Please Welcome new Colorado Intern Jenny Weyel

Jenny Weyel recently moved to Denver from Berlin, Germany, where she completed her M.A. in Political Science with a thesis on the U.S. prison system. In Berlin she has done solidarity work with detained immigrants pending deportation, and in Denver she currently interns with the Colorado Progressive Coalition (CPC), where she worked on a bill against racial profiling that became Colorado law this summer. In her free time, she tutors residents at a halfway house, plays soccer, and enjoys hiking in the Rocky Mountains.

Jenny will be working on a variety of issues with the Colorado team, including Election Connection work and paid sick days small business organizing. To contact Jenny, email jennyw@9to5.org.

Please Welcome Colorado ARRA and Paid Sick Days Organizer Margaret Gomez

Margaret (Maggie) Gomez, originally from Wisconsin, joined the 9to5 Colorado team in late August as a graduate from the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work. With a demonstrated passion for social justice, Maggie has most recently been fighting for human rights and the advancement of historically marginalized communities in institutions of higher education and with local area non-profit organizations. With a critical lens of oppression and politics Maggie is an exciting new addition to the Denver chapter.

Maggie is working both on our American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) work and on our paid sick days small business organizing! To get in touch with Maggie, email maggie@9to5.org

Please Welcome Colorado Organizer Margarita Gomez

Margarita (Maggie) joined the Colorado 9to5 team as a Colorado Organizer in late August. She was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. She moved to Denver to attend graduate school in 2008. Maggie started her activist work during undergrad as an intern with the California Faculty Association working on keeping higher education affordable and accessible for all Californians. She also did an internship with Project WISE working on pay-day lending and financial empowerment information among low-income women. She is really excited to be part of such a great organization!

Maggie is mostly working on our Election Connection work this fall - helping to get out the vote and ensure we protect our communities from harmful ballot initiatives! To get in touch with her, email margarita@9to5.org

The Bad 3: In Plain English

This is a great short video explaining three initiatives that will be in the November ballot. As the title so clearly puts it, it explains it in plain English. Please remember to vote November 2nd. These three initiatives will severely cripple the state of Colorado if they pass. Thank you The Bell Policy Center and the Progress Now Colorado for creating this video. If this video inspires you to do more, 9to5 is still looking for canvassers to help make sure that these bad initiatives as well as 62 and 63 don't pass this election. You can check out the job description in our website: http://9to5.org/about/jobs

Welcome 9to5 Colorado's New ARRA Organizer: Jenny Santos!

9to5 Colorado Organizer Jenny Santos was born in Los Angeles to Mexican parents -- Severa Casillas of La Noria de Molinos, Zacatecas and Juan Santos Acosta of El Refugio, Aguascalientes, México.

She comes to 9to5 with an open heart to help protect women’s rights in the workplace and to help bring economic justice to all people. Jenny’s desire to help struggling families comes from her own experiences. Her mother relocated to Denver, CO in the 1980s and suffered social and economic hardship as a recent immigrant. As early as age 5, Jenny was conscious that her purpose in life was to protect her people and the Earth from oppressive powers through the strength of God. She has worked to create systemic change to empower communities of color and believes that the people directly impacted by issues should be leading the efforts to create social justice.

Six years ago, Jenny and Michael Miera founded La Raza Youth Leadership, a program that empowers Latino youth to continue their education and build leadership skills. She is on the board of COLOR, (Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights) an organization for Latinas and their families focused on providing education and advocacy for reproductive rights and quality healthcare. Jenny is also a danzante with Grupo Tlaloc Danza Azteca and believes in preserving the cultural traditions of her ancestors.

As a new organizer leading 9to5’s ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) efforts, Jenny will work to ensure that ARRA information reaches all communities and that women and people of color are well-represented in efforts to make ARRA and the new economy more inclusive.

Jenny can be reached at jenny [@] 9to5 [dot] org or (303) 628-0925.

9to5 Colorado Seeks Communications and Public Relations Intern

9to5, National Association of Working Women, in its fourth decade of strengthening women’s ability to win economic justice, is seeking a volunteer Communications and Public Relations Intern to augment its national media and new media work. Intern would work under the direction of the National Public Relations Coordinator and work collaboratively with other staff.

Position is based in 9to5’s Denver office.

Minimum requirement is 10-20 hours per week.

Tasks may include:

• Compiling and updating media lists
• Phone and email pitch work
• Exploring effective and appropriate social media to enhance organizing work
• Writing online content
• Other administrative tasks related to media outreach and social networking work

Required skills:

• Basic understanding of traditional and new media
• Competent writer
• Familiarity with Twitter, Facebook, You Tube, Flickr, blogging, etc.
• Good communicator
• Evidence of strong interest in women’s rights, policy issues, civil rights, social and economic justice
• Demonstrated ability to work well with diverse populations

Women of color, lesbian/bisexual/transgender women, women with disabilities and older women are encouraged to apply. Please send a letter of interest and/or resume to Rosemaryh [@] 9to5 [dot] org.

9to5 Colorado Needs Board Members!

9to5 Colorado needs a couple new board members! Please read the information below.

If you are interested in applying to be a board member, email a cover letter and resume to 9to5colorado [@] 9to5 [dot] org.

9to5, National Association of Working Women – Colorado Chapter

In 1973, a group of office workers in Boston got together to talk about issues which had no names: sexual harassment, work/family challenges, and pay equity. From this beginning, 9to5 emerged as the national organization dedicated to putting working women's issues on the public agenda. 9to5's constituents are low-wage women, women in traditionally female jobs, and those who've experienced any form of discrimination.

9to5's Colorado chapter was founded in 1996 and is dedicated to the issues that directly affect women in the workplace. We work to involve women in improving policies addressing pay equity, work/family issues, sexual harassment, discrimination, welfare, unemployment and protections for temporary and part-time workers.

Our mission is to build a movement to achieve economic justice, by engaging directly affected women to improve working conditions.

Our vision is an economically just world where poverty and discrimination have been eliminated, the contributions of women are recognized and valued, and all women and their families thrive.

9to5 is committed to:

• Winning family-friendly policies to help working people balance responsibilities at home and on the job.
• Making nonstandard jobs voluntary and equitable so that those who work part-time or as temps receive fair pay and benefits.
• Eliminating workplace discrimination through educating about legal rights on the job, monitoring enforcement agencies, and expanding anti-discrimination laws.
• Opposing punitive welfare policies and backing those that allow women to be self sufficient while supporting their families.
  

Board Members’ Responsibilities:

• All Board members should be familiar and agree with the purpose and goals of the organization, and fairly and accurately represent them to the public.
• Make every effort to attend and participate in regular Board meetings each month, emergency Board meetings, chapter events, activities and campaigns. If unable to attend a Board meeting, Board members should notify a Co-Chairwoman or staff member prior to the meeting if possible.
• Be familiar with issues that will come before the Board, and upon which you will be expected to make decisions for the organization. Read all material sent out by the chapter chair. Prepare reports on area of responsibility when assigned.
• Actively participate in fundraising activities and be responsible for reviewing fiscal policy.
• Participate in Board planning retreat and set goals and timelines for organization’s programs and activities.
• Be as visible as possible. Help build the organization by actively recruiting new members and training new leadership.
• Agree to abide by the Code of Ethics.

Code of Ethics For Chapter Members:

• Each Member is equally important. All opinions are welcome.
• Disagreement is healthy. We agree to express concerns or anger directly with each other and are willing to accept the feedback. We seek to do this in a caring, non-destructive way, avoiding generalizations, accusations, and abusive language. If necessary, the Co-Chairwomen of the Board and/or other Board Members may facilitate the discussion.
• We seek to create an atmosphere where everyone can contribute, where quiet members are encouraged and involved by others, where opinions and feelings are shared openly, and where no one person dominates the meeting.