LELO News 5.06
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NON-PROFIT For Workers, By Workers LELO ORG. Come visit us! US POSTAGE PAID SPEAKING FOR OURSELVES, TO EACH OTHER 3700 South Hudson St, Unit C SEATTLE, WA Seattle, WA 98118 PERMIT NO. 1425 A N e w s l e t t e r o f L E L O — A L e g a c y o f E q u a l i t y , L e a d e r s h i p & O r g a n i z i n g (206) 860-1400 fax (206) 860-1414 ISSUE 12: SPRING 2006 Website: www.lelo.org RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED The April 10th May 1st, La A Face to the Struggle for Immigrant Marchas brought millions of undocumented Latino Rights: Jorge Quiroga by Karen Zammit families, other immigrants and their allies into the streets in cities and small towns across the country to demand basic human rights. LELO founder Silme Domingo liked to talk about the “ebbs and flows” of people’s movements. He reminded us that our work, LELO’s Annual as social justice organizers, is to build strong political Domingo, Viernes, Jefferson and organizational skills so JUNE 10 that our folks would be Awards Dinner educated, empowered and ready to lead when the flow came. In 1999, organizer ike many of you, I saw dictatorships. He made me participate Ricardo Ortega, on behalf Jorge Quiroga at LELO at a very young age. I used to be a of LELO, helped found El Thank You Cherry Cayabyab! by scott winn Comité Pro Amnistia L events and was not aware of carpenter, but the Argentinean his story. We recently government took me as being linked General y Justicia Social – "Being a part of the Family Wage Jobs Association, the group founded and led by Silme Domingo talked about his experience being a with an organization called The Committee for General political refugee from Argentina and Monteneros, which was one of the Committee was my favorite memory and Gene Viernes before they were assassinated in 1981. Amnesty & Social Justice. of working at LELO," reflected Cherry Cherry returned from vacation and started her job at the UW how he became an organizer for biggest groups in Argentina that was For the past seven years immigrant and worker rights. He is fighting against dictators. I was doing Cayabyab about her year working as Women's Center, and was happy to see Paula Lukaszek, a the Comité has worked organizer of LELO's Family Wage Job currently on the boards of El Comité political work for them, but the member of the Family Wage Jobs Project. Paula is a tirelessly to conduct Organizing Project. Cherry is now unionized plumber at the UW. "I was so excited to see Pro Amnistia General y Justicia Social government believed I was a guerilla outreach and education in (The Committee for General Amnesty & working as the Coordinator of the Paula!" remembers Cherry. "We gave each other big hugs fighter," shares Jorge, recounting his University of Washington Women's undocumented Latino Social Justice) and LELO. time in Argentina. "I was coming and I felt nostalgic." communities across the Center. "I had the opportunity to meet Cherry's community work continues. She volunteers as the “I came from Argentina, where I was from work on a motorcycle and it and work with an amazing group of state. Now that the flow is broke down, and I was trying to fix it. Education Director for Gabriela Network, a Filipina upon us, with literally tens a young organizer involved in working class folks who have more solidarity organization. She is also on the Board of the community and union organizing. My The army came on one of those heart and drive than many of the of thousands mobilizing in flatbed trucks, and I didn’t see them Asian Pacific Islander Women and Family Safety Center, Comité uncle was active in the resistance people who get the credit for being Seattle alone, the is but heard them, and everyone jumped and the Seattle Chapter of the National Asian Pacific at the forefront of both the movement in Argentina in the 50’s, community activists. It was humbling American Women's Forum. She plans to stay involved with on me. I woke up under the feet of all local and national when they broke down the to be part of the committee, as well as working with LELO as well. the soldiers because they laid me everyone at LELO." immigrant rights "LELO is on point with its political analysis." continued down in the back of the truck. I had a LELO seems to follow Cherry everywhere she goes now. movements. LELO are black bag over my face. I was Cherry. "LELO doesn't just represent communities of color, proud to be a founding After leaving LELO, before she found new employment, her LELO is communities of color. LELO is workers organizing detained for 3½ years and tortured, partner of the Comité and a mother took her to Hawaii for a vacation. Cherry was for themselves, the reality of that at LELO will always echo but they never had proof. My family participant in this historic taking a ride back to her hotel and struck up a conversation within me. It is how I strive to see myself doing social thought I was dead.” with her driver. Ends up he used to be a cannery worker at moment. justice organizing as a lifestyle. A holistic and “When I came from Argentina, I Alaska's Wards Cove, where the famous Supreme Court comprehensive analysis, including an international La Lucha Continua! Wards Cove Cannery Workers Civil Rights lawsuit sprang worked hard for many years to make perspective, without being afraid to say they are anti- my family successful," says Jorge, from, a major project of LELO in the 1980's and 1990's. He capitalist. While LELO provides a larger political The Editors was also a member of the Alaskan Cannery Workers framework for folks, it maintains a diverse way of thinking (Continued on page 2) and seeing the world. LELO builds unity that way." (Continued from page 1) makes simply being an undocumented Agua Verde Restaurant, American Civil Liberties Union, American Friends Service Committee, Asian Counseling and Referral Service, Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, Benson East Tenants, Bill & Melinda S ISSION person a felony in this country. It Gates Foundation, Black Dollar Days, Boston Foundation - Circle Fund, The Breakfast Club, Café Flora, LELO' M allows the police in any state to detain Carpenters' Union, Local 131, Cascade People's Center, CASA Latina, Central Area Development Association, LELO is a 30+ year-old workers’ rights Center for Career Alternatives, Church Council of Greater Seattle, Community Coalition for Environmental immigrants. That galvanized the Justice, Department of Neighborhoods Race and Social Justice Fund, Douglas organization based in Seattle, community," says Jorge, explaining Drachler & McKee, LLP, Emerald City Jazz D O N O R S Ensemble, Equal Rights Washington, Washington with a Legacy of Equality, EvergreenThank State College Labor Education &You! Research Center, Friends for Jim why the march was such a success. McDermott, G.S.B.A., Harry Bridges Labor Center for Labor Studies, Hate Free Zone, High Note Espresso, Leadership & Organizing. LELO strives to "For the immigrants there will be a IBEW Local 46, IBU/ILWU Region 37, IFPTE, Local 17, Interim Community Development Association, Japanese empower workers of color, low income American Citizens League, Jubilee NW, Kiewit Pacific Co., King County Charitable Giving Campaign, King and women workers to assert our rights, different set of rules. For example, we County Division of Community Corrections, Larry Phillips for County Council, Low Income Housing Institute, can be detained differently…we can MacDonald, Hoague & Bayless, Marguerite Casey Foundation, Marriage Equality Now, Marpac Construction, improve our working conditions and gain Microsoft Matching Gifts Program, Minority Executive Directors Coalition, Mothers for Police Accountability, a voice in our workplaces, trade unions be immediately deported without a day Nonprofit Assistance Center, October 22 Coalition, OPEIU Local 8, Out Front Labor Coalition/Pride at Work, in court. They say within 100 miles Palestine Solidarity Committee, People for Richard Conlin, People with Nick Licata, Porter's Refrigeration, Public and communities - both within the US and Interest Law Group, Quicksource, Inc., Rainier Valley Development Fund, Real Change, SAFECO Insurance across the globe. from a point of entry you could be Co, SCIDPDA, Seattle Community Access Network, Seattle Office for Civil Rights, SEIU, Local 6, SEIU, Local considered a person who just crossed 925, SEIU, Local 1199, Seattle-King County Building & Construction Trades Council, Seattle Young People's Project , SHARE/WHEEL, Social Justice Fund Northwest, Sound Transit, South Seattle Community College BOARD MEMBERS the border and they can immediately Foundation, Spectra Communications, Stritmatter Kessler Whelan Withey Coluccio, Teamsters Local 174, Nemesio Domingo deport you. In Seattle, we have no Tenants Union, Tides Foundation, Community Investments Fund, Tiempo, Tierra Learning Center, United Way of King County, University Baptist Church, Urban Press, WA State Building & Construction Trades Council, Monst*R Esguerra place to go without risking deportation Washington Cement Masons Training Institute, Washington State Jobs With Justice, Welfare Rights Organizing Todd Hawkins (Emeritus) because every place is within 100 Coalition, Western States Center, Women in Black, David Abrams, Chick Ackley, Duboise Adams, Phillip Garry Owens Adams, Joanne Alcantara, Negin Almassi, Xochitl Alvarez-Ponce, Brenda Anibarro, Ronald Antonio, Connie miles of a point of entry. I think that Ashbrook, Maia & Guy Astley, Marc Auerbach, Denise Baeza, Susan Bagby, Sean Bagsby, Melissa Bailey, Marline Pedregosa has turned the corner for us to make Michael Baker & Judy Tobin, Bob Barnes & Sue Gibbs, Mike Barnett & Abby Howell, Maria Batayola, Teresita Jorge Quiroga Batayola & Dionnie Dionisio, Geoff Bate, Marcia Benjamin, Paul Benz & Linda Olsen, Frank Reynolds this a massive issue.