[SustainableTompkins] 40 Hour Fast in Support of Hotel Workers: Kickoff Event, Tuesday, March 4th @ 7 p.m. at Women's Community Bldg.

[pete meyers]

On Tuesday, March 4th, @ 7:00 p.m. (light refreshments at 6:30) at the  Woman's Community Building (corner of Seneca and Cayuga Sts. in Ithaca),  the Religious Task Force for a Living Wage invites you to help us kickoff the  13th Annual 40 Hour Fast in support of the struggles of our over 600 hotel  workers in Tompkins  County.

The program will include music from the incredible folk  musician, Tom Seiling, as well as reflections from hotel workers, religious,  labor, and political leaders, on issues relating to our Justice for Hotel Workers  campaign, such as:

  
   poverty wages, and its affect on our families and community  
   disrespectful treatment from management  
   lack of a reasonable 'right to organize' on behalf of workers and the  ability to take joint action to improve workplace conditions  
   lack of health insurance  
   unreasonable physical workload and working with dangerous  chemicals

 Featured speakers will include:
 
   Sonya Hicks, Pastor  of the Jesus Only Apostolic Church of God, about the spiritual and religious  components necessary to create justice for all workers  
   Kate Bronenbrenner, the Director of Labor Education Research at the Cornell  Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR) School speaking about the importance of  'organized labor' to the movement to raise standards of working conditions for  all workers  
   Maria Coles, Ithaca Common Council Person, speaking about her commitment and  passion, through her position, to ensure that hotel workers receive a Living  Wage
 The Workers' Center is continuing to organize workers in the Ithaca  hotel industry for better working conditions and wages.  Says Workers' Center  hotel organizer, Neisha Butler, "paying these workers $7.15 an hour, as these  hotels do, and not providing affordable health insurance, is disrespectful of  the important work these people do for the hotels, unfair to the workers'  families, and irresponsible in a community that values all our citizens  equally." 
 
This event will also serve as the kick-off for local participation in the New  York State Labor-Religion Coalition's 13th Annual 40 Hour FAST (more information  on the fast can be found at http://www.labor-religion.org) which lasts from  March 4th, at 8 PM until March 6th, at Noon.
 
Workers in Tompkins  County are hungering for living wage jobs. Going without food for one or  more meals during the FAST is an expression of solidarity with them and their  cause. If you are considering fasting with us, please let us know by contacting  one of the contacts below, or by responding to this email.

The Religious Task Force for a Living Wage is a joint  project of the Tompkins County Workers' Center and Catholic Charities of Tompkins  County. For more information, please contact 607-269-0409  or 607-272-5062,  ext. 12. Or email TCWRC at yahoo.com  


Pete Meyers 
TC Workers' Center
115 E. State
Ithaca, NY 14850 
607-269-0409 
www.TCWorkersCenter.org 


"The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any."
--Alice Walker

 "Good intentions alone not accompanied by action are without value. The main thing is the action, as this is what makes the intention so profound" 
        - Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak
       
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