The California State University, Dominguez Hills Labor Studies Program and Labor Studies Club presents the Third Annual Labor, Social and Environmental Justice Fair on Thursday, April 21, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the east walkway of the Loker Student Union. The fair – with the theme “Healthy Jobs for a Healthy Planet” in honor of Earth Day – is free and open to the public.
“Anyone who is interested in becoming involved in labor, social justice and/or environmental work, or simply wants to learn about social justice and labor campaigns is invited to attend the fair,” said Vivian Price, Ph.D., Labor Studies Program coordinator and advisor for the fair.
The daylong fair, which is designed to connect students and members of the community with local unions and organizations that are doing social justice work, starts off with a program for local high school students, and continues throughout the afternoon with informational booths and workshops hosted by community groups and a variety of labor organizations.
Workshops will cover a range of topics, from a commentary on how protests in Wisconsin relate to California, led by Karla Salazar, a political action representative of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, to one specifically for high school students, led by Dr. Gabe Crenshaw, a family psychologist featured on the TV show “Extra.”
The noon keynote address will be delivered by Mike Garcia, the organizer of Justice for Janitors and president of Service Employees International Union Local 1877. Kent Wong, director of the UCLA Center for Labor Research and Education, will deliver the evening keynote address at 6 p.m.
Fair highlights include talks by Jimi Castillo, spiritual leader of the Tongva Nation; and Scott Cassell, CEO and Founder of Undersea Voyager Project and rECOn Missions. Additionally, CSU Dominguez Hills President Mildred García, Ed.D, will lead a discussion on the book “America is in the Heart,” written by Carlos Bulosan.
Other activities throughout the day and evening include a free lunch, refreshments, live music, and dance performances.
CSU Dominguez Hills students, including those from Philosophy 379-Contemporary Moral Issues: Environmental Ethics and Consumerism, taught by Sheela Pawar, Ph.D., have produced exhibits and posters designed for the “Healthy Jobs for a Healthy Planet” fair.
In 2010, more than 60 local unions and community groups attended the fair, including the Service Employees International Union, the California School Employee’s Association, Teamsters, Clergy & Laity United for Economic Justice, Communications Workers of America, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, the Screen Actors Guild, Housing Rights Center, and Pride at Work.
The fair is sponsored by the Diane Middleton Foundation, the CSUDH 50th Anniversary Committee, Associated Students, Inc., the College of Arts and Humanities, the CSUDH Center for Service Learning, Internships and Civic Engagement, and a growing list of unions, including the Los Angeles Federation of Labor, the American Federation of Teachers Los Angeles College Faculty Guild Local 1521, and the California Faculty Association.
The fair will continue its tradition of introducing new students to the university and to the Labor Studies program. The Labor Studies program has been a part of CSU Dominguez Hills since 1977 and is the only such bachelor’s degree program at a state-supported university in Southern California.
For more information, call (310) 243-3640, email or call Julian Sanchez (310) 483-6917, or email Eddie Moretti.
To see our updated schedule, and learn more about the Labor Studies Program, visit: dhlaborstudies.org.
