287g is a bill which is dangerous to our communities, but we all know that our issues go far beyond this law. Leaders of this protest have put the most emphasis on tossing out this bill. However, we cannot fall into the idea that everything will be fine after this bill is gone. We need to organize into strong groups now so that we can continue to fight for our dignity after 287g fails. Otherwise, we risk struggling forever to keep small laws off the books. It is necessary to stop unjust laws against migrant workers, but it is also necessary to stop the conditions which force these things to happen.

It is not enough to demand that the city government take one law off of their agenda while they exploit us in every other direction. We need to organize and establish a powerful list of demands, and move it foward, while we are fighting against 287g.

WE DEMAND AMNESTY FOR ALL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS! Illegal immigrants are our family, friends, and coworkers. There cannot be a just society as long as half of the population is put on a lower level than everyone else.

WE DEMAND A LIVING WAGE FOR EVERYONE! Much of the work that migrant workers take is dirty, dangerous, and grossly underpaid. To fight for amnesty for all immigrants while allowing their employers to exploit them is counterproductive. If we work full-time and still struggle to pay for our necessities, then something has to change.

WE DEMAND THE 4-HOUR WORK DAY! Our lives are completely taken up by our jobs, and this is wrong. The average CEO makes 400 times the workers below him. As workers, we create 10 times more than we receive in wages. The 4 hour day is more than enough to support a fair economy, while giving us dignity and leisure time in our lives.

WE DEMAND FREE PUBLIC SERVICES! Schools, hospitals, food, water, housing, clothing, jobs, electricity, and leisure time all rightfully belong to us at no cost. Remember, we work in and built their hospitals, but we can barely afford to use them. Health care is a right, not a privilege. Our schools must be funded properly so that the poorer cities do not get less of an education than richer cities.

WE DEMAND A WORKER-RUN UNION! Unions are worker-run organizations, not giant businesses. We want democratic unions which work on the shop floor and are run without any union bosses. Our union organizations should be spread out across entire industries, not just at certain companies. Remember, the working class and the employing class have nothing in common! Our unions should always demand more wages, more benefits, and less hours for the same pay.

WE DEMAND CONTROL OVER OUR OWN COMMUNITIES! Decisions made by politicians like Mayor Hyde and his gang of aldermen do not reflect our own wants and needs. We want the decision making power to go to smaller community councils, which are then networked to the city, and up from there. Our community organizations should be as democratic as possible and cannot reflect the politicians who put us in our situations in the first place.

WE DEMAND RESPECT AND DIGNITY FOR WOMEN! Men must realize the social probems facing women and man’s role in it. Women must organize groups amongst themselves to find their own power and ability to work towards a better society. Women are paid far less than men in America for equal (if not harder) work. Women are also targets of rape, domestic abuse, and constant humiliation by men.

WE DEMAND THE END TO ALL WARS! It is the working-class who are most likely to die for the military. It is the working class who are most likely to kill others for the military; these people have friends, family, and struggle to pay for a living just like us. And because we are the working-class, we are the only group that is capable of ending all military aggression by simply refusing to kill other working-class people.

And most of all, WE DEMAND IT ALL NOW! We are not content with waiting for politicians to give us what we already deserve, or to have outside organizations fight for us. If we want a better society, if we want problems fixed right, then it is up to the community to fight for their own social justice.

For more informaton, visit our website:
www.sunrisecollective.org