[Lekooks] Economic Justice Sunday Workshop Series

[Phil Smith]

Dear kooks,

The Social Justice Committee will present the worship service this Sunday on the issue you rated as your top priority in our survey from last fall - Economic Inequality.  We are pleased to offer you a workshop series on this topic, presented by members of our committee on five Sundays after church (11:30-1:00).   We hope you can join us for all or many of these.

Economic Justice Class
5 Sundays - March 6, 20, April 3, 10, 17
11:30 - 1:00 in Room 1

Join members of the Social Justice Committee for this 5-week course that looks at escalating economic inequality in our society and offers strategies to address it.  Bring a bag lunch.

Suggested donation is $5/class.  Sign up for all five or any of the five classes in the social hall, or email kerryduma at gmail.com

Workshop 1 (March 6, 2016)   How Inequality Drives Injustice
The goal of this workshop is to provide a broad overview on current and historic inequality in the US and the world. We will look at recent scholarship on the role of inequality throughout history, the differences in inequality and its impacts on society. We will also look at how some countries have addressed inequality and how they have fared. The workshop was developed by "UUs for a Just Economic Community" (UUJEC).

 Workshop 2 (March 20, 2016)   Going Behind the Kitchen Door
About 15% of the US workforce work in businesses associated with the food industry. Many of these workers receive low wages, lack benefits and experience regular violations of their rights. We will focus on the issues facing restaurant workers and discuss the book Behind the Kitchen Door, by Saru Jayaraman. It is not necessary to read the book, but that will provide a richer experience. The workshop is based on the UU Service Committee (UUSC) "Choosing Compassionate Consumption".

Workshop 3 (April 3, 2016)   Advocating for a Fair Minimum Wage
The right to a living wage is a central pillar of the UUSCs economic justice work. It has been nearly 6 years since the minimum wage has been raised. Millions of full-time employees make $7.25/hr, or $15,080/yr, well below the poverty line for a family of 3. This workshop focusses on income inequality and what we can do about it. It is based on the UUSC "Choosing Compassionate Consumption".
 
Workshop 4 (April 10, 2016)    Ethical Investing
One of the more significant actions we can all take is to invest our wealth in companies that respect workers. Today over $3 trillion is managed in stock mutual funds that invest in socially responsible companies. We will explore the many types of funds, the various social responsible metrics used as well as the historical performance of the funds. The hope is to provide real information that can mobilize our members to invest in ethically driven companies and avoid the bad players.
 
Workshop 5 (April 17, 2016)   Taking Action for Economic Justice
The Social Justice Committee has identified several actions we can take to address economic inequality.  We will explore these actions and solicit more ideas. We will provide hands-on experience with smart phone apps such as Buycott and ROCs Diner Guide that help identify products and businesses that support workers as well as other socially responsible issues. We will explore Facebook pages being used to advocate for workers and how we can support their effort and spread the news.

See you there!
phil and kerry

Phil Smith
Environmental Engineer, P.E.
Home Office:                                           Milwaukee Office:
W318 S4121 Highview Rd.                   CH2M Hill
Waukesha, Wi. 53189                            135 South 84th St.
cell: 262 719 1542                                     Milwaukee, Wi. 53214
psmith at ch2m.com

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