Please join ex-Calavera restaurant workers and the Bay Area Restaurant Worker’s Movement (BARWM) for a rally, community meal and celebration of resistance across the food system!

On July 1st, BARWM will be scaling up our #BoycottCalavera campaign, giving voice to ex-Calavera employees fighting wage theft! We’ll be serving up delicious, free tamales made with love from Tamales La Oaxaqueña! Come hungry, and help us turn away customers with our irresistible community meal. We will host a rally with ex-Calavera employees, community organizers and other food workers sharing stories of resistance and celebrating our many struggles together. And there will be music!

As part of this next phase, BARWM seeks to deepen our relationships with food, economic and racial justice groups organizing across the Bay. We believe in a food chain solidarity that transcends borders and industries, to heal our rotten food system while fighting for justice on the job.

Join us as we launch our official #BoycottCalavera endorsement letter with a celebration of food and music as we continue to educate Oakland residents about the labor exploitation and injustices that have been going on in our very own city.

More information on the campaign & the BARWM: https://goo.gl/LYGBUX

The Tony Award-winning SF Mime Troupe opens in Berkeley July 2 & 3, then San Francisco July 4 with its 57th season premiering “Schooled“

Education. It’s like the weather: everyone has an opinion but nobody does anything about it. That’s how Livina Jones feels about her son Tom’s new school, Eleanor Roosevelt High. With it’s old textbooks, crumbling classrooms, and racist treatment of kids just like hers Livina believes Roosevelt is exactly the sort of school that can benefit from a little free-market common sense. The nanny-state government has failed to see students as individuals, and failed to give them the real-world skills they’ll need to get ahead. So who says it isn’t time for some big money, for-profit schooling?

Edith Orocuru, for one. She’s the long serving history/civics/American government/basketball coach at Eleanor Roosevelt, and she’s willing to fight for her version of education as long as her reconstructed hips will allow. But is she fighting for a system that can be fixed, or is she just too blind by her past to see how times have left her and her school behind? And when an efficiency expert, Mr. Babbit, is assigned to improve her class is it a sign that Edith is behind the times, or a sign of something more sinister? And with privatization on the line, and a Wall Street heavy hitter lined up to fold the entire district into his conglomerate, suddenly the next School Board election is more about a hidden agenda than the open curriculum. And when did the hall monitors start wearing brown shirts and arm bands?

Dogtown Redemption, with post-film discussion

Yes we are going back to demand our right to rest, housing we can afford, ending 647e. Donations always needed tents, blankets,food, propane stove and housewares.Cash is always welcome so we can buy the survival stuff we realy need. Got big furniture you don’t need? Drop it off especially that big ratty sofa the dog sleeps on. Sorry Fido homeless people need it more then you do.

This dinner (of spaghetti and a sweet red sauce with grilled garlic bread) is being held in conjunction with First They Came for the Homeless’ re-establishment of Liberty City in an effort to demonstrate peaceful, communal living and self-sufficiency.

https://www.facebook.com/events/294334184246214/

A homeless person is still a person, but in America the homeless are less than Untouchables: they are invisible to most of us, and a nuisance to others. In Berkeley the homeless not only have to live on some of the most dangerous streets in America, they have to constantly deal with persecution from the police. Why is the city insisting on harassing and ticketing those without money, many of whom have served our country, many of whom have mental illness and/or are struggling with drug addiction and/or the after-effects of abuse? Why are these people being scapegoated as millionaires and billionaires continue to hoard money when we know once you’ve got enough of it, it can’t buy you anymore happiness? Did the bankers not ruin our country and world economy? Why are they still making so much, continuing to profit off of the cheap labor and suffering of the Underclass? And why does so much of the Underclass still defend them? Because they believe in the myths of the American Dream and the Self-made Man?… No man is an island…

But let’s talk more about it over spaghetti on Saturday!

The Occupy Oakland General Assembly meets every Sunday at 4 PM at Oscar Grant Plaza amphitheater at 14th Street & Broadway near the steps of City Hall. If it is raining (as in RAINING, not just misting) at 4:00 PM we meet in the basement of the Omni Collective, 4799 Shattuck Ave., Oakland.  On every last Sunday we meet a little earlier at 3 PM to have a community potluck to which all are welcome.

OO General Assembly has met on a continuous basis for over four years! Our General Assembly is a participatory gathering of Oakland community members and beyond, where everyone who shows up is treated equally . Our Assembly and the process we have collectively cultivated strives to reach agreement while building community.

At the GA committees, caucuses, and loosely associated groups whose representatives come voluntarily report on past and future actions, with discussion. We encourage everyone participating in the Occupy Oakland GA to be part of at least one associated group, but it is by no means a requirement. If you like, just come and hear all the organizing being done! Occupy Oakland encourages political activity that is decentralized and welcomes diverse voices and actions into the movement.

General Assembly Standard Agenda

1. Welcome & Introductions
2. Reports from Committees, Caucuses, & Independent Organizations
3. Announcements
4. (Optional) Discussion Topic

Occupy Oakland activities and contact info for some Bay Area Groups with past or present Occupy Oakland members.

Occupy Oakland Web Committee: (web@occupyoakland.org)
Strike Debt Bay Area : strikedebtbayarea.tumblr.com
Berkeley Post Office Defenders:http://berkeleypostofficedefenders.wordpress.com/
Alan Blueford Center 4 Justice:https://www.facebook.com/ABC4JUSTICE
Oakland Privacy Working Group:https://oaklandprivacy.wordpress.com
Prisoner Hunger Strike Solidarity: prisonerhungerstrikesolidarity.wordpress.com/
Bay Area AntiRepression: antirepression@occupyoakland.org
Biblioteca Popular: http://tinyurl.com/mdlzshy
Interfaith Tent: www.facebook.com/InterfaithTent
Port Truckers Solidarity: oaklandporttruckers.wordpress.com
Bay Area Intifada: bayareaintifada.wordpress.com
Transport Workers Solidarity: www.transportworkers.org
Fresh Juice Party (aka Chalkupy) freshjuiceparty.com/chalkupy-gallery
Sudo Room: https://sudoroom.org
Omni Collective: https://omnicommons.org/
First They Came for the Homeless: https://www.facebook.com/pages/First-they-came-for-the-homeless/253882908111999
Sunflower Alliance: http://www.sunflower-alliance.org/
Bay Area Public School: http://thepublicschool.org/bay-area

San Francisco based groups:
Occupy Bay Area United: www.obau.org
Occupy Forum: (see OBAU above)
San Francisco Projection Department: http://tinyurl.com/kpvb3rv

The Community Democracy Project is your connection to direct democracy in Oakland! Convened out of Occupy Oakland in Fall 2011, we’re gathering steam on a campaign to bring the people back in touch with the city’s resources through participatory budgeting.

Picture this: Across Oakland, Neighborhood Assemblies are regularly
held in every community. People come together to tackle the important issues of their neighborhoods and of the city. At these assemblies, people don’t just have discussions–they learn from one another, from city staff, and they make fundamental decisions about how the city should run. They decide the city budget.

Democratic, community budgeting is a powerful step toward building strong communities, real democracy, and economic justice–and it’s being done all over the world.

The budget of the City Oakland totals more than $1 billion per year. Although part of the budget must be used for specific purposes, still over half of the budget–over $500 billion per year–consists of general purpose funds paid by the taxes, fees, and fines of the people of Oakland. The Mayor and the City Council decide the city budget, with minimal input from the community.

Working together, we will not only get a seat at the table–we will REBUILD the table itself. Participatory democracy is real democracy–join us to say: Local People, Local Resources, Local Power!

COME MARCH WITH US 
Calling all renters to march with ARC in the Alameda 4th of July Parade ! The city has seen some of us on the streets gathering signatures, now let Alameda see MORE of us to show the city how important the issue of rent stabilization is and how many people it impacts.

We’re calling on individuals, families, students, faith groups, and other sympathetic groups to join in.  Kids on bikes, trikes, in wagons, and in strollers welcome and wanted.  Dogs, too – great way to take your dog for a walk !

The parade starts at 10 am on July 4. Line-up starts as early as 8 am.  The parade route is 3 miles long but you don’t have to walk the entire route.

We will send you more information after June 29 with our parade line-up number and exact instructions on how to get in the line-up.

Let’s show the city that the ALAMEDA RENTERS COALITION is a important part of Alameda and here to stay. COME MARCH WITH US !”

Dogtown Redemption, with post-film discussion

Join us tomorrow. March for Bernie and Robin Hood tax around Lake Merritt #independenceday #RobinHoodTax #WeAreBern… pic.twitter.com/68accee0E4

— Bay Area for Bernie (@BayArea4Bernie) July 4, 2016

March with us July 4th! Lake Merritt Oakland, CA #MarchForBernie #OurRevolution #RobinHoodTax #Bayareaforbernie #Am… pic.twitter.com/KGjPLBC4T7

— Bay Area for Bernie (@BayArea4Bernie) June 20, 2016

A memorial vigil will be held on Sproul Plaza on Tuesday from noon to 1 p.m. to honor UC Berkeley student Tarishi Jain and the others who lost their lives alongside her in the terrorist attacks in Bangladesh. All members of the community, both on campus and off, are invited to this vigil, which will be a safe space for reflection and mourning.

#Oakland city council wants to sneak thru a controversial land sale the day after a holiday weekend. Turn out to #SaveE12th 7/5/16 7pm

— E12 Peoples Proposal (@PeoplesProposal) July 3, 2016

The E12 Coalition is calling all supporters to join us at City Hall TODAY at 7pm to oppose the sale of the E12th Street parcel! #SaveE12th

— E12 Peoples Proposal (@PeoplesProposal) July 5, 2016

Agenda Item:

Subject: 12th Street Remainder Parcel Disposition And Development Agreement With Urbancore And EBALDC
From: Economic And Workforce Development
Recommendation: An Ordinance: (1) Authorizing The City Administrator, Without Returning To The City Council, To Negotiate And Execute A Disposition And Development Agreement And Related Documents Between The City Of Oakland And Urbancore Development, LLC Or Its Related Entities Or Affiliates (“Urbancore”), And East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation Or Its Related Entities Or Affiliates (“EBALDC”), For
(A) Sale Of The 12th Street Remainder Parcel Located At E12th Street And 2nd Avenue (“Property”) For No Less Than $8.0 Million,
(B) A Seller Carryback Loan From The City To EBALDC In The Amount Of $3.3 Million Plus The Cost Of Loan Origination, And
(C) Development Of The Property As A Residential Mixed-Use Project, All Of The Foregoing Documents To Be In A Form And Content Substantially In Conformance With The Term Sheet Attached As Exhibit …

The Renter Protection Ordinance Ballot Initiative is now scheduled for the July 19th City Council Meeting.

The Committee to Protect Oakland Renters urges the Community and Economic Development Committee to reject the Council Member Kalb’s Ordinance Amending Chapter 8.22, Article I (Rent Adjustment).

Renters in Oakland are being squeezed now, and they cannot wait years for renter protections to be implemented. This ordinance just “kicks the can down the road”, protections for a huge number of renters would not even start until 2018. That means 24,000 additional tenants could be forced out of Oakland before these protections become effective.

The moratorium on rent increases ends on July 5th. But no steps have been taken to address the housing crisis. It is time to act on real reforms. Not halfway measures that won’t be implemented for years.

This is not an organizing effort, this is about passing the strongest protections possible for Oakland renters. While we believe the current council has the best interests of tenants in mind, this might not always be the case. This is why the Committee To Protect Oakland Renters strongly believes new regulations protecting renters must go to the voters.

We are asking the Oakland City Council to support the Protect Oakland Renters Act, introduced by Council Member Kaplan that will be on the City Council Agenda on July 5th.

Come out and let your voice be heard by your elected representatives on July 5^th. Join us in the fight to protect the soul of Oakland.

Committee to Protect Oakland Renters

This article in the East Bay Express by Darwin BondGraham highlights some of the challenges we’ve faced in this process.Don’t forget to like us on Facebook!

San Leandro’s minimum wage will be an action item on the Tuesday, July 5th at 7 PM Council meeting calendar. If it gets four votes it will go on the Council consent calendar on Monday July 18th. We need large turnouts at both Council meetings. We need to get as many people as we can to speak in favor of San Leandro increasing our minimum wage, before the State’s increase.   Vice Mayor Jim Prola’s proposal are $12 by July 2017, and then a dollar a year until it reaches $15 July 2020 for both large and small businesses, which are two to three years sooner than the State’s 2022/23. Under the State’s minimum wage the Governor could delay it till 2024/25.

Large turnouts are critical to get passage at both meetings with at least four votes. 

Over the last few weeks we’ve learned that SFPD:
* Failed to notify the DA of Amilcar’s killing so his team could independently investigate the crime scene.
* Had already removed Amilcar’s body before the DA’s investigative team learned of the killing and arrived to investigate.

As a result, no full independent investigation of the crime scene was possible. According to DA Gascón, this has made his investigation both more difficult and lengthy.

WE SUSPECT A COVER-UP, especially given all the lies we’ve heard from SFPD ever since they killed Amilcar. So: At our last vigil at Mission Police Station, we decided to bring this to the Police Commission and demand action.

WE’RE GOING TO THE POLICE COMMISSION!
We want them to investigate, and, if necessary, discipline and fire the officers who ordered the removal of Amilcar’s body.

To get the facts out and to explain our demands more fully, we’ll hold a press conference at 5pm, just prior to the 5:30pm Police Commission meeting.

Our demands are now two!
* The District Attorney must file murder charges against the officers who killed Amilcar. (Despite this possible cover-up, the DA has more than enough evidence to file murder charges!)
* The Police Commission must investigate SFPD for possible cover-up of Amilcar’s killing and take the necessary disciplinary action against the responsible officers.

Join us for free weekly meditation happy hour on Wednesdays, co-hosted by the Art of Living Eastbay Berkeley/Oakland.

We will teach simple and easy guided meditation and breathing techniques to let go of stress and trauma, let your hair down, and celebrate!

We believe that love is the universal language. We also believe that love is the universal cure to heal what ails societies worldwide. These meditation happy hours are our love offering to the community and are the result of a beautiful new & evolving partnership w/The Art of Living facilitated by Neelam Patil…& the universe ♥

The Hand That Feeds (88 min.) (2014) Directed by: Rachel Lears & Robin Blotnick

At a popular bakery café, residents of New York’s Upper East Side get bagels and coffee served with a smile 24 hours a day. But behind the scenes, undocumented immigrant workers face sub-legal wages, dangerous machinery, and abusive managers who will fire them for calling in sick. Mild-mannered sandwich maker Mahoma López has never been interested in politics, but in January 2012, he convinces a small group of his co-workers to fight back.

Risking deportation and the loss of their livelihood, the workers team up with a diverse crew of innovative young organizers and take the unusual step of forming their own independent union, launching themselves on a journey that will test the limits of their resolve. Discussion to follow. Sponsored by Global Studies Program.
AWARDS
Won: Best Documentary at Birmingham Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival 2014
Nominated: Grey Gund Memorial Standing Up Award 2015
Won: Audience Award at Full Frame Documentary Film Festival 2014
Won: Audience Award at DOC NYC 2014
Nominated: Metropolis Grand Jury Prize at DOC NYC 2014

See also
http://www.laborfest.net/2016/2016schedule.htm

Did I mention that my play about solitary confinement is coming out in July in SF? Tickets are live: https://t.co/gwU0wq4hW7. #insidethebox

— Sarah Shourd (@SShourd) May 7, 2016

Directed by Michael John Garcés
Written by Sarah Shourd

In 2009, journalist and playwright Sarah Shourd was living in the Middle East when she went on a hike with her fiancée and a friend. Little did she know it, but her life would never be the same. While pursuing what they were told were fantastic views over a nearby ridge, they suddenly found themselves surrounded by Iranian soldiers. After being accused of spying for the U.S., she would spend the next 410 days in solitary confinement as a political prisoner.

The Box is Shourd’s new play ignited by that experience. Based on a deeply researched journalistic investigation, it is a piece of transformational theater that asks us to re-examine long-held notions of punishment as it reveals the tragic—and sometimes painfully comic and absurd—realities that dictate life “inside the box.” With a plot that illuminates the innate resilience of the human spirit, The Box tracks its characters as they make their journeys against all odds: from racist to revolutionary, from tough-guy to suicide victim, from guru/teacher to frightened, lost soul, and from father to friend.

By turns entertaining and unsettling, The Box is a rare glimpse into the deep end of our prison system, the intimate bonds forged between modern-day heroes the ripple effects of systematic torture, and what it means to be human.

It is a play that asks: What happens when you have nothing left to lose?

Previews 7/6 and 7/7
Opening Night 7/8
All Wednesday Night Shows are followed by a panel discussion