Membership Meeting Updates

Last Wednesday night, in the back room of the Hardware Cafe on Allen St., over 20 CEJ members came together to share updates from the work they have been a part of and discussed the actions and events they have planned for the coming months. It was a new approach to our quarterly membership meetings which, because of the success of this one, will become spaces for engaging in discussion of the many efforts that community members are leading and the ways in which we can support one another.

The meeting also featured a presentation by Alden Bashaw, Western NY Field Organizer with the Empire State Pride Agenda on their organization's recent Marriage Equality victory, and how they were able to build a strong coalition and win on one of their issues.

Since we had a number of leaders give updates, we would like to share them with you:

• A PUSH board member talked about the Move to Amendcampaign to end corporate personhood. This campaign began as a result of the Citizen's United court case which in 2010 gave corporations the ability to make unlimited campaign contributes to political candidates. The move to amend seeks to address this by fighting on the local level across the country to end corporate personhood status. David Cobb, a lawyer and member of Move to Amend, will be speaking in Buffalo on August 9th from 7-9pm at the Elmwood UUC.

• Leaders from the National Fuel Accountability Coalition spoke about their recent campaign activity in their fight reform the National Fuel & Gas Company's Conservation Incentive program (CIP). The coalition believes that the solution to the heating crisis faced by low-income families in Buffalo is in weatherizing homes, and thus wants funds from the state-mandated CIP (funded by consumers) to go towards weatherization, and not - as it currently does - on advertising for NFG and discounts on expensive appliances! They coalition just had a very successful hearing with the Public Service Commision on on July 7th, and needs 200 people to come to Albany for another public hearing on November 17th! Visit the website to learn more about the coalition and how you can help bring people with you to this important hearing. (CEJ is a member of the National Fuel Accountability Coalition.)

• CWA 1122 members shared an important notification on a rally that is taking place on Wednesday, August 3rd at 5pm at the 548 Elmwood, the Verizon building. CWA locals 1115, 1117, and 1122 have been in negotiations around a new contract, and Verizon's proposals would seek to eliminate 50 years of bargaining gains for workers. They need you to join them at this rally!

• A board member of Buffalo First talked about their recent victory in winning Benefit Corporation legislation at the NY State level, and which will go into effect on August 5th! B Corps, as they are called, would allow a company to put people and the planet into their "bottom line" - and not simply profit. This is a new tool for small-large businesses that is just starting to gain notice in various communities around the country. Buffalo First wants to make Buffalo the center for Benefit Corporations! Also, each month they hold a speaker series called "Teaching By Example", where one local leader talks about what they are doing to make a better world a reality in Buffalo. Visit their website for more information.

• An organizer with the Niagara Organizing Alliance for Hope (NOAH) spoke about their efforts to win a Project Labor Agreement for a local Amtrak station. They will be holding an event the first week of September to help make this happen. Stay in touch for updates...

• Leaders from the Project Awaken came to share an invitation to their Anti-Violence Conference, which will be taking place on August 5th at 11am at Harriman Hall on UB South Campus.Our next membership meeting will be taking place on October 19. Contact Andy at andy@buffalojwj if you would like to attend or participate!

Our next membership meeting will be taking place on October 19th. Contact Andy at andy@buffalojwj.org if you would like to attend or participate!