Workers Fight Bosses for Their Lives by Sue Davis and Martha Grevatt Months at Amazon
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Desde dentro de la pandemia 12 Workers and oppressed peoples of the world unite! workers.org Vol. 62, No. 14 April 2, 2020 $1 Wave of resistance Workers fight bosses for their lives By Sue Davis and Martha Grevatt months at Amazon. Warehouse workers at the DCH1 warehouse in All over the country, in the wake of the Chicago began demanding paid time coronavirus pandemic, workers are fight- off (PTO) in January after reading in the ing for and winning safer working condi- employee handbook that everyone work- tions, the right to stay home and income ing 20 hours or more a week was entitled protection. They are both unionized and to it. The company tried to claim only full- nonunionized and work in a range of time workers could collect PTO. Most of occupations. the workers at DCH1 are Black and Latinx. Below is a small sample of the scores When they met with the company, “They of worker actions taking place around talked to us like stupid workers who can’t the country. (Read the full report online read.” (Amazonians United) The work- at workers.org/2020/03/47342/. More ers’ group, DCH1 Amazonians United, coverage next week.) distributed leaflets and wore buttons As we are writing, workers at Amazon- that read “Amazonians United for PTO.” CREDIT: DCH1 AMAZONIANS UNITED owned Whole Foods are waging a Strike talk was part of the conversation. Amazonians United from Chicago warehouse meet with other Amazon workers from nationwide sickout March 31 over unsafe The campaign for PTO picked up around the world before social distancing restrictions. conditions. Instacart “Shoppers” steam when the COVID‑19 crisis hit, struck March 30. A national rent strike and Amazonians also began demand- On March 30 Amazon workers in a petition seeking “special bonus pool” for began April 1. ing protections to prevent the spread Staten Island, N.Y., walked off the job all the company’s employees. The conces- Worker anger has been building for of COVID‑19. On March 20, the com- there after seven workers fell sick from sion was time and a half pay in recognition pany issued a memo informing all COVID‑19. The organizer was fired. The of the hazards workers face by keeping Amazon workers—not just workers at 4,500 workers in the warehouse say stores open in the midst of the pandemic. DCH1—they were eligible for PTO. Amazon mishandled its response to the The coalition is still seeking paid sick With Amazon sales surging globally pandemic and want the entire facility leave for workers at high risk of infection, and warehouse workers in Spain and Italy closed for two weeks so it can be thor- paid family leave for workers with children testing positive for COVID‑19, more than oughly disinfected and sanitized. The at home from school but no access to child 1,500 workers around the world signed workers want pay during this time, as care and the right to wear gloves when a petition March 17 calling for stronger well as retroactively for those who stayed working cash registers. Workers complain workplace safety measures and paid sick home in fear for their health and safety. of still being sent home without pay for leave. Workers at an Amazon facility in (wuwf.org, March 30) refusing to work registers without gloves. Queens, N.Y., shut it down March 18 after Under the banner “We won!” on On March 27, members of Teamsters A national rent strike began April 1. a worker tested positive. (Washington March 20, the Coalition for a Trader Local 667 held a wildcat strike after Coverage in the next issue and at workers.org. Post, March 18) Joe’s Union announced a victory through Continued on page 6 With entrenched racism PANDEMIC EXPOSES CAPITALISM HBCUs hard hit Im/migrants in grave danger 3 by coronavirus NYC public workers 4 By Arielle Robinson Multiple professors were interviewed by Prisons are death traps 4, 8 Conversation U.S.— a panel of academic The Philadelphia Tribune ran a March experts— and gave their perspectives on Mumia: ‘Things fall apart’ 4 26 article exposing how the lesser‑re- varying aspects of the current health crisis sourced Historically Black Colleges and facing the HBCUs. Asian-Americans speak out 5 Universities (HBCUs) in the United States A professor at Rutgers University, will take a harder hit than rich, predom- Marybeth Gasman, pointed out that ‘Stimulus’ bill 6 inantly white institutions (PWIs) during smaller HBCUs have few information closures due to COVID‑19. technology specialists, and therefore, with Low-wage workers 7 These realities cannot be separated the demand for students to work online Gilead pharma profits from crisis 7 from the old saying: “When America from their homes, remote‑learning situa- catches a cold, African Americans catch tions will prove more difficult for students. EDITORIAL Solidarity with frontline workers 10 the flu,” in the centuries‑old struggle Furthermore, since three-fourths against white supremacy, including in the of HBCU students, coming from Gender oppression 10 area of education. Continued on page 3 Indigenous resistance 5 Mass organizing to win socialism 9 Women resist fascism in India 11 Included: 4-page supplement Global struggle against COVID‑19 Page 2 April 2, 2020 workers.org Oakland School Board cuts educational this week ◆ In the U.S. services, not school cops Workers battle bosses for their lives .............. 1 By Judy Greenspan budget into HBCUs hard hit by coronavirus .................. 1 March 4—Tonight the Oakland School Board made a school mental Oakland school board cuts ......................2 decision to cut more than $20 million from student ser- and behavioral Im/migrants and COVID‑19.....................3 health and spe- vices and clerical staff, but refused to make any cuts in the Georgia ICE detainees stage hunger strike.........3 Oakland School Police force. A last minute amendment cial education Caravan protests demand ‘Decarcerate now!’ ......4 by Director Rosann Torres to lay off one‑half of the school staff; and estab- police department failed by a close 4‑3 vote. lishing commu- Mumia Abu‑Jamal: ‘Things fall apart’ ............4 This vote came late in the night after a spirited rally nity oversight NYC public sector workers fight back .............4 of campus WW PHOTO: JUDY GREENSPAN outside and inside the board meeting, bringing together Asian-Americans speak out .....................5 almost 10 years of organizing by the Black Organizing safety person- Organizer Jessica Black speaks at the Standing Rock win in court......................5 Project, involving Oakland teachers, families, clergy, stu- nel, along with Oakland school rally, March 4. dents and community members. community Trump attacks Mashpee Wampanoag lands .......5 Outside the board meeting where there were over 150 policing. BOP has linked this campaign to the overall When will the government checks come? .........6 struggle of teachers, parents and students for economic people, Jessica Black, organizing director of BOP, recalled Solidarity with low‑wage worker fightback ........ 7 the legacy of Black community activism in Oakland. “We and racial justice in Oakland. (tinyurl.com/rhfgfkg) Gilead Sciences eyes COVID‑19 cash cow ......... 7 are going in as part of a history of Black folks, our ances- In a BOP statement released after the vote was lost, the tors, who have been fighting this fight for years . who group thanked the community for coming together and Prisoners, workers vs. pandemic profiteers ........8 have said enough is enough. We don’t want to wait; we speaking out at the board meeting. BOP also stated, “For Mass organizing to win revolutionary socialism ....9 us, [it] was a vivid example of how the school board is more want police eliminated from schools, and those funds Gender‑oppressed: COVID‑19 and health services . 10 repurposed to things that are actually going to benefit interested in policing Black and Brown students than in pro- children.” tecting them and making courageous decisions to cut harm- ◆ Around the world Inside, at least 50 people made public comments at the ful policing departments and punitive discipline practices. A significant date in working‑class history.........8 meeting that had only one agenda item— massive cuts “This is bigger than a campaign or an organization; it is in student services. Speaker after speaker appealed to a united front and together we have taken intentional steps Shaheen Baghs of India .........................11 the board to instead end the school-to-prison pipeline by in creating Black Sanctuary in Oakland schools. WE are so ◆ Editorial defunding the Oakland School Police force. close!” According to BOP, their racial justice plan received The Oakland Unified School District is the only system more support than ever from both the community and the Solidarity with frontline workers ................10 in the 18 districts that make up Alameda County with its board at that meeting. own police force. According to OUSD data, Black students The Black Organizing Project is continuing its cam- ◆ Noticias en Español paign to lay off the police and restore the cuts to stu- make up 26 percent of the school population, but 76 per- Trabajadores de salud en Texas ................. 12 cent of students arrested. dent services. Check out blackorganizingproject.org and In September 2019, BOP presented a “People’s Plan for #EliminateSchoolPolice on Twitter. Police‑Free Schools” to the school board, calling for the In another Oakland solidarity action, the activ- elimination of the Oakland School Police Department by ist Oakland Education Association recently passed 2020. The plan included restructuring campus safety per- a strong anti‑imperialist, anti‑sanctions resolution. sonnel as peacekeepers; reinvesting the $2.3 million police See www.workers.org/2020/03/46703/. Workers World 147 W. 24th St., 2nd Fl.