http://action.workingfamiliesparty.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=6276

###

###

Eviction Order Will be Signed Wednesday,

Vigil at Jennifer Britt’s Home Starts Thursday

Join us anytime Thursday, July 19, starting at 6am, and sign up for whatever time slot you can manage over the next week at Jennifer’s home. There will be an open meeting at 6pm at the house, 15701 Warwick St. at Midland in Rosedale Park, just south of Grand River, first light west of Southfield Freeway.

Contact us if you can’t make it: DetroitEvictionDefense@gmail.com

Judge Nancy Blount of 36^th District Court denied our motion to stay the eviction of Jennifer Britt and her family from their Rosedale Park home. The judge will sign the eviction order Wednesday on behalf of Fannie Mae, the housing finance agency run by the federal government.

Detroit Eviction Defense is asking its supporters to join us in a vigil at Jennifer’s home starting Thursday. We will oppose the placing of the dumpster in front of the home in a peaceful manner, making a statement with our numbers. Join us in whatever capacity you are comfortable with— as witness, supporter, resister.

Fannie Mae bails out Flagstar, evicts Jennifer

Fannie Mae refused the offer of Southwest Housing Solutions to buy the home at its appraised value and keep Jennifer’s family in their home. The government will only accept the full value of the taxpayer-funded bailout it gifted to Flagstar Bank— $121,000. This is a scandalous disregard of the community’s needs and a blatant double standard: Fannie Mae will sell foreclosed homes to investors at well below market, but homeowners like Jennifer are charged a king’s ransom and given the boot. Fannie Mae needs to address the needs of the community, not just the banks. Southwest Housing Solutions is willing to negotiate.

The foreclosure never should have happened in the first place, as made clear in the summary below. In a nutshell: Leon and Jennifer Britt have paid more than $100,000 for the home, Jennifer paying $46,000 since Leon died in 2006, exhausting her savings as Flagstar refused to modify, raised the monthly payment, and loaded her balance with fees and penalties.

We don’t need another empty home in Detroit and Rosedale Park!

Flagstar first foreclosed when Jennifer’s husband, a member of UAW Local 600, died in 2006. The home  was temporarily in default and Jennifer paid $26,000 from her husband’s life insurance to restore the loan.
Flagstar raised monthly payments over the next 2 years from $1,550 to $1,750, but refused to put Jennifer’s name on the mortgage after Leon’s death.

When Jennifer lost her job in 2008 she continued paying while asking for a loan modification. Flagstar refused, saying her name wasn’t on the mortgage— and the bank then raised her payment to $1,975. Jennifer has paid a total of $46,000 since 2006, depleting her savings.

Flagstar foreclosed and Fannie Mae, operated by the federal government, paid $121,000 in taxpayer money to take over the mortgage.

Jennifer now has a job and Southwest Housing Solutions offered to buy the house at its appraised value and sell it to her on favorable terms. Fannie Mae refused: it wants $121,000 for a house worth little more than 1/10th that amount.

Jennifer Britt

###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JULY 13, 2012

CONTACT: Christine Neumann-Ortiz (414) 736-2835

           Joe Shansky (414) 218-3331

  Palermo Workers Union Files Illegal Intimidation Charges Against Palermo Villa

NLRB Delays Union Election Pending Investigation

In response to an increase in disturbing intimidation tactics by Palermo Villa against its employees, the Palermo Workers Union filed additional charges to the National Labor Relations Board this week.  The charges specify further violations of the workers’ rights to organize at the pizza factory.

The charges of illegal intimidation, a severe violation of worker rights under the National Labor Relations Act, are serious enough that the Labor Board has decided to delay the union election while they conduct an investigation.

“When we first came together to organize to improve conditions at Palermo, we easily gathered support from 80% of the work force.” says Roberto Silva of the Palermo Workers Union.

“162 permanent employees of the bargaining unit signed a petition for union representation before the strike. Since then, at least 90 strikers have been unjustly fired.  These retaliatory terminations and other violations by the company have made the atmosphere at Palermo too intimidating for most of our co-workers to feel free to exercise their right to support organizing.”

“We call on Palermo to return their long-term dedicated workforce to their jobs, and to hold a free and fair process to recognize the workers’ choice to unionize and bargain a labor agreement,” says Reverend Willie Brisco of Milwaukee Inner City Congregations Allied for Hope (MICAH).

“It is a true injustice to refuse to address their genuine need for humane schedules and sick leave policies, improved health and safety, and a living wage. It’s in the interest of both the management and the employees to settle this conflict fairly and get back to making pizza again.”

###

http://www.facebook.com/events/327926010622347/

###

Coalition To March On The RNC

www.MarchontheRNC.com

July 12, 2012

For Immediate Release:

Jared Hamil (813) 732-2733, hamil.j.a@gmail.com

Corey Uhl (941) 416-3022, coreyuhl@gmail.com

The Coalition to March on the RNC Wins Permits

The Coalition to March on the RNC successfully obtained permits to rally and protest in Tampa, Florida. The permitted rally and march on the Republican National Convention will start at 10:00 AM, Monday, August 27, 2012, at Perry Harvey Sr. Park, 1200 N Orange Ave, Tampa, FL.

On Tuesday July 10, Tampa leaders of the Coalition to March on the RNC met with City officials. The Coalition is protesting the Republicans and demanding good jobs, healthcare, affordable education, equality and peace.

The City of Tampa granted the permits for the rallies and use of the official parade route and viewing areas within sight and sound of the Tampa Bay Times Forum. Jared Hamil of the Coalition said, “After months of organizing Florida-wide support for the march, after opposing the City of Tampa’s repressive “Clean Zone Ordinance”, and then gaining national support by protesting against NATO in Chicago, the Coalition has succeeded in securing a permitted rally and march route within sight and sound of the RNC.”

At the meeting, Coalition members explained to City officials the logistics of the rally and march, taking place on opening day of the RNC. Corey Uhl said after the meeting, “On August 27, thousands of protesters will march from Perry Harvey Sr. Park through the streets of downtown Tampa to “Protest RNC Square” at the corner of S. Nebraska and E. Brorein, within sight of the Tampa Bay Times Forum.”

Hamil continues, “The Coalition is planning a unified march with people representing groups from all over Florida and the country–including many labor unions, low-income and community organizations, anti-war groups, student, women and immigrant rights groups as well as faith based equality groups. In unity there is strength and together protesters will be able to directly oppose the Republican agenda, as well as the agenda of the 1% – the wealthy funders of both political parties.  The Coalition is here to demand government money be used for human needs, not corporate greed and wars overseas. Good jobs, healthcare, affordable education, equality, and peace—those are the people’s demands.”

On July 27, the Coalition and members across the state plan to hold rallies and press conferences in a one-month countdown to the opening of the RNC.

###

Monday, September 3 — Labor Day at 3pm
Wedgewood Baptist Church
4800 Wedgewood Drive, Charlotte, NC 28210

Join Southern unions, workers organizations, civil/human rights groups, immigrant rights groups, unemployed, young workers, faith and community for a workers speak-out that uplifts our on-the-ground actual workers’ rights struggles in the US South.

The Southern working class must encourage our workers and organizations to have an independent presence at the Democratic National Convention as an opportunity to discuss, plan and organize around our own working class needs and struggles for independent political action as we continue to challenge Right-To-Work (for less) & Taft-Hartley laws, low wages, denial of collective bargaining, and workers’ human rights connected with the historical demands against the South’s legacy of Jim Crow laws, anti-immigrant scapegoating and racism.

The Southern region is the least unionized region in the country. NC is the single least unionized state and is home of Wall Street South as headquarters of Bank of America, Wells Fargo Bank East with the largest concentration of finance capital outside NYC. Workers must let the big banks, corporations and both parties know that we as workers will continue building our powerful Southern movement that addresses our needs as workers and not corporate greed! Enough is enough! We will Organize, Unionize and fightback!

Call 919-539-2051 or email SouthernWorkersAssembly@gmail.com to get involved. More info here!

###

Join us at Ft. Meade!

On Monday, July 16, PFC Bradley Manning returns to the Ft. Meade, Maryland, military court room for the next pre-trial hearing. These hearings determine what arguments, evidence, and witness the defense and prosecution can argue during the court-martial trial. Bradley’s trial is currently set to begin in November; however, the prosecution is now maneuvering for February 2013, at the earliest! Even if the trial started in November, Bradley will have been in jail for more than two and a half years – a thousand days – without a court martial. This is not due process. Army Judge Denise Lind is finally expected to set a real timeline for Bradley’s court martial next week.

Join the vigil Monday morning at the Fort Meade Main Gate, 8am-10am (Maryland 175 & Reece Rd, Fort Meade, MD), and let’s fill the court room through the week.

* More about this hearing
* About attending hearings at Fort Meade
* For more information about DC area actions/events: bailey@bradleymanning.org

###

http://www.facebook.com/events/248888931880611/

5:30 p.m., United Lodge 66- 2611 W. Oklahoma Avenue Milwaukee, WI 53215

Join the Palermo’s Workers Thursday July 12th at 5:30pm for dinner, music, and FUNdraising for the Palermo’s Workers Union.

There will be music provided by community members as well as a piñata and entertainment for the kids!

Dinner will be provided for a small donation at 5:30pm and we will join the picket line at 7:30pm where we will deliver the donations. The Palermo’s Workers say they need food, water, umbrellas for the sun, and in particular monetary donations to help pay for rent and other living expenses while the struggle continues.

All donations are accepted. All are welcome.

If you would like to donate food to the dinner, please contact Carolina at sozacarolina@yahoo.com.

For more information about the event, contact Pepe at (414) 736-7287.

You can also donate directly to the Palermo’s Strike Fund here: https://www.wepay.com/donations/183059

Hope to See all of you there!

“The fight is never about grapes or lettuce (or pizza)…It is always about people.” — Cesar Chavez

On the picket line at Palermo’s June 11, 2012.

###

PRESS RELEASE:

Fire & Police Commission mtg July 12th, 2012, Rufus King High School, 5:30pm

Occupy the Hood- Milwaukee to submit request to the City of Milwaukee,
Fire & Police Commission and MPD establishment of a community led
board which oversees community interactions, complaints, and help
develop better community policing practices.

In regards to Darius Simmons, the community is calling for an public
investigation. Along with many other allegations such as illegal strip
searches, community data, etc. we are requesting transparency and
public answers.

PRESS CONFERENCE:

– Full investigation of Darius Simmons homicide
– Federal investigation of MPD
– Demanding request to establishment Community Review Board

JULY 12TH, 2012
RUFUS KING HIGH SCHOOL
1801 W. OLIVE STREET
5:15PM

CONTACT: Occupy the Hood-MKE
EMAIL: mkeoccupythehood@gmail.com
PHONE: (414) 395-0134
#OccupytheHoodMKE
@occupyhoodMKE

Ms. Patricia Larry holding a photo of her son Darius Simmons who was murdered by a white neighbor June 1, 2012 in Milwaukee.

###