Fuerza Unida--Amazing story of overcoming TTP They have a sowing cooperative of women who came together after unjustly losing their job's when they worked for Levi Strauss.

Date:   8/6/2013 7:13:11 PM ( 11 y ago)

I met the folks from Fuerza Unida last year at the TTP events in San Diego.

They told a story of overcoming corporate disrespect.

They had worked to make a business strong but then when push came to shove there whole community was out of work.

Check out how they came together to overcome:



Http://lafuerzaunida.org


History

Fuerza Unida was formed in 1990 when one of the Levi's Strauss factories on the South Side of San Antonio closed, leaving over 1,150 workers without jobs and with unjust severance pay. As a result of the plant closure, the women organized themselves to demand fair compensation from Levi's, as well as better working conditions for workers in other factories. Through organizing efforts, Fuerza Unida has become involved in many other social struggles, working on issues of women's empowerment for self-sufficiency, women's and labor rights, immigration, environmental issues and health education.
Purpose
We empower women workers and their families to achieve social, economic and environmental justice through education, organizing and advocacy.

see if they have clothes for sale"

admin@lafuerzaunida.org

Purpose
This past Novem
ber we launched our capital campagin aimed at securing a larger work space for our sewing cooperative, El Hilo de la Justicia, and Fuerza Unida's headquarters. We will begin an online silent auction in early 2013, please come back to visit this webpage in the New Year! Your contributions will get us closer to our goal of having an established Fuerza Unida building and the equipment to offer more jobs, leadership and business opportunities to women in San Antonio.

http://lafuerzaunida.org/show.html


Civil Disobedience

One of my longest-running photo involvements has been the honor of working with, developing friendships with, and taking photos of Fuerza Unida. Fuerza Unida is the organization formed after Levi Strauss laid off 1,150 Latina seamstresses in San Antonio, Texas in January of 1990. After the layoff, Levi's moved production to Costa Rica. Using hunger strikes, lawsuits, pickets, and a boycott, Fuerza Unida has fought long and hard for retraining, fair compensation, and corporate responsibility. Talking often with Fuerza Unida members when visiting them in San Antonio, and also when they have come to Levi's HQ in San Francisco. I have time and time again been moved by the depth of their strength and caring as they organize and sacrifice to keep their families together and to warn others so the hardship that hit them won't hurt others.

http://www.inmotionmagazine.com/fplpf.html


WHAT IS TTP?

"Stop TPP" protest in Shibuya in Tokyo, Japan. March 14, 2013. Photo by Jason Packman.
1 | 2 | 3 |

The TPP or Trans-Pacific Partnership would create a super-treaty which would jeopardize the sovereignty of the nations involved by giving that power to large corporations like Wal-Mart, Monsanto, Goldman Sachs, Pfizer, Halliburton, Philip Morris, GE, GM, Apple. There are currently 11 nations involved: U.S., New Zealand, Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam, Mexico and Canada. Japan has shown interest and is involved with the U.S. in talks about talks.

The economic power of the TPP group is more than 40% larger than the 27- nation European Union. TPP will offshore millions of good-paying jobs to low-wage nations, undercutting working conditions globally and increasing unemployment. The TPP will expand pharmaceutical monopoly protections and institute longer patents that will decrease access to affordable medications. TPP will limit food GMO labeling and allow the import of goods that do not meet US safe standards. TPP will institute SOPA, PIPA, and CISPA-like regulations and Internet measures which restrict our right to free speech. TPP will roll back Wall Street regulations, and prohibit bans on risky financial services. TPP will give multinational corporations and private investors the right to sue nations in private tribunals. These tribunals have the power to overturn environmental, labor, or any other laws that limit profit, awarding taxpayer funded damages. TPP will encourage the privatization of lands and natural resources in areas where indigenous people live.


http://www.inmotionmagazine.com/photo1.html?88,16



5:12 pm
August 6, 2013

 

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