Submitted on Sat, 07/02/2011 - 3:19am
The Silent Room: A Worker's Musical
Contacts: Ted Dewberry, 763-607-4492; Erik Forman, 612-598-6205
The Silent Room Takes Audiences Inside Labor Insurgency in America's Corporate Chains
Sneak Preview: 7:30pm July 7th, Zorongo Dance Theater Performance Dates: August 5th-11th in the Minnesota Fringe Fest at the Gremlin Theater.
MINNEAPOLIS-- When a coworker at Starbucks approached barista Ted Dewberry about forming a union at their workplace, his initial reaction was fear. Working 17 hour days at Starbucks and IKEA to pay off decades-old film school student loans, Ted was in no position to risk his job. He reluctantly agreed to come to a meeting, but only to listen. Little did he know the decision would change his life. In the months that followed, Ted and his coworkers faced down a campaign of intimidation coordinated by Starbucks' anti-union consultants at the Akin Gump law firm, won improved working conditions at their store, and helped spark a retail workers movement that continues to grow with unionization campaigns at Jimmy John's, Target, Walmart, the Apple Store, and other corporate juggernauts.
An independent filmmaker in his limited free time, Dewberry decided to tell the story of what happens when you say "union yes." The result is "The Silent Room," a new music-laced exposé of the misery of the corporate retail workplace. The name of the show is inspired by a special room in the Twin Cities IKEA for workers to go to when they have a nervous breakdown on the job.
Submitted on Sat, 06/04/2011 - 1:48pm
Company Credibility Erodes as NLRB Investigation over Firing of Six Whistleblowers Continues:
June 3, 2011 - Jimmy John's Workers Union & Industrial Workers of the World
Contacts: Max Specktor, 612-250-7309, Erik Forman 612-598-6205
MINNEAPOLIS- Two months after Jimmy John's fired six workers for blowing the whistle on a company practice of forcing sandwich-makers to work while sick, the IWW Jimmy John's Workers Union has released Minnesota Department of Health documents today revealing eight outbreaks of foodborne illness at franchises across the Twin Cities area in the past five years, seven of which were due to employees working while sick at the chain. The release of the documents seriously erodes the credibility of Minneapolis franchise owner Mike Mulligan who had previously claimed to reporters and employees that, "the company has made more than 6 million sandwiches during its nearly 10 years in business—and no one’s ever gotten sick from eating one." Two of the outbreaks, both caused by sick employees, were at the Mulligans' stores.
"This is smoking gun evidence not only of the seriousness of the public health risk caused by workers being forced to work while sick at Jimmy John's, it also proves that Jimmy John's franchise owner Mike Mulligan willfully lied to the media, the public, and his employees about his food safety track record. We will continue our fight for paid sick days for restaurant workers until Jimmy John's changes their policy to protect workers and the public," said Max Specktor, one of the fired whistleblowers.
Submitted on Fri, 04/22/2011 - 2:03pm
Do you want someone with the flu or a cold to have to make your sandwich? Do you want to have to work when you're sick? Do you think workers should be able to afford to take a day off?
In cities across the US, restaurant workers aren't allowed to and often can't afford to take a day off when they are sick. But this barbaric practice might be about to change. In Minneapolis, MN, the IWW Jimmy John's Workers Union is waging a campaign for paid sick days... and winning. Until now, management at the Miklin Enterprises Jimmy John's disciplined and even fired workers who stayed home while sick without getting their shift covered. After months of pressure from union members, the franchise owners have begun to crack. The owners recently announced a new policy which allows workers to call in up to five times in a year without being fired. We still have a long way to go, but this concession shows that together, we can make our voices heard.
Help us take our message to Jimmy John's workers across the nation- together we can win paid sick days and the respect and dignity all workers deserve!
To participate, email the Union at jimmyjohnsworkers [at] gmail.com. We will give you instructions on how to set up an outreach event in your community.
Together, we will win!
Campaign related Facebook Event - link
For more info - jimmyjohnsworkers.org
Submitted on Thu, 04/07/2011 - 3:06pm
It may come as a surprise to those who have never worked in the food industry to hear that not only Jimmy John's sandwiches, but also the pizzas, salads, burgers, and burritos that are consumed in many American restaurants often have a few secret ingredients: cold, flu, and other germs. There is a simple reason for this. Jimmy John's and many other fast food restaurants do not allow workers to take sick days. Management pressures sick workers to find a replacement or come to work. In addition, wages at Jimmy John's and throughout US food service are so low that workers cannot afford to take a day off if they fall ill. The result of these pressures is that American restaurant workers work while sick, creating an enormous public health risk. The evidence is not just anecdotal; in a recent study performed by the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, of 793 employees surveyed 72% said they worked while they had severe flu symptoms. It doesn't have to be this way. According to an Institute for Social Health and Policy study, 127 countries guaranteed at least a week of paid sick days per year for all workers.
The IWW Jimmy John's Workers Union is tired of seeing our coworkers with colds, the flu, or even strep throat be forced to risk getting written up or being fired for protecting public health. So we proposed a simple solution to Mike and Rob Mulligan, the owners of our franchise. For weeks, we called on them to allow workers to call in sick and provide some paid time off. Week after week, they ignored our polite requests. As flu season hit its peak, we gave them an ultimatum–-reform your sick day policy or we will inform the public that you are putting private profits over public health.
Mike and Rob Mulligan refused, so we put up 3000 posters throughout the city alerting the public that the sandwiches you consume could be filled with cold and flu germs from workers who can't take a day off.
In retaliation for blowing the whistle, Jimmy John's fired six outspoken union members in an attempt to silence us.
Submitted on Sat, 03/26/2011 - 12:02pm
Whistleblower Workers Pledge Action for Right to Call in Sick, Paid Sick Days
Jimmy John's Workers Union- Industrial Workers of the World
Contacts: David Boehnke, 651-315-4222 and Davis Ritsema, 612-281-9772
March 25, 2011
MINNEAPOLIS- Thousands of community supporters have jammed Jimmy John's phone lines and flooded the chain's Facebook page with messages of outrage and support for six whistleblowers who were fired for exposing widespread coercion to work while sick at the chain. Today, the workers have announced that they plan to escalate actions against Jimmy John's until their demands for the right to call in sick, paid sick days, and reinstatement of the fired workers are met.
“We will not be silenced. Speaking out against the policy of forcing workers to work while sick is not only our right, it is our duty. “ said Erik Forman, one of the fired sandwich workers. “The unfettered greed of franchise owner Mike Mulligan and Jimmy John himself jeopardizes the health of thousands of customers and workers almost every day. We will speak out until they realizes that no one wants to eat a sandwich filled with cold and flu germs.”
Under current policy, Jimmy John's workers are disciplined for calling in sick if they cannot find a replacement. In addition, many workers are unable to afford to take a day off if they are ill because wages at the sandwich chain hover around the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour. The result of these pressures is that sandwich-makers often have to work while sick, creating an enormous public health risk.
After franchise management rebuffed numerous employee requests to reform the sick day policy, members of the IWW Jimmy John's Workers Union posted 3000 copies of a poster advising the public of health risks at the sandwich chain. Management fired six outspoken union members in retaliation.
