not to discriminate against workers because of their sexual orientation. If passed, it will overturn an ordinance just passed a few weeks ago in Nashville which bars discrimination by contractors of Metro Government. All people have the right to work, regardless of their sexual orientation.
Latest update: This bill has passed the House. The Senate State and Local Government was supposed to hear the bill this week, but has delayed it one week.
Action needed from you: Call Sen. Mark Norris, who sits on the State and Local Government committee at (615) 741-1967. Urge him to vote no on SB 632 because it takes away control that local governments should have over their own contracting process.



Want to take action with workers seeking justice? Sign up for email action alerts from Workers Interfaith Network at http://www.workersinterfaithnetwork.org/index/involved/subscribe.htm

Take Action: Urge President Raines to Take First Step To Living Wage

     On April 8th, you rallied for a living wage for all University of Memphis workers. A delegation of leaders from WIN, the United Campus Workers union, and the Progressive Student Alliance delivered more than 1,000 postcards that you signed to President Shirley Raines' office. Dr. David Cox, executive assistant to President Raines, met with the delegation. You can view pictures of the rally on WIN's facebook page. Soon after, President Raines met with several members of the Progressive Student Alliance to talk about the living wage issue.

    We appreciate President Raines meeting with students. Now is the time for the University to take a first concrete step toward a living wage. Please call her and urge her to implement a fair cost of living increase for workers, who haven't had any type of raise in four years.





A delegation of workers, students, and community members delivered
your living wage petitions to President Raines.

  Take Action: Call President Raines' office at 901-678-2234. Tell her that you are a community member who wants to see all University of Memphis workers earn a living wage. Ask her to take the first step toward the living wage by implementing an equal dollar cost of living increase for all employees.

What is an equal dollar cost of living increase?
   State higher education employees have gone without a pay raise, even adjustments to make up for a higher cost of living, for four years. This year, Governor Haslam's proposed budget includes a 1.6% pay raise for all state University employees. This percentage raise would mean a raise of $4,766 for President Raines, but a typical custodial worker would only get a raise of $250.

   An equal dollar cost of living adjustment would distribute funds in a fairer way. For example, all workers might get a $800 cost of living adjustment. While this wouldn't be enough to bring all workers up to a living wage, it would be a first step. And service workers like Emma Davis and Jean Rimmer can certainly find a way to use an extra $800 a year.

If you're told that only the Tennessee Board of Regents can control how pay raises are distributed:
   When you make your phone call, you may be told that President Raines doesn't control how pay raises are doled out. When she met with the Progressive Student Alliance, President Raines said that only the state legislature and the Tennessee Board of Regents could decide to distribute the pay raise as an equal dollar amount, rather than by percentages. That may be true, but if President Raines calls on the Board of Regents to distribute the pay raises in this way, they're very likely to listen to her.

But first, we have to get President Raines to listen to the community, so be sure to make that phone call today!

Want to take action with workers seeking justice? Sign up for email action alerts from Workers Interfaith Network at http://www.workersinterfaithnetwork.org/index/involved/subscribe.htm

A Litany for Tennessee's Workers

   Yesterday I saw the inspiring sight of 1,000 Tennesseans rallying together for good jobs, living wages, and an end to the attack on workers rights.

  I wanted to share with you the litany for workers that Rev. Renee Dillard (St. John's United Methodist, Memphis) and Dr. Herbert Lester (Blakemore United Methodist, Nashville) shared with the crowd. You may want to pray it yourself or share it with your congregation. Now is a critical time for people of faith to both pray and act with workers whose rights are being eroded by our state legislature.

Leader 1: Scripture tells us that whenever workers are abused, God hears their cries for justice.

Leader 2: From ancient times through today, our God breaks the chains of oppression and brings good news to the poor.

Leader 1: When the state of Tennessee pays some workers so little that they remain trapped in poverty,

All: God hears the cries of workers.

Leader 2: When legislators threaten workers' livelihoods by repealing the living wage and upholding discrimination,

All: God hears the cries of workers.

Leader 1: When laws are proposed that would silence teachers' voices,

All: God hears the cries of workers.

Leader 2: When those in power try to push working people out of the political process,

All: God hears the cries of workers.

Leader 1: When the unemployed search long and hard for jobs that have been promised but not delivered,

All: God hears the cries of workers.

Leader 2: When leaders demand sacrifices only from the people who cannot afford to make them,

All: God hears the cries of workers.

Leader 1: When immigrant workers are blamed for an unemployment crisis that they did not cause,

All: God hears the cries of workers.

Leader 2: God's justice compels us to speak and act for the good of everyone in our communities, not just a few, because we know that

All: God hears the cries of workers.

Leader 1: Despite the many forces we face against us, we stand, in trust and confidence, because here and in every place,

All: God hears the cries of workers.

Leader 2: Thanks be to God! Amen.

Want to take action with workers seeking justice? Sign up for email action alerts from Workers Interfaith Network at http://www.workersinterfaithnetwork.org/index/involved/subscribe.htm

Stand up for workers on Lobby Day

In 2004, WIN members like Rev. Jeff Irwin (left) held a lobby day to successfully stop a bill that would have killed our local living wage laws.

   I hope that you'll consider signing up to join the statewide Lobby Day for Living Wages and Good Jobs on March 15th in Nashville. As I wrote yesterday, there are many important worker rights bills - both good and terrible - that state legislators are considering this session. Now is the time to raise your voice!

   If you're not able to join us in Nashville, you can still speak up with workers as state legislators consider critical bills affecting their rights. Just sign up for WIN's email updates, so you'll know the best times to contact legislators about important bills.

    The Tennessee legislature began meeting yesterday and will wrap up in May, so the winter and spring are key times for you to advocate for workers' rights.

   This legislative session could present University workers with the opportunity for a fair raise, after three years of pay freezes. Advocates must also be prepared to defend workers' rights as legislators introduce bills to take away workers' rights to have unions, and bills that encourage racial profiling of immigrant workers.

Why participate in Lobby Day?

    When someone wants to you to do something, an email might work. A phone call or a letter is more likely to get your attention. But what really gets you thinking about the other person's request is a face to face conversation, isn't it?

    It's the same way with our state legislators. The best way to make sure they hear - and respond - to your concerns about workers' rights is to meet with them in person. That's why WIN invites you to join us in Nashville on March 15th with people from all across Tennessee.

March 15th Lobby Day Schedule

    While some details of this schedule may change, the departure and arrival times from Memphis will not change.

5:30 a.m.                 Vans leave midtown Memphis for Nashville.
9:00 - 10 a.m.         Training and roleplays for legislative visits.
10:00 a.m. - noon    Visits to legislators in teams
Noon - 1 p.m.          Rally for living wages and good jobs on capitol steps.
1:00 - 1:45 p.m.      Lunch break (on your own)
1:45 - 3:00 p.m.      Visits to legislators in teams
3:00 p.m.                 Vans leave Nashville for Memphis
7:00 p.m.                Vans arrive in midtown Memphis


    We'll make sure you have all the training and talking points you need to meet with your legislators. The lunchtime rally will be an energizing time to join with people from all across Tennessee who believe our state can do better for workers. Won't you join us?

   Sign up to participate in the March 15th Lobby Day for Living Wages and Good Jobs!

Vigil Shows Growing Momentum for Living Wage at University of Memphis

    "If God was here, how would we act?" Dr. Ande Johnson asked the crowd of 60 University workers, students, and community members gathered for the living wage vigil on January 22nd. Dr. Johnson reminded us that while the world tends to think there's not enough for everyone, we worship a God of abundance. "I want to pray for our eyes to be opened, so that when we get these arguments like 'there's not money in the budget for a living wage,' or 'you should just be glad to have a job,' we can see that's there's already enough there for a living wage."

   Last week's vigil was the second major action in the University of Memphis living wage campaign, following up on a successful speak out in October. Because of the action and generosity of members like you, Workers Interfaith Network is able to join with University of Memphis workers and students in this new living wage campaign.

   All staff and faculty at the University have gone without pay raises for more than three years, but it's been especially tough on workers who are paid poverty wages. Custodial worker Emma Davis says she's had to rely on help from family members to make ends meet. Thelma Rimmer, also a custodial worker, wiped tears from her face as she shared that she can't even afford to live without a roommate at the age of 57 because she's only paid $8 an hour. Ms. Rimmer described co-workers who've worked at the University for more than a decade, but still have to ride the bus to work because they can't afford a car.

   Both workers also spoke of the fear that keeps many of their co-workers from speaking out. "I'm asking you all to do whatever you can to just be with us," Ms. Rimmer said. Reflecting on the fear of some of her co-workers, she added, "God gave me this freedom to stand up here today. I have this freedom of speech to stand here, and I'm not going to be scared."

   Support from other staff and faculty, students, and community members like you is critical to the success of the living wage campaign. And the next few months have great potential to bring workers closer to a living wage, if you and I push the Tennessee legislature to make sure workers receive a fair raise. We'll also be pressing University of Memphis President Shirley Raines to make a plan for implementing a living wage on campus.

    Here are some ways you can help:

• Collect postcard signatures to President Raines, or invite friends to sign our electronic petition to the President. If you are would like a stack of postcards to distribute, please contact me.
• Contact your legislators and urge them to adopt a fair pay raise that makes a real impact on low-wage workers' pay. As the legislative session begins in February, we'll keep you posted on actions you can take. The best way to keep up with these is to sign up for WIN's email action list.
• Make a donation to Workers Interfaith Network to help fund the living wage campaign.
• If you are a student at the University of Memphis, get involved in the Progressive Student Alliance.
• If you're a staff or faculty member at the University, join the United Campus Workers.

Is this your year to volunteer?

   Maybe you've heard the stories of Mid-South workers getting their wages stolen by employers. Or you want more workers, like those working at the University of Memphis, to be paid a living wage. Or perhaps you're troubled by workers being fired just for trying to establish a union. But what can you do about it? The problems are big, and you're just one person, right?


   There's not doubt these are big problems. But the good news is that there are simple things that you can do. Things that will have a big impact on whether workers are treated fairly, because you won't be doing these things alone. You know what makes big huge difference in whether WIN can achieve worker rights victories? Our volunteers.


   Volunteering with WIN is a rewarding experience, as veteran volunteer Earline Duncan can attest. Earline shares that she's "stayed active in WIN because there's nothing like seeing the faces of workers light up when they benefit from the work you and I do through WIN. After we won the City of Memphis living wage ordinance, I remember being hugged by a city worker at a senior center. She was so happy to be getting a living wage, because now she earned enough to meet her basic needs."


   Volunteers Mario Mercado and Cristina Condori also have great volunteer stories to share. Cristina says "it's very satisfying to teach workers about their rights. We still remember a worker from Guatemala who seemed so timid during one of the worker rights workshops Mario led. He wouldn't even speak that night. But then later, we saw him handing out WIN's worker rights flyers to workers waiting outside a temporary agency. Being part of experiences like those is why we're members of WIN."


   As you make your plans for 2011, why not become a WIN volunteer? Some volunteers help out on a weekly or monthly basis, while others volunteer just a few times a year. Some of our volunteers help out in the office preparing mailing. Some help with phone banks to make sure people show up for important rallies and actions. Other volunteers join us on the picket lines and at prayer vigils. Some Spanish-speaking volunteers train workers on their rights at our Thursday night worker rights meeting.


   If you're interested in volunteering, please fill out our online form to let me know what types of volunteer work you're most interested in. You can also let me know whether weekdays, weeknights, or weekends are best, and how often you'd like to be asked to volunteer.


   Then we'll contact you about opportunities that match your interest and availability. And the next victory WIN achieves for living wages or worker rights, you'll be able to say "I was part of that!"

Photo Slideshow: Why I am Thankful for You

Perhaps without even realizing it, you have changed Memphis this year. You have stood with workers seeking justice in our community. I could write a long post about the many ways you have made a difference, through your generosity and your action. But these photos do a much better job! I hope you enjoy seeing what you've accomplished, as much as I enjoyed putting together this slideshow for you. (And be sure to turn on your speakers to hear the background music.)


Thank you for your steadfast support of Workers Interfaith Network. Have a blessed Thanksgiving, and please know that you are one of the many people I will give thanks to God for on Thursday.

The Cold Winds of Wage Theft Rip $2,600 a Year Out of Workers' Pockets

    Sometimes drama helps us understand real life better. 

   Yesterday, about 35 WIN members gathered together on the very chilly plaza in front of the federal building as part of a national day of action against wage theft. In a short skit, 3 workers and 3 employers played out what is a typical pay day for low-wage workers, according to a study from the National Employment Law Project. 


   One worker got her pay and it was correct. The other two told their employers their pay was wrong - one was paid below minimum wage, and the other didn't get his overtime pay. When the employers told them it wasn't that much money, the employers began to unwind a string of 130 $20 bills from the workers' waists. (See this picture from The Commercial Appeal to get an idea). That's the amount - $2,600 - the average low-wage worker who experiences wage theft loses each year.


   You wouldn't believe how quickly that money unwound in the cold wind - or how long it stretched across the plaza. It was a good metaphor for how wage theft feels to workers, I think. All too quickly, money they were counting on for basic necessities is snatched out of their hands.  


 In this coverage of the press conference by WKNO FM, you can hear worker Zorina Bowen describe how she felt after experiencing wage theft at Safari World Tapas Restaurant.


   We had several messages at our press conference yesterday:


1) We urged workers to come out of the shadows and report the wage theft that is happening to them. The Shelby County District Attorney has pledged that they will begin investigating some cases of wage theft. They'll look into situations where workers haven't been paid at all, or where they haven't got a final paycheck, as criminal offenses. WIN can help you approach the DA's office about investigating your case, if you'll let us know you have a problem.


2) Wage theft isn't being caused by just a few bad employers. The National Employment Law Project report finds that 2 out of 3 low-wage workers experienced a wage violation in the past work week. Breaking wage laws has become so easy that many employers use it as part of their business model. And they won't stop doing it until there are more meaningful consequences for stealing from your workers.


3) Congress must do more to stop wage theft by passing new laws. We talked about 3 pieces of key legislation that we need Rep. Steve Cohen - and other Mid-South members of Congress to co-sponsor. The first - the Wage Theft Prevention and Community Partnerships Act - creates a grants program so that community groups can formally partner with the Department of Labor to educate workers and employers about wage laws. It's the kind of "community policing" approach that's needed if we're going to reach vulnerable workers who don't know what to do when their wages are stolen. 


   The second bill, also called the Wage Theft Prevention Act, gives the Department of Labor more time to investigate workers' complaints when they file a wage theft claim. Right now, if you're a worker and you file a wage theft claim a year after it happens, the Department of Labor only has a year to investigate and resolve your case. You would think that would be long enough, but the DOL is so overwhelmed with cases, sometimes it's not.


   The last bill, The Fair Playing Field Act, addresses the all too common problem of misclassification of construction workers. This happens when a contractor tells a worker they're an independent contractor, not an employee. 


   Why does it matter? 


   Because an independent contractor has to pay all his own Social Security and Medicare taxes. He won't be covered by the main contractor's workers compensation if he gets hurt, and no one is paying unemployment taxes for him. It's a bad deal for workers - and for governments who don't get the tax revenues they're supposed to. It's also bad news for construction companies that do follow the rules. The Fair Playing Field Act closes tax loopholes that make it easier to misclassify workers. It already has 122 co-sponsors - we need Rep. Cohen and other Mid-Southerners to join that list.


   Seeing so many people take action against wage theft across the country yesterday was exciting. Take a look at how a rally in Chicago yesterday helped a car wash worker get part of his stolen wages back, for example. 


   Thanks to everyone who took action! Even though the day of action is over, it's not too late to make the call to your member of Congress about wage theft legislation.

Video blog: How you can join wage theft national day of action

This is my first video blog for Workers Interfaith Network. Next Thursday, November 18th is a national day of action against wage theft. Find out the two ways that you can take action here in the Mid-South:



Now that you're ready to take part, go to WIN's website for the specific information you'll need to take part in the National Day of Action Against Wage Theft.


And, if you have ideas of what items we should be putting in our shopping cart at the press conference, leave them in the comments section!

University Employees Hard Work Should Be Rewarded With Fair Pay

    Last night members of Workers Interfaith Network joined together with the United Campus Workers and the Progressive Student Alliance to kick off a campaign for a living wage wage at the University of Memphis. The heart of the community forum we held were talks given by two courageous custodial workers who spoke out about the poverty wages and unfair conditions that come with their jobs.


   As I took part in the forum, I felt a lot of different emotions at the same time. I was angry at the conditions that Emma Davis and Thelma Rimmer described. All workers at the University have faced a pay freeze for over three years now. While a lack of a raise is a challenge for anyone, when your pay is around $8 an hour, it becomes a crisis. Ms. Davis shared how painful it is for her when one of her two children ask her for something that she can't provide. "When you're making $80,000 a year, you don't have to turn your kids away," she said. "I have to because I have to pay my bills.


    At the forum, we talked about Dr. David Ciscel's study produced earlier this year, that shows that a living wage is $11.62 an hour in families of four, where two parents are able to work. But since publishing the study, family health care premiums at the University have jumped 32 percent, to $335 a month.  


   When your pay is just $1,300 a month, this is an unbearable burden. Ms. Davis is now facing a crisis of how to care for her health problems because she makes too much to get TennCare coverage, but she can't afford the University coverage.


   Equally upsetting is the attitude of some supervisors that Ms. Rimmer and Ms. Davis described. They both said that when they have asked about pay raises, supervisors have told them "you should be happy to have a job." Ms. Rimmer put it well when she said, "yes it's good to have a job, but you need a paying job." Supervisors have also told them that they can't do anything about the fact that when they arrive at work at 3:00 a.m., there is no air conditioning, even in the hottest days of the summer.


   There was plenty to be upset about. But I was also inspired at the courage of these two women in speaking out. It would be easy to keep silence out of a fear of losing their jobs in these tough times. But as Ms. Rimmer said, "I'm speaking up for those who are afraid to speak up. I'm standing here to make a way for the next person, for my kids, and for your kids." 


    All of us who care about workers rights need to be prepared to take action with these workers if they experience any retaliation for speaking out at last night's forum.


    And I was inspired by the response of the students, staff, faculty, and community members who took part in the forum. Progressive Student Alliance member Gaby Marquez wanted Mr. Davis and Ms. Rimmer to know that even though their work goes unnoticed, that it is appreciated by students like her. "My mother cleaned houses, so I know some of where you're coming from. I can promise you that when I see President Raines, I will be bringing up the living wage with her."


    While campaigning for a living wage in this economy is an uphill struggle, we also reflected last night on other wage victories in our state. I shared the story of how the campaign for a living wage ordinance with the City Council was long and hard-fought, but successful. Tom Smith, an organizer with the United Campus Workers, shared how organizing at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville significantly raised workers' pay there. When he worked at the UTK Library, he saw his pay raised $3,000 over a three year period because of organizing for a living wage by the union and community allies.


   Even if you couldn't join us, I hope you're inspired to join these workers in taking action for a living wage. 


Ready to join the struggle? You can start by signing our electronic petition to President Raines. And, if you're not already on the list to get email alerts from WIN, sign up now so you'll know about future actions in this campaign. 

Got questions about the living wage at University of Memphis? Get them answered on October 26th

    A couple of months ago, I had the chance to talk with a University of Memphis worker who I'll call Lisa. Now, whenever I step on to campus, I think about her. About the work that she does. About how invisible she is to most people at the University, even while they depend on her labor to keep the place running.


    Each morning, Lisa arrives at work before 4:00 a.m. She and her co-workers make a long walk in the dark from the least expensive parking at the University to the buildings that they clean. Because Lisa makes minimum wage - $7.25 an hour - she has to choose the cheapest parking even though it means an unsafe, lengthy walk to work.

    Lisa knows what it's like to have more month than she has money. "With the money we make, it's impossible to make a living. I really do not want to work a second job, but as a single parent I have to. You have to juggle bills. It is really hard. Something has to change," Lisa says. Yet, because of the odd work schedule the University has for Lisa, she has not been able to find a second job that she can work while keeping her University job.


    But the point is that she shouldn't have to work more than one full-time job just to meet her most basic expenses. Hearing Lisa's story first hand brought home to me the importance of the new living wage campaign that Workers Interfaith Network and United Campus Workers are launching at the University. 


    I want you to have the opportunity to hear from workers first-hand too, so that you can ask your questions and hear what it's like for them to try to make ends meet on what the University pays them. That's why WIN, United Campus Workers, and the Progressive Student Alliance are sponsoring a community forum about the living wage campaign at the University on Tuesday, October 26th at 6:30 p.m. The forum will feature U. of M. workers who are paid poverty wages, students, and economist Dr. David Ciscel, author of "What is a Living Wage for Memphis: 2010 Edition."


     We'll talk about what conditions are currently like for workers, whether the University can afford a living wage (read my take here), what the current living wage rate is for workers in our city, and what it will take to win an agreement to pay a living wage from the University. If you have questions, this is your chance to get them answered! If you have a topic you want us to cover at the forum, leave it in the comments section, and we'll do our best to address it.

Can you join us at the October 26th forum? Sign up here

    The forum will be held in the University Center's Bluff Room. The UC is located off Walker Ave., just north of J.M. Smith Hall. Parking is available in the garage on Zach Curlin, or in the parking lot on the other side of the railroad tracks on Southern. View a map of the campus with all buildings and parking.

    If you can't make it to the forum, but want to launch the campaign, sign our petition to U. of M. President Shirley Raines.