Peace With Justice Committee - Minutes of Wed. June 21, 2006 meeting

(Submitted by Marg Rozycki; edited by Paul, with Marg’s OK.)

Meeting at Joe and Bonnie’s house -

6 pm dinner provided by Linda (not present), Joe, and Bonnie, with help from Paul

6:30 – 8:30 meeting

Present – Bonnie, Joe, Rich, Paris, Paul, Marg

Facilitatior - Paris

Timekeeper – Rich

Note-taker -Marg

Objective – to make a decision on our next project

5 Nursing Home – Bonnie, Joe, Marg, Christine, Steve

2 Undecided – Linda, David

1 Abstaining – Paul (Paul had originally voted for Neighborhood project, but later changed his vote to abstain)

Paris asked "What was the feeling?" Some felt it was contentious, others did not.

Bonnie - didn’t want to do neighborhood project - feels like Social Work to her; she wants to do activism.

Joe - Neighborhood Project was not defined – it felt co-dependent. After Jeff spoke, Walker Nursing Home Project didn’t look good. He felt defeated.

Marg – just felt undecided – it was not clarified whether Neighborhood is a service project or meets our criteria to be a systemic change project.

We would try for consensus, meaning no one blocks consensus and everyone agrees they can live with the proposal (even though they may not like it).

Purpose is to deal with increase of violence in the neighborhood.

Sally is busy raising funds for Youth Summer Employment. She said there are 3 ways we could respond to the violence:

1. Contact all block clubs to find out what the issues are and how we can help.

2. Help organize National Night Out

3. Identify hot spots and talk with police

Rich had suggested at a previous meeting that we bring in FNVW’s Alternatives to Violence Project.

Our PWJ policy is that in whatever projects we take on, we’re joining an existing campaign. Question: Is there an existing (multi-neighborhood? PPNA?) campaign that is attempting to address the problem?

The idea is that we support AFSCME’s campaign (begun 2-3 years ago) to unionize the workers at the "Walker Home" (Walker Methodist Healthcare Center, located at 38^th St. and Bryant Ave. S.). One possible strategy is getting a new vote taken without participation by the LPN’s, whose role as "supervisors" formed the basis (under the "Kentucky River" decision of the NLRB) for the results of the previous unionization vote having been disregarded by the NLRB (National Labor Relations Board). (Jeff, the AFSCME rep at our last meeting, had said management could conceivably decide to recognize the union without a new vote, but that this is an unlikely scenario.) Possible tactics: rallies, letters to editor, publicity, media, outreach to families of patients. Problem: Walker Home workers are scared to death of losing their jobs; many of those previously involved in the unionization effort were fired.

Bonnie – There is a wavy line between these because real change happens when individuals get listened to and they express feelings. This gives them more flexibility to act on their intelligence – that is how real change happens.

Marg – If we address why is there violence does it become systemic change? The Alternatives to Violence Project could be a way to make change.

Bonnie – It comes down to how individuals have been hurt. I have trouble envisioning what we would be doing. This committee can define activism broadly or narrowly.

Activism is standing up against something that is not right. People choose violence when they don’t have real opportunities. People don’t think about how to solve problems without guns.

Joe – Neighborhood is undefined. I care about it, did neighborhood work for 9 years. If we go with the Nursing Home project, will PWJ committee as a whole go for it? Neighborhood could be systemic if organize people to take their neighborhood back, but project is still not defined.

Paris – If we are out to listen to the neighborhood, it is systemic toward people gaining power. What stages are neighborhood organizations at? We have not heard anything more about defining the Neighborhood project in a week and a half. On the Walker nursing home, if we don’t think it is winnable, we need some winnable benchmarks and a timetable.

Paul- Neighborhood project IS defined - 3-point program (see above).

But it is questionable because there is only one person present who supports it, no one has done much research, and no one has clearly stepped forward as willing to lead it (Sally currently needs to focus on our youth programs, getting funding, etc.)

Walker Home project: Only way management would accept/bargain with a union is if there is a new vote without the LPN’s. We could serve as a catalyst to shift the energy. We have a good track record as a catalyst.

Rich – willing to work on either project.

Making the Decision: We decided to make a decision at this meeting rather than postponing it again, because by not deciding we would lose energy.

The Vote: There was consensus from those present in favor of the Walker nursing home project (with Paul abstaining because he will probably not be available to work on it).

It was also noted that the Walker Outreach Committee could serve as a channel for the energies of those who want to actively address the problem of violence in the neighborhood.

Next Meeting: July 9, 12:30 (- 1:30?) in Powderhorn Park, during the all-Walker potluck picnic after the Celebration. PWJers will gather, eat together, and hold a brief meeting.

Goal: Action Plan and Timeline for the Walker nursing home project.

(Note: Rich had suggested we invite some workers from the Walker Home to the meeting; this probably will not happen at this meeting.)