For human rights’ sake, Crystal should yield

December 21, 2011 by  

The North Dakota Human Rights Coalition hopes that American Crystal Sugar will decide to recognize the dignity and rights of its workers by ending the lockout immediately.
By: Barry Nelson and others,

FARGO — On Dec. 10, 1948, the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Eleanor Roosevelt, widow of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, chaired the committee that developed the declaration, and the U.S. was an original signatory to the document, along with 47 other nations.

According to the declaration, workers’ rights are human rights. Indeed, Article 23 states, “Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favorable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.”

On this 2011 Human Rights Day, the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition calls on American Crystal Sugar Co. to stop violating the human rights of its 1,300 locked out workers.

The declaration says that every person has “the right to just and favorable remuneration, ensuring for everyone and his or her family an existence worthy of human dignity.” Crystal Sugar employees have worked long and hard for that company — many for 10, 20 even 30 years.

And there has been no complaint about the quality of their work. According to the company’s annual report, Crystal Sugar earned $805 million in net proceeds for the 2011 fiscal year.

At the same time, Crystal Sugar executives are proposing changes to health insurance coverage that would more than double workers’ maximum out-of-pocket costs for family coverage. Because the workers refused to accept these proposals, management locked them out on Aug. 1 rather than continuing to negotiate with them.

We are particularly concerned about the Crystal Sugar workers who were employed in North Dakota factories, for they are not even eligible for unemployment compensation. Because of Crystal Sugar’s action, these workers are suddenly without ANY remuneration or compensation, without the means to support themselves and without the dignity of their work.

At a time when the compensation of Crystal Sugar’s CEO, David Berg, has risen to $2.4 million, and the income of Crystal’s chief financial officer, Thomas Astrup, has reached $964,000, it is unconscionable that members of our communities are being denied the right to work, protection against unemployment, an income to ensure an existence worthy of human dignity and the chance to protect their interests.

Responding to the horrors of World War II, the Declaration of Human Rights asserted, “Recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice, and peace in the world.”

The North Dakota Human Rights Coalition hopes that American Crystal Sugar will decide to recognize the dignity and rights of its workers by ending the lockout immediately.

Barry Nelson

Amy Phillips

JoNell Bakke

Susan Peterson

Ellen Dunn

Lillian Jones

The writers are members of the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition’s board.

Being Out and Gay in High School: Victimization and Young Adult

March 24, 2010 by  

Friday, March 26 3:30 – 5:00PM, Century Theater at NDSU Memorial Union,
open to the public

The Human Development and Family Science Gertrude Weigum Hinsz Lecture
Series at North Dakota State University is bringing Dr. Stephen Russell to
Fargo-Moorhead to share his life work, stories and resources for local
educators, students, families and anyone that works with youth. Dr.
Russell has dedicated the last 15 years of his research to looking at
issues facing sexual minority youth – youth who are LGBT. He has looked at
the health risks for sexual minority adolescents, including whether an
adolescent’s home life, school and/or faith community lead to risk or
protect against it. Currently, Dr. Russell is conducting research that
focuses on how families, schools and other support systems can aid in the
healthy development of LGBT young people. His research has been integral
in helping advocacy organizations, school districts and state education
departments develop policy that is supportive of a learning environment
that is inclusive and safe for LGBTQ youth.

Reception to follow in the Prairie Rose Room with Dr. Russell.

http://hpr1.com/tech/article/russells_research_glbt_adolescents_at_risk/

Fargo Fire Dept. Public Perception Survey

October 28, 2009 by  

The Women’s Network of the Red River Valley (WNRRV) is pleased to be working with the Fargo Fire Department in their efforts to address the lack of representation of white women and women and men of color in their workforce. Captain Dane Carley of the Fargo Fire Department has created a survey with input from WNRRV members to seek input from the community on how to improve their hiring process. We applaud the efforts of the Fargo Fire Dept. to improve there hiring process.

Please read the message from Captain Carley, and take the public perception survey, so we can gain a better idea of what changes are needed for equitable representation in the Fargo Fire Dept.

Please pass this survey on to everyone you know.
______________________________________________

The Fargo Fire Department is interested in learning what the community’s perception is of the fire department. We are interested in diversifying our candidate pool and feel that one tool to do so is to deliver the appropriate message to people via an appropriate form of media. A survey has been developed to help us learn about the community and what the community members think of the fire department and a career in the fire service. You will find two ways to access this survey below.

1. Follow this link: Public Perception Survey<http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=cibH9w8xnMQcYnUupL39fA_3d_3d>

2. If the link does not work, open a new window then copy and paste this address into the address bar:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=cibH9w8xnMQcYnUupL39fA_3d_3d

The focus of our interest is on the immediate Cass and Clay Counties area and I welcome anyone who would like to forward this link to someone in the Cass and Clay Counties area to do so. Regional input is also helpful but not our primary focus. If you are aware of an interested organization within the eastern North Dakota, northwestern Minnesota, or northeastern South Dakota area that would have input, please forward it to that group also; however, I will not be traveling out of the two county area to pick up paper copies.

If you have any questions, please call me at (218)329-2630 between 8:00 am and 7:00 pm. If I do not answer, please leave a message and I will return your call as soon as possible.

Thank you very much for your time,

Dane Carley
dcarley@cityoffargo.com
(701) 241-8165

UND’s Special Task Force Submits Final Report On Policies Related To Bias-Related Incidents

June 11, 2009 by  

A task force charged with reviewing University of North Dakota policies related to bias-related incidents has submitted its final report to UND Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Paul LeBel, Vice President for Student and Outreach Services Robert Boyd, and Vice President For Finance and Operations Alice Brekke.

The task force, chaired by Psychology Professor James Antes, was formed in the summer of 2008 in response to bias-related incidents that had occurred on campus during the 2007-2008 academic year. Two of the three vice presidents who formed the task force – Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Greg Weisenstein and Vice President for Finance & Operations Robert Gallager – have since left the university. Daniel Rice, Dean of the College of Education and Human Development, chaired the task force at the conclusion of its work.

“The Special Task Force was appointed almost a year ago by three Vice Presidents. Our charge was to address the improvement of the climate for diversity on campus, to review the way the university responds to incidents of bias, and to consider ways to prevent such incidents. The membership included faculty, staff, and students, broadly representing the university community. It is our hope that the steps we have recommended will make UND an even more welcoming and accepting place for all the members of the university community,” said Rice.

The Final Report includes description of the specific work of the task force, observations on campus climate, findings and recommendations. The task force report emphasizes the importance of diversity as a pre-condition for academic excellence and calls for collaborative work among all members of the UND community in improving conditions on the campus.

UND President Robert Kelley has asked Vice Presidents Boyd, Brekke, and LeBel to include a careful consideration of the task force Final Report in formulating recommendations to the President.

“We are very grateful for the hard work that the task force members put into this process,” said Provost LeBel. “Their efforts emphasize the University’s commitment to maintaining a safe and welcoming environment, and I am confident that significant steps will be taken as a result of their work.”

The Vice Presidents have committed to a meeting in August with the people who served on the task force to report on the recommendations made to the President.

The full report can be found at http://www2.und.nodak.edu/our/news/pdf/taskForceFinalReport.pdf

Moorhead Race Relations Studied

June 3, 2009 by  

Coalition to determine how far city has come in decade since July 1998 riot
A riot rocked Moorhead on the Fourth of July in 1998 after police tried to make an arrest in a neighborhood with a large Hispanic population.

http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/242616/

Vacancies on Fargo Human Relations Commission

June 1, 2009 by  

Due to expired terms and individuals moving out of the area, there will be three vacancies on the Fargo Human Relations Commission.

For more information, please visit: http://www.cityoffargo.com/CityInfo/Departments/PlaningandDevelopment/HumanRelations/

To complete an application, please visit: http://apps.cityoffargo.com/gettinginvolved/

Contact: Nate Bailly, City of Fargo, 701-476-6751

Attorney General Holder Pledges Full Support For Civil Rights

May 29, 2009 by  

http://www.seattlemedium.com/news/Article/Article.asp?NewsID=96769&sID=3&ItemSource=L

Saberi returning to the U.S. today after prison confinement, stop in Vienna

May 22, 2009 by  

http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/241457/group//

By: Associated Press

VIENNA (AP) — An official says an American journalist who spent four months in an Iranian prison is on her way to the United States.

Robert Hugins, public affairs officer at the U.S. Embassy in Austria, says Roxana Saberi left Vienna this morning on a flight bound for Washington, D.C.

The 32-year-old journalist, who was raised in Fargo and moved to Iran six years ago, was arrested in late January and convicted of spying in a closed-door trial that her Iranian-born father said lasted only 15 minutes.

She was freed on May 11 and spent a week in Austria recuperating.

Hugins said Roxana is traveling with her parents and a family friend.

NAACP’s Newest Chapter Opens in GF

May 21, 2009 by  

http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/119562/
Local pastors spent two years organizing a new chapter after noticing that North Dakota and Vermont were the only two states without a NAACP chapter. They said even this region is not immune to racial tension.

UND Nickname & Logo

May 14, 2009 by  

ND Board of Higher Ed votes to drop UND nickname & logo

North Dakota’s Board of Higher Education voted 8-0 today to get rid of the University of North Dakota’s contentious “Fighting Sioux” nickname and logo.

The decision came quickly after the announcement that UND would not be allowed into the Summit League for athletics until the issue was resolved. UND’s athletic director is reportedly very intersted in joining the league.

As Dr. Gipp notes in his statement (posted below), the NDBHE’s motivations are unclear. We hope, along with many others who have advocated for this change, that equality and human rights were a strong part of their consideration.

Fargo Forum article

UND_President_Robert_O_Kelley’s_statement (PDF)

Dr_David_M_Gipp’s_statement (PDF)



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