INDUSTRIAL WORKER OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE INDUSTRIAL WORKERS OF THE WORLD April 2009 #1714 Vol. 106 No. 3 $1/ £1/ €1 Colibri workers in Western Australian Starbucks workers Russian union Rhode Island laid miners struggle hold 8-hour picket defies threats off 6 7 9 at Ford plant 1 1 General Strike in the French Antilles By A.L. Martinez loupe—higher than 20 percent, accord- A 44-day strike on the French Carib- ing to the latest statistics. The island, bean colony of Guadeloupe has come to along with Martinique and French Guy- an end. The strike focused on the issues ana in South America, are three of the of pay raises and lowering the costs of 54 four regions of the European Union with basic goods, such as bread. The Collec- the highest unemployment rates. tive Against Exploitation (LKP) led the The strike had one fatality—union strike. member Jacques Bino was killed after A major point of contention during leaving a union meeting on Feb. 17, the strike was that while prices were 200. ,n his memory, the ¿rst agree- higher for goods on Guadeloupe and the ment on raising wages was called the neighboring Martinique than metropoli- Jacques Bino Accord. tan France, wages were lower. Among LKP leader Eli Demota has warned the concessions won by the LKP was a that strikes would resume if the govern- supplement to the wages of the lowest- ment reneges on its promises. paid workers that will consist of a €200 Compiled from articles by Associ- (US$254) monthly payment. ated Press and British Broadcasting Unemployment is high on Guade- Corporation. More on 3 For Labor Solidarity with the NYU Student Occupiers By Daniel Gross in November 2005. I’m reminded of The almost two-day student occu- President Sexton’s stomach-churning Workers in the French Antilles protest for improved conditions. Photo: LKP pation at New York University around ultimatum to the striking graduate work- demands of transparency and account- ers: cross the picket line or be blacklisted ability has ended but the dialogue set in from your paid teaching post and lose Australians Rally in Support of motion by the action is just beginning. the health bene¿ts that go along with it. Also just beginning is the University’s As the students of the Take Back punitive measures against participants NYU! coalition contend with the dispro- 7-Eleven Workers in Geelong in the occupation - measures clearly de- portionate punishment being meted out signed to have a chilling effect on future by the university, I hope that working By Kirk Leonard,UNITE member terbox their streets. dissent. people and their labor organizations On Feb. 13, 2009, more than 100 Tim Gooden, Secretary of the Eighteen students have reportedly conclude that the students are deserving people attended a rally outside the GTHC, led the rally in chants such as been suspended and face expulsion. To of ¿rm solidarity. :hile many in the la- 7-Eleven store in the heart of Geelong. “Low pay" NO :AY!´ Anthony Main, maximize hardship, NYU and its Presi- bor movement are broadly supportive of The protest called for 7-Eleven to start Secretary of UNITE, gave a speech out- dent John Sexton have evicted several student activism, there are some who are paying its workers the legal minimum lining the background of this dispute. students from university housing. It’s privately dismissive of student efforts as wage and for all unpaid wages to be He explained that, despite the bullying also believed that NYU is working closely inward-looking or irrelevant. paid back to them. The rally was also and intimidation, the workers were not with the New York City Police Depart- But the historic and present-day record demanding that one of the workers, who about to back down. ment toward bringing criminal charges is replete with examples of students was sacked for making a complaint, be An ex-worker from the store named against some students. powerfully struggling for their own au- reinstated. Kholi, who is still to waiting to be paid The reprisals being undertaken by tonomy at school while working side-by- This 7-Eleven store on Moorabool for working on Christmas day last year, NYU executives are eerily reminiscent side with class-based social movements Street is particularly dodgy. The operator also spoke. Kholi got the best response of those carried out in the breaking of beyond campus; May 1968 in France and makes any new employees work for up to from the rally. He gave a ¿rsthand ac- the union of graduate student employees Greece today are two oft-cited examples. two months in what he calls an “unpaid count of the horrible conditions in the More on 3 trial.´ :hen he realized that some of the store and explained that most of the workers were thinking of reporting his workers 7-Eleven employ are vulner- Industrial Worker Periodicals Postage illegal behavior to the :orkplace Om- able international students. Due to the budsman, he threatened them with vio- low wages they pay, 7-Eleven forces the PO Box 23085 PAID Cincinnati, OH 45223-3085, USA lence. :hile breaking nearly every law in workers to work more than the 20 hour Cincinatti, OH the book, 7-Eleven still had the audacity limit imposed by their visa regulations. and additional Pailing oI¿ces to visit the Geelong police station on the This is happening on a mass scale. ISSN 0019-8870 morning before the rally asking them to Kholi also explained the need for ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED put a stop to it! workers from all companies and indus- Despite management’s attempts, the tries to stop 7-Eleven from exploiting rally went ahead and was very success- their workers. ful. The action was broad-based and “If we allow them to get away with it vibrant, with many unions af¿liated to here, more and more companies will be the Geelong Trades Hall Council (GTHC) trying to follow,” he said. Both Gooden attending. Some people stopped work to and Main called on 7-Eleven to sort out attend while others came down during these problems and to sort them out their lunch break. Many 7-Eleven work- quickly. ers, past and present, also came along. “:hen you treat Geelong locals Hundreds of leaÀets outlining like this, you have no longer just 7-Eleven’s despicable employment involved the workers and UNITE. You practices were distributed. People also have involved the entire trade union stopped to sign the petition or to have a movement,” Gooden said. If 7-Eleven chat. Many Geelong locals tooted their continue to refuse to stick to the law, car horns in support as they drove past. further protests both in Geelong and in Some people took leaÀets pledging to let- Melbourne will ensue. Page 2 • Industrial Worker • April 2009 Commemorating Resistance Industrial Worker Editor Stepping Down In approximately two years we mark the hundredth anniversary of the Tri- Fellow Workers, angle Shirt-Waist Fire of March 25, 1911. When I ran for election with Diane Krauthamer last November, I was fully com- Over one hundred workers were killed mitted to bring my experience as editor to helping produce a high quality Industrial in that sweatshop because exit doors Worker for the next two years. This was on the understanding that Diane and I were locked and fire department ladders would divide tasks as we thought best, I here in Europe, Diane in the U.S. were smaller than what was needed to However, after one issue, several things have become apparent. Firstly, as the Letters welcome! reach the floors that the women were on. Send your letters to: [email protected] IW is printed and distributed in the U.S., Diane is obviously best placed to deal with There should be a world wide commem- with “Letter” in the subject. Saltus press and distribution. Secondly, the administration of the internet lists, oration this event. Perhaps a one-hour which is part of the remit of IW editor, has fallen on Diane as I wouldn’t know where stoppage of work. Mailing address: to start. In solidarity, IW, PO Box 7430, JAF Station, New Thirdly and most importantly, though, Diane has expressed confidence that she Raymond Solomon York, NY 10116, United States can edit the paper on her own. As I would never Correction have stood as editor of Adam Welch’s article, “Can we May Day Announcements the IW myself, for the rebuild the labor movement with the Announcements for the annual practical reasons above, Employee Free Choice Act?” on page 6 “May Day” Industrial Worker deadline we have decided that I of the January 2009 Industrial Worker, is April 3. Celebrate the real labor day should step down and claimed that Canada has card check with a message of solidarity! Send an- Diane can get on with the recognition similar to that proposed in nouncements to [email protected]. job herself. the Employee Free Choice Act. Most Much appreciated donations for the So, there it is. Short Canadian provinces and territories, in- following sizes should be sent to IWW and sweet. I have to say, cluding Alberta, Saskatchewan and On- GHQ, PO Box 23085, Cincinnati OH thanks for giving me the tario (excepting building trades), do not 45223 USA. opportunity. include card check recognition in their $12 for 1” tall, 1 column wide labour law. British Columbia, Manitoba $40 for 4” by 2 columns For the One Big Union, and Quebec labour law do include card $90 for a quarter page Phil Wharton Graphic: iww.org check recognition.