>> THE PIONEER VALLEY WORKERS CENTER FOCUSES ON BUILDING POWER
AMONG LOW-WAGE AND IMMIGRANT WORKERS USING A NONHIERARCHY
MODEL.
ALL DECISIONS THAT THE ORGANIZATION MAKES ARE MADE
THROUGH A VOTING PROCESS.
OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, THEY HAVE FOUGHT TO PASS THE
WELCOMING COMMUNITY TRUST ORDINANCE IN SPRINGFIELD.
ANDREA SCHMID IS ONE OF THE ORGANIZERS AT PVWC AND HAS
ALWAYS HAD A POSITION FOR COMMUNITY ORGANIZING.
SHE SAT DOWN WITH PRODUCER CAMERON TO DISCUSS THE
ORGANIZATION AND WHAT GOT HER INVOLVED IN SOCIAL JUSTICE.
>> WE'RE A GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATION THAT'S LOCATED IN
NORTH HAMPDEN AND OUR MISSION IS TO BULL POWER AMONG WORKERS AND
IMMIGRANTS.
>> I BELIEVE THE ORGANIZATION WAS FOUNDED IN 2013, AND IT CAME
DURING A TIME WHEN THE HAMPDEN DOWNTOWN AREA WAS PRETTY VIBRANT
WITH A LOT OF SMALL RESTAURANTS.
THERE IS A TON OF FOOD SERVICE WORKERS AND A BUNCH OF ISSUES IN
THE COMMUNITY WHERE WE KNEW THAT THERE WERE WORKERS EXPERIENCING
WAGE THEFT, DIFFERENT KINDS OF ABUSES THAT WERE HAPPENING IN
RESTAURANTS.
FOLKS FROM UNIONS, FOLKS FROM THE COMMUNITY, RESTAURANT
WORKERS, COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS CAME TOGETHER AND STARTED HAVING
CONVERSATIONS AROUND CREATING THE WORKER CENTER AND THAT'S
SORT OF HOW IT STARTED.
>> THERE ARE THREE MAIN BODIES THAT MAKE UP THE WORKER CENTER,
AND THESE THREE DIFFERENT BODIES DO DIFFERENT KINDS OF THINGS
THAT ARE ULTIMATELY AIMED AT BUILDING POWER AND BUILDING A
MOVEMENT THAT REALLY SEEKS -- GOES TO THE ROOT OF
EXPLOITATION.
THE WORKERS COMMITTEES, WE HAVE TWO, ONE IS IN SPRINGFIELD AND
ONE IS IN NORTH HAMPDEN THE SECOND WOULD BE A RAPID
RESPONSE NETWORK OF NEARLY 2,000 FOLKS WHO HAVE BEEN TRAINED IN
THE EVENT OF ANY KINDS OF HATE CRIMES OR ANY KIND OF WORKERS,
WORKERS' RIGHTS VIOLATIONS, AND ALSO IN THE FACE OF DEPORTATION
THEY WOULD ORGANIZE WHETHER IT WOULD BE A DIRECT ACTION,
THROUGH PICKETING OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT IT'S A GROUP THAT'S
SELF ORGANIZED.
FOR INSTANCE, WE'VE CREATED A CHILDCARE COLLECTIVE WHICH IS A
BUNCH OF FOLKS WHO TAKE CARE OF KIDS DURING ORGANIZING MEETINGS.
BUT REALLY TO CREATE A SPACE THAT'S WELCOMING TO MULTIPLE
GENERATIONS SO THAT'S SORT OF AN EXAMPLE.
THEY ALSO DEVELOPED A 24-HOUR HOT LINE THAT'S COMPLETELY RUN
BY VOLUNTEERS AND THAT HOTLINE IS OPEN FOR FOLKS TO CALL
WHETHER THEY HAVE ANY KIND OF LABOR ISSUE OR ANY KIND OF
IMMIGRATION ISSUE.
>> ANOTHER EXAMPLE WOULD BE A RIDE SHARE NETWORK THAT'S
COMPLETELY ALSO VOLUNTEER-RUN TO GIVE RIDES, FOR EXAMPLE TO A MAN
THAT'S BEEN IN SANCTUARY FOR ABOUT A YEAR IN AMHERST.
HIS FAMILY LIVES IN SPRINGFIELD.
THE RIDE SHARE NETWORK HAS BEEN ABLE TO COORDINATE ENOUGH RIDES
SO HIS FAMILY CAN COME AND VISIT HIM MULTIPLE TIMES A WEEK.
THE THIRD PART OF THE ORGANIZATION IS THE COLLECTIVE,
I'M PART OF THE COLLECTIVE AND WE'RE SORT -- WE'RE THE STAFF
ORGANIZERS THAT KIND OF OVERSEE ALL OF THIS, AND FACILITATE ALL
THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON.
EVEN THOUGH I'VE BEEN BENEFICIALLY A COMMUNITY
ORGANIZER FOR WORKERS' RIGHTS FOR ABOUT A YEAR OFFICIALLY, THE
STRUGGLE THAT IMMIGRANTS HAVE BEEN FACING IS NOT NEW TO ME.
I'M HONDURAN.
I GREW UP IN MIAMI.
AND MY FAMILY MIGRATED FROM HONDURAS WHEN I WAS A KID.
I WAS ACTUALLY BORN HERE SO I'M A CITIZEN -- WHILE I'M A CITIZEN
A LOT OF MY OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCES AND THE WAY MY
FAMILY RELATES TO THIS COUNTRY HAS BEEN VERY MUCH THAT OF AN
IMMIGRANT KIND OF EXPERIENCE.
I THINK THAT THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW AT THE WORKERS'
CENTER AND ALSO WHAT OTHER GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS IN THE
AREA AND ORGANIZERS IN THE AREA ARE DOING TO COMBAT STATE
VIOLENCE IN SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS, BE IT THROUGH
ANTI-FORECLOSURE WORK, BE IT THROUGH, YOU KNOW, PRISON
ABOLITION, THERE ARE JUST SO MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF THINGS
HAPPENING IN THE COMMUNITY, ON TOP OF IMMIGRANT AND WORKERS'
RIGHTS, ALL OF THAT IS NECESSARY WORK.
IT NEEDS TO HAPPEN AND I THINK THAT YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT DOES KEEP ME GOING IS THE RELATIONSHIPS EVERY WITH PEOPLE.
THE SPRINGFIELD WORKER COMMITTEE HAS BEEN VERY INVOLVED IN
GETTING THE COMMUNITY TRUST ACT IN SPRINGFIELD TO BE PASSED.
IT'S BEEN ACTIVELY A CAMPAIGN FOR ABOUT THREE WEEKS BUT WE'VE
BEEN ORGANIZING TO GET TO THIS POINT FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS NOW.
[APPLAUSE] >> TO GET IT TO BE AN ORDINANCE
WAS A BIG DEAL.
IT'S INTENDED TO MAKE IT ILLEGAL FOR NOT ONLY MUNICIPAL POLICE TO
SHARE INFORMATION WITH ICE BUT ALSO OTHER MUNICIPAL AGENCIES
AND WORKING LIKE SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS, GROUPS LIKE THAT,
RIGHT?
AND IN A CITY THAT HAS SUCH A VIBRANT IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY AND
A VIBRANT WORKING CLASS COMMUNITY THIS IS A HUGE DEAL
FOR IMMIGRANTS AND FOR CHILDREN, WHO HAVE STATUS HERE BUT HAVE
UNDOCUMENTED PARENTS AND WHOSE PARENTS ARE AFRAID OF GOING TO
SCHOOL, OR SHARING ANY KIND OF INFORMATION.
I THINK WORKING AT THE LOCAL LEVEL IS REALLY CRUCIAL AND
THAT'S REALLY WHAT'S FED THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING HERE.