History of CCJ
CCJ was founded in
the summer of 1997 as a nonprofit
501(c)4 social welfare
organization created to promote
economic, racial, social, civil
and environmental justice through
direct action and issue-oriented
campaigns. With a database of over
3,000 individuals and
organizations, of which
approximately 800 are individual
contributing members and nearly
200 are organizational members of
our coalition.
In 1997 CCJ
established itself as a voice for
consumer rights. During 1998 CCJ
added healthcare to its agenda
when it collaborated with the
Pennsylvania Managed Care
Accountability Coalition to seek a
state Patients� Bill of Rights.
The Patients Not Profits Coalition
was coordinated by CCJ in an
attempt to preserve charitable
assets and to create community
accountable healthcare throughout
the demise, bankruptcy and sale of
the Allegheny Health System in
Southeastern Pennsylvania. The
bankruptcy of the Allegheny Health
System resulted in the
introduction of numerous pieces of
legislation designed to preserve
charitable assets. Throughout
1998 CCJ coordinated
Pennsylvania�s activity opposing
national product liability and
auto choice legislation, testified
on numerous consumer rights
issues, conducted public education
on workplace safety issues, fought
against attempts to limit class
action lawsuits, and opposed the
Commonwealth�s ability to force a
jury trial in criminal matters.
CCJ
launched the Campaign for Social
and Health Security in 1999,
recruiting nearly 100 new
coalition members. During this
year, CCJ became a founding member
of the newly formed national
progressive organization, USAction,
sending staff and board members to
its founding convention in
Chicago.
Throughout 2000, CCJ organized
successful opposition to the
anti-consumer, corporate-fueled
Senate Bill 5, The Lawsuit Abuse
Reform Act. In addition, CCJ�s
statewide coalition provided
expertise on prescription drugs by
conducting statewide drug pricing
studies; launched, with State
Representative Don Walko, drug
price reduction legislation
similar to what was passed and
became law in Maine; and conducted
two successful and highly
publicized �Rx Express� bus trips
to Canada that saved those who
took the ride over $131,000 on
their prescription medications and
kept the issue of the high cost of
prescription drugs in the ../media
and solidly in front of elected
officials. Finally during 2000,
CCJ led a powerful coalition of
labor unions, trial lawyers,
senior citizens, and consumer
groups in promoting the
Pennsylvania Safety and Justice
Act sponsored by Senator Allen
Kukovich which contained
protections for consumers and
whistle blowers.
During
2001, the Campaign for Social and
Health Security grew to 200
diverse organizations, and CCJ led
Pennsylvania�s opposition to John
Ashcroft�s nomination for Attorney
General. We also led the
opposition to the Bush Tax Cut in
our state. As a natural extension
of the Campaign for Social and
Health Security, our coalition
added safe medicine and patient
safety as critical issues by
focusing on doctor disclosure,
staffing levels, equipment safety,
and maintaining access to the
courts for consumers who have been
injured by medical mistakes.
Early in 2002, CCJ
launched the Campaign to Build
Pennsylvania Public
Transportation. This campaign is
opening up new doors to our
coalition building efforts in the
state. In addition to the
aforementioned campaigns, we are
also starting new initiatives
around corporate accountability,
including campaign finance reform,
and democracy in the media.
|
|