What We've Done

• The rights of all workers
• Opening lines of communication
• Working for a better future for our community
• Local issues
• Training new leaders

The Rights of All Workers

• In the summer and fall of 2008, an election year, CCI members in Marshalltown ramped up our electoral work to educate thousands of voters on the importance of the rights of all workers. We also increased voter registration of the Latino population in Marshalltown.
  
  
• In December 2006, a group of immigrant workers came to CCI with reports of mistreatment at a cleaning company in Des Moines. Among other things, they reported being paid for fewer hours than they had worked and being forced to work with harsh cleaning chemicals without proper training.

  In response, workers joined CCI to push for better working conditions, make this issue visible and educate fellow immigrant workers on their rights and responsibilities. In February 2007, members and supporters held a meeting with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Iowa Civil Rights Commission and the Wage Payment Collection office of Iowa Workforce Development to discuss these issues.

  Because of CCI members’ efforts, a key supervisor was sent to a management skills training program.
  
  
• On November 14, 2005, Latinos en Acción de CCI and Iowa’s Labor Commissioner signed an alliance agreement with the purpose of educating Swift workers on their right to a safe workplace and help them report any hazardous conditions.

The alliance agreement is a direct result of a meeting members had with a Safety Consultant from the Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Administration (IOSHA). In the meeting, over 50 CCI members shared testimonies about problems faced by Swift employees. Members also said that Swift is unwilling to work with them to make the plant safer. www.osha.gov

Opening Lines of Communication

• In 2007, more than 250 CCI members and other residents met to voice concerns about a new program being proposed in Marshalltown called 287g. With funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the program would train five local police officers to act as immigration enforcement agents. More than 80 members, both Anglo and Latino, met with the mayor, five city council members, the Chamber of Commerce and the police chief, asking them to oppose this program.

After four months of hard work and organizing, members won a big victory when Marshalltown city officials announced that the program would not be funded.

• In 2005, members in Des Moines held two meetings with the Des Moines Chief of Police to address members concerns of profiling and mistreatment. He agreed to hear and investigate any and all complaints concerning police conduct or actions. He also voiced his support of driver’s licenses or identification for the immigrant community to ensure that only tested drivers are on the road and to allow officials to better track the identity of Des Moines residents.

• In 2004, Latinos en Acción de CCI members met with the Superintendent of the Marshalltown School District about the need to work together to address bullying and violence in the schools.

Looking Towards a Better Future for our Community

• In response to the Dec. 12, 2006 raids in Marshalltown and the May 12, 2008 raids in Postville, CCI members in Marshalltown rallied alongside hundreds of others from all across the state for fair immigration reform.

In 2007, a few CCI members and staff joined nearly 200 other grassroots leaders from 30 states in Washington, D.C for the Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM), at which they learned more about comprehensive immigration reform, why it’s necessary and strategies for making it happen.

And in 2008, members traveled to Washington, D.C. for National People's Action, where we received a commitment for a meeting with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services' (USCIS) Deputy Director Jonathan Scharfen to discuss decreasing the amount of time and money it currently takes for immigrants to become naturalized citizens.

• On July 17, 2005 Des Moines and Marshalltown CCI members joined with over 20 immigrant rights’ groups in Iowa to plan and carry out a national immigration reform rally in Des Moines. The rally was held across the street from the National Governor’s Association meeting, where over 35 governors and hundreds of their political advisors and press were discussing the legislation they would support. A crowd of over 250 people called on the governors to support legislation that recognizes the contribution of immigrants and protects them from unscrupulous businesses and people that may try to take advantage of them.

Local Organizing Issues

• In 2005, Latinos en Acción de CCI members took their concerns about lack of adequate public soccer fields to city and school officials. As a result, members got school officials to donate space for two public soccer fields. Since then, the league has grown to 14 teams and more than 300 people gather each Sunday to participate in the league “Latinos Unidos”.

During the spring of 2008, a group of CCI members and soccer players discussed how to secure plans for winning a public soccer complex. More than 100 soccer players, members of Latinos en Acción de CCI and community leaders have been meeting to establish a public soccer complex of five adult soccer fields and six children’s fields. Meetings and negotiations continue with representatives of the Marshalltown Area Community College and other partners to assure a positive working relationship. The college has committed land for the complex.

• In May 2005, Latinos en Acción de CCI members and residents of the Starlite trailer park near Marshalltown held the owner accountable for inflating resident’s water bills. All residents received refunds and the issue was resolved.

Training New Leaders

• In 2008, CCI trained new leaders at our first Democracy School - a leadership and political education training inspired by the Freedom and Citizenship Schools of the Civil Rights Movement. Fifteen graduates learned more about civic engagement - including how to caucus, how a bill becomes a law and how to identify your local, state and federal representatives.