STATEWIDE EVENTS

Albany

Read about the FAST opening, "Help wanted: Long hours, no pay: Wage theft exploits workers in what advocates call the 'new slavery' of the 21st century," by Albany Times Union reporter Paul Grondahl.

Wednesday, March 4
10 AM— Statewide Opening News Conference with Kim Bobo, author of Wage Theft in America—Why Millions of Working Americans are Not Getting Paid and What We Can Do About It and Labor-Religion Coalition Co-Chairs, Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany Bishop Howard Hubbard and New York State United Teachers President Richard Iannuzzi. Westminster Presbyterian Church, 85 Chestnut Street in Albany, NY. Parking off Chestnut Street. Click here for news release.

Wednesday, March 4
6-8 PM— Wage Theft and What We Can Do About It. Whether or not you will participate in the fast, please join the Labor-Religion Coalition of the Capital District for a PRE-FAST MEAL & PANEL DISCUSSION featuring author Kim Bobo, Carmine Ruberto, Director, Division of Labor Standards & Geovanny Triviño, Immigrant Community Liaison, Bureau of Immigrant Workers’ Rights (both from the New York State Department of Labor) and Pastor Gladys M. Vidor, Damascus Community Services in Albany. Chapel House, located on University Drive West, University at Albany Campus. Free and open to the public, but space restrictions limit us to 50. Please call 213-6000, ext 6291 to reserve your meal! Click here for a printable flyer (PDF) in English or in Spanish. Parking is available in the Dutch Gold student lot across the road from Chapel House.

Thursday, March 5
4:30 PM— Rally Against the Cuts. State Capitol Steps (East side). We will be joining an important statewide Fair Share Budget Rally to protect our healthcare, our schools and our communities. Only together can we stop Albany's cuts. Sponsored by Citizen Action of New York. Look for the FAST signs. Click here for a rally flyer (PDF).

Binghamton
Wednesday, March 4
7-8 PM— Ecumenical Prayer Service to open the 40-Hour FAST. Sarah Jane Johnson Memorial United Methodist Church, 308 Main St., Johnson City, NY. Co-sponsors include the Peace with Justice Committee of the Broome County Council of Churches, the Catholic Community's Justice and Peace Advisory Council and the Social Justice Network of the Wyoming Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. Contact the Rev. Fred R. Brooks, Jr. at 607/ 754-8277 for more information.

Buffalo
Wednesday, March 4
7 PM— "Waging a Living." Hallwalls- 341 Delaware Ave. Come to the free screening of the film that tests the mantra "get a job" to see whether low-wage job holders, the working poor, can pull themselves and their families out of poverty. The film tracks four Americans as they face a persistent struggle to make ends meet. The FAST begins March 4 at 8 PM and concludes Friday, March 6 at noon.

Ithaca
Wednesday, March 4
7:30- 9 PM— Looking Out for Each Other: Nurturing Compassion & Solidarity in Hard Times. A Public Witness Kick-Off Event for the 2009 40-Hour FAST. Women's Community Building, 100 West Seneca Street, Ithaca. Come hear testimonials of community members describing the effects of the current recession on themselves and their families. Let the community come together with business leaders and elected officials from the county, state and federal levels, to listen and commit to TAKE ACTION. Sponsored locally by the Tompkins County Religious Task Force for a Living Wage (a joint project of the Workers' Center and Catholic Charities of Tompkins County and a member of the Labor-Religion Coalition of New York State.) To sign up for the FAST, email ereagan@dor.org or phone 607/ 272-5062, ext. 12. Visit www.TCWorkersCenter.org for more information. For a printable flyer, click here (PDF)

Friday, March 6
Noon—Break the FAST Lunch and Discussion. Loaves and Fishes. 210 N. Cayuga Street, Ithaca.

New York City
Thursday, March 5
4 PM—Citywide Fair Budget Rally. City Hall, Lower Manhattan. As part of the Labor-Religion Coalition's 14th Annual 40-Hour FAST, "Coming Together for the Common Good", we will be joining an important rally against cuts to essential social services. The rally is being organized by One New York-Fighting for Fairness, a broad coalition of unions and community organizations including the GNYLRC. The Labor-Religion contingent will meet at 3:45 on the southwest corner of Barclay Street and Broadway. Look for the"'Fasting for Justice" banner!

7 PM—Justice for Farmworkers Campaign Training. Church of the Holy Apostles, 296 Ninth Avenue, NYC. The period of the FAST is an important time to prepare for visiting your state senator in a local office later in March. The information session will include history of the campaign, introduction to the legislation, an opportunity to role-play a visit with a state senator and help setting up a visit. Please pass this invitation along to others who might be interested. Please also let us know if you can attend the session so that we have enough materials. Click here to send a note to Rev. Richard Witt from Rural and Migrant Ministry.

Olean
Wednesday, March 4 through March 18
During the FAST, visit a new traveling display consisting of the health care stories of neighbors and friends as well as actions that may be taken to elicit much needed change. Christ United Methodist Church, 633 Linwood Ave., Olean. Call 716/ 372-3495 for times when the church is open. Click here for the FAST news release (PDF). The display has been created by the Health Care Access Coalition, a project of the Labor-Religion Coalition of Southwestern New York. For more information about the HCAC or the traveling display, or if you would like to sponsor or host the display or would like to contribute a health care story please visit our website at www.healthcareaccesscoalition.org.

Scarsdale
Friday, March 6
10 AM—Justice for Farmworkers Campaign Training. Hitchcock Presbyterian Church, Scarsdale (7 Greenacres Avenue, across the Bronx River Parkway from the Hartsdale station.) The period of the FAST is an important time to prepare for visiting your state senator in a local office later in March. This information session will include history of the campaign, introduction to the legislation, an opportunity to role-play a visit with a state senator and help setting up a visit. Please pass this invitation along to others who might be interested. Please also let us know if you can attend the session so that we have enough materials. Click here to send a note to Rev. Richard Witt from Rural and Migrant Ministry.

Syracuse
Thursday, March 12
7 PM—AFTER THE FAST: Learn about Wage Theft. Plymouth Congregational UCC, 232 E. Onondaga St. Syracuse. Millions of workers across our state and nation suffer from wage theft -- wages not paid but legally owed. This is one of two opportunities to discuss Wage Theft in America by Kim Bobo, hosted by the CNYLRC. The book can be ordered through the Interfaith Worker Justice site. We have also created a lending library with copies. Call 315/ 431-4040 for more information.

Thursday, March 19
7 PM—AFTER THE FAST: Learn about Wage Theft. Strong Hearts Café. 719 E. Genesee St. Syracuse. Millions of workers across our state and nation suffer from wage theft -- wages not paid but legally owed. This is one of two opportunities to discuss Wage Theft in America by Kim Bobo, hosted by the CNYLRC. The book can be ordered through the Interfaith Worker Justice site. We have also created a lending library with copies. Call 315/ 431-4040 for more information.

Utica
Wednesday, March 4
5 PM—OPENING PROGRAM ON WAGE THEFT & PRE-FAST MEAL. Unitarian Universalist Church of Utica, 10 Higby Road. Co-sponsored by the AFL-CIO Central NY Labor Council and the UU Church Social Action Committee. Speakers and their topics include

"Lost Wages, It Happens All the Time,"—Don MacIntosh, GCIU/IBT Local 259M,
"Independent Contractors: the New Migrant Worker"—Tom Zalocha, Business Agent, Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 112
"Working Off the Clock: 15 Minutes Here, 15 There, What's the Big Deal?"—Vinney Cavo, Director of Organizing, UFCW District Union Local One
"Religious Traditions: What Do They Say About Wage Theft?"—Rev. Davis Blanchard, Minister, UU Church of Utica

Friday, March 6
Noon—BREAKING THE FAST. The meal is provided by the AFL-CIO Central New York Labor Council. Participants are asked to share any action that they are going to take as a result of their participation in the FAST. Call 315/ 735-6101 for more information.
    
Please let us know about any events we missed: info@labor-religion.org

Last Updated:03/30/2009
© Labor-Religion Coalition of New York State