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Free PDF Copy Women of the World CUPE vs CUPE: Struggle Chinese workers need Day laborers fight for Unite : International over concessions, pension solidarity and win their rights Women’s Day 3 5 7 9 IndustrialOFFICI A L N EWSP A P E R O F THE INDUSTRI WorkerA L W O R K E R S O F T H E W O RLD April 2007 #1694 Vol. 104 No. 4 $1.00 / 75p Amersino reinstates two in NYC warehouse Third worker plans appeal, IWW warehouse workers keep fighting By Diane Krauthamer to discuss the situation. Twenty workers signed IWW membership cards, after In a legal battle that has lasted for which they marched on the warehouse more than a year, two fired union work- to inform Wang that they had joined ers are finally returning to the job with the union and demand that he comply thousands of dollars in back wages. with minimum wage and overtime laws On February 27, 2007, the National and reinstate Lopez and Pulidos. Wang Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ordered refused, and a picket followed that same that warehouse owner Henry Wang, morning. Within 45 minutes of the of Brooklyn-based Amersino Market- picket being set up, Wang capitulated ing Group, reinstate Manuel Lopez and and agreed to all of the union’s demands. Juan Antonio Rodriguez, pay full back During the week of their demand for rec- wages, and cease and desist all illegal ognition, the workers waged two more measures against the union. Wang fired brief work stoppages in order to combat five workers for organizing with the the company’s attacks and harassment. Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) Both were successful and IWW organiz- in the spring of 2006, thus violating two ers filed for an NLRB election. sections of the NLRB Act. Soon after publicly declaring their Michael Rosas, an NLRB administra- IWW membership, at a shop meeting tive law judge (ALJ), found that Wang workers noticed unusual reductions in violated two sections of the National their paychecks. On the morning of April Warehouse workers walk the picket line in New York City with signs saying “Justice Now.” Labor Relations Act during the IWW 10, fifteen Amersino workers, along with IU 460/640 Food and Allied Workers Randel and other supporters, held a Union’s organizing drive at Amersino in picket to demand that Wang “pay what the spring of 2006. he owed.” Wang came out of his office to Colorado to replace Union representatives were pleased confront the demonstrators and accused with the reinstatement of Lopez and Ro- the IWW of “brainwashing” his employ- immigrants with prisoners driguez. However, they expressed regret ees and “holding his company hostage.” that Rosas failed to include a third fired According to the NLRB ruling, he also Produce aisles in grocery stores reportedly the first of its kind. worker, Eliezer Maca Gallardo, in the de- said: “Over my dead body there will be a across America may soon be filled with “The reason this [program] started cision. The union plans to file an appeal union in this plant.” Despite his hostility, the fruits of prison labor. is to make sure the agricultural industry with New York City labor attorney Stuart when faced with the prospect of a strike, Since passing draconian immigration wouldn’t go out of business,” state Rep. Lichten and keep up pressure on the Wang backed down and promised to laws last summer, the state of Colorado Dorothy Butcher told the Los Angeles streets in order to win Maca Gallardo’s resolve the pay issues. has suffered from a shortage of farm Times. After the mass exodus of immi- reinstatement. On the days leading up to the workers, as many undocumented immi- grants following last year’s crackdown, “I think we have a really strong case NLRB election, the company attempted grants left the state. crops were left to rot in the field. Now here,” Lichten said, referring to the (unsuccessfully) to bribe workers to Colorado now hopes to solve this prisoners who are considered a low secu- union’s plans to appeal. “I can’t un- not vote, and used a common strategy crisis by replacing immigrants with rity risk will have the option of working derstand why [Maca Gallardo] wasn’t of “padding” the Excelsior list of voters prisoners. in the fields under the watchful eye of reinstated. The factual findings were to include non-workers. Eliezer Maca The state Department of Corrections armed guards—for 60 cents a day. correct, but the judge just came to the Gallardo, the IWW’s sole observer of the announced in late February that they Immigration rights advocates were wrong conclusion.” election, knew who did and who did not hope to launch a new program whereby stunned by the proposal. work for the company, and challenged 13 the Department will provide over a “Are we going to pull in inmates What happened ballots. Wang’s observer challenged an dozen farms with inmates to pick pep- to work in the service industry too?” Shortly after Amersino workers additional 9 ballots. pers, onions and melons. The program is Continued on 3 began to unionize with the IWW in On April 29, workers walked out February 2006, attorneys from Make in solidarity, when Wang fired both the Road by Walking and the Urban Gallardo and Rodriguez. Wang imme- UK ‘super-union’ forming on May Day Justice Center began taking affidavits diately brought in scabs, locking out British union members recently vot- Amicus leader Derek Simpson said from the workers to build a back wage all union workers. A three-day strike ed to merge two major unions into what the merger would unleash “the greatest and overtime wage case. On March 18, ensued, including a widely attended May is being called a ‘super-union’ number- campaigning force on behalf of ordinary Wang terminated Manuel Lopez and Day picket. On May 2, union workers ing nearly two million workers. people that has ever existed.” Simpson Rene Pulidos for union activity. On the returned, but Lezama, Maca Gallardo, The Transport & General Workers’ added that the union was a “precursor” morning of March 20 Amersino workers Rodriguez, Pulidos and Lopez were not Union (T&G) represents 777,000 work- to a “single global trade union move- met with IWW organizers Bert Picard allowed back in. ers across many industries and Amicus ment capable of challenging the might of and Billy Randel in a nearby coffee shop Continued on 6 represents 1.2 million manufacturing multinationals who seek to play work- workers in the United Kingdom. An- forces and governments off against each Industrial Worker Periodicals Postage other big general union, the GMB, with other to reduce jobs and hard won pay PO Box 13476 PAID 575,000 members, decided against join- and conditions.” Philadelphia, PA 19101 ing at its conference last year. In 2005, the merger talks prompted Philadelphia, PA and additional Both Amicus and T&G are staunch concern by the Trades Union Congress ISSN 0019-8870 mailing offices supporters of the Labour Party govern- (TUC) that it may lose its role as the ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED ment and critics of Prime Minister Tony single voice of the British trade union Blair’s efforts to sideline the voice of movement. unions within the party. The only union However, the new union – which that rivals the merged union in size will has no name yet – is more inclined to be another general union, UNISON, with confront the TUC, rather than abandon 1.3 million members. it. The T&G’s Woodley promised to “take Both unions are heralding the merg- the TUC by the scruff of the neck and er with feisty rhetoric. T&G secretary turn it into an agent for campaigning Tony Woodley promised that the merged change” during a December 2006 speech union would be a “progressive, organis- in Birmingham. ing, fighting back industrial giant.” About 27 per cent of T&G and Am- Subscribers: The number (top line of label ) reflects the last issue due on your subscription. icus members voted on the merger. Page • Industrial Worker • April 2007 Letters Welcome! Fighting oppression on all fronts: Send your letters to: The IWW Women’s Caucus call for action [email protected] with “Letter” in the subject. By Diane Krauthamer At the IWW General Assembly in sexism are negatively affecting our ev- eryday union work, and thus negatively Mailing addresses: September 2006, approximately ten Thank you for a great article by Erik women joined together for a Women’s affecting organizing as a whole. Davis on raising a working-class culture. Caucus meeting. At this meeting, we Many of us become alienated when Radical and wobbly parents are often IW, POB 13476, agreed to propose that the IWW adopt we feel that we have little or no voice. overlooked and ignored. Great article, Philadelphia PA 19101 USA the Edmonton GMB’s Anti-Harassment Sometimes it can take a lot of stamina to great subject, thanks. Policy, and we also discussed how we continue working with people who you could help make the union more gender- feel are not respecting your judgment or fellow worker traci IW, PO Box 52003, equal. Some of the ideas we discussed opinions. Providence, Rhode Island 298 Dalhousie St, Ottawa, ON included making the IWW more ap- Part of this has to do with men being K1N 1S0 Canada pealing to women and GLBTQ folks threatened when they feel that women worldwide, but many of these ideas were are taking on their leadership roles, thus subsequently never pursued, as those of assuming a certain level of power and IWW endorses Gran Paro Americano us who spoke at this meeting live on op- authority that they are otherwise not posite sides of the world.
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