Hyatt Campaign throws Alternative Groundbreaking
Friday, January 27th, SSNers brought together over 40 students and Hyde Park residents for a two-part event: an Action/Reception spotlighting the campaign to guarantee the right to organize for Hyatt workers at the Harper Court development. The Action took place at 53rd and Harper, in front of the construction site. Two students staged the roles of Bobby Bureaucrat and Una Percenta, parodying the university and developers to call attention to the terms of the dialogue surrounding the development. Their antics were interrupted by a Hyatt worker from Unite Here! Local 1, as well as invited guests from FLY and SSN. Pastor Kim Beckman of Augustana Lutheran Church led the crowd in a community takeover, demanding a space for community dialogue.
Immediately following the Action, students walked back to the Southside Hub of Production (SHoP) for the Reception. Food and drinks were served as students and community residents mingled. The reception included a panel of people from Unite Here! Local 1 and SSN, detailing the current situation facing the Justice at Hyatt campaign and giving a call-to-action to the audience. SHoP will continue to host events aimed to bring together different student groups and community residents, to discuss shared concerns about the university’s relationship to the community.
For Costumed Activists, All the Court’s a Stage (Chicago Maroon)
Hyde Park Herald, Feb 1, 2012, Vol. 130 Issue 5 (credit: Marc Monaghan)
Filed under Labor & Community
MLK Day: “Occupy the Dream” packs the house!
“Occupy draws on MLK’s legacy” (Sun Times)
“Civil rights leaders, Occupy Chicago join forces on the eve of MLK Day” (Chicago Tribune)
Packed house at the People's Church (Photo: Lilly Lerer)
Rev. Booker Vance, President of SOUL (Photo: Molly Cunningham)
Filed under Fair Economy
SHE Petition: Feasibility Study for UCMC Trauma Center
In the past, officials representing the UCMC have stated that a trauma center would be too expensive or not beneficial enough, but have not presented any objective figures in conjunction with these claims.
That’s why SHE created a petition to University of Chicago Medical Center Board of Directors, which says:
“We, members of the University of Chicago community, support a public study conducted by an unbiased third party to assess the feasibility of offering level 1 adult trauma care at the UCMC. The UCMC receives $58.6 million annually in tax benefits to cover its costs, and it is about time to formally consider the introduction of such care in an area where penetrative trauma is so common.”
Sign the Petition: “UCMC: Run a Feasibility Study on Trauma Care on the South Side“
Filed under Health Equity
Occupy the Dream! Martin Luther King Day Celebration and Public Meeting
Sunday, January 15, join Southside Solidarity Network (SSN), our partner Southsiders Organizing for Unity and Liberation (SOUL), and other regional allies for this annual event. Over a thousand people will join together at The People’s Church of Chicago (941 W Lawrence Ave) for live music and rousing speeches, celebrating Dr. King’s life by continuing his legacy. Elected officials from across the Chicago area will be there, including aldermen, state legislators, and federal officials. We will be asking them to hold banks and corporations accountable around issues of jobs, foreclosure, and paying their fare share in taxes. We need you to participate in this event so that our elected officials know you care about these issues!
SSN will be hosting a potluck pre-party at 1:30pm, meeting up at Southside Hub of Production (SHoP, 5638 S Woodlawn Ave). SSN has also arranged for buses to transport Hyde Parkers to and from the event, leaving at 2pm from 57th and University (behind SHoP). Please join us for one of SSN’s most special events.
Schedule with Links to Facebook pages to RSVP!
1:30pm: Potluck Party at Southside Hub of Production (5638 S Woodlawn Ave)
2pm: Buses leave Hyde Park
2:30pm: Event Registration
3pm-4:30pm: Event at The People’s Church of Chicago (941 W Lawrence Ave)
4:30-4:45pm: Buses return to Hyde Park
Filed under Fair Economy
