Los Angeles
COVID Outreach
November was a great month for CLUE with our efforts about COVID. As we continue working very hard to inform our communities that the best way to end this pandemic and prevent more deaths is by getting vaccinated, we were able to recruit a few new churches to participate as vaccination sites. A lot of our Latino and Hispanic residents felt comfortable to get vaccinated at the sites.
We participated in Thanksgiving events through LA County and the Coachella Valley. A highlight was the day before Thanksgiving 11/24/202, where CLUE (Rev. Walter Contreras and team) was able to give a thousand masks and hand sanitizers to people that participated at the Fred Jordan Mission Thanksgiving event.
We have more events coming up next month and CLUE will have the opportunity to participate in large Christmas events to continue its outreach and education on COVID vaccines.
For more information, please contact Rev. Walter, [email protected]
Black Jewish Justice Alliance (BJJA)- Check the Sheriff
CLUE’s Black Jewish Justice Alliance continues to work with Check the Sheriff campaign to hold Sheriff Alex Villanueva accountable for terrorizing communities of color. The Sheriff has been defying subpoena’s etc. Impacted families of Sheriff’s violence have been standing strong. The BJJA is still supporting progressive Justice Reform through the Progressive Justice Reform Coalition with Black Lives Matter LA.
Black & Brown Clergy and Community Coalition (BBCCC)
Responding to the Haitian migrant crisis, BBCCC joined Black Alliance for Justice immigration for a week of action supporting Haitians and other Black Migrants. BBCCC also had the opportunity to go to Tijuana with Wyclef Jean to visit Haitian migrants and a shelter.
Reclaim Black LA
Reclaim Black LA has been doing outreach for several months in the Chesterfield Square Park area- Preparing for a Christmas Reclaim details coming soon.
For more information, please contact Pastor Cue, [email protected]
Long Beach and South Bay
Housing Justice in Long Beach
Housing is a critical issue in Long Beach. This is the number one issue for most Long Beach families during the pandemic. About 60% of Long Beach residents are tenants, and many have been impacted by “substantial remodel” evictions during the pandemic. Landlords take advantage of the loophole to evict long-term tenants, make minor changes, and hike up the rent. Therefore, CLUE has been joining the advocacy efforts of the Housing Justice Coalition to fight for a policy comprising of the removal of substantial remodel as a just cause and a fair process for responsible repairs.
Our coalition made visits to councilmembers to share our concerns and recorded testimony videos of tenants impacted by “substantial remodel” evictions to uplift this struggle of our community. Check out Jeanette’s story, Kelvin’s story, & Rosa’s story!
On Tuesday, December 7, CLUE clergy, Rev. Sandie Richards, the Lead Pastor of Los Altos United Methodist Church, joined community members at the city council meeting to make a public comment in support of tenants. There were about 40 people making public comments in front of the City Council that night. With the collective organizing effort, we gained some victories for Long Beach tenants as follows:
- Modify the Just Cause Ordinance to increase benefits to $4,500 per household or two months of rent, whichever is higher.
- Establish a civil fine of up to $15,000 payable by a landlord to a tenant when a landlord has been found by a civil court to have intentionally violated the City’s Just Cause Ordinance when issuing an invalid termination notice based upon the substantial remodel just cause termination of tenancy provision.
- Revise the Just Cause Ordinance to require property owners to notify the City when applying the substantial remodel just cause for termination provision in conjunction with related construction work. Require staff to track data on this type of displacement and deploy housing navigators to assist tenants who are displaced.
- Revise the Just Cause Ordinance to require a 90-day notice to vacate for any no-fault just cause termination of tenancy.
Ports Campaign
CLUE is working closely with LAANE and the Teamsters to advocate against misclassification and wage theft among port truck drivers at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The congestion at this port complex has exposed the shortage of good jobs, not the shortage of drivers, that impacts the whole nation. Last month, CLUE clergy, Rev. Andy Schwiebert, Senior Pastor of Immanuel Presbyterian Church, virtually joined in a meeting in Sacramento discussing possible solutions for this supply chain crisis.
We have also been focusing on supporting drivers at XPO company to organize for union representation at their trucking company.
ACTION ALERT: Toy drive for port truck drivers. Donate by December 17.
On Dec 17 & 18, from 6 – 9 pm, there will be toy drives for XPO drivers and their families in Commerce & San Diego respectively. These events are intended to show appreciation and support to drivers. We are hoping to have clergy at these toy drives to offer blessings and gratitude to the drivers and their families. If you would like to join our toy drives on these dates, please reach out to let Rev. Mary Duong know via [email protected].
For more information, please contact Pastor Mary Duong, [email protected]
Orange County
Community March, Rally, & Press Conference in Support of Santa Ana Kingspan Sheetmetal Workers
On Wed, Nov 10, 2021, faith community, environmental activists, labor partners and the Santa Ana mayor came out in force to support Santa Ana Kingspan workers in their struggle to form a union and to Clean Up Kingspan. These brave sheetmetal workers, in addition to having declared their intention to form a union, had also recently delivered complaints alleging Kingspan’s unsafe working conditions to Cal/OSHA, and environmental concerns to the CA Environmental Protection Agency.
ACTION ALERT: We will be sending a faith community letter to Kingspan management in support of their workers and our community. Can you please sign our petition here: https://forms.gle/y7Jh8SETLfNqH8CW6
Click here to see more photos from this action.
ACTION ALERT: Please watch & share their short video, including an interview with UCI air pollution exposure scientist, Shahir Masri:
News coverage:
- Whistleblowers Say a Santa Ana Sheet Metal Factory is Unsafe, Polluting Water, Voice of OC (Dec 1, 2021)
- Workers say air quality inside Kingspan facility in Santa Ana is serious health risk, ABC7 (Nov 11, 2021)
- Santa Ana workers exposed to toxic environment, seek union, Catholic Labor Network (Nov 11, 2021)
- For unionizing factory workers in Santa Ana, indoor air pollution is more pressing than pay, Daily Pilot (Oct 20, 2021)
Links
For more details contact faith-rooted organizer Adam Overton, [email protected]
West Anaheim Medical Center workers call on hospital to prioritize patient care
On November 22, 2021, just days before Thanksgiving, workers at West Anaheim Medical Center protested outside, urging management to prioritize patient care. Workers are in negotiations for a new contract and say that management continues a dangerous pattern of low wages and understaffing that results in high employee turnover, burnout and low morale, and most of all, patients not receiving the care they deserve.
Stay tuned for more ways to support these healthcare workers.
See video and more photos here.
ACTION ALERT: Sign-on to support Kaiser mental health therapists & clinicians
Kaiser Mental Health Therapists & Clinicians are calling for clergy & organizations to please sign-on to their letter to Kaiser: https://nuhw.org/an-open-letter-to-kaiser-permanente/
For more details contact faith-rooted organizer Adam Overton, [email protected]
Presentation at Kiwanis Club of Santa Ana
On November 17, CLUE partnered with THRIVE Santa Community Land Trust (CLT) to create education about the first CLT in the City of Santa Ana with the Kiwanis Club of Santa Ana, a service club made up of leaders including people of faith. THRIVE used this opportunity to share with an audience of over 20 about THRIVE’s mission, work in the Santa Ana community, and about its first project, the Walnut and Daisy Micro-farm, that will incubate a worker-owned cooperative, promoting economic justice through the creation of local jobs.
For more information, please contact Faith-Rooted Organizer Lucero Garcia, [email protected]
Santa Ana Becomes the First City in Orange County to Pass Rent Control and Just Cause Protections
After the Santa Ana city council adopted Rent Control and Just Cause Protections on Tuesday, October 19, 2021 the new laws finally became effective on Tuesday, November 19, 2021. Soon after rent control was adopted, the Apartment Association attempted to repeal the two laws by launching a referendum against them. However, the Apartment Association was unsuccessful.
Santa Ana is the first city in Orange County to adopt Rent Control and Just Cause evictions due to the tireless efforts, over the past years, of one of our partners, Tenants United Santa Ana (TUSA), a volunteer-led coalition.
Congratulations to the hard work of Tenants United Santa Ana and a huge thank you to all the Santa Ana Faith Leaders and Congregations who endorsed the City of Santa Ana Community Preservation, Rent Stabilization, and Tenants’ Rights Act.
Check out the following articles:
- Santa Ana’s rent control law is on after efforts to repeal it fail
- Efforts to Repeal Santa Ana’s New Rent Control Law Fall Short
- Santa Ana Council Narrowly Moves Forward With Citywide Rent Control, Eviction Protection Policies
Presentation at OC Human Relations
Gagandeep Mann, OC Human Relations specialist and former director with the Interfaith Network reached out to CLUE to share and inspire high school students about the vision and mission CLUE offers in the work of justice. David Jaimes shared from his work on Immigration and the Young Religious Leaders Fellowship and how these students could be a big part of keeping the movement growing in Orange County. CLUE is expanding their “educate” role and is seeing high interest from our faith partners and community.
Immigration Justice
Dignity and Justice for Immigrants
Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice mobilizes clergy and community to show up in the struggle for dignity and justice for immigrants. You are invited to join. Email [email protected] to receive action alerts.
Interfaith Justice Collaborative
There is still much to look forward to in South OC Immigration work! Wrapping up the year the working group, already 3 years in the making, started by, now, Senior Faith Rooted Organizer, Lucero Garcia, looked back at the work of the year and the immense support CLUE did in the collaborative. CLUE helps sponsor and lead over 25 actions with the faith community in South OC and the reach has increased. The Thanksgiving break allowed our group to recall the work that is pushing towards freeing the many still under migrant injustices.
For information, please contact Faith-rooted organizer David Jaimes at [email protected]
Solidarity is Sacred
Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice educates, organizes, and mobilizes faith leaders and community members to walk with workers and immigrants in their struggles for good jobs, safe workplaces, and healthy communities.
We can accompany low-wage workers—mostly immigrants and communities of color—because people like you support an organized, connected interfaith movement for economic justice.
Please join the movement to build an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top.
