On Black Friday, Metro Justice members went to Walmart in Chili to express their opposition to the poverty wages given to Walmart workers despite their massive profits.

Throughout the country, there were protests at over 1,500 Walmart locations. In Rochester alone, 3 different stores saw protests led by local activists and unions. Along with the Rochester and Genesee Valley Area Labor Federation, United Food and Commercial Workers, and Service Employees International Union Local 200 United, we coordinated protests in Chili, Henrietta, and Webster on Black Friday.

At each location, there were discussions with hundreds of customers and many workers with the hope to build the self-organizing activist of Walmart workers that has been happening in many other parts of the country. On Black Friday, Walmart workers in many parts of the country went out on strike demanding fair pay, decent benefits, and a union. 

MJ member Ken Traub's letter to the editor was printed in November 16th, 2013's Democrat and Chronicle.

The Republicans’ and some misguided Democrats’ focus on “fixing” Social Security’s projected 2033 deficit by reducing benefits or increasing the retirement age is an affront to people’s intelligence. The Congressional Budget Office examined dozens of ways to extend the present Social Security surplus beyond 75 years, and the highest revenue-yielding approach without decreasing benefits is simply to eliminate the cap on income that is taxed for the program (currently $113,700 a year).

Upper-middle-class and wealthy people should be happy that they are fortunate enough to be able to pay their fair share at the same percentage rate as their less fortunate fellow citizens. Why won’t Congress simply eliminate the cap? They won’t because Republicans place their highest priority on protecting the rich, and not the less fortunate and elderly in our society.

(D & C)

If you are interested in becoming active in MJ's Dignified Retirement Committee, click here to sign up!

Catherine Griffin-Lennon wins forclosure fight

Social Security is an integral to continuing any degree of economic justice in the United States. We need to protect and expand it - not cut! 

Help Metro Justice tell our Senators that they should support expanding social security, ensure the wealthy pay their fair share, improve the cost of living adjustments, and improve the standard of living for the retired and disabled in our country. 

Sign the petiton here!

Share this image to help inform the people in our community about the importance of Social Security!

Click the image or here to play video.

Created: 10/16/2013 5:23 PM WHEC.com 
By: Joangel Concepcion

Every year, a portion of state tax dollars goes to support people who work at fast food places. More than $700 million a year in New York. That's for people who are out there working hard. A new study shows it is because the jobs pay too little for families to meet their basic needs.

Even though many people may think most fast food workers are teenagers, the report shows that's not true. Many are parents and the majority are women. Now Congresswoman Louise Slaughter and Senator Ted O'Brien are calling for a change. [more after the jump]

In only a couple of days, the voting for City's "Best of Rochester" contest will come to a close and we will have to wait until the end of October to hear the results.  Metro Justice is on the ballot this year for "Best Local Activist Group" and we really hope that we can win the the 2013 title.  You might be thinking--why does this matter?  It matters because we need more people to hear our name, know our mission, and join us in the quest for social justice.

Currently, our Fight for Economic Justice campaign addresses the extreme inequality happening in our country.  We demand:

• An end of illegal bank foreclosures in the City of Rochester
• The passing a single payer health care bill in New York State
• A living wage and stronger unions
• Improvements to Social Security, the American Worker’s safety net

Do you think these issues are important?  Do you want more people to mobilize around Economic Justice?   This is why winning Best of Rochester is important.  

Now I have a job for you--are you ready for this?  We need you to fill out City Newspaper's Best of Rochester ballot and be sure to pick Metro Justice as "Best Local Activist Group."  Now don't stop there! Next, forward the link to your friends, family members, and others and ask them to vote for MJ too--our members and supporters are the reason we are stronger than we were in 1965.  Thank you!

Vote here! Voting ends this Friday at 5pm! 

Rochester is the birthplace of a national nursing home culture change movement called the Pioneer Network, whose goal was to change the nature of nursing homes from hospital-like holding institutions into meaningful and fulfilling homes for elders. Unfortunately, Rochester also currently contains the nursing home Blossom South, labeled as “Worst in the Nation.” The NYS Department of Health and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services is attempting to close it after more than three years of violations and “special focus” by NYS inspectors.

[More after the jump!]

This old gray Granny splits all her pills in half. The drug companies just laugh; Their profits are off the graph. But granny can’t afford to pay for her pills, and so I guess we’ll have to shoot her now. The Raging Grannies recently sang these lyrics with MJ members in celebration of Medicare’s 48^th birthday. Members visited both the Monroe County Democratic Committee office and the office of NY State Assemblymember Harry Bronson to show their support for the program.

[More after the jump!]

The Rochester area is justly proud of the role it played in the abolitionist movement, through heroes like Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony, Amy and Isaac Post, and lesser-known figures like William Clough Bloss. Of course, we remain deeply divided by race and plagued by racism. Still, the question of justice for African-Americans is high on the local agenda. And Latinos/Latinas are similarly having their voices heard and their issues addressed.

But another aspect of racism and historical injustice gets less attention here, even though you might say it’s more firmly rooted in our soil than even slavery used to be. I’m talking about the long oppression and continuing dispossession of Native Americans.

It’s often taken for granted that what’s now the city of Rochester was, as they say, off the beaten path for Native peoples in pre-Contact and Colonial times. True, this wasn’t the epicenter of Native populations, mostly because more productive and inviting lands were to the south. Nonetheless, there’s an “Indian Trail” that runs through Mount Hope Cemetery, marking an ancient upland footpath that circumvented the Genesee River wetlands. And the University of Rochester has placed a historical marker near the Interfaith Chapel that acknowledges, however patronizingly, that an Algonkin village once was located there in a so-called “primitive wilderness.” But most attention to Native culture in the region focuses on centuries-old Seneca Nation population centers in the upper Genesee Valley and the Finger Lakes, with special emphasis on Ganondagan, the state historic site in Ontario County.

Lately, however, the city and at least one inner-ring suburb have come to terms with local Native history. Unfortunately, this results from a proposal to build a Seneca Nation casino here under the rubric of “development.” Some business interests and politicians have lusted after a casino downtown; the Senecas themselves and an entrepreneur have floated the idea of building one in Henrietta, near the Thruway. Any such plan involves all kinds of treaty issues, of course – never mind planning and zoning. But progressives are, or should be, united in opposition to a casino, which in economic terms just shifts money from one pocket to another, benefiting a few but addicting many patrons – and draining economic activity from other local businesses. [More after the jump]

As we are reaching the colder months ahead, I wanted to take the time to share with all of you some interesting information about our next big event—the Metro Justice Alternative Fair.

As before, the Fair will take place at the First Unitarian Church, 220 S. Winton Rd., on December 6^th and 7^th. And as always, our members and the community can shop there for the best fair-trade and locally-made products in Rochester.

Since this is my first year leading the charge, I am very excited to work with our committee of fantastic volunteers who organize the fair each year, and I am excited to get more people involved in volunteer roles!

We are looking for volunteers to work at the craft table, the kitchen, and in other various roles.  If you are interested in helping out—call Sami at 585-325-2560 or go onto our Alternative Fair web page where you can learn more about the Fair and even sign up to volunteer.

Remember, events like these can’t take place without the generous help of our volunteers.  We need your help to make it happen!