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By jwjnational, on June 30th, 2011
 Struggling construction workers at the UW became a local face for Labor’s revived fight for human rights in the workplace, ignited in Wisconsin. Organizing to form a union with the Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) and the Cement Masons (OPMCIA) at the CRJ contractor, the workers linked arms with campus unions and allies to call on UW Administrators to declare “No Wisconsins in the UW community.” Renewed worker solidarity is emboldening an escalating campaign for justice from CRJ bosses and UW Administrators.
Washington State JwJ played a central role in hosting and organizing the coalition that launched 2 rallies at UW campuses, amassing 500 total activists, 2 marches on bosses, and scores of unions and community groups represented during the April 4 national day of action. The events also featured the ferry worker fight for collective bargaining (IBU), the public worker defense of essential services (SEIU & UAW & AFSCME), and retail and hospitality worker Downtown Tacoma campaigns for the right-to-organize (UFCW & UNITE-HERE) placed by Tacoma NAACP President Christopher in the context of Dr. Martin Luther King’s assassination while organizing for the right-to-organize with
Continue reading CRJ Construction Workers at UW Organize to Hold Bosses Accountable
In the fight for workers’ right to organize in America, a 19-year-old migrant construction worker is on the front lines.
Josue Diaz is a member of the Congress of Day Laborers in New Orleans. After Hurricane Ike struck the Gulf Coast, Josue was taken to Texas to do treacherous clean-up work. He gutted houses, removing toxic sludge with his bare hands. His work allowed families to come home.
Josue was denied the masks and respirators given to the American workers on the site. He was refused breaks, worked to exhaustion, and forced to sleep in a makeshift labor camp. In response, Josue acted in the proudest tradition of labor leaders in America: he led workers in a strike to demand their dignified working conditions. The employer’s response was to fire Josue and his fellow workers and evict them in the middle of the night without pay.
Retaliatory firings are illegal under the National Labor Relations Act. Josue should have been able to go to government agencies to report the abuse. Instead, he was greeted outside by police and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. They detained Josue, and disappeared with him into the vast darkness of the post-hurricane landscape. He
Continue reading News From the Front: The POWER Act
By rand wilson, on May 4th, 2011
Rite Aid Negotiating Committee after signing Tentative Agreement on May 1, 2011.Rite Aid workers at the company's massive Southwest Distribution Center in Lancaster declared victory on Sunday, May 1 in their five-year effort to form a union and improve working conditions.
Workers signed a 3-year tentative agreement with management on May 1 – subject to a May 12 ratification vote – that will improve conditions at the million-square-foot facility in California’s high desert by guaranteeing:
Health insurance rates that are fair for both individual workers and their families,
Job security provisions to prevent work from being sub-contracted,
A worker voice in production standards and ability to challenge unfair standards,
Protection against intense summer heat and winter cold, using innovative indoor-temperature standards,
A fair and impartial process for resolving disputes,
Wage increases in each of the next 3 years.
“We’re excited about winning this victory, even if it took longer than it should have,” said Carlos “Chico” Rubio, a 10-year warehouse worker who helped negotiate the union contract with a team of eight co-workers.
Employees decided to form their union
Continue reading Rite Aid workers win 5-year campaign to form union at giant Rite Aid distribution center
By jwjnational, on April 28th, 2011
 Coalitions in cities targeted for new Walmart stores gathered and took strategic actions on April 21, 2011 to urge elected leaders to make sure Walmart’s desire to open or expand stores is rejected or met with enforcement of strong standards.
In cities across the United States, Walmart is seeking access to new markets and customers, spurring local and national debate for good reason. Local coalitions of community members, elected officials, religious leaders, small business owners and others are joining together and speaking out to voice their concern and ensure the jobs being offered by Walmart meet strong standards for healthy, growing communities.
Jobs with Justice is playing a key role in these coalitions, either coordinating or participating in a number of cities including: Boston, New York, Washington DC, Chicago, Philadelphia and San Francisco. Other cities where local coalitions held aligned events include: Los Angeles, Seattle. Here are some highlights:
In San Francisco:
Jobs with Justice joined together with a number of community organizations to publicly announce the formation of the coalition to “Keep San Francisco Walmart-Free”. They held a rally and press-conference with roughly 30 community activists, people of
Continue reading Community coalitions in major cities tell elected officials to reject Walmart or impose strong standards
By jwjnational, on March 8th, 2011
In recognition of the 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day on Tuesday, March 8, Jobs with Justice is standing in solidarity with the women of T-Mobile USA. We’re posting messages of strength and support on a special Facebook page for T-Mobile workers — messages that will give them much-needed encouragement as they go to work each day under unfair conditions.
Continue reading Show Solidarity with T-Mobile USA Workers on International Women’s Day
By Chris Hicks, on February 23rd, 2011
On February 7th, chants were ringing out in front of John Wilson Building. “WalMart better come correct! DC residents deserve respect!” and “1 2 3 4, DC residents deserve more, 5 6 7 8, WalMart must negotiate!” were crowd favorites, even pulling in passer-bys.
Respect DC, a coalition of community, faith, environmental, student and labor organizations, was at the John Wilson building after meeting with DC Council Members and their staffs. Their message was simple: DC demands fair wages, fair treatment and community benefits from the world’s largest employer as it plans to open four locations in the District.
Speeches were delivered from local business owners, community members and faith leaders. All aimed at one thing: WalMart must respect DC. WalMart is making big promises to bring jobs and tax revenue, but has a history of pulling communities apart with low paying jobs and setting a low standard for all other retailers.
We want our elected leaders to consider the long-term impact of WalMart and what it really means to have 4 new stores open in DC. WalMart has a proven track record, and we don’t think it fits our community or reflects its values – and we
Continue reading DC Residents to WalMart, “Respect is not Negotiable”
By jwjnational, on February 22nd, 2011
In neighborhoods around the country, the buzz is at full blast as Walmart, the nation’s largest retailer (and one of the largest employers) aims to expand into urban communities. This is not happening in isolation, but during one of the biggest economic crises in recent history. Walmart’s new attempts at expansion center around one question: Who determines the future of work in America? Corporate CEOs like Walmart’s Mike Duke, or working people.
In partnership with the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union, Jobs with Justice coalitions in DC, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Boston, Philadelphia, and elsewhere have launched a new campaign to challenge Walmart’s expansion and demand high quality jobs, the rights of Walmart Associates to organize a union without intimidation or interference from the company, and the sustainable economic recovery of our communities.
Having saturated all of its other markets, Walmart has no where else to go but to the cities—giving urban communities new leverage over the multi-national corporation based in Arkansas. Since Walmart is the largest private employer in the U.S., and the largest retailer in the world, Walmart associates winning the right to organize freely and fairly would have an enormous impact
Continue reading JwJ Renews Fight to Hold Walmart Accountable to Our Communities
By Margaret Butler, on February 11th, 2011
Portland Area Worker Rights Board hear testimony from Securitas worker and community members
Portland Jobs with Justice has been working hard to support Securitas workers who are organizing with Service Employees local 49. Since July we have helped organize for and participate in three delegations to management and organized a Workers’ Rights Board hearing and follow up from it.
Securitas,a multi-national corporation headquartered in Sweden, has signed a global agreement with UNI, the international union federation. This agreement commits them to remain neutral when workers organize and to recognize unions when workers organize. When presented with copies of the global agreement, local management didn’t know anything about it. Requests to discuss the situation were met with encouragement to call a phone number in Chicago.
In September, the 600+ workers in Portland reached majority support for their union and went back to local management asking that they recognize the union. Local management has thus far not recognized the union.
On December 9th, workers testified before a Workers’ Rights Board panel about their wages and working conditions and why they need a union. They also presented testimony about the
Continue reading Support for Securitas Worker Organizing in Portland
By Allison Fletcher Acosta, on January 17th, 2011
 At the time of his death in 1968, Dr. King was engaged in preparations for a Poor People’s Campaign that aimed to bring thousands of unemployed and working poor people to Washington, DC. At that time, the unemployment rate was 4% and fewer than 13% of Americans were living in poverty. Today, the unemployment rate is 9.4% and 14.3% live in poverty.
On the day he was assassinated, Dr. King was in Memphis supporting a strike of 1,300 black sanitation workers who walked off the job protesting years of discrimination, low or no pay, and dangerous working conditions. The workers sought union representation with the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), but the mayor’s office did not want to recognize the existence of public unions. The sanitation workers won their struggle for respect and dignity on the job shortly after King’s death. Today, Memphis sanitation workers face layoffs and cuts to their overtime and pensions.
Across the country, conservatives are pushing a corporate agenda that seeks to shift the blame for high unemployment and rising poverty levels away from their allies on Wall
Continue reading Carrying On King’s Work
By Amy Willis, on January 13th, 2011
Highlights from the Dec. 15 National Day of Action…
 Over the past several years, Rite Aid executives have made a number of serious missteps that have hurt the company’s business. The nation’s third-largest retail drug store chain has not made a profit in more than three years, causing investors to suffer heavy losses. Instead of working with employees to help turn the company around, Rite Aid executives are trying to make workers pay for management’s mistakes. At Rite Aid locations across the country, the trend is same: the company is demanding concessions from hardworking employees, while increasing executive compensation.
For example, while CEO John Standley recently doubled his own compensation, Rite Aid is:
Proposing onerous health insurance hikes for workers in Northern Ohio, which may force them to strike;
Seeking huge increases in employees’ share of health insurance costs in Lancaster, CA where, for 2 ½ years, workers have been trying to get a fair labor agreement; and
Closing a unionized distribution center in Rome, NY and going non-union, leaving 400 employees without work.
The Coalition of Rite Aid Workers was formed to support employees at Rite Aid stores
Continue reading Uniting to Win Respect for Rite Aid Workers and Our Communities!
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