SFLCA Letter

by Rev. Nelson Johnson

Sep. 17, 2007

Dear Friend:

This is a reminder that the Statewide Meeting of the Southern Faith, Labor and Community Alliance (SFLCA) is Saturday September 22nd from 11:00 am until 3:00 pm at Faith Community Church, 417 Arlington Street, Greensboro, NC.

The September 22nd meeting is a most important gathering regarding our continuing work together. There have been strong positive developments on several fronts since our gathering in Rockfish (which we detail below) but there is much work yet to be done. Please e-mail us marilynb@belovedcommunitycenter.org to let us know you will be coming.

We will be honored to have Min. Baldemer Velasquez, President of the National Farm Workers Organizing Committee (FLOC), who will update us on FLOC’s developing campaign. FLOC has planned a major rally at 6:00 pm in Winston Salem on Monday September 24th to launch in earnest their campaign to organize tobacco farm workers and other in a creative three party contract. We sent a letter (see enclosure) to Reynolds America, Inc. requesting to meet with them on Monday. There will be a lot to talk about concerning this campaign.

Also by way of update, the Smithfield shareholders meeting in Williamsburg was awesome. Over 1,000 people marched in support of the workers right for a fair and just process to select a union. It was the largest march ever held in that historic city. In addition, a powerful presentation was made by Rev. Nelson Johnson to Smithfield Board of Directors and shareholders urging them to meet with workers and their representatives to work out a fair and just process for workers to choose a union. The enclosed flyer will give you a sense of that historic event.

Meetings between UFCW and Smithfield have been taking place since the Williamsburg event. We had a very important statewide conference call last Thursday to discuss how to best push the Justice at Smithfield Campaign forward and the particular role we as community and faith leaders can best play at this point. This will be an important discussion at Saturday’s meeting. The Williamsburg experience showed just a little of what can happen when the various parts of the community including faith, labor, workers rights, civil rights, and grassroots community groups begin to work together.

Our work over the last year including the right of NC public sector workers to collectively bargain, living wage campaigns, the Harris Teeter Campaign, the Economic Justice and Prophetic Witness School in July and the recent Williamsburg gathering provides a solid base upon which to continue to work for human rights, economic and social justice.

We will have a full and rich agenda at our September 22nd Statewide Meeting. The tentative agenda will include:

1. A brief sum-up of SFLCA’s work over the last 14 months including the recommendations from the July Economic Justice and Prophetic Witness-School.
2. A discussion of how best to continue to support the Justice at Smithfield Campaign. There will be some strong recommendations at the meeting including a possible national/statewide march on November 4th.
3. A proposal from FLOC to work together to support migrant workers struggle for just treatment. We are currently putting together a delegation to meet with Reynolds on September 24th (see enclosure).
4. A discussion of how to continue to support the right of North Carolina Public sector workers to collectively bargain
5. A discussion of partnering with El-Pueblo, the NC Latino Coalition and other groups on how best to address the immigration raids in our state and the general question of immigration as it relates to economic justice and human rights.
6. An opportunity to discuss a loose but clear structure to coordinate and guide the work of SFLCA in the coming year.

We can’t stress enough the importance and power of the work we are doing together. Your presence and your voice are needed to continue this good work. Again, please make the sacrifice to attend. Finally, please call or e-mail so that we will know how many people will be in attendance.

Yours in hope for new possibilities

Rev. Nelson Johnson, Ms. Marlyin Baird
SFLCA Co-founder SFLCA State Coordinator

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