A day before the Hearing was scheduled to take place, Stony Brook Administration informed the student group that their Room Request, which was approved a month earlier, was revoked. Outraged, one of the students, along with members of the union, met with Associate Dean Dr. Susan DiMonda to demand that they have access to the space. Armed with fallacious excuses and weak rationale, Dr. DiMonda claimed that it was clear that this was a “labor event” and it had to be approved through Human Resources, not student activities.

“As a social justice student group, this Hearing is obviously a concern to us, and we have proof that we are co-sponsoring event. Not

Continue reading Research Assistants at Stony Brook Speak Up Despite Repression

Both women had worked in Nike-contracted factories for many years in Honduras before being laid off without notice, and without legally mandated severance pay in January 2009. “We’re here in Oregon, the home of Nike, because we want to put a face to the consequences of Nike’s behavior”, said Lowlee Urquía. “We’re saying to Nike that it is responsible every step of the way.”

The two women represented over 1,700 workers who are owed $2.2 million in severance pay. The workers are also owed health care premiums, which were deducted from their wages but never paid to the health care system. This meant that workers could not access health care in the four months before the closure. At least one worker, who had been receiving cancer treatment, died because of this denial of care, according to

Continue reading Honduran Workers Demand $2.2 Million from Nike at Portland Area Workers’ Rights Board Hearing

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa addressed the panel and the audience, thanking the WRBs’ leadership for protecting workers, and praising the courage of the workers who are speaking out.  The Mayor pledged to remain engaged in this fight.  “We look forward to reviewing the recommendations from this board for addressing abuses in this industry,” said the Mayor.  “It’s important the public understand what’s going on at car washes in Los Angeles.”

Car wash workers reported being paid less than half of California’s $8 an hour minimum wage and some reported they are

Continue reading Cardinal, Los Angeles Mayor Hear from Car Wash Workers

This fall, Jobs with Justice of East Tennessee (based in Knoxville), Middle Tennessee Jobs with Justice (based in Nashville), and the Worker Interfaith Network of Memphis joined forces in a statewide effort to bring to light some of the worst cases of abuse, such as wage theft and violations of workplace health and safety.

Targeting primarily the Tennessee Department of Labor and the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA), the 3 groups are gearing up for a statewide series of workers’ rights board hearings to receive testimony from immigrant workers who have had their pay withheld for no reason, sheet-metal workers who have had to work in unsafe conditions, and a number of other worker stories.

“We had a torrent

Continue reading Tennessee Hosts Traveling Workers’ Rights Board Tour on Wage Theft and Safety Violations

We are members of the North Texas Jobs with Justice Workers’ Rights Board.  The Board is composed of concerned community leaders, including clergy, social workers, academics, labor organizers, teachers, students and lawyers.  Workers’ Rights Boards review worker complaints and conduct hearings, giving employers the chance to respond.  Boards, like the one in Dallas, can act as mediators between employees with unresolved grievances and employers who may be too focused on their company’s profit margin. 

Last fall, we were alerted to the struggle of workers employed by Great Western Erectors. Great Western Erectors (GWE) is based in Dallas and is one of the largest rebar and concrete reinforcing contractors in the nation. Our Workers’ Rights Board assembled to hear testimony of workers and to begin the process of

Continue reading Dallas Ironworkers Abused on the Job, WRB Finds