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By Lillian Shelton, on April 1st, 2011
 In April 2010, Giant Food, which operates nearly 200 grocery stores in the mid-Atlantic area, announced plans to outsource dry goods grocery distribution to C&S Wholesale Grocers. A Giant spokesperson cited a need to cut costs as a major reason for the outsourcing.
C&S has stated that it will close Giant’s DC-area distribution centers and move the work out-of-state to massive C&S warehouses in Harrisburg, PA. This would affect 430 family supporting jobs, mainly warehouse work, in the Washington, DC area. An additional 200 drivers who service the facility could also be affected. Since 1994, C& S has shut down over 20 warehouses in the U.S., costing local communities over 3,200 family-supporting jobs.
On March 13, hundreds attended a rally organized by the Teamsters at the Greenbelt, MD Giant. DC Jobs with Justice MC’d the demonstration, and UFCW turned out workers from area Giant stores in solidarity. The Teamsters targeted Giant again at a grocer’s conference on March 30th at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.
Visit www.justiceatgiant.org to learn more and check out hip-hop artist Head-Roc’s song about the struggle, “Giant Ain’t the ‘G’ they Used
Continue reading Giant Warehouse Workers Fight to Save Good DC Area Jobs
By Central Indiana JwJ, on March 11th, 2011
Thursday’s We Are Indiana rally in Indianapolis capped off nearly three weeks of historic protests at the Indiana statehouse by Indiana’s labor movement. The protests are the longest sustained protests in Indiana’s history, an d they rivaled labor’s famous 1995 march on the Indiana Statehouse.
Perhaps more importantly, the 2011 showdown at the state capitol will be remembered for their place amongst popular protests around the world by everyday people standing up to undemocratic government and corporate power. The gathering of nearly 15,000 workers and their progressive allies from around the state and country yesterday marks a new era in American history, in which the unprecedented corporate consolidation of the past four decades is no longer an unchecked political force controlling the future of American workers and working-class communities.
The rally was intended to force Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels to abandon the 30 pieces of legislation he’s attempting to push through the legislature that attack Hoosier workers, women, immigrants, students, and gays and lesbians. The governor is a leader in the Republican Governor’s Association which is closely allied with the Koch brothers, the billionaire family funding the tea party and spearheading
Continue reading Historic Indiana Mobilization Builds on Season of Struggle
By jwjnational, on February 25th, 2011
 Congratulations to all of the workers, students, faith leaders and community groups that have organized Jobs with Justice in solidarity with workers in Wisconsin and all the other states where workers are facing drastic cuts in their right to organize and collectively bargain. Your efforts have led to the recognition of Jobs with Justice and other groups among Glenn Beck’s top 10 list.
So, keep up the good fight! The most updated list of actions in below.
More details are coming in all the time, so check back for updates. Please post in the comments if you’re planning something or email us & we’ll add it to the list.
(Last updated February 25, 2011 at 2:30pm)
Juneau, AK Tuesday, February 22nd at 12:00pm, State Capitol
Little Rock, AR Tuesday, February 22nd at 11:30am, State Capitol
Phoenix, AZ Tuesday, February 22nd at 12:00pm, State Capitol February 26th -28th. Various. See website for details.
Tuesday, March 1st at 9:30 AM at State Capitol, 1700 W. Washington Day of Action
Tucson, AZ Friday February 25th at 5pm. University of Arizona, on the Mall
Los
Continue reading Jobs with Justice makes Glenn Beck’s Top 10
By Chris Hicks, on February 25th, 2011
I’ve been saying it, I’ll say it now, and I’ll say it again; the movement that is happening in Madison is creating a relative epicenter for the progressive movement in the U.S.
Walking into the Capitol one encounters elementary, middle, and high school aged children. There are students, staff, and faculty from higher education institutions across the state. I don’t think anyone could even begin to imagine the impact this is having on our young people as they truly experience the epitome of democracy in action.
But it’s not just students and teachers; labor unions are well represented. There are public AND private sector employees. There have been marches of police and fire personnel, sometimes with bagpipes, around the Capitol. Walking home from the Capitol today I saw a large tanker truck sounding its horn as it drove around the Capitol Square.
So how did this all begin, and how did so many young people get involved? Speaking specifically from the undergraduate perspective we began organizing on Friday night branding our campaign around the idea that Mr. Walker is limiting collective bargaining, thus affecting the basic rights of our
Continue reading We Will Not Be Defeated
By Roger Bybee, on September 13th, 2010
Cross-posted from In These Times.
Photo by Mike Gay/Taunton Gazette
At a moment when the United States is struggling to revive the feeble economic recovery and maintain its eroding productive base, many prominent corporations are continuing to needlessly shut down highly profitable and productive plants.
Most gallingly for workers, some of these firms are spurning prospective buyers eager to keep the plants operating and preserve high-paying manufacturing jobs. While ignoring these potential buyers, the corporate owners are busily auctioning off valuable equipment and breaking up teams of skilled, dedicated workers.
The latest instance: Bellevue, Wash.-based aerospace firm Esterline Technologies is moving to shut down its Taunton, Mass. subsidiary Haskon, Inc., which has been producing sophisticated silicone gaskets and door-seals for all the major airplane manufacturers and the federal government for decades, and has provided good jobs in Taunton for over 80 years.
“We’ve always made money for whoever owned the operation,” says United Electrical (UE) workers Local 204 President Scott Marques.
SCRAP THE MACHINES, SCRAP THE WORKERS
“Esterline would prefer to just scrap the equipment and scrap the workers rather than allow the workers or another company to buy the machinery and
Continue reading UE Fights Defense Firm Plan to Scrap Machines and Workers
By Fran Tobin, on March 2nd, 2010
The fight-back is growing
Whirlpool refrigerators. Hugo Boss suits. Toyota Corollas. What do they have in common?
They’ve all been made by U.S. workers who will soon lose their jobs — if the corporate CEOs get their way. All these major corporations work hard (and spend a lot) to promote a positive corporate image. But they all plan to shut down their U.S. plants and shift production overseas — devastating our communities and taking advantage of workers abroad – even though these plants are profitable. If Corporate America gets its way, good jobs with benefits and economic security will be a distant memory.
But the fight back is growing. Jobs with Justice coalitions and our partners vow to make every plant shut-down costly and to challenge every major lay-off until we win Full and Fair Employment and a New Economy that Works for Everyone.
Last week, JwJ joined the AFL-CIO and IUE-CWA in challenging corporate greed at Whirlpool in Evansville, IN. Thousands of workers and community residents delivered 70,000 petitions to Whirlpool, protesting Whirlpool’s plan to send these jobs to Mexico — after taking millions of dollars in federal economic stimulus funds.
“We’re sending a message to Whirlpool and the
Continue reading Stop Shut-Downs. Stop Lay-Offs. Stop Corporate Greed.
By Denise Diaz, on February 11th, 2010
As President Obama announced in Tampa that High Speed rail jobs were coming to Orlando, local community and labor activists came together to understand the uphill battle for workers accessing these jobs. Central Florida Jobs with Justice along with the Central Florida AFL-CIO hosted a townhall to discuss how this economic crisis will impact the city’s outlook for jobs.
With over 40 people in attendance, people heard passages from the study Battered by the Storm: How the Safety Net is failing Americans and How to fix it which shows the severity of families quickly falling into poverty. We also heard from the report Beyond the Quick Fix: ARRA Contracting, Jobs and building a fair recovery that highlighted the lack or transparency and impact of Stimulus dollars on communities of color and low income.
A diverse panel of speakers responded to these reports based on their experiences throughout this economic recession. Paul Wilson, President of Amaglated Transit Union local 1596 representing Lynx, MV and Grant bus operators, spoke on how local counties use the stimulus dollars on things besides operating costs, resulting in no wages increases for bus drivers. David Fernandez, an undergraduate senior at the University
Continue reading Central Florida Townhall and Call to Action on the Economic Crisis
By jwjnational, on November 6th, 2009
15.7 million officially unemployed. 27 million Americans without full time jobs. Six people looking for every job opening.
Tell Congress this has to stop – NOW!
We knew it was coming. That’s why JwJ coalitions have been mobilizing for an economic recovery and working with partners to develop a national jobs plan. While the big banks took their bailouts and spend millions lobbying against a recovery for the rest of us, unemployment has officially topped 10%.
The intense struggle over health insurance reform is coming to a head (call your Rep. at 202-224-3121), and legislation to reform the big banks has been introduced. Extending unemployment for people that have already been out of work for many months is a necessary step, but we need good jobs – both public and private sector.
Despite what the big banks might say, there is no such thing as a ‘jobless recovery.’ Tell Congress the next big agenda item has to be creating millions of good jobs — and to get started now.
TAKE ACTION.
By Allison Fletcher Acosta, on October 16th, 2009
Last week we told you about two campaigns that Rhode Island JwJ supported during JwJ’s economic recovery week of action – an ordinance to protect against Hyatt-style subcontracting in the Providence Convention Center District, and a union contract campaign for food service workers at Brown University where health care was a key issue.
Yesterday, Brown dining service workers voted to approve a new three-year contract that keeps health care affordable and includes 2% wage increases each year.
 Last night, the Providence City Council took a final vote to approve the Hospitality Business Protection and Worker Retention Ordinance. The ordinance will require that hospitality businesses in the district, including the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, the Rhode Island Convention Center, Veterans Memorial Auditorium, and three hotels, retain employees for at least six months in the event of a sale or subcontract of the business and maintain the prevailing wage and health insurance standards.
These victories come as “the most dangerous woman in Rhode Island moves on” and as RI JwJ welcomes a new staff person. We
Continue reading Update: Two Worker Victories in Providence
By jwjnational, on October 14th, 2009
Cross-posted from DC JwJ
On October 5th, more than 200 DC high school students wearing all black walked out of classes on to protest the layoff of 388 school employees. Chanting “No counselors, no college!” students met at McKinley Technology High School and marched towards schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee’s office.
“We are here because our education in on the line,” said one student. “We have no teachers. All our counselors have been laid off. I am a senior, I want to graduate, I want to go to college, I want to have a future, but how can I do that without a school counselor?”
On October 2nd, officers from the Metropolitan Police Department entered classrooms at McKinley at around 2:45pm Friday to escort the teachers out of the classroom.
“I was in class, the police came in, told my teacher to leave the classroom and escorted her to her car. We knew the layoffs were coming but we didn’t know who or when it would happen. It was very distressing,” explained Tamika DeBose, a student at McKinley Tech.
As McKinley students gathered peacefully in the school courtyard on Friday, police attempted to disperse them, pepper-spraying DeBose directly
Continue reading Students March, Sit-In for Fired Workers
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In April 2010, Giant Food, which operates nearly 200 grocery stores in the mid-Atlantic area, announced plans to outsource dry goods grocery distribution to C&S Wholesale Grocers. A Giant spokesperson cited a need to cut costs as a major reason for the outsourcing.
