Submitted on Mon, 03/04/2013 - 6:32pm
CLICK HERE to donate to the Sisters' Camelot Strike Fund
MINNEAPOLIS, MN--IWW-affiliated canvassers at Sister's Camelot, on strike since Friday, walked out of a meeting of the Sister's Camelot governing collective at 10AM today following a shocking statement announcing the retaliatory firing of union canvasser Shuge Mississippi. The collective had invited canvassers to attend, claiming to recognize the union and verbally indicating that they were ready to negotiate to end the canvasser's strike. After an opening statement by the canvassers stating they were seeking to negotiate and would end the strike as soon as negotiations proceed, the collective made a prepared statement, accusing canvassers of "forcing" them into a "boss role" and then proceeding to fire union canvasser Shuge Mississippi, who was accused of "manipulating" other canvassers into forming a union.
Submitted on Mon, 03/04/2013 - 6:08pm
By Garret Ellison | Mlive.com, March 4, 2013
GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Employees at the Star Tickets call center in Grand Rapids will decide this week whether to organize into a collective bargaining unit with the Industrial Workers of the World union.
Tom Good, resident officer at the National Labor Relations Board office in Grand Rapids, said the election process will take place at the company’s call center, 620 Century Ave. SW on Wednesday, March 6.
Good said the election will occur from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in front of union and employer observers, and the results will be tallied on site after the vote.
Submitted on Fri, 03/01/2013 - 4:26pm
CLICK HERE to donate to the Sisters' Camelot Strike Fund
MINNEAPOLIS, MN -- Canvass workers at Sisters Camelot, a non-profit mobile food shelf and soup kitchen, have gone on strike today after the organization’s managing collective refused to negotiate with the canvass union. The workers went public as members of the Industrial Workers of the World on Monday, and met to negotiate with the collective this morning. This unionization comes after months of organizing among the workers in response to changes in the workplace, resulting in a decline in conditions and mismanagement of the worker’s time and the organization’s resources.
The strike began this afternoon at 12:30PM when the managing collective announced that they were unwilling to negotiate on any demands. The workers are now prepared to continue the strike by refusing to canvass door-to-door or conduct fundraising efforts until the collective comes back to the table ready to meet the workers’ demands.
“It’s deeply disappointing that the collective isn’t willing to take the demands of its workers seriously,” said Maria Wesserle, a canvass worker, “The last thing we wanted in this situation was to be pushed to the point of a strike.”
Canvassers at Sisters Camelot are employed as independent contractors. Workers began organizing with the IWW after a restructuring of the organization’s door-to-door fundraising operation left workers with increased work stress and less control over conditions. They are demanding that management positions in the canvass program be replaced with coordinators elected by the workers, and that hiring and firing be conducted by a worker committee. In addition, workers are asking for better conditions such as sick pay and medical coverage of job injuries, as well as common sense items such as more frequent training and regular repair of work vehicles.
Submitted on Fri, 03/01/2013 - 1:32pm
MINNEAPOLIS, MN -- Canvass workers at Sisters’ Camelot, a non-profit mobile food shelf and soup kitchen, have unanimously gone public as members of the Industrial Workers of the World and have entered into negotiations with management this morning. This announcement comes after months of organizing among the workers in response to changes in the workplace, resulting in a decline in conditions and mismanagement of the worker’s time and the organization’s resources. If an agreement is not reached as a result of these negotiations, the workers are fully prepared to cease fundraising operations and go on strike. Read more.
Submitted on Thu, 02/28/2013 - 6:35pm
Ministry Issues Cheques For Unpaid Wages Case
OTTAWA—Fifteen months is a long time for workers depending on minimum wage to wait for justice.
The Ontario Ministry of Labour issued cheques to IWW members Stephen Toth and Brandon Wallans, owed unpaid wages, in response to a long and arduous battle with a holdout employer.
“This satisfactory settlement is a message to other Ottawa employers that respecting their workers and paying them their wages is not optional,” said Ahmed, an IWW spokesperson.
Stephen and Brandon are very happy with the result and look forward to helping other workers defend their rights on the job and fight wage theft.
Wage theft is a growing trend among bosses who decide not to pay some or all of the wages earned by their employees. These thefts can be fought by workers most effectively when they unite and take action, not just through formal legal channels but also by hitting the picket lines.
For more information, visit http://ottawaiww.org.
