Submitted on Wed, 03/14/2007 - 5:17pm
It’s our Spring Offensive!
In other words, Baristas United are currently doing an organising drive at coffee shops across the country, yours included.
What does this mean? It means you’ll have the opportunity to talk to others about your work situation and anything else that’s not quite right at work. It means the opportunity to organise with other baristas to make your life at work better. It means help, support and
solidarity, as and when you need it.
Read the entire bulletin - PDF File.
Submitted on Wed, 03/14/2007 - 2:40pm
Originally posted from the Michigan Temp Workers blog.
The temps at the business school just want to give an update to the community on what's happening so far. We've received phone-ins and email support from the Ann Arbor community, around the country, and around the globe. We've had students come forth and assist with signature collection and engage fellow students on campus about the organizing drive. We've had other workers and other unions lend their thanks and support as well. You're feedback has been essential to keeping this organizing campaign all together. Without you, it wouldn't have been possible. Pat yourselves on the back.
And now for a quick update. We've been running back and forth and emailing management for the last two days trying to bring them to the negotiating table to discuss the issues we raised on Monday. Communication from management has been sporadic. We are under the assumption right now that the Business School wants to frame this as an HR (The Business School's Human Relations department) issue and try to avoid management having to deal with the very policies they have a hand in implementing. We are fully aware that administrators within the business school have the capacity to make the changes we are asking them to make. We just have to convince management of their own capacity to enact them.
So, once again, at this point in the campaign we're trying to put management to task and meet up with us to discuss implementing the issues we've raised. Management seems hesitant to act without HR's approval. That's where we are at as we lead into Wednesday.
We will be sending a few organizers to speak on the 15th at the Campus Unite! rally on the diag. We've got a 5 minute spot and we will engage everyone there on the campaign and give a quick update. Campus groups are calling for the rally to occur at the cube at 2:30PM on the 15th. Look for us there.
The Temps
Submitted on Thu, 03/08/2007 - 3:45pm
One year later, the Shattuckunion continues to organize and grow with each new experience. Workers are putting on another Rally on March 16, 2007 at 6pm in front of the theater.
Shattuck union workers began holding organizing meetings in March 2006 and filed an election petition with the NLRB on May 08, 2006. Six weeks later workers voted overwhelmingly for the union. A month later negotiations with Landmark Cinemas began. Bargaining is ongoing and no agreement for a contract has been reached.
Community support has played an important role in elevating the struggle of the Shattuck workers to a new level. Growing confidence among the workers has enabled us to continue to become better union organizers and to explain the union to new hires.
Submitted on Thu, 03/08/2007 - 3:20pm
NY, NY, March 6, 2007 – In a big win for workers in Brooklyn and Queens, the National Labor Relations Board ordered that warehouse owner Henry Wang of Amersino Marketing Group, LLC reinstate Manuel Lopez and Juan Antonio Rodriguez, pay thousands of dollars in back wages, and cease and desist any and all illegal anti-union measures. On February 27, 2007, the Board found that Wang violated two sections of the National Labor Relations Act by firing Lopez and Rodriguez, after they joined the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) union, and by intimidating others who engaged in protected union activity.
“It’s clear that it was discrimination for trying to form a union,” said Rodriguez.
Submitted on Thu, 03/08/2007 - 3:09pm
Whereas: the IWW has previously endorsed and worked in support of calls to respect the rights of immigrant workers, including endorsing the May 1, 2006 call for a general strike; and
Whereas: members of the IWW, including members at organized shops, participated in marches and job actions on this day; and
Whereas: calls are currently being put forward for a second "El Gran Paro Americano" on May 1, 2007 in support of the rights of immigrant workers;
Therefore, be it RESOLVED: That the General Executive Board of the IWW endorses the call for a second "El Gran Paro Americano" on May 1, 2007 and encourages its branches and membership to become involved in and support this movement.
