WitnessNewsletter of the Micah Center

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly, defend the rights of the poor and needy.” Prov.

31:8,9Annual Justice Conference Inspires, Equips

The Micah Center hosted the annual Grand Rapids Justice Conference this year on April 6 at Tabernacle Community Church in Grand Rapids. The conference, entitled “Social Justice 201: Intro to Community Organizing”, was led by internationally recognized community organizer and activist Rev. Alexia Salvatierra.

Salvatierra is an ordained minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and has worked with a number of organizations advocating for change across the globe. According to her website, alexiasalvatierra.com, Alexia has “over 30 years of experience in ecumenical, multi­faith and community ministry, community organizing and legislative advocacy”. For over a decade, Salvatierra was the executive director of Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE)—a faith­based alliance of religious leaders in California who seek to address issues of poverty and inequality while also empowering those in the community to have a voice in decisions that directly affect them.

The focus of Salvatierra’s presentation at the conference was on the basics of “Faith­Rooted Organizing and Biblically­based Public Policy”. The conference explored what made faith­based organizations different from secular advocacy groups. Specifically, attendees were encouraged to examine the ways in which Christians are organized and how, as community organizers, they could draw on the gifts and insights of the Christian community. The importance of doing this, according to Salvatierra, was so Christians could identify their unique abilities and contribute them to the larger movement for justice.

The first step for Christians, however, was to begin with scripture and view the community’s issues in a Christ­like manner. Salvatierra referenced Matthew 9:35­37 where Christ looks on the crowd around him with compassion and responds with what she called an “intelligent and effective love”. She emphasized how Christians need to have the power of both serpents and doves. As Christians, people need to not only be as crafty and strategic as the serpent, but also they need to wrap everything in love in order to bring peaceful change to the world like the dove. Echoing the sentiment of non­violent resistance from past civil­rights leaders, Salvatierra emphasized that the goal of faith­based organizing is not to “defeat” the enemy, but rather to win them over to a more cooperative understanding of the problem.

Within the discussion of faith­rooted organizing Salvatierra identified several components that an organization must address in order to be effective. The six areas of organizing explored in her presentation were goals, analysis of the issue, strategies for change, recruitment of members, leadership development, and finally leadership sustainability. Salvatierra gave conference members a time of feedback and brainstorming after each section with those around them. The floor was opened for attendees to ask questions of Salvatierra and each other.

Inside the sanctuary, tables were assigned to the different issues of the advocacy groups from the Micah Center. Attendees were encouraged to find the issue they were most interested or involved in and discuss how the principles of Salvatierra’s presentation applied to their cause.

Over 100 people attended the conference from a number of different churches and denominations across the state.

Late last fall the Micah Center achieved its most notable victory in the center’s campaign to fight wage theft in Grand Rapids. After a wage theft task force commissioned by Mayor Heartwell presented their findings about the issue’s prevalence in Grand Rapids, the group drafted a policy and brought it before the city council. Following several changes to the proposal requested by members of the council, the legislative body passed the policy in November.

“Wage Theft”, according to the proposal, is any act by an employer in which they deny their workers their legal full wages. This includes not paying employees for all of their hours worked, not paying overtime, taking illegal deductions from paychecks, and requiring employees to work “off the clock”. In addition, wage theft can occur when an employer misclassifies an employee as a self­employed contractor in order to escape paying required taxes.

Under the proposal, companies that sign contracts to work with the city must agree that they have not committed wage theft in the last two years. They will also agree not to steal workers’ wages while under contract or face a probationary period during which they will not be allowed to bid for city contracts. If an employee from a contracted business comes forward with a complaint about wage theft city officials said they would send them to the appropriate state and federal authorities.

Part of the success of the Micah Center’s group was “because we ‘hit the streets’ and interviewed hundreds of people who had experienced wage theft”, said Phil Bogart, co­chair of the Micah Center wage theft group.

In addition to their campaign on the streets, Bogart mentioned working in conjunction with groups like the Grand Rapids Urban League and the Hispanic Center as a significant part of their attempt to engage the community.

The hope behind the wage theft policy is that it will discourage companies from stealing their employees’ wages while also leveling the playing field for those businesses that have been treating their workers ethically. The more local governments and communities agree to not work with companies that have committed wage theft the more difficult it will be for them to find work.

In addition to the city policy, students at Aquinas College and Calvin College have met to propose similar wage theft policies to their respective administrations. At Calvin, student members of the Social Justice Coalition (SJC) on campus partnered with the Micah Center to sponsor a viewing of center’s wage theft documentary at a recent SJC meeting. Students hope to spread awareness on Calvin’s campus through petitions and surveys as well as further screenings of the documentary. Their plan is to eventually gather enough support for a wage theft proposal among the Calvin community to convince the administration and board of trustees to include it as part of any contracts the school signs with outside businesses.

The Micah Center has also been in talks with the city of Kentwood about adopting a wage theft policy similar to what Grand Rapids passed in the fall.

Finally, the Micah Center is looking to obtain funding to start a workers’ center where employees from across the area can call a hotline to report problems with employers.

“A workers center would be a resource center for educational programs and become a hub for workers to report violations concerning employment issues”, said Bogart.

The workers’ center would be staffed by full­time employees, but is still in its planning stage as the Micah Center seeks funding and volunteers.

“Our future success will be based on a new infusion of Micah Center volunteers”, said Bogart, “We need you”.

The wage theft task force meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month at 5:30 at Hope Reformed Church.

Fair LendingProgress of advocating for ethical alternatives to predatory lending.

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Immigration ReformThe Immigration Reform Advocacy Group travelled to Washington, DC – check out their story. Page 3

Wage TheftSuccess, progress, and the road ahead in the fight against wage theft throughout Michigan.

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Social Justice Conference

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Alexia Salvatierra: Serpent Power, Dove Power and Matt. 9

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indebted for five months, ultimately costing the individual far more than the original loan.

Another study released in March by the Center for Responsible Lending found that in 2011 the average payday borrower from a more traditional “large” bank still took out an average of 9 loans.

This past February, FLAG sought to educate the community about these loans through an event inspired by the actions of the Freedom Riders from the 1960s civil rights’ movement. On Valentine’s Day, members of the advocacy group rode Grand Rapids’ public buses on some of the most heavily trafficked lines in order to spread the word about FLAG’s work. Armed with Valentine’s themed candy and informational fliers, FLAG

Fair Lending Advocacy Group

members spoke with riders about the dangers of “quick” payday loans.

Any individuals they met who were currently caught in the “debt trap” were given information about possible alternatives to help pay off their debt.

One of the financial institutions FLAG looks to support is an alternative loan program the Inner City Christian Federation (ICCF) is trying to launch in the near future. The program would offer borrowers loans with a reasonable interest rate while also providing education about financial management. Several employees of ICCF are working closely with the Micah Center and its advocacy groups.

Co­chair of the Micah Center’s FLAG is Dallas Lanear, executive pastor at New Hope Baptist Church in Grand Rapids. The group meets on the fourth Thursday of each month at 8:30am at New Hope Baptist Church (130 Delaware SW).

The Average Payday Loan APR in Michigan is 417%

The Micah Center’s Fair Lending Advocacy Group (FLAG) has been hard at work this year educating the community on predatory lending while also advocating ethical alternative financial institutions.

FLAG is working to steer people away from the “fast cash” of institutions promising a two­week loan. These “Payday Loan” businesses offer individuals loans that need to be fully repaid, with interest, in two weeks. The Annual Percentage Rate (APR) of interest on these payday loans are usually upwards of 300 percent—far higher than the APR of a standard bank loan. In fact, the average payday loan APR in Michigan is a staggering 417 percent.

Low­income neighborhoods and the elderly are often targeted by these payday loan agencies in order to catch people in what is known in the lending industry as a “debt trap”. In these traps, individuals are not able to fully repay their loan plus interest within two weeks and therefore must take out another loan to cover expenses. According to The Pew Charitable Trusts, the average borrower at payday loan agencies is

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Immigration Reform Advocacy GroupThe Micah Center took its cause to the capital this past April.

Led by immigration advocacy group co­chair Gema Lowe, over one hundred people travelled to Washington DC to participate in a march for immigration reform. The “Rally for Citizenship” took place in the nation’s capital on April 10 and sought to reform immigration laws that were threatening to split up families. Nearly 500 participants from across the state travelled to take part in the rally alongside other supporters from across the nation. In addition to addressing laws that split up families, the marchers also sought a path to citizenship for the nearly eleven million undocumented immigrants in the US.

“The purpose of the trip,” said Lowe, “was to march along with advocates of Immigration Reform from Michigan and all (of) the US (and) to rally and put pressure on the legislators to move the Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill”.

The trip to DC was coordinated in partnership with Michigan United, a nonprofit organization advocating for the rights of immigrants in Michigan. With Michigan United’s help, Gema and others were able to sit down with several of the state’s elected officials to discuss immigration reform. Among those they met with were Michigan senators Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin, along with representatives Bill Huizenga and Justin Amash.

Lowe and others from trip felt their meetings with their elected officials went well and that they were able to make “positive” progress in convincing them to support immigration reform.

“(We) got to participate in the meeting with the legislators,” said Lowe, “(and were) able to speak out their concerns on immigration reform.”

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Justice Conference

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Late last fall the Micah Center achieved its most notable victory in the center’s campaign to fight wage theft in Grand Rapids. After a wage theft task force commissioned by Mayor Heartwell presented their findings about the issue’s prevalence in Grand Rapids, the group drafted a policy and brought it before the city council. Following several changes to the proposal requested by members of the council, the legislative body passed the policy in November.

“Wage theft”, according to the proposal, is any act by an employer in which they deny their workers their legal full wages. This includes not paying employees for all of their hours worked, not paying overtime, taking illegal deductions from paychecks, and requiring employees to work “off the clock.” In addition, wage theft can occur when an employer misclassifies an employee as a self­employed contractor in order to escape paying required taxes.

Under the policy, companies that sign contracts with the city must certify that they have not committed wage theft in the last two years. If a business is found guilty of wage theft while it has a contract with the city, the city will withhold payment to that company until that company fully compensates all affected employees. The City of Grand Rapids will then suspend that business contracts for too years. If an employee from a contracted business comes forward with a complaint about wage theft city officials said they would send them to the appropriate state and federal authorities.

Part of the success of the Micah Center’s group was “because we ‘hit the streets’ and interviewed hundreds of people who had experienced wage theft”, said Phil Boogaart, co­chair of the Micah Center wage theft group.

In addition to their campaign on the streets, Boogaart mentioned working in conjunction with groups like the Grand Rapids Urban League and the Hispanic Center as a significant part of their attempt to engage the community.

The hope behind the wage theft policy is that it will discourage companies from stealing their employees’ wages while also leveling the playing field for those

businesses that have been treating their workers ethically. The more local governments and communities agree to not work with companies that have committed wage theft the more difficult it will be for them to find work.

In addition to the city policy, students at Aquinas College and Calvin College have met to propose similar wage theft policies to their respective administrations. At Calvin, student members of the Social Justice Coalition (SJC) on campus partnered with the Micah Center to sponsor a viewing of center’s wage theft documentary at a recent SJC meeting. Students hope to spread awareness on Calvin’s campus through petitions and surveys as well as further screenings of the documentary. Their plan is to eventually gather enough support for a wage theft proposal among the Calvin community to convince the administration and board of trustees to include it as part of any contracts the school signs with outside businesses.

The Micah Center has also been in talks with the city of Kentwood about adopting a wage theft policy similar to what Grand Rapids passed in the fall.

Finally, the Micah Center is looking to obtain funding to start a workers’ center where employees from across the area can call a hotline to report problems with employers.

“A workers center would be a resource center for educational programs and become a hub for workers to report violations concerning employment issues,” said Boogaart.

The workers’ center would be staffed by full­time employees, but is still in its planning stage as the Micah Center seeks funding and volunteers.

“Our future success will be based on a new infusion of Micah Center volunteers”, said Boogaart, “We need you”.

The wage theft task force meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 3:30 at Hope Reformed Church.

One of the trip’s highlights was that individuals from the immigrant community who had never exercised their right speak out in a democracy were given the chance to do so in the country’s most powerful halls. For many on the trip, it was their first encounter with demonstrating on a national level.

“We took everyday people and moved them to the capital of the United States to exercise the rights to organize, protest and participate in the process of democracy,” said Lowe, “to some, it was their first time in DC and made an impact on their lives”.

Since his re­election, President Obama has said reforming the nation’s immigration laws would be a top priority for his administration. Recently, a bipartisan group of senators introduced an initial “framework” on immigration reform for the House and Senate to debate in the coming weeks.

Gema Lowe is the co­chair of the Micah Center’s advocacy group for immigration reform which meets on the third Tuesday of every month at 7pm at Hope Reformed Church.

…Immigration Reform Continued

Immigration Reform Advocacy GroupWage Theft Advocacy Group

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What is the Micah Center?“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly, defend the rights of the poor and needy.” Prov.

31:8,9The Micah Center exists to educate people about the biblical call to do justice and how they can respond to that call in their local community. It accomplishes this work by hosting a monthly lecture series on biblical justice and applications to current issues; by facilitating advocacy groups that study issues, educate others, and advocate for policies that advance the cause of justice in areas such as poverty, the environment, health care, worker justice, and criminal justice; and a speakers bureau and library of resources on these issues.

The work we do is a response to the call in Proverbs 31: 8 & 9, “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”

needy.”

The Micah CenterHope Reformed Church

2010 Kalamazoo Avenue, SEGrand Rapids, MI 49507

www.themicahcenter.org

Witness Spring/Summer 2013