| Let Justice Roll! |
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Dear friends - It was a beautiful sight last night as we marched to "let justice roll." As you can see on the front page of today's Oakland Tribune, over 350 Woodfin workers, union members, faith leaders, and Emeryville residents flooded the streets of Emeryville demanding "Backwages Now!" The community of support that has been built around the Woodfin workers' fight for dignity and fairness has never been larger, or stronger. And last night, you - as part of that community - made a bold and unforgettable statement to the Woodfin and to the Emeryville City Council: WE ARE HERE TO STAY! ¡Aqui estamos, y no nos vamos! Last night, the Woodfin presented their same tired arguments to the Council until late into the night, such that the Council had to schedule a continuation of the hearing for Monday, December 1st at 7 PM. At the risk of stating the obvious, the Woodfin is trying to drag this conflict out as long as possible, in the apparent but useless hope that you will tire of the fight, give up, and go away. But the Woodfin is fueling their fight with money - a resource that they will eventually run out of. We, however, are fueling our fight with our unshakeable belief in the rights of all workers, something we will never run out of. We can fight one day longer than the Woodfin, and we will. So, please join with us in saying that justice for Woodfin workers was not just something that we had written in our calendar for Nov. 17th. Justice is something that one day will be ours, one beautiful day, when Woodfin workers have checks in hand, not because it was quick, not because it was easy, but because we showed our children what it really means to struggle for fairness, for equality, and for the things we hold dear. With one part of the hearing down and one to go, help send a message to Woodfin owner Samuel Hardage that we can stay in the fight one day longer than he can. Call Sam Hardage at (858)-794-2338 ext. 700. Here's an example of what you can say: "Hi Mr. Hardage, my name is _______. I am calling to urge you to finally pay your workers at the Woodfin Suites Hotel in Emeryville the nearly $200,000 in backwages that you owe them from 2006. I will stand by Woodfin workers however long it takes for them to receive their hard-earned money. However, it is my hope that you will take this opportunity to do what is right and just, pay workers their backwages by Christmas, and put all of this behind you." Please mark your calendars for a gathering on Monday, December 1st at 6 PM at the EmeryvilleCity Hall before the last half of the hearing. More details soon. Thank you again and congratulations to everyone. Sincerely, Brooke Anderson On behalf of the Woodfin workers and the entire EBASE staff p.s. Please share as widely as possible the excellent KTVU story on the march here: http://www.ktvu.com/news/18004248/detail.html. Forward it, post it, "digg" it, and mostly importantly, click on it - so word of this important struggle continues to spread through cyberspace!
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