FUSsa-talk Mailing List: MUUSJA: Training for green jobs and racial equity advocacy

[Carol Koepp (carolkoepp]

This training will prepare UUs to introduce a hiring equity and economic 
justice resolution at their Green, Republican, Independence, or Democratic 
caucus.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Ralph Wyman 
To: 'Debra Rodgers' ; 'Pat Haff' ; 'Doug Federhart' ; 'Carol Koepp' 
Cc: 'Catie Chi Olson' 
Sent: Thursday, January 21, 2010 4:23 PM
Subject: Training for green jobs and racial equity advocacy


The Minnesota Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Alliance has three top 
issue areas of focus, one of which is Green Jobs. To this end, Ralph Wyman and 
Catie Chi Olson have been participating in leadership of the HIRE Minnesota 
Coalition. Ralph co-chairs HIRE's Green Jobs Working Group. Catie serves on 
Green Jobs with Ralph and also on the Infrastructure Working Group for Hiring 
Equity. Both attend the Central Committee meetings of HIRE. 

This promises to be a tough budget time for Minnesota. HIRE Minnesota is 
advocating for Green policy in the current bonding proposal from our Governor, 
bonding proposed by the Legislature, and for hiring equity in transportation 
funded through MnDOT.

 

Hiring equity has been an issue for the some 20 years, as the Minnesota 
Department of Transportation has yet to achieve their hiring goals for women, 
people of color and low income communities. We expect the next census to 
confirm that people of color will be about 15% of our state's population, 
though Mn/DOT has seldom reached more than half of their own hiring equity goal 
of 12%.  Many other past projects funded by bonding have had similarly 
disappointing results.


All Unitarian Universalists in Minnesota are invited to a free non-partisan 
Precinct Caucus Training at First Universalist Church at 3400 Dupont Avenue 
South in Minneapolis on January 30, from 10 to 11:30 AM (light refreshments @ 
9:45). This training will be led by Karen Monahan of EJAM and the Sierra Club. 
Please announce this opportunity to your congregation this week. This training 
will prepare UUs to introduce a hiring equity and economic justice resolution 
at their Green, Republican, Independence, or Democratic caucus.

We also have 5 slots available for a special HIRE Minnesota's Citizen Lobbying 
Training at Summit Academy OIC at 935 Olson Memorial Highway from 6 to 8 pm on 
Thursday, January 28.  If you have specific leaders in your congregation - 
folks with interest in racial and economic justice - please invite them.

 

We would be happy to answer your questions about HIRE, about MUUSJA's racial 
and economic justice work, and these trainings.

Sincerely, 

 

Ralph Wyman, MUUSJA Director/Organizer

612-998-6624

rwmuusja [at] gmail.com

 

Catie Chi Olson, Co-Chair, Eco-Minds

612-807-6645

catiechi [at] ix.netcom.com