|
|
By Debbie Kline, on September 28th, 2011
 Our latest example of Corporate Greed at its finest is Rite Aid, who tries to hide behind the corporate slogan, “with us it’s personal.” BUT, do not be fooled by a silly slogan. HMMMM….. let’s see, Rite Aid CEO, John Standley, doubles his salary in one year from $2.3 million to $4.5 million while trying to make health insurance unaffordable for his company’s low wage workers. Is that being personal with your employees? Well I guess you could say it is personal, but probably not in the way Rite Aid would want you to think.
While taking a 100% pay increase, John Standley is trying to raise health care costs even though Northeast Ohio area workers accepted meager wage increases so they would be able to keep the costs affordable – I guess someone has to pay for John Standley’s increase in salary. In the 2010 letter to shareholders, Standley brags about decreasing costs and projecting a growth in profitable sales – and we all know how they intend to decrease costs – on the backs of their workers. On March 14, 2011, Rite Aid employees, members
Continue reading Rite Aid Strike Continues in Cleveland
By Kate Shaughnessy, on September 23rd, 2011
CWA & IBEW’s two-week strike in August showed Verizon and Verizon Wireless that it could not keep stonewalling at the bargaining table. Several concessionary demands have been removed from the table, including their demand to slash MLK Birthday and Veterans Day as holidays and to eliminate the special city allowance.
Now workers are bargaining from CWA’s proposals to save money on health care without premium sharing and preventing unilateral management changes in health care at Verizon Wireless. And union members are forcing management to focus on our demand to bring thousands of outsourced and off-shored jobs back into the bargaining unit.
There has been progress, but Verizon is still insisting on hundreds of millions in concessions.
It’s time to step up the pressure.
We’re ramping things up with Days of Action next week:
Sept 28th: A national media conference call announcing the escalation of our campaign and our plan to open a new front by focusing on the iPhone 5 release.
Sept. 29th: A day of workplace picketing and rallies to show that we are still angry, still strong, and ready to do whatever it takes.
Sept. 30th – October 1st: Working with allies inside and outside the labor movement,
Continue reading Support Verizon Workers Next Week!
By jwjnational, on September 8th, 2011
 This week, thousands of Hyatt hotel workers in four cities nationwide–Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Honolulu—are on strike. They are on strike not only to win a fair contract at their own hotels, but to take a stand against Hyatt’s abuse of hotel workers in cities across the country.
Tell Hyatt to stop abusing workers!
Join a picket line in the cities where workers are on strike
Send a message of solidarity to Hyatt workers
Boycott these Hyatt Hotels
 Hyatt has abused its housekeepers, replacing career housekeepers with minimum wage temporary workers and imposing dangerous workloads on those housekeepers who remain. Take for example Boston, where Hyatt fired its entire housekeeping staff at three non-union hotels, replacing women who had worked at Hyatt for decades with temporary workers earning minimum wage. Hyatt even turned heat lamps on striking workers in Chicago during a brutal heat wave this July.
The people who clean, staff and help make Hyatt Hotels successful are simply seeking protections on the job.
We heard from
Continue reading Hyatt workers on strike — Take action now!
By jwjnational, on August 25th, 2011
 45,000 Verizon workers went on strike on Sunday, August 7th. On Saturday, August 20th, CWA and IBEW announced that they had reached an agreement on bargaining with Verizon.
The unions did not agree to any of the company’s concessionary demands to reach agreement. Instead, it was the solidarity we all showed that created the opportunity for progress. The strike brought Verizon to their knees and brought the company back to the table negotiate in good faith.
Verizon workers need your help to keep the pressure on to help win a fair contract with decent wages, good benefits and job security. Mobilization continues. We will continue to keep the pressure on until a fair contract is won!
How you can help:
LEAFLET: There is a new leaflet available for download & distribution at your local Verizon Wireless store. Download a new flyer and organize a group to leaflet.
ADOPT A STORE: Can you commit to coordinating activities at a store near you? Can you commit, at a minimum, to activities on Wireless Wednesdays from 12-2pm and 5-7pm and/or Saturdays? Adopt a Store!
REPORT YOUR ACTIVITIES: Please use
Continue reading Solidarity with Verizon workers. The struggle continues!
By Russ Davis, on June 24th, 2011
Boston AFTRA broadcasters are going on strike for the first time in 20 years and they need your support!
This weekend anchors and reporters from Channel 7 will be boycotting the Station’s Health & Fitness Expo in protest of Sunbeam Television’s unfair treatment of employees.
Sunbeam has unilaterally imposed drastic cuts to their compensation system, which could lead to pay reductions ranging from 25% to 50% for reporters and anchors. With cuts of that magnitude imposed, one would expect the company to be in severe economic distress. That is not the case. In fact, the company has stated multiple times that it can afford to pay employees under the current system.
The Station has consistantly refused to renegotiate, despite numerous attempts from WHDH workers. This week the station even refused the Federal Mediator’s request for a meeting.
HOW TO SHOW YOUR SOLIDARITY
Let the General Manager at the station know you stand with broadcasters against unfair treatment!
Call the Station (617-725-0777) and tell them you support the reporters and anchors!
Continue reading Two Day Strike at WHDH-Channel 7 in Boston
By jwjnational, on June 22nd, 2011
Today, Jobs with Justice and the United Students against Sweatshops released an “investor alert” showing how Rite Aid’s mismanagement and corporate greed have contributed to the company’s poor performance during the past four years. The release of the investor alert coincides with Rite Aid’s annual shareholders’ meeting on June 23 at the Hilton Hotel in Harrisburg, PA. The alert is available on the Jobs with Justice website here.
Jobs with Justice has been an active supporter of Rite Aid workers across the country who have struggled to form unions and to win union contracts. Over the last several years, Jobs with Justice has leafleted stores, met with store managers, sent emails to top Rite Aid executives, and held rallies in support Rite Aid workers in their local communities.
Rite Aid has been struggling to return to profitability since the disastrous acquisition of the Brooks and Eckerd chains in 2007, which left the company deeply in debt. Rite Aid has consistently under-performed its top competitors, CVS and Walgreens, and has reported losses in 15 straight quarters (results for the 16th quarter ended on 5/31, will be reported on June 23). Despite sagging share prices, Rite
Continue reading Mismanagement & Corporate Greed Plague Rite Aid
By rand wilson, on April 6th, 2011
 Cross-posted from In These Times.
Last Friday, more than two dozen Rite Aid drugstores across the country had some unexpected visitors. Activists in 10 states converged on 30 stores on April 1 to protest the company’s unfair labor practices and management’s efforts to impose unaffordable healthcare costs on employees.
Workers at six Cleveland Rite Aid stores—whose employees are members of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 880—have been on strike since March 14. After nearly a year of fruitless contract negotiations, the strike started because Rite Aid management committed dozens of unfair labor practices, violating members’ rights through illegal threats, harassment, retaliation, surveillance and refusing to bargain in good faith.
Rite Aid resorted to these illegal tactics in Ohio as part of a nationwide effort to convince workers to move into a more expensive company health insurance plan. Many Rite Aid retail employees are paid such low wages that if their union accepted Rite Aid’s plan, they would be forced to decline company coverage and instead rely on taxpayer provided benefits such as Medicaid for their medical needs.
According to UFCW
Continue reading Rite Aid Workers’ Strike in Cleveland Sparks Nationwide Protest
By Treston Davis-Faulkner, on August 20th, 2010
 On May 23, 2010, the owner of Mott’s, a subsidiary of the highly profitable Dr Pepper Snapple (DPS), forced 300 workers and members of RWDSU Local 220 on strike at the Mott’s plant in Williamson, NY. Though the company is seeing tremendous success and has turned a profit the past 5 years, Mott’s insists on wage and benefit cuts from workers, saying workers should think of themselves as a “commodity” like “soybeans or oil.”
Basic Facts: Mott’s/DPS is demanding: $1.50 per hour wage cut for all employees, pension elimination for future employees, pension freeze for current employees, 20 percent decrease in employer contributions to the 401K, increased employee contributions toward health care premiums and co-pays. Most workers at the Williamson plant make around $19/hr. Mott’s was acquired by DPS in May of 2008, after which workers report a shift in attitude from management.
Mott’s is looking to exploit the economic climate to maximize their profits at the expense of their workers.
While the three highest paid executives at DPS, including CEO Larry Young, doubled their pay between 2007 and 2009, the company is now proposing to cut wages and
Continue reading Mott’s Workers Stand Up to Corporate Greed
By rand wilson, on May 28th, 2010
Cross-posted from Labor Notes.
 Striking workers at the Supervalu- owned Shaw’s Distribution Center in Methuen, Mass., have been marching from Methuen to Boston for justice since Sunday, May 23.
The 310 workers, members of UFCW Local 791, have been on strike since March 7 over the company’s insistence that the burden of increasing health care costs be borne by workers.
As a resident of Somerville, I chose to meet up with the strikers on their march from Medford to Somerville, the third day of their four-day journey. While we marched, the 50 or so workers and supporters enjoyed broad support from passing motorists, as well as cheers from many residents in the neighborhoods along the route.
It was easy to see how bringing the strike into the community gets people mobilized in different ways than just walking a picket line. All kinds of people get involved. I especially liked the opportunity to meet up with other labor activists from Somerville.
I also had a surprising connection with one of the strikers–Al Bowers, a former Teamster Local
Continue reading Strikers March from Methuen to Boston to Win Justice at Shaw’s
By Maria Escobar, on April 26th, 2010
 The past two months have been unprecedented, filled with victories and actions that have proven to be successful in bringing real change to our communities.
The first victory for working class people was the passage of the Student Aid reform. This bill will take away subsidies given to loan companies and invest them into programs such as the Pell grant and community colleges. “Students across the country were able to see their amazing direct-action organizing payoff with comprehensive student aid reform becoming the law of the land,” said USSA President Gregory Cendana. “This is especially critical for working class students and families who have struggled the most in affording their education.”
The second victory was the agreement reached between for the Coalition of Immokalee workers, the Student Farmworker Alliance, and giant food service provider Aramark. Marc Rodriguez of the Student Farmworker Alliance said:
Aramark becomes the 8th major food corporation to agree to work with the CIW to improve wages and root out modern-day slavery in its tomato supply chain. This is a huge step forward for our campaign, because it means that the
Continue reading Student Labor Week of Action Builds on Successes
|
|
Our latest example of Corporate Greed at its finest is Rite Aid, who tries to hide behind the corporate slogan, “with us it’s personal.” BUT, do not be fooled by a silly slogan. HMMMM….. let’s see, Rite Aid CEO, John Standley, doubles his salary in one year from $2.3 million to $4.5 million while trying to make health insurance unaffordable for his company’s low wage workers. Is that being personal with your employees? Well I guess you could say it is personal, but probably not in the way Rite Aid would want you to think.
