April 7, 2008
2009 National MEChA Conference
The 2009 National MEChA Conference will be hosted by MEChA de University of Oregon, of the Aztlán del Noroeste region, at University of Oregon in Eugene, OR. More information will be posted in the national conference section, keep checking back for updates.
MEChA de University of Oregon was chosen by full consensus as the next hosting campus during the National MEChA conference call on Sunday, April 6, 2008. Below is the proposal letter by MEChA de University of Oregon that was presented to National MEChA:
Letter from MEChA de University of Oregon
Saludos National MEChA,
We hope that you are doing well en sus respective comunidades, we wanted to take this time to inform National MEChA about MEChA de University of Oregon. Our MEChA chapter has existed at the University of Oregon for over 30 years and has done continuous work supporting Raza in Oregon and nationwide. Some of the major issues that MEChA de U of O has worked towards are labor justice issues by supporting various boycotts and actions on grapes, tomatoes and lettuce as a means of solidarity with farm workers. We have historical coalitions/relationships with organizations around the state including CAUSA, an immigrants rights organization based out of Portland, and Pinero y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN), located in Woodburn. We also have strong ties with social justice organizations, businesses, and schools because of some of our programs, like Ganas, an after school program in which we go to different middle schools and help them with mentoring, homework and building relationships with the students. Because of our history and our continued pursuit in helping Raza in our communities, we would like to propose to National MEChA to have the 16th Annual MEChA National Conference at the University of Oregon, hosted by MEChA de U of O.
We believe that it will be a great opportunity to have Raza from around the nation come to the northwest, and the state of Oregon more specifically, to gain some knowledge of the issues affecting our community locally. Such as the anti-immigrant groups that have been actively trying to criminalize "undocumented" people throughout the state; the Executive Order #07-22 of Governor Kulongoski to only give drivers licenses to people who are documented; Tuition Equity, a bill allowing undocumented high school students to attend a public university with in-state tuition; or the local ICE raids that have been on the rise. Most reported nationally has been the Del Monte raid in Portland, Oregon in June 2007 where more than 165 people were held, many deported and some mothers with young children were held under house arrest to take care of their families. These issues are affecting Raza everyday, and these struggles are ones that we hope that National MEChA would like to hear by having the National MEChA conference in the city of Eugene, Oregon at the University of Oregon.
MEChA de U of O would also like to keep in the tradition of MEChA and challenge ourselves to think of new ways to progress as an organization and work more effectively for the community. Some of the ways we would like to do this is by thinking of communities within Raza, Chicanas y Chicanos that we often don't address in a conference through workshops, speakers and entertainment. Issues of dis/ability, gender oppression, heterosexism, trans y queer/jotería are all things that we would like to address in the conference following with our advocacy agendas y otros papeles. We believe as a chapter that we have strong relationships on our campus where we can gain support from staff, professors, and administration. MEChA de U of O creemos que tenemos a unique opportunity to provide a space for National MEChA to learn about new things, learn from one another, organize Raza y también have a good time. We hope that National MEChA, and each individual region and chapter strongly consider coming to Oregón and having MEChA de University of Oregon host the 16th Annual MEChA Conference.
In Solidarity,
MEChA de Univeristy of Oregon
April 1, 2008
Update: Blue Diamond Workers
Attached to the end of this message is a copy of a press release for an event that took place today here in Sacramento. Today the Sacramento City Council adopted a resolution and formed a committee to further seek communications with Blue Diamond's CEO. This is another step towards the victory, as we gain more allies in support of the workers' struggle to unionize.
I was able to address the Council and let them know that there is a whole coalition of organizations supporting the workers, one of them now being National M.E.Ch.A. as we also adopted a resolution at this past conference at Sac State.
After the meeting was adjourned I was approached by various Blue Diamond workers and I was informed that even until today there are many remarks made directly to the employees by management that the "ACTION ON THE 21ST HAD NO IMPACT, AND THAT THE STUDENTS HAVE NO POWER AND MADE NO DIFFERENCE". Now, let's go back in time to Friday March 21st, 2008 the day of our national action, and remember that on that day more than 500 MEChistAs showed up and that there was a minimal amount of workers at the plant. If students truly had no power, how is it that even though after over 20 years, the company chose that day to give its workers the holiday (Good Friday) off?! Yea, students have no power. Because according to the workers that I talked to, everyone knows we were there even though our chalk art with strong messages of solidarity was washed off the next morning.
So I think it's right to assume that this company obviously wants to prevent its workers from knowing we and everyone else support them. It is also right to assume that we definitely made an impact, and that will it continue onto the future of this campaign. As it passed in the resolution circle at nationals (I will send a copy of that as soon as I get it) we have made the commitment to stand in solidarity with these workers.
The ILWU and specially the Blue Diamond workers send their gratitude for all our support and gladly look forward to further work with us.
If there are any questions don't hesitate to ask.
In solidarity,
Guambry Santillan
MEChA de Sac City College
Alta Califas Norte MEChA Región
NEWS ADVISORY: Sacramento City Council to intervene in Blue Diamond union standoff
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MONDAY, MARCH 31, 2008
Contact: Marcy Rein, ILWU Organizing Dept., 510-847-4443. Para información en español, favor de llamar á Agustin Ramirez, ILWU, 916-606-4681 (cell)
Attention: Daybook/Assignment Desk
Sacramento City Council to take hard look at Blue Diamond Tuesday, will offer plan to end stand-off over union vote
SACRAMENTO - The Sacramento City Council will vote Tuesday evening on a proposal to intervene and end the long-running standoff between Blue Diamond Growers (BDG) and its workers who want to join the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU).
A rally and news briefing will be held at 5:30 p.m. TUESDAY outside City Hall (915 I St.), prior to the City Council meeting at 6 p.m. (Blue Diamond is expected to be the first item on the agenda).
The proposal calls on Mayor Heather Fargo to create an ad hoc committee of no more than four members of the City Council to meet informally with representatives of Blue Diamond management, workers and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) to mediate the longstanding conflict over how the workers will decide whether or not they want a union.
The workers now say they would be willing to have a secret ballot election, as long as the company agrees to some additional ground rules to ensure it will be a "free and fair" election.
Blue Diamond has so far refused to consider any changes to the flawed NLRB process. A panel of eight community leaders including Councilmember Steve Cohn and State Sen. Darrell Steinberg wrote to BDG in December urging the company to adopt fair ground rules for a union vote. Blue Diamond CEO Doug Youngdahl let two months lapse before sending Sen. Steinberg a dismissive reply.
The Council will also get an update on Blue Diamond's compliance with the economic development agreement it signed with the city in 1995.
Support the D-Q University 3
Wednesday, April 2, 2008 at 7:30am
Woodland Courthouse (Department 9)
DQ Univerisity is California's ONLY tribal college. There has been an on-going struggle between DQU students and the DQU Board of Trustees since 2005 when the school lost its accreditation. Incompetence and negligence on the part of the former school administration cost the college its accreditation in January of 2005. Following that, a group of DQU students, with community support, vowed to stay on campus and take charge of their own education, turning the campus into a healthy, self-sustainable, and self-determined living environment!
On February 20th, 3 students from DQ University were arrested under the false pretenses of trespassing, unjustly by the Board of Trustees. Earlier this week, another 18 were arrested with the same charges!!!
The students need your support!!! We ask for your presence on this date to show the board and the courts that the community is behind us and WE WANT OUR SCHOOL BACK!! NO MORE UNJUST ARRESTS!!!
For more information contact Christal West (MEChA de UC Davis) at: christal@nationalmecha.org
