Statement by C.W.O.C in Solidarity with Jimmy Johns Workers

x344543 — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 08:40:14 +0000

The Construction Workers Organizing Committee of the Industrial Workers of the World wishes to express our deepest solidarity with the Jimmy Johns Workers union. As union construction workers, we understand that the only way to maintain and raise both our wages and working conditions is to show solidarity with not only workers of the various trades within construction; but also with workers of other industries. Solidarity means having a true understanding of the old saying, An injury to one is an injury to all.

Solidarity is also the action that springs from this understanding. The greatest action of solidarity that one can follow is the exercising of the right to not cross any picket lines.

Everyone knows that times are hard. The construction industry has been hit especially hard, and many brothers and sisters in the trades are not working. This means that what little work we get, we desperately need. However, as construction workers; we also understand that in these hard times, we must act and be stronger than ever before! For hundreds of years, construction worker have fought long and hard battles, through many recessions, to reach the level of pay and the amount of power we have on the job. We certainly should not let this recession destroy the progress we have made.

The Construction Workers Organizing Committee and the construction workers of the IWW promise to continue to not cross picket lines! No matter what union or what industry, we will continue to act out solidarity and exercise our rights under section 7 of the NLRA: to act in concert with fellow workers to uphold the best interest of the working class. We urge all construction workers to do the same!

Who we are: The Construction Workers Organizing Committee or CWOC is a subordinate body of the Industrial Workers of the World. Our aim is to organize ALL construction workers into ONE democratic fighting union. For more info about us, what we are doing, where we are going, and how you can help, please go to www.iu330.org

Farewell Fellow Worker Vale Ray Jessop

IWW.org Editor — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 04:36:14 +0000

On December 8th, FW Vale Ray Jessop died in an industrial accident, while at work. Below is one obituary for the Fellow Worker, and a link to an article about the accident.

On the 6th December Fellow Worker Ray Jessop of Hull was killed in a workplace accident. Enquiries are continuing into the circumstances of Ray's death, but evidence is emerging that the cost-cutting policies of his employer, Kier, played a large part. It will be some time before a formal inquest takes place, but I have heard that UCATT, of which Ray was a member, is seriously considering making a case for a corporate manslaughter prosecution.

Although Ray was not well known in the OBU he was a loyal member and supporter of our union which he joined in 2002. He was not a passive member of UCATT and spoke out against managerial abuses. Workmates had tried to persuade him to take the shop steward's position, but he declined as he did not feel that he was the right person for that task.

Industrial Workers of the World - Building Construction Workers Industrial Union 330

Statement by C.W.O.C in Solidarity with Jimmy Johns Workers

Farewell Fellow Worker Vale Ray Jessop