Civil and Human Rights Committee Minutes of December 5, 2008

Civil & Human Rights Committee

Minutes of December 5, 2008 Meeting

Date: December 5, 2008

Time: 2:00 pm

Attendance: Myrtle Walker, Paul Gambill, Lester Wright, and Rayshiang Lin

Committee Report:

1. The committee budget has been approved by SWEB. To save money the committee will meet on Fridays before the SWEB meetings, because most of the committee members are also members of SWEB.

2. Paul shared his experience of visiting Southern Poverty Law Center. The committee voted to donate $100.00 to support the important works this organization is doing.

3. Paul briefed everyone the SEIU position on the immigration reform.

SEIU seeks comprehensive reform that is fair to taxpayers, practical, and tough on enforcement. Additionally, any reform must include the following basic principles:
* Earned legalization that provides a path to citizenship for the estimated 11 to 12 million of undocumented persons currently living in the United States.
* Replace current undocumented flow of workers, with a new worker visa program that includes: portability of visas so that workers can change jobs; the right to join unions and have full labor and civil rights protections, the right to bring family members with them, and the ability to self-petition for permanent residency and citizenship:
*Vigorous labor and civil rights enforcement that replaces our current regime of employer sanctions;
*Critical due process protections to ensure immigrants have the full protection of the law: including judicial review, access to the federal courts, limiting detention of immigrants and expanding alternatives to detention
*Elimination of the family backlog and an increase number of visas to reunite families; and
*Bilateral partnerships with other countries to encourage real economic development so that workers don't have to leave their country of origin in order to support themselves and their families
*Hard working, tax-paying immigrants who are living in this country should be given every opportunity to come forward, earn legal status and have a path to citizenship. This will enhance border security; strengthen our communities and improve our economy.
*SEIU represents workers who perform some of our most needed, yet under valued, work-work that is essential to our economy, families, and communities. "...If these workers are good enough to care for our children and aged, cut our grass and clean our buildings, they are good enough to be given the option to become permanent residents and eventual citizens. Debunking Immigration Myths sheets attached; reference: http://www.seiu.org/political/issues/immigration/

Lester Wright Report:

1. The mayor of Hazelton, Lou Bartlett(sp) who made national attention by introducing local law to regulate "illegal aliens" in his city, that failed lost in his run for US congress.

2. The recent murder by local youths of a young man from Mexico here without authorization, in Shenandoah, Pa. is being taken to trial and being observed by the Mexican American legal defense organization. Hate crime charges may well be applied

3. As we have more of a budget for the current year, I feel we should look into finding out where the SEIU Social Justice Conference is being held and determine if we can send representation.

Rayshiang Lin Report:

Proposed a new initiative for the committee: mitigating health disparity.
For years the human and civil right groups have been fighting for the social economic justice for the minority groups. Somehow health equity has not gained enough attention, despite the fact that black Americans have shorter life expectancy, higher infant mortality rate, higher disease burdens of stroke, cancers, HIV/AIDS, homicides, etc., comparing to the majority white.* Many factors contribute to these disparities, including social economic factors, life style health behaviors, social environment and accessibility to health care. While the politicians are planning to address the issue of accessible affordable health care, we as the members of Human and Civil Right Committee need to raise the awareness of health disparity. Although the causes of the health disparity are complex, and the solutions are not simple, we can make a difference in mitigating this issue by collaborating with the Health and Safety Committee to work on wellness projects to promote healthy behaviors to our members. We also can encourage physical activities, smoking cessation, healthy eating behaviors, and attainment of healthy weight to minority groups in the communities. We can also organize blood pressure screening in the minority gathering events. We should call upon our SWEB members to take the leadership in adopting healthy behaviors. We may start to work on proposals if we can have the support of SWEB.

*Reference: Health Disparities Experienced by Black or African Americans --- United States http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5401a1.htm

The meeting was concluded with each member committed to continue providing information on Civil & Human Rights issues to our membership. Labor unions have historically been at the forefront of supporting the rights of the working poor and our members in their shops and communities.

Respectfully prepared and submitted by Rayshiang Lin, Lester Wright and Paul Gambill