Fifty years after the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the right of labor unions to collect fees from non-union members for the service of collective bargaining and the implications for workers’ rights will be a topic of discussion by Yvonne Walker, president of SEIU Local 1000, during a news conference at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 4, at the Fresno State Peace Garden.
Dr. King called for a “revolution of values” in America, inviting people who had been divided to stand together for economic justice. People from diverse backgrounds — including black, white, brown and Native — responded by building a “Poor People’s Campaign” to demand a Marshall Plan for America’s poor.
At the news conference, Walker will discuss Janus v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, which is currently before the U.S. Supreme Court to plan and promote the anniversary of this movement.
The Fresno Chapter of the NAACP joins SEIU Local 1000 and other unions with representation in the Central Valley, including California State University Employees Union and the California Faculty Association.
A public presentation from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Fresno State Residing Dining Hall will include a discussion by Charié Payne, Fresno State NAACP Collegiate Chapter president; Dr. Walter Brooks, dean emeritus at Fresno City College; and Dr. Matthew Jendian, professor of sociology at Fresno State. There will also be video excerpts from Rev. William Barber and Dr. King.
Admission is free and open to the public, and refreshments will be served. Off campus guests can use code 339804 for a courtesy parking permit for Lot P27 or Lot P30. See campus map at www.fresnostate.edu.
For more information contact Hrair Messerlian at hmesserlian@seiu1000.org or 559.244.1830.
