History
A Timeline of the Coalition for a Living Wage, PUEBLO, & PUEBLO Action Fund
2000 COALITION FOR A LIVING WAGE PERIOD
February
Brain Trust
Walt, Ed, and Tim meet over beer about living wage
June
Steering committee formed
1st grant received from Fund for SB
July 20th
Coalition for a Living Wage officially born
Half-time field organizer hired (Harley)
August to December
Outreach to Orgs, Faith Leaders to construct Coalition
November
Living Wage Conference in Baltimore
Local press conference Living Wage Campaign launched
Lisa Morningfire joins CLW
Ana R. Rizo joins CLW
Silvia Rodríguez joins CLW
2001
January
Eileen Boris came to 1st meeting with Alice O’Connor and Nelson Lichtenstein
April
CLW lobbied county to help pass the 1st tenants rights legislation
1st People’s March for Economic Justice
Ralph Armbruster Joins
Brian Helmle joins – did worker outreach
June
City Council unanimously endorses the concept of a living wage
September
CLW fundraiser
“Bread and Roses” Film
Wozani Band
9/11
Living Wage hearing before City Council cancelled because of terrorist acts
Living Wage sent to committee by City Council
E. Kay joins impressed by the new grassroots enthusiasm of Coalition of Living Wage
October
Jesus Catalan hired as Worker Organizer
Organization among low wageworkers intensifies
November
Marty Blum Elected Mayor
Babatunde Elected to City Council
2002
January
Change from Steering Committee to Board of Directors
February
Fundraising training and start of grassroots fundraising strategy
March
City Council votes 4-3 to raise wages of 200 city temp workers
CLW membership drive launched
May
CLW receives $30,000 grant from McCune Foundation
Women Waging Justice workshop
June
1620 Garden Street condo issue
CLW sent delegation to UFW March for Farm Worker Bill
September
Labor Day fundraiser at Eileen Boris’ home
Lucero Marquez and Rafaela Cornejo hired as Worker Organizers
Lisa Pompo fills in for Harley while he works on “NO ON RECALL” Campaign
Businesses and Living Wage forum
Scott becomes a member of CLW
November
CLW supports striking CUE Workers
December
CLW launches an intense process to explore launching a ballot initiative in 2003
Jarrod joins Board of Directors
Scott joins Board of Directors
2003
January
CLW polled voters on Living Wage
Board of Directors Retreat
February
Board of Directors decides not to go the ballot route
Board decides to take multiple strategies approach to achieving our goals
March
8 CLW staff/members/board members went to LA for org. education including Bus Riders Union
March 8th
Dolores Huerta house party
May
Dolores Huerta trains CLW
House Meeting Campaign launched
June
MTD unveils plan to raise bus fares 150%
CLW is OUTRAGED!!
Parents organized with PUEBLO and saved Cleveland Child Care Center
July
Parents at Cleveland and Adams schools learn of childcare cuts – start to organize
CLW wins MTD victories
30 day pass
Discounted 10 ride passes
Youth pass
August
House Meeting campaign ends
General meeting at La Casa de la Raza
Parents organized at School Board
Marlilu Alcantar joins the Organization
Miguel Ramirez joins the Organization
September
PUEBLO launches “NO ON 54” Precinct organizing
Gov. Davis signs Drivers License Bill
MTD appoints non-bus rider to Board
PUEBLO moves to La Casa de La Raza
October
PROP 54 is defeated
November
Gleason is defeated
2 PUEBLO members elected to City Council
Drivers License Protest
December
Immigrant Rights March on the 12th
2004
January
Martin Luther King Jr. house party
March
Buttny Campaign/ Prop 54/55
April
Anti Wal-Mart campaign in Inglewood
May
Saved MTD New Year’s service
Received $100,000 matching grant from Jimmy Walter
Organizers Miguel and Gretchen join PUEBLO
Second House Meeting Campaign
June
PUEBLO brings Gil Cedillo to Santa Barbara
Respond to INS sightings in SB
County votes to support SB 1160
July
Pressured city to save over $1 million Redevelopment Agency $$ for affordable housing instead of Granada parking lot
August
Establish neighborhood committees in Goleta, Isla Vista, SB and Carpinteria
City votes to support SB 1160
September
Emergency meetings to train Precinct Leaders to get out the vote
November
Won Measure A (living wage for City Council)
Won Measure D (community center for Isla Vista)
December
Volunteer Appreciation party
New Living Wage campaign
Santa Barbara for a Living Wage forms
PUEBLO Education fund is born
2005
January
Won $8.6 million for affordable housing
February
City appoints bus rider and PUEBLO member to MTD Board
April
Blog is born
May
PUEBLO gets incorporated as a 501(c)(4) organization
Carpinteria Committee opposes water rate hike
July
1st Annual Dinner
September
Organizes against Schwarzenegger Special Election Initiative and Supports Grant House and Dianne Channing
Starts organizing in Santa Maria
November
Grant House elected to City Council
Schwarzenegger Initiatives DEFEATED
2006
January
Living Wage = hot topic
February
Santa Barbara Council APPROVES Living Wage Ordinance
On the 25th: 3,000 people march in Santa Barbara for Immigrant Rights
April
SBC AG votes on historic Measure D Compromise – PUEBLO plays a major role
High school student walk outs to protest HR 4437
On the 20th: 15,000 people March in Santa – the largest march ever in Santa Maria
May
May Day Protest and General Strike
40,000 throughout County march for Immigrant Rights
PUBELO organizes against county split and for Santa Maria Hancock Bond
Youth committee begins
County PASSES low income-housing plan
June
Hancock Bond passes by 2% - County split defeated soundly
SB CAN – PUEBLO appeals demolition of housing at La Cumbre
July
Ana comes to PUEBLO
August
PUEBLO Education Fund gets incorporated as a 501(c)(3) organization
In surprise, SB city votes to demolish low-income housing
November
Historic upset: Hilda Zacarias elected to City Council in Santa Maria
Other election victories:
Pulido and Grant elected to Carpinteria School Board
Wolf elected to Carpinteria School Board
Aceves elected to Goleta City Council
Clark elected to Carpinteria City Council
December
Pulido flip-flops on school closure issue
North county Youth Committee begins
2007
February
6 more News press Reporters fired
Main school: Parents fight school closure
Assisted thousands of farmworkers during last winter’s freeze
Successful advocacy effort with the City and County to sponsor a vanpool program to provide safe transportation for farmworkers.
2008
Summer
Saved over $18m for working families by lowering bus fare increases in the 10 ride pass
November
PUEBLO published In the Shadows of Paradise: Testimonies from the Undocumented Immigrant Community in Santa Barbara
Helped get Supervisor Doreen Farr elected as the Supervisor
December
Won a mediation case with 36 evicted families in Santa Barbara County to extend their eviction notice from 60 to 90 days and wave one month of rent
2009
February
Organized 40 families to seek legal representation against “slumlord” Dario Pini in Santa Maria. California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA) started a class action.
March
Organized the Rental Housing Roundtable and launched the Justice for Renters Campaign
September
Organized bus-riders and won back Line 8 in Goleta and Santa Barbara
PUEBLO and PUEBLO Action Fund adopt their new names!