Friday, October 1, 2010

Driving Across the Country for Jobs and Justice

Luis Ceja drove for a week from California to join the many thousands of people converging on Washington for the One Nation Working Together march on Oct. 2.

Ceja, a port organizer with Joint Council 42, drove a 35-foot RV with nine young bloggers who stopped along the way to talk to Americans about their hopes and struggles. Joined by Alfredo Oswaldo Hernandez, a port organizer with Local 572, they recorded their experiences at http://www.onenationca.org. (Click on “RV Across One Nation.”)

“I came here for jobs and justice,” Ceja said. “I came to show that the Teamstersare not afraid to get involved. I came to show the Teamsters believe that every working person in America should have a good job.”

“To be part of this is a learning experience, especially with the kids,” Ceja said. “They were Japanese, Muslim, Latino, men, women, meat-eaters, vegetarian. They say, ‘We’re one nation.’”

There were a lot of ups and downs on the trip, said a tired-looking Ceja on Friday afternoon. “We were like a family by the end.”