150 SW 13th Avenue, Miami, FL  
33135
Phone  (786) 264-1708;  Fax  (786)
264-1859
interfaith@sfiwj.org; www.sfiwj.org
2009 IWJ Leadership Summit
From June 13-15, South Florida Interfaith Worker Justice (SFIWJ) representative
Jeanette Smith, along with interns Rebekah Evans and James Schwarber, traveled to
Tulane University in New Orleans for the Interfaith Worker Justice (IWJ) Leadership
Summit. In addition to IWJ affiliates, members of the IWJ Worker Center network also
attended the summit, joining with National Day Labor Organizing Network (NDLON)
members for a pre-conference. This historic gathering of the two largest worker center
networks in the country allowed representatives to discuss strategies for addressing
worker related issues, particularly wage theft. The workshops held during the Summit
covered a wide variety of issues, including theology related to worker justice and issues
of race and gender. The well-attended, provocative evening plenaries discussed both
current and future campaigns of IWJ with worker representatives presenting their
stories to clergy, laity, and representatives of the Department of Labor, including XXX.
A highlight of the summit was a video message from new Secretary of Labor Hilda
Solis who commended IWJ and its affiliates for their efforts surrounding the issue of
wage theft. The Summit ended with a direct action during which participants visited the
9th Ward and held a prayer vigil next to one of the previously broken levees.
Afterwards, participants went to the office of Senator Mary Landrieu to hold a prayer
vigil and rally in support of the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA). EFCA, which will
allow workers to more easily organize, is  one of the ways in which workers can fight
against wage theft in their communities.


To learn more about what transpired at the 2009 IWJ Leadership Summit, or to learn
more about IWJ and its affiliates, visit the IWJ website by clicking this link.