PRESS RELEASE: El Comité Pro Reforma Migratoria Y Justicia Social addresses rumors about action on May 1st.

MEDIA ADVISORY

For Immediate Release: Sunday April 29, 2012

Contact: El Comité Pro Reforma Migratoria Y Justicia Social, 206.650.2106. info@elcomitewa.org, Twitter Tag: #SeattleMayDayMarch2012

El Comité Pro Reforma Migratoria Y Justicia Social addresses rumors about action on May 1st.

The May Day March and its participants wish to clarify any misinformation being circulated by fringe groups and officials within the Seattle Police Department.

 

SEATTLE – El Comité Pro Reforma Migratoria Y Justicia Social wishes to reiterate and reaffirm that we in no way encourage the dissemination of any information that encourages our participants to engage in reckless, poorly thought out activities that place our participants and their families in any danger.  Contrary to reports that have been disseminated in the media, the vast majority of participants in May 1^st activities do not have the intent of placing participants in danger. Our annual march is set with the intent of engaging the general population in bridging the barriers that divide our worker and social justice communities. True to the spirit of May Day, this march will make every effort to ensure that all are able to participate and connect with one another to progress a vision of community that seeks social justice for all, regardless of immigrant status, race, gender, nationality, ability, and sexual orientation.

On Tuesday, there will be two events; an Occupy Seattle sponsored program at Westlake during the day, and our annual march from St. Mary’s Church, in the evening. We are working with members of Occupy Seattle to make each of our events both safe and effective. Over the course of the last 12 years, we have encountered many challenges with threats of violence from right-wing extremists and white supremacists that have arisen from the work we do. Each and every year we and our allies have worked diligently to overcome such difficulties, to ensure that those who are on the economic and social margins have a space to voice their grievances in the midst of repeated attacks on our labor and immigrant communities. It is in unity that we find power, and it is in peaceful demonstration that we show our greatest strength. This march has, and always will be an event for the people. We will not take any threats of violence lightly and we will ensure that this event, like others past, is also a peaceful procession.

In closing, we ask any individual or entity to immediately cease any attempt to subvert and dismantle the work that we have undertaken for over 12 years. We welcome any and all who wish to work with us and offer support in solidarity. Likewise, we echo the long shore worker’s point which they emphasized in their struggle in Longview, that we as workers and community members are the only ones who can directly address the matters that afflict our communities. We respect the work that many other social justice organizations undertake. As such, we expect this same mutual respect in regard to our own internal workings and democratic structure. There is no need for petty tactics, misinformation, and infiltration of our events for the self-interest of narcissist, self-anointed “activists” who use intimidation and political terrorism to satiate their own egotistical needs. Let us all join as one to ensure we all coexist in a dignified way as workers, community members, students, as human beings.

EDUCATE, ORGANIZE, MOBILIZE!

For more information, contact the following: El Comité Pro Reforma Migratoria Y Justicia Social, 206.650.2106.  info@elcomitewa.org, Twitter Tag: #SeattleMayDayMarch2012

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Organizational Endorsements for the 2012 May Day March.

El Comité Pro-Reforma Migratoria y Justicia Social

May 1st Action Coalition

American Federation of Teachers 1789

Aerospace Machinists Lodge 751

Allyship

Backbone Campaign

Bethany United Church of Christ

Coalition of Anti-Racist Whites

Casa Latina

Community Alliance for Global Justice

El Centro de la Raza

Hod Carriers & General Laborers Local 242

Latino Civic Alliance

Martin Luther King Jr. County Labor Council

Movimiento Estudiantil Chicana/o de Aztlan de Seattle U.

Movimiento Estudiantil Chicana/o de Aztlan de U. of Washington

National Organization for Women

Office and Professional Employees International Union Local 8

Orgullo P’urhepecha

Pacific Northwest American Friends Service Committee 

PUSO

Seattle Committee In Solidarity with the People of El Salvador

Service Employees International Union Local 1199

Service Employees International Union Local 775

Social Justice Fund

Socialist Workers Party

St. Mary’s Parish

Teamsters Local 117

United Auto Workers Local 4121

United Communities Coalition

United Food and Commercial Workers Union 21

UNITE HERE Local 8

Washington Community Action Network

Washington Fair Trade Coalition

Washington Federation of State Employees 304

Washington New Sanctuary Movement,

Washington State Labor Council

Washington State Labor Education and Research Center

Western Washington Fellowship of Reconciliation

Washington Young Emerging Labor Leaders

Working Washington

Witness for Peace-Pacific Northwest Region

Press Release: Thousands Expected to take to the streets for 2012 May 1st March and Rally in Seattle.

MEDIA ADVISORY

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Contact: El Comité Pro Reforma Migratoria Y Justicia Social and the May 1st Action Coalition,
ph: 206.324.6044 em:  info@elcomitewa.org Twitter Tag:#SeattleMayDayMarch2012

Thousands to take to the streets in Seattle for the 12^th Annual May Day March for Workers and Immigrant Rights on Tuesday, May 1^st 2012.

March to call for an immediate end to the forced implementation of the ‘Secure Communities’ Program (S Comm) in Washington and to protest Wells Fargo Bank for their role in funding unregulated prisons and detention centers throughout the United States

 

SEATTLE – Thousands of demonstrators are expected to take to the streets of Seattle on Tuesday, May 1, 2012 for the 12^th Annual May Day March for Workers and Immigrant Rights. In the spirit of unity and solidarity with other communities across the country, organizers in Seattle will focus on the universal theme of standing together with all workers regardless of race, class, gender, religious affiliation, sexual identity, ability, and documented status. Event details:

What: 12^th Annual May Day March and Rally for Workers and Immigrant Rights

Who: You, thousands of workers and immigrant rights supporters. We’ll be welcomed by Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn. We’ll hear testimonials from the community members, including faith based communities.

When: 3:30 p.m. Tuesday May 1st, 2012.

Where: The march will begin at St. Mary’s Church (611 20^th Ave South, Seattle, WA 98144) and a rally at its destination at the Federal Building in downtown Seattle.

Background

The theme of the 2012 march will center around justice for all workers and for an immediate end to the forced implementation of the “Secure Communities” Program in Washington State. Since its inception in 2008 under the George W. Bush Administration, S Comm has grown in scale and has contributed to record numbers of deportations throughout the U.S. In spite of the supposed intended goal of apprehending convicted felons, S Comm has led to an atmosphere of intimidation and racial profiling with many dragnet raids targeting communities of color throughout the country. These raids, often brutal and heavy-handed continue operating with absolute impunity with little to no regard for the civil and human rights of the communities targeted. Similarly, the march and rally will also focus on Wells Fargo Bank’s fudiciary support of the unregulated Private Prison-Industrial complex which controls several private prisons and immigration detention centers throughout the United States. This event marks the 12^th Annual May Day march organized byEl Comité and several other allied social justice organizations.

For more information, contact the following: El Comité Pro Reforma Migratoria Y Justicia Social and the May 1^st Action Coalition, 206.324.6044. info@elcomitewa.org, Twitter Tag: #SeattleMayDayMarch2012

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El Comité Pro-Reforma Migratoria y Justicia Social, May 1st Action Coalition, American Federation of Teachers 1789, Aerospace Machinists Lodge 751, Allyship, Backbone Campaign, Bethany United Church of Christ, Coalition of Anti-Racist Whites, Casa Latina, Community Alliance for Global Justice, El Centro de la Raza, Hod Carriers & General Laborers Local 242, Latino Civic Alliance, Martin Luther King Jr. County Labor Council, Movimiento Estudiantil Chicana/o de Aztlan de Seattle U., Movimiento Estudiantil Chicana/o de Aztlan de U. of Washington, National Organization for Women, Office and Professional Employees International Union Local 8, Orgullo P’urhepecha, Pacific Northwest American Friends Service Committee,  PUSO, Seattle Committee In Solidarity with the People of El Salvador, Service Employees International Union Local 1199, Service Employees International Union Local 775, Social Justice Fund, Socialist Workers Party, St. Mary’s Parish, Teamsters Local 117, United Auto Workers Local 4121, United Communities Coalition, United Food and Commercial Workers Union 21,UNITE HERE Local 8, Washington Community Action Network, Washington Fair Trade Coalition, Washington Federation of State Employees 304, Washington New Sanctuary Movement, Washington State Labor Council, Washington State Labor Education and Research Center, Western Washington Fellowship of Reconciliation, Washington Young Emerging Labor Leaders, Working Washington, Witness for Peace-Pacific Northwest Region.

Secure Communities, Irate Activists (Courtesy of the Seattle Weekly)

Secure Communities, Irate Activists

[http://www.seattleweekly.com/2012-04-11/news/secure-communities-irate-activists/]

A heavy-handed ICE decree will only do harm, pro-immigrant forces argue.

By Keegan Hamilton Wednesday, Apr 11 2012

The program with the reassuring name Secure Communities took effect last Tuesday in all 39 Washington counties, despite objections from activist groups claiming that the effort to fingerprint and deport undocumented immigrants erodes community trust in law enforcement, costs taxpayers money, and disproportionally targets individuals guilty only of traffic violations or other minor offenses.

Secure Communities was originally introduced in 2008 by ICE (Immigrations and Customs Enforcement) and promoted as a way to rid the country of felonious illegal immigrants. It’s supposed to work like this: When people are booked into local jails, their fingerprints are submitted to an FBI database, which ICE then cross-references with their own records to check for previous immigration violations. If an offender pings in the system, ICE will ask local authorities to detain the inmate until their agents arrive to transport the offender to a federal detention center, where he or she likely will face deportation.

Initially, local law-enforcement agencies were allowed to “opt in” to the Secure Communities program. A handful of Washington counties volunteered to take part, including Yakima, Franklin, and Benton—all counties with large Latino populations. The Washington State Patrol, however, resisted statewide implementation of the program, following the lead of New York, Massachusetts, California, and other states. ICE had planned to roll out the program nationally next year, but two weeks ago the agency abruptly announced that participation in Secure Communities would be mandatory statewide.

The move has drawn sharp criticism from legal advocacy and immigrant-rights groups, both of which point to statistics from the Department of Homeland Security as proof that nearly 80 percent of the people deported through Secure Communities have either never been convicted of a crime or are guilty only of minor offenses.

“I call it the insecure communities program,” says Ann Benson, directing attorney of the Washington Defender Association. “It’s costing us money, it’s not making us safer, it’s contributing to racial profiling, and it’s undermining the criminal-justice system. Those are things I see daily working with criminal prosecutors and courts.”

In Washington, data from the six counties that opted in to Secure Communities over the past three years shows that 84 percent of those deported through the program either had no criminal conviction (25 percent) or were charged or convicted with Level 2 or 3 offenses (59 percent), non-felonies that include speeding tickets and other traffic infractions. That, says Toby Guevin, the senior policy and legislative manager at Seattle-based immigrant rights group OneAmerica, has made Latino community members less likely to call the police when something bad happens.

“Secure Communities is a broad dragnet that catches everybody,” Guevin says. “Regardless of what your crime is or why you’ve been brought in, you’re fingerprinted. As a result, witnesses of crimes or victims of crime are really hesitant to call the police.”

In addition to breeding mistrust, Benson says Washington taxpayers are usually forced to foot the bill for detaining undocumented immigrants while ICE processes their fingerprints and sends agents to transfer offenders to federal facilities. ICE can order inmates to be held for an additional 48 hours beyond the normal period during which an individual must be charged or released, and that time frame does not include weekends—meaning that in some cases a person can be detained for up to five days before facing charges.

“It’s really gumming up the criminal-justice process,” Benson says.

SAVE THE DAY: MAY 1st, 2012

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Asamblea Anual 2012/Annual Assembly 2012

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Coalición de organizaciones de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Justicia Social empujan para la aprobación de la propuesta HB 2568 en estado de Washington.

AVISO DE PRENSA

Para publicación inmediata: Sábado 11 de febrero 2012

Contacto: 206.251.6658 Maru Villalpando, (inglés) o Antonio Flores253.347.4229 (en español).

Coalición de organizaciones de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Justicia Social empujan para la aprobación de la propuesta HB 2568 en estado de Washington.
Los organizadores proponen que legisladores prohíban el uso obligatorio del programa E-verify.

 

SEATTLE - Una coalición de organizaciones de derechos de inmigrantes, justicia social, negocios y organizaciones laborales están montando un esfuerzo durante éste período legislativo para aprobar la propuesta legislativa HB 2568 y se convierta en ley estatal en Washington. El texto de la medida HB 2568 señala específicamente que dado el carácter experimental del programa E-verify a nivel nacional, el Estado de Washington se opondría a la obligatoriedad del uso del E-Verify. A nivel nacional, este programa controvertido no había sido libre de problemas y se asocia con prácticas de contratación discriminatorias, así como con la creación de la escasez de trabajadores en muchos estados que dependen en gran medida del trabajo agrícola y de los inmigrantes.

A nivel local, se cree, en base a los modelos nacionales, que el uso obligatorio de E-Verify es un perjuicio tanto para el trabajo como para la industria. El proyecto de ley haría uso de E-verify opcional a discreción del empleador. El proyecto de ley ayudará a proteger a los trabajadores así como a empleadores de ser obligados a utilizar un programa defectuoso. Originalmente, E-verify se ha implementado como política migratoria desde finales de los 90’s y el cual ha sido implementado extensivamente por las administraciones Bush y Obama. Del mismo modo, el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional ha utilizado E-verify en contra de empleadores en diversas industrias para controlar la inmigración indocumentada.

Un motivo de preocupación con el uso del programa es que criminalizar a los trabajadores y empleadores no arreglará el roto sistema de inmigración que tenemos. De acuerdo con un estudio presentado en el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional en el año 2009, se encontró que el programa de E-verify es 30 veces más probable de descartar inmigrantes documentados como autorizados para trabajar y además el programa sólo identifica un 46% de los trabajadores no autorizados. En el estado de Washington, más de 17.411 trabajadores y ciudadanos estadounidenses perderían sus puestos de trabajo y más de 78.993 trabajadores adicionales tendrían que ir a la Administración de la Seguridad Social para corregir su información en la base de datos o arriesgar perder sus puestos de trabajo. Además de los costos de recursos humanos que E-verify trae, también costaría $ 2700 millones a nivel nacional, con 2,6 mil millones dólares que caen sobre los hombros de las pequeñas empresas.

Miguel Blanco, de la Cámara del condado de Pierce de Comercio Hispana considera que el uso obligatorio de E-Verify podría tener un efecto adverso en algunas pequeñas empresas. “En esta crisis económica, la carga económica que E-verify pondrá en las pequeñas empresas podrían limitar la recuperación económica, no ayudar”.

Dentro de los próximos dos días, la Cámara de Representantes estatal va a tener una votación en la Cámara sobre HB 2568. La coalición pide a los miembros de la comunidad ponerse en contacto con sus representantes. E-verify como un todo es discriminatoria contra los trabajadores documentados y simplemente obliga a los trabajadores de la economía formal convertirse en parte de la economía informal, donde no pagan impuestos, tal como compensación a los trabajadores y seguro de desempleo. Además, la industria agrícola sufrirá escasez de mano de obra en cada temporada de pizca, que a su vez tendrá un impacto negativo en la economía del estado entero.

Para obtener más información, póngase en contacto con lo siguiente: Maru Villalpando 206.251.6658, (inglés) o Antonio Flores253.347.4229 (en español).

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ACLU of WA • AFT Seattle Colleges Local 1789, AFL-CIO • AILA – WA • Asian Pacific Islander Coalition of King County • Asian Pacific Islander Coalition of Pierce County • Broetje Orchards • Casa Latina • Catholic Charities Housing Services of Yakima • Catholic Community Services • Catholic Housing Services • Church Council of Greater Seattle • Coalition of Anti-Racist Whites • Community to Community • El Comité Pro-Reforma Migratoria y Justicia Social• Entre Hermanos • Episcopal Network for Economic Justice • Faith Action Network • Forks Human Rights Group • Latino Civic Alliance • Latino PAC • Main Street Alliance • Minority Executive Director’s Coalition • National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum – Seattle Chapter • National Employment Law Project • Northwest Immigrant Rights Project • OneAmerica • Pierce County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce • Puget Sound Alliance for Retired Americans • Puget Sound Sage • Seattle Human Services Coalition • SEIU 775 • SEIU 925 • Skagit Immigrant Rights Council • Statewide Poverty Action Network • Tacoma Community House • Teamsters Joint Council 28 • Teamsters Local 117 • UAW Local 4121 • UFCW Local 21 • Unite HERE Local 8 • UFW • Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers • Washington CAN! • Washington Defenders Association • Washington New Sanctuary Movement • Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO

El Comité Pro Reforma Migratoria Y Justicia Social clarifies misinformation about events in Seattle for May 1st, 2012.

MEDIA ADVISORY

For Immediate Release: Sunday January 29, 2012

Contact: El Comité Pro Reforma Migratoria Y Justicia Social, 206.650.2106 or 206.850.0497, info@elcomitewa.org.

El Comité Pro Reforma Migratoria Y Justicia Social clarifies misinformation about events in Seattle for May 1st, 2012.

Despite claims to the contrary, neither we nor any major  labor international have called for a general srtike on May 1st.

 

SEATTLE – El Comité Pro Reforma Migratoria Y Justicia Social would like to clarify openly that contrary to the writings of fringe groups within Occupy Seattle, neither we, nor any any of the national leadership organizing May 1st actions throughout the U.S. has called for a general strike on May 1st 2012. There may be some groups calling for a general strike but they and their agents do not represent El Comité or are authorized to make any statements on our behalf and or misrepresent us in any capacity. We ask these participants to cease and desist immediately and respect our democratic organizational structure. As a community organization, we elect our board every year, including the spokespersons. Any claim that we support or call for actions, that are not made from our spokespersons, are completely false.

To be clear, we acknowledge the fact that these subgroups and fringe entities are not representative of Occupy Seattle as a whole and we do not intend to conflate their activities with Occupy Seattle’s work in vocalizing the excesses and abusive nature of our deregulated financial system that has led to mass unemployment, home foreclosures, economic speculation, attacks on workers’ right to organize, and left many of us mired in the worst economic recession since the Great Depression. As an organization that prides itself on being overtly pro-worker, especially with regard to many of our immigrant brothers and sisters who are socially and economically marginalized, we laud Occupy Seattle’s great work in helping bring these concerns into mainstream parlance.

We look forward to future collaboration with OS and welcome the energy they bring into this dialogue. However, given recent altercations between the OS fringe and long shore workers with regard to the December 12, 2011 “West Coast Port Shutdown,” we feel it necessary to, as the workers along the coast has already done, make it abundantly clear that no one speaks on our behalf but ourselves. And that we insist that any attempt to utilize our name without consent is in direct violation of our principles.

For more on the port action see the following links:

http://www.ilwu.org/?p=3296

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2016994886_occupyport12m.html

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017000774_apwaoccupyportswashington5thldwritethru.html

As a community-based organization, we take our work very seriously as we directly experience the result of our organizational efforts. The program for the annual May 1^st march, in existence since 2000, is the result of various open forums and immigrant worker assemblies organized by El Comité, which take place in Seattle, Tacoma, South MLK County, and other areas throughout the Puget Sound region. The theme of our March and organizational priorities for the entire year are decided in these community forums. In effect, it is our community that dictates what approach to take and what sequence of actions serve best as a whole. As of yet, there have not been any public meetings convened, and as such, we cannot claim to support, much less call for a general strike.

In closing, we wish to reiterate our point that we ask any individual or entity to immediately cease using our name and attempt to subvert and dismantle the work that we have undertaken for over 12 years. We welcome any and all who wish to work with us and offer support in solidarity. Likewise, we echo the long shore worker’s point that we as immigrant workers and community members are the only ones who can directly address the matters that afflict our communities. We respect the work that many other social justice organizations undertake. As such, we expect this same mutual respect in regard to our own internal workings and democratic structure. There is no need for petty tactics, misinformation, and infiltration of our communications infrastructure. Let us all join as one to ensure we all coexist in a dignified way as workers, community members, students, as human beings.

EDUCATE, ORGANIZE, MOBILIZE!

For more information, contact the following: El Comité Pro Reforma Migratoria Y Justicia Social, 206.650.2106 or 206.850.0497, info@elcomitewa.org.

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30th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Rally and March

30th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Rally and March

"The problem of racism, the problem of economic exploitation, and the problem of war are all tied together. These are the triple evils that are interrelated."

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Committee announces the 30th annual region-wide Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration on Monday, January 16, 2012, beginning with Workshops (9:30am-11am), Rally (11am-12:30pm) and the March beginning at a new time of 12:30pm. This year’s theme is “30th Anniversary Celebration: Recapturing MLK Jr.’s Revolutionary Spirit!”

This year we will march from Garfield High School to the Federal Building via Union St. & Madison St. Please see the march route page for complete details. Lunch will be provided FREE following the march in Garfield’s Commons area. We look forward to seeing you for a wonderful meal.

Do you want to have a table at the MLK celebration? The opportunity to have a table is on a FIRST come, FIRST served basis. You must bring your own chairs and table to have a table in the hallway at Garfield. Doors open at 8am. No charge for having a table.

Get involved! The volunteer coordination committee is seeking volunteers! Contact Shomari Jones at sjones@seattleymca.org, if you have want to get involved.

Seattle has one of the largest annual Martin Luther King Day Celebrations in the U.S. We honor Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., for his work toward racial equality and economic justice for all people, for his commitment to nonviolence, and for his stand against war and militarism.

“The problem of racism, the problem of economic exploitation, and the problem of war are all tied together. These are the triple evils that are interrelated.”

-Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

http://www.mlkseattle.org/

Día Nacional de Acción contra la Industria Carcelaria Privada (Cárceles de “La Migra”).

Día Nacional de Acción contra la Industria Carcelaria Privada (Cárceles de “La Migra”).

El Grupo GEO y CCA son las dos más grandes corporaciones lucrativas que se benefician del encarcelamiento nuestra gente. Ellos son el poder y el cerebro detrás de las leyes anti-inmigrantes que están deteniendo a personas inofensivas en estados como Arizona, Georgia y Alabama.

Wells Fargo es accionista mayoritario en el Grupo GEO. Wells Fargo debería invertir en negocios que crean empleos, no en las empresas que toman dinero de nuestros impuestos para poner a gente vulnerable en las celdas de los centros de detención (cárceles).

El 24 de Enero, únase a las personas en diferentes ciudades de los EE.UU. Para decirle a Wells Fargo que saque las acciones de Geo Grup y CCA e inviertan en la humanidad.

Únete a nosotros Para una Manifestación.

Martes, 24 de enero de 4:00 a 6:00 PM

5245 Pacific Ave. Tacoma, WA 98408

Para más información: (253) 606 0350-Pepe

National Day of Action Against the Private Prison Industry.

The GEO Group and CCA the two largest are for-profit prison corporations profiting from imprisoning our communities. They are the power and brains behind the anti-immigrant laws that are incarcerating harmless people in states like Arizona, Georgia and Alabama. Wells Fargo is a major shareholder in The GEO Group.

Wells Fargo should invest in businesses that create jobs, not in businesses that take our tax dollars to put harmless people in cages.

On Jan 24th, join people in cities across the U.S. in telling Wells Fargo to dump the GEO Group and CCA prison stock and invest in humanity

Join Us For a Rally.

Tuesday, Jan 24th at 4:00 to 6:00 PM

5245 Pacific Ave Tacoma, WA 98408

For more info please contact: (253) 592 3139-Alma