2868 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
USA
The Veolia Group is a French owned multi-national, which plays a growing role in the world economy pushing privatization of water resources, transportation and other public services.
In the Bay Area, Veolia has pushed for the privatization of water treatment in Richmond, CA, which has led to union busting and environmental degradation. Thomas P. Hoch, Vice President of Veolia Transportation Services was hired to represent BART management in recent negotiations. Hoch attacked BART unions ATU 1555, SEIU 1021 and AFSCME 993.
Veolia is also involved in privatizing transportation services and has attacked unions such as the Boston School Bus Drivers USW 8751, where Veolia has blatantly violated their union contract and fired 4 of the union leaders. They are still fighting for their jobs back, (Team Solidarity- the Voice of United School Bus Union Workers).
Globally, the Veolia group is the largest water privatization company and various environmental groups have tracked its record of destruction and corruption. In the occupied West Bank, subsidiaries of the group operated segregated buses to illegal Israeli settlements, operated an illegal settler dump and ran a light rail system that sustains the Israeli settlements around Jerusalem.
Communities all around the world have organized against Veolia and managed to get their cities and unions to pass anti-privatization resolutions declaring their cities “Veolia Free”.
Topics will include: Veolia’s labor, environmental and human rights
record and what poor and working people can do about their activities.
We invite you, your union/organization to attend and endorse this conference.
SCHEDULE
1:00 PM Registration
1:15 PM Introductions
Speakers: Steve Gillis, VP USW 8751*, Boston School Bus 5; George Figueroa, BART ATU 1555*; Charles Smith, AFSCME 444* and Richmond Fight with Veolia; Omar Barghouti Co-founder BNC, Palestine
2:45 PM International Panel
Speakers: Hugh Lanning, Chair, Palestine Solidarity Committee in UK; Jackie Lewis, London Regional Committee of Unison, Dump Veolia Information Group and PSC; Dalit Baum, Middle East Program, AFSC
3:45 PM Regional Panel
Speakers: Erin Diaz , Director, Public Water Works! Campaign, Corporate Accountability International (Boston); Lois Pearlman, Sonoma Campaign N. Coast Coalition For Palestine; Mikos Fabersonne, Chair, Davis Committee for Palestinian Rights (DCPR); Clarence Thomas, ILWU Local 10 Executive Board*
5:00 PM Workshops-Education and Action, Labor And Privatization, Organizing In Local Communities
6:00 – 6:30 PM Report Back and Action Proposals
7:30 PM Film Screening “Even The Rain” and poetry, music by Dave Welsh and others.
(* for identification only)
Endorsers: Team Solidarity- the Voice of United School Bus Union Workers, UTU 1741, San Francisco Labor Council, Food And Water Watch, United Public Workers For Action, Inter Union Organizing Committee at CDPH, Labor Video Project, Workers World Party, Marcha Patriótica – Capítulo California , International Action Center, American Friends Service Committee, US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, Jewish Voice for Peace, Code Pink, Transportation Workers Solidarity Committee
For registration and contact: call 415-282-1908