Twenty years ago we formed a coalition of unions and community organizations to unite to fight for economic and social justice on the job and in our communities. Over those two decades, Philadelphia JWJ has played a critical role in uniting labor unions and community groups to win bigger victories. Philadelphia JWJ lead and won four-year campaign to defend the workplace rights of Philadelphia security guards, winning major victories including wage raises and paid sick days for guards at the University of Pennsylvania, Temple University, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. We responded to Philadelphia’s public school budget crisis by launching the Good Neighbor Campaign to pressure then-Mayor Nutter to hold the city’s tax-exempt multi-billion dollar universities and hospitals accountable for paying their fair share of our school district’s budget. We’ve supported the Teamsters on strike at Wawa, we’ve fought for fair contracts and fair funding at Community College of Philadelphia, for paid sick days, for our public libraries. This year, we’ve launched innovative, membership based campaigns to win justice and dignity for low wage workers of color across the Southeastern Pennsylvania region, and played a key role in the introduction of a groundbreaking Domestic Workers Bill of Rights.

For 20 years, we’ve been there for the fights that matter most, and this year, we’re asking you to join us in celebration. On Wednesday, October 23^rd from 5:30 to 7, we will be honoring several organizations and unions who have done work for justice in the past year, and we will be looking forward to the challenges ahead.