Six Jimmy John's Workers Fired for Whistleblowing
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OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER oF T H E I NDUS T R I A L Wo R K E R S O F T H E Wo R L D S p e c i a l : M a y D a y i s s u e ! INDUSTRIALMay 2011 #1735 Vol. 108 N o . 4 $ 2 / £ 2 / € 2 WORKER ILWU Local 10 Shuts The Evolution of The Art of the IWW Key Figures from Down Oakland Port May Day Worldwide Protest Song the IWW in South 5 6-7 10-11 Africa 15 Six Jimmy John’s Workers Fired For Whistleblowing By the IWW Jimmy Johns Under current Workers Union policy, Jimmy John’s Thousands of community supporters workers are disciplined have jammed Jimmy John’s phone lines for calling in sick if and flooded the chain's Facebook page they cannot find a with messages of outrage and support for replacement. In ad- six whistleblowers who were fired for ex- dition, many workers posing widespread coercion to work at the are unable to afford to chain while sick. On March 25, the work- take a day off if they ers announced that they plan to escalate are ill because wages actions against Jimmy John’s until their at the sandwich chain demands for the right to call in sick, paid hover around the fed- sick days, and reinstatement of the fired eral minimum of $7.25 workers are met. an hour. The result “We will not be silenced. Speaking of these pressures is out against the policy of forcing workers that sandwich-makers to work while sick is not only our right, it often have to work is our duty,” said Erik Forman, one of the while sick, creating fired sandwich workers. “The unfettered an enormous public greed of franchise owner Mike Mulligan health risk. and Jimmy John himself jeopardizes the After franchise health of thousands of customers and management rebuffed workers almost every day. We will speak numerous employee out until they realize that no one wants requests to reform the to eat a sandwich filled with cold and flu sick day policy, germs.” Continued on 8 The JJWU calls attention to six Wobblies who were fired. Graphic: IWW Jimmy Johns Workers Union Fired Union Barista Achieves Victory In Brooklyn By NYC Wobblies aware that Bauer was organizing with the After an aggressive nine-month cam- One Big Union, their response was harsh paign consisting of both legal action and and relentless. Bauer was subjected to increasingly more militant direct action, mistreatment, harassment and verbal the New York City IWW was victorious abuse on a daily basis. in seeking justice for Fellow Worker Jeff In June 2010, Bauer suffered a se- Bauer, who was fired from the 7th Avenue vere cut in hours when he stood up for a location of Ozzie’s Coffee & Tea in Brook- coworker who was physically assaulted lyn, N.Y., on June 29, 2010. and threatened by store manager Raphael Bauer worked at the independent Bernadine’s boyfriend, a former cop, on Park Slope coffee shop, a neighborhood the shop floor. In response to this retalia- institution, for more than one year and tory attack on Bauer’s right to defend his proved himself to be a hard worker with a coworker from a violent confrontation, strong work ethic. The quality of his labor as well as his legally-protected right to was never questioned before his union discuss workplace conditions, Bauer led affiliation with the IWW was leaked to a union delegation of six Wobblies and management when Bauer helped orga- supporters into Ozzie’s Coffee & Tea. The nize a May Day benefit event for the NYC purpose of this “March on the Boss” was IWW in 2010. In fact, Bauer was offered to deliver a demand letter directly to the the store manager position, but turned it boss and officially notify him of Bauer’s down on principle as it went against his affiliation with the IWW. Bauer’s list of political beliefs as both an anarchist and demands included his hours be restored to Wobblies protest Ozzie’s on Jan. 29, 2011. Photo:images.suite101.com a Wobbly. When management was made Continued on 9 Industrial Worker Periodicals Postage PO Box 180195 PO Box 180195 PAID Solidarity Greetings From The IW Chicago, IL 60618 Chicago, IL 60618, USA Chicago, IL and additional ISSN 0019-8870 mailing offices To all the ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED workers fighting against the bosses on the shop floor and on the streets, remember: this is your day. Happy May Day! Page 2 • Industrial Worker • May 2011 Organizing In Wisconsin: Looking Back & Moving Forward By Oliver Lanti militant workers who wanted to move but from our experience I was lucky enough to recently spend forward. I’ve been hoping for years that the in Wisconsin it is clear a month in Wisconsin organizing for the IWW would develop organically to be able that we are building one IWW. I plan to write collectively about the to influence future working-class struggles collectively, just as it is experience with some of the other Fellow that will take place beyond the walls of a clear that we never would Letters Welcome! Workers who were present, but for now I’ll single factory (or coffee shop). To be clear, have been ready to have write something less formal from my own the focus on actual workplaces and actual the impact that we did Send your letters to: [email protected] personal thoughts. workers, as opposed to the completely if we hadn’t already wet with “Letter” in the subject. I’ve never been more proud of my red spectacular activism that I saw everywhere our feet, as an organiza- Graphic: iww.org Mailing address: card than when I first read that the IWW else, was what brought me into the IWW tion, in the day-to-day class IW, P.O. Box 7430, JAF Station, New was agitating for a general strike, and that back in 2005. struggles at Starbucks, Jimmy John’s, and York, NY 10116, United States this was resonating in the broader working In 2011, it was the IWW’s agitation a myriad of other businesses. class. I think the IWW is the best game in for working-class collective action on a I look forward to the debate in the Get the Word Out! town for those who want to “fan the flames broad social level that brought me back IWW about what we can learn from this IWW members, branches, job shops and of discontent,” and I have thought that after about 18 months of inactivity. Among struggle and how we can better prepare ever since I joined, just after the centenary. other things, to use FW J. Pierce’s idea for the next one. I’ll close this letter with Photo: iww.org other affiliated bodies can get the word out about their project, event, campaign Although our strength and our successes of “Goals, Strategy, Tactics,” I’d been a quote from an excellent pamphlet I read or protest each month in the Industrial have been limited, it seems that we are the discouraged by a feeling that the IWW just after leaving Wisconsin, Justus Eb- Worker. Send announcements to iw@ only organization in the United States or had a goal (that the workers of the world ert’s “The I.W.W. in Theory and Practice” iww.org. Much appreciated donations for Canada that has any program for building should “take possession of the means of (1919): the following sizes should be sent to: up new working-class militants, through production, abolish the wage system, and “This brings us to another question, our model of “solidarity unionism.” live in harmony with the earth”) and a namely: Does the I.W.W. believe in and IWW GHQ, Post Office Box 180195, However, during the May Day protests of tactic (build working-class militants and advocate politics? Absolutely! The I.W.W. Chicago, IL 60618, United States. 2005 and 2006, the IWW was relatively win concessions from employers through is neither anti-political nor non-political. uninvolved: most branches marched in solidarity unionism), but, like a group of The I.W.W. is ultra-political. That is, the $12 for 1” tall, 1 column wide solidarity with immigrant workers, but as gnomes from South Park, we lacked a step I.W.W. believes that getting votes and $40 for 4” by 2 columns an organization we had basically nothing two, a strategy that could link the goal and winning office is not politics of a funda- $90 for a quarter page to offer to any militant, self-organized the tactic. We still don’t have one, really, mental kind.” Industrial Worker IWW directory The Voice of Revolutionary Industrial Unionism Australia Ottawa Panhandlers Union: Andrew Nellis, Georgia New York City GMB: P.O. Box 7430, JAF Station, Regional Organising Committee: P.O. Box 1866, spokesperson, 613-748-0460. ottawapanhandler- Atlanta: M. Bell, del.,404-693-4728, iwwbell@ 10116, [email protected]. www.wobblycity.org [email protected] gmail.com ORGANIZATION Albany, WA Starbucks Campaign: 44-61 11th St. Fl. 3, Long Albany: 0423473807, [email protected] Peterborough: c/o PCAP, 393 Water St. #17, K9H Hawaii Island City 11101 [email protected] EDUCATION Melbourne: P.O. Box 145, Moreland, VIC 3058. 3L7, 705-749-9694 Honolulu: Tony Donnes, del., [email protected] www.starbucksunion.org 0448 712 420 Toronto GMB: c/o Libra Knowledge & Information EMANCIPATION Svcs Co-op, P.O. Box 353 Stn. A, M5W 1C2.