In
recent weeks we've seen residents across the region rise up to
challenge Temple University's unethical decision to close a community
hospital. We've seen students and parents demand the city provide
quality teachers for Philadelphia's schools. We've seen community
members fight to keep casinos and predatory slots out of our
neighborhoods. And we've seen everyday Philadelphians fall out of work
and struggle to survive.
In the midst of these struggles, Philadelphia's Democratic
Party leadership passed a budget that "solves" the city's fiscal
shortfall by asking poor and working class communities to shoulder the
burden of a crisis we did not create.
While these fights may seem distinct and separate, it is the belief of
a growing network of organizations across the city that the human
rights to a fair wage, quality healthcare, equal education, and control
over our neighborhoods are deeply connected.
To stand and make change in one area demands that we create a movement for change across all of these sectors. This is our task.
The Human Right to Healthcare Northeastern Hospital is Ground Zero
Philadelphia is about to lose
a vital institution that serves the healthcare needs of poor and
working class Philadelphians: Northeastern Hospital. This city-wide
struggle to save Northeastern goes
hand-in-hand with the national fight to fix our broken health care system and get quality
healthcare to the un/underinsured. Keeping Northeastern Hospital
open and fixing our country's healthcare system are two sides of the same coin. Read more & listen to a report from Labor Justice Radio.
Every Student Deserves Qualified Teachers Philadelphia Student Union Insists on Equity in Teacher Contracts
Philadelphia
Student Union held an action that called on the
School District and the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers to make
equitable
distribution of qualified teachers a priority in the upcoming teacher
contract negotiations. The action coincided with the release of
new data that shows schools with the most poverty still have the
lowest percentages of highly qualified teachers. Read more.
No Blank Check for Casinos Support the Campaign to Stop Predatory Gambling
The No Casino in the Heart of the City Coalition began a
campaign targeting the City Council to make sure council fully regulates the
industry and prevent predatory practices. Show your support by signing a letter. The communities organizing to stop the casinos increasingly see the issue of the casinos connected to
the well being of Philadelphia as a whole. Read more & watch the 'No Blank Check for Casinos' video.
Philadelphians Soon to See Dramatic Rise in Utility Costs Deregulation Hits Poor & Working People Hardest
Pennsylvania
residents may soon see a bank-breaking increase in
electricity prices as rate caps on utilities are due to expire by
2010. To get a glimpse of our
future, we can look to Baltimore where deregulation of utilities
has caused dramatic increases in utility costs. Now, 84,000 Baltimore
households are slated to have their utilities shut off. Read more & listen to a report from Labor Justice Radio.
In
recent weeks we've seen residents across the region rise up to
challenge Temple University's unethical decision to close a community
hospital. We've seen students and parents demand the city provide
quality teachers for Philadelphia's schools. We've seen community
members fight to keep casinos and predatory slots out of our
neighborhoods. And we've seen everyday Philadelphians fall out of work
and struggle to survive. 
Philadelphia is about to lose
a vital institution that serves the healthcare needs of poor and
working class Philadelphians: Northeastern Hospital. This city-wide
struggle to save Northeastern goes
hand-in-hand with the national fight to fix our broken health care system and get quality
healthcare to the un/underinsured. Keeping Northeastern Hospital
open and fixing our country's healthcare system are two sides of the same coin. 
