Dear Colleagues,
As Labor Day approaches in a year where unions face unprecedented challenges, we all should remember the words of Martin Luther King Jr. who observed back in 1961: “The labor movement did not diminish the strength of the nation but enlarged it. By raising the living standards of millions, labor miraculously created a market for industry and lifted the whole nation to undreamed of levels of production. Those who today attack labor forget these simple truths, but history remembers them.” King, who sought to build bridges between the labor and civil rights movements, noted that “Our needs are identical with labor’s needs: decent wages, fair working conditions, livable housing, old-age security, health and welfare measures, conditions in which families can grow, have education for their children, and respect in the community.”
This weekend your AFT Guild in concert with the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council is going back to the social justice roots of the labor movement. In these troubled times it’s extremely important for Labor and Community to work together to build strong, concrete bridges of communication and fight in solidarity for all working families. One of the ways we are looking to re-engage in the community is by bringing our labor of love into underserved and underrepresented neighborhoods, the same neighborhoods in which we know strong working families grow.
Join the Labor Council as we partner with Pillars of the Community, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping those affected by the criminal justice system, to bring a Day of Service to a working class area of San Diego. Union members, along with community members will come together to paint and clean up a community space dedicated to residents seeking a safe space to build, empower, and educate.
Saturday, September 2nd from 9:00am to 2:00pm, bring your family and friends and be dressed ready to paint and clean up this amazing space for all communities to enjoy! There will be free food and beverages provided for all those who come out to volunteer. See below for more details.
In Unity,
Jim
Jim Mahler, President
AFT Guild, Local 1931
