Tuesday, September 06, 2005

Support NW Airlines Workers this Friday at Sea-Tac Airport

Who: The workers at Northwest Airlines.

When: Friday, September 9th Starting at 5am and going all throughout the day.

Where: At Sea-Tac Airport. Parking is available at the Silver Dollar
Casino along SR-99 and behind the Denny’s and La Quinta Inn along the
white outlined stalls only. (Carpools Recommended) And meet at the
NWA hanger.

What: We will be supporting the strikers by setting up support picket
lines at the security gate into the airport near the Northwest Hanger
and at the north end where the scabs are believed to be coming in.

We have organized groups and locals all across the U.S. to mobilize
on the 9th, please come out and support them! Please bring your own
signs and wear your union shirts.

Contact: Drew at (206)-878-3104
(Action Coordinator)

Saturday, September 03, 2005

Seattle: A Call for Action - Support Mechanics Strike

The Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association has been on strike at northwest airlines as most of you are probably aware of. Many of the groups out there have gone on the picket lines at many of the busiest airports in the United States, but most of the public and the airline executives in particular have remained unaltered to the plight of our fellow workers.

To all groups committed to the class struggle, workers solidarity and social justice:

The Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association has been on strike at northwest airlines as most of you are probably aware of. Many of the groups out there have gone on the picket lines at many of the busiest airports in the United States, but most of the public and the airline executives in particular have remained unaltered to the plight of our fellow workers.

This has now become crunch time for the union, if things keep going this way, if peple keep walking on by the picket lines not even giving them a second glance, then we need to use more drastic means to defeat NWA. So it is in this dire hour that we must unite for a day of action at airports all across the country and disrupt business as usual.

The first step to this is one of the most important. We must stop the scabs from entering the hangers and going to work. This particular form of action serves two purposes: One, it will stop the flow of airplanes to and from cities, thus disrupting travel planes and slowing profits for the company. Second, it will stop a labor force (partly built on AFL-CIO members) from scabbing their fellow workers. This is by far one of the most important actions we can take. During this day, we must attempt to rally as many other unions (even though they may not see eye to eye with us) to join with th e picketers at the airline terminals.

The proposed date of this action is Friday September 10th. Be sure to get in contact with the local rank and file with the AMFA to make sure they are alright with the action. Labor law ties their hands so it would be up to us to make this action possible but make sure they are down with it.

We must come out of the woodwork and show the thousands of workers across the country who are on the brink of losing their jobs, pensions and unions that the community around them does care, and does want to make a difference. We are all committed to defeating the bosses and empowering the workers, this proposal is what that is all about. This is our chance to bolster an already faltering labor movement, and bring out our solidarity.

-Drew
Northwest Anarchist Federation (Seattle)

Tuesday, August 16, 2005

Labor Struggle at the Space Needle

Dear Friends in Olympia,
Space Needle workers and Unite Here! Local 8 are
facing a major struggle with the Space Needle in
Seattle. We have a campaign website online now with
all kinds of information.(www.greedyspaceneedle.info)

If you have time, come to Seattle for our rally on
August 18th. You can also support the workers by
writing a letter, e-mail, or Fax to Space Needle
management (info is available on the website!).

Thanks for your help, in solidarity

Stefan Moritz
Union Organizer, Unite Here Local 8
Office: (206) 728-2326, Ext. 24
Fax: (206) 728-9772
E-mail: stefan@herelocal8.org

Wednesday, August 03, 2005

Pizza Time Negotiations Break Down

Tuesday, August 2, 2005


The former Pizza Time workers met with owner Heath Flores to discuss the reinstatement of four workers who lost their jobs in February. Flores broke off negotiations on Tuesday by flatly refusing all six terms of the written proposal. We had hoped Flores would work with us to reach an agreement. We offered to draw up a new proposal with Flores’ input, but that idea was refused as well. Flores’ final offer was the same as his first—we could turn in applications and may be hired and fired at will. We feel Flores is not taking the negotiations seriously and never intended to consider our position.

History of Negotiations with Heath Flores

The former Pizza Time workers tried to arrange a meeting three times before the store re-opened, but were met with closed minds on each occasion. On July 20th we returned to the corner of 4th and Jefferson to hold picket signs and share our story. At this point Flores agreed to meet and discuss the terms for reinstatement in writing.
At the first two negotiation meetings on July 29th and August 1st, we made it clear that there was no animosity against Flores personally; what we wanted was resolution for the injustices served to us by former owners Shane Bloking and Richard Kelley. We asked Flores to recognize that the workers’ unity and the community’s stand for justice ultimately drove Shane Bloking out of the state, and gave Flores the opportunity to own Olympia Pizza Time.
To mend the injustices, we asked for reinstatement and basic recognition of our rights and 5½ month long struggle. Our one-page proposal included recognition for the Olympia Workers Association, the organization we created when all the Pizza Time employees united on February 11. It also included a non-discrimination agreement to ensure we would be treated the same as our replacements, a just-cause provision for job security, and an agreement to give us a voice at Pizza Time. To see the proposal, go to http://olympiaworkers.org/proposal.htm. We made it clear we did not want to displace those who had recently found employment at Pizza Time, and would only take work when it became available.
Flores told us we needed to give him a chance by re-applying for work without any agreement or recognition. He also noted he would have to check references, since he wasn’t sure if we were qualified enough to work at Pizza Time. We made it clear we could not return without assurance that our rights would be respected.
The first two meetings indicated Flores would be willing to work things out and finally set things right. We offered to sit with Flores to develop an agreement all would be happy with, but he refused. The proposal was revised to make it as clear, non-threatening, and bare-bones as possible, to see if Flores would better understand our needs.
The third meeting on August 2nd was disappointing, as he seemed resigned to end negotiations and refuse to recognize the Olympia Workers Association. In classic union-busting prose, he claimed he was such a nice guy we didn’t need any unity or just cause, and refused to sign. Flores said that to be fair he had promised the replacement workers he would not consider our terms. He said it took every ounce of his training as a repo-man to remain calm over the past few weeks, and for that we were indebted to him.
After many concessions we refused to give up the Olympia Workers Association, and felt we owed ourselves, our supporters, and our community nothing less. We implored Flores to work with us to repair the reputation of Olympia Pizza Time and resolve the long and tiring dispute. In the end Heath Flores decided keeping the Olympia Workers Association out of his business was more important than giving a guarantee that unjust labor practices have no place in Pizza Time.
We would like to thank everyone who has inspired us and supported us throughout the whole ordeal. The struggle for workers rights in Olympia is not over. Wherever workers are treated unfairly and want to do something about it the Olympia Workers Association and the Pizza Time workers will be there.

Saturday, July 30, 2005

Pizza Time Negotiations Going Well

On Friday July 29th former Pizza Time workers met with a new franchise owner to resolve the 5 month dispute. Talks went extremely well. Both sides helped create a dialogue and expressed interest in working together. We hope this continues and that the pizza workers will be back to work soon. Thank you Olympia for your support.

Wednesday, July 27, 2005

Thursday, July 28th: Buy Pizza Time Pizza to Support the Workers!!!

One Day Only
Thursday, July 28th: Buy Pizza Time Pizza to Support the Workers!!!
One Day Only

We are asking community members to buy a Pizza Time Pizza Thursday
July 28th to show the owners that the community would support Pizza
Time if they became socially responsible. Please call (360) 956-9020
to order a pizza on Thursday only.

**** Tell Pizza Time you are ordering a Pizza because you support the
workers and want them rehired with protection for their rights in
writing.****

If you don’t live in Olympia, call them and tell them you would order a pizza if you were in the area. We need your support more than ever at this critical time as negotiations officially begin. This is a one
Day only event.

For more information and updates visit http://olympiaworkers.org

Sunday, July 24, 2005

Picket Line Suspended, Official Negotiations Begin Soon

In the past few days the owners of Pizza Time have agreed to meet with the Pizza Time workers to discuss reinstatement, and to negotiate a written agreement to protect basic worker's rights. The picket line has been suspended as a show of good faith and to show the owners that we can work together. We hope to begin negotiations this week, and we need help from everyone who supports our cause. We look forward to working with the new owners. More details will come soon.

Saturday, July 23, 2005

Pizza Time Picket Continues

More progress was made today on the picket line. Everyone's support is helping. We are hoping the owners and workers can come to agreement soon.

Friday, July 22, 2005

Strike Continues into 161st day, Picket Support Needed

All OWA supporters are invited to the picket line at 4th and Jefferson in downtown Olympia. Rain or shine. We are making progress. Only two Pizzas were sold today that we are aware of. Our community strength inspires us more. Keep it up Olympia!

Thursday, July 21, 2005

Pizza Time Community Presence Continued at 4th and Jefferson 7/21

Stay Tuned for Pizza Time Strike updates. Meet Pizza Time Workers at 4th and Jefferson from 12 noon until 10pm.

Tuesday, July 19, 2005

Community Presence starts at 12 Noon Wed 7/20

Dear Friends and Supporters of the Olympia Pizza Time Strikers,

Our struggle is not over. Olympia Pizza Time is set to reopen July 20th under new ownership. The new owners refuse to meet with the striking workers. The striking workers are asking the new owners to recognize the Olympia Workers Association to begin union negotiations. On July 14th, the Olympia Pizza Time strike will enter the 5th month and community support is needed to send a clear message to the new owners.

Pizza Time workers have been forced to make another stand for workers’ rights and decent work conditions. We will maintain a picket line in front of Pizza Time until our union is recognized. We urge the community of Olympia to stand in support of worker’s rights and buy their pizza elsewhere until Pizza Time becomes a socially responsible business.

Join the movement for better working conditions tomorrow Wed. at 12 noon on the corner of 4th Ave. and Jefferson.

Pizza Time Strike Continues

Pizza Workers in Olympia Continue Strike

In February of 2005, all nine Pizza Time workers in Olympia WA and their manager Alex Wentz went on strike to take a stand against racism and to stand up for their rights as workers. Shane Bloking, a previous manager at Pizza Time, bought into the business and immediately fired two competent employees. Shane has a history of uttering racist comments and it came to no surprise when Abara, the store’s only African-American employee, was the first to be fired Shane’s second day. Shane started to replace the workers with his incompetent brother and his friends.

Instead of watching our co-workers get fired for no good reason one-by-one, we held a meeting at Alex’s house that night. The remaining workers didn’t want to work at Pizza Time under these conditions. We chose to take a stand on Feb 11th. We drafted a list of basic demands that night that had to be unconditionally met or we would stop making and delivering pizza and go on strike. The demands were:

1) Abara and John get their jobs back Jeff Bloking (the owner’s brother) has to go.
2) No workers are fired without Just Cause and without warning
3) No more racial slurs
4) A friendly, clean and safe work environment
5) Standardized breaks
6) Respect our right to unionize

The next day all the workers rode down to the shop in the bright orange pizza van. We gave each other high fives the whole way down to the shop. Shane arrived at work over 7 hours late and found his entire staff waiting for him, except for Jesus who was out on delivery. Once he walked through the door we confronted him with our list of demands.

Shane cut us off after demand #1 and said his brother was staying. Alex, who read the demands continued to the end of the list. Shane chuckled with his brother and refused to consider the workers’ pleas for fairness. All the workers looked at each other and walked out the door. Immediately out side the shop Shane threatened to fire us, and pleaded with us to return to work. We stopped listening to Shane’s threats and picked up picket signs expressing our outrage over his ownership practices.

All the workers had a fair amount of adrenaline in their veins at this point. Every worker stopped working at Pizza Time that day and the strike began.

After seven days of picketing, community support had brought Pizza Time’s business to a trickle. The owners realized that they would not be able to operate the business successfully without meeting the workers’ demands. Rather than establish fair working conditions, they chose to punish the workers and shut the place down. The striking workers vowed that they would continue their struggle until Pizza Time became socially responsible.

In July, five months after the struggle began, new owners took over the Olympia Pizza Time franchise. The workers hoped the new owners would be reasonable and meet with them to resolve the situation. The new owners refused to meet with the workers and denied any responsibility. They want to pretend the struggle never happened and they do not need to establish fair working conditions. We believe that we are justified and that the community in Olympia supports us in our struggle. We will continue our stand until fair working conditions are established.

For more information or to send us letters of support visit our website at http://olympiaworkers.org. If you are in the Olympia area, please join us on the picket line at 4th and Jefferson in downtown Olympia.

With love for justice and solidarity,

The Pizza Time Workers

Friday, July 15, 2005

Local Action at Ramada and Pizza Time

Greetings from the Olympia Workers Association!

If you would like to recieve updates directly from the Olympia Workers Association, go to
http://lists.riseup.net/www/info/olympiaworkers and subscribe to our
e-mail list.

First of all: there will be a demonstration tommorrow in front of the
Ramada Inn Governor House from 4-7 PM, during the Lakefair parade. Secondly, labor struggles at Pizza time in Olympia are heating back up.

Click Read More----->

from UNITE-HERE Local 8:

---------------------------------------------

Come and join us on the sidewalks near the...

Ramada Inn Governor House in Olympia
621 S Capitol Way
Saturday, July 16th between 4pm and 7pm during the
Grand Capital Lakefair Parade (starts at 5pm)

We want to let everybody know what is going on inside the Ramada Inn
Governor House.

Sandra Miller told us in a short conversation in front of the hotel
yesterday that she loves her food and beverage workers, and that she is
paying good wages to her employees.

In an e-mail Sandra Miller sent out to state legislators recently, she
revealed that she pays her hard working dishwashers $7.35/hour. A good
livable wage?? And she did not really show a lot of love for her food and
beverage workers when she laid them all off last week.

Don’t let her get away with this! Show your support for the workers!

See you on Saturday,

Stefan Moritz
Union Organizer, Unite Here Local 8
Office: (206) 728-2326, Ext. 24
Fax: (206) 728-9772
E-mail: stefan@herelocal8.org

-----------------------------------------------

We need to show managers like Sandra Miller that Olympia will not tolerate
this type of Union busting. The Ramada Inn food and beverage workers have
all been laid off to punish them for being in a union and to avoid
providing health care for the workers. There will be thousands of people
in the streets tommorrow and we should all be there to support the
workers.


In other news...

The Pizza Time Workers on Strike are preparing to make another stand for
workers rights. Olympia Pizza Time is set to reopen any day under new
ownership (word on the street is the 20th). The new owners refuse to meet
with striking workers. The striking workers are asking the new owners to
meet with the Olympia Workers Association to negotiate for decent working
conditions. On July 12th, the Olympia Pizza Time strike entered its 5th
month. Community Support is needed to send a clear message to the new
owners!

Once the store opens the Olympia Workers Association will maintain a
community presence in front of Pizza Time until the owners agree to
respect workers' rights. We urge the community of Olympia to stand in
support of workers' rights and buy their pizza elsewhere until Pizza Time
becomes a socially responsible business.

We'll send out more info once the store opens, but stay tuned. Support of
the whole community is needed to convince the owners that Olympia business
owners need to treat their employees rights. In addition to boycotting
Pizza Time, we need people on the sidewalk with us. Be on alert for new
developments and the opening of the store.

----------------------------------------------------

OWA organizers meet every Monday at 6:00 at the office, in the garage
behind the Catholic Worker / Bread & Roses house at 1320 8th Ave SE, on
the east side (8th and Boundary). General Membership meetings are held
the first Monday of each month. Anyone is encouraged to come meet with us
every Monday, but especially the next General Membership meeting on
Monday, August 1st. The monthly meetings are intended to be the monthly
assembly of the Olympia labor movement, so everyone is encouraged to
attend, to coordinate worker action throughout Olympia.

For more information, visit our website at www.olympiaworkers.org, send us
an e-mail at olympiaworkers@riseup.net, and don't forget to subscribe to
the e-mail list by visiting
http://lists.riseup.net/www/info/olympiaworkers.

Thanks and see you on the streets!

-Sean

c/o The Olympia Workers Association

Sunday, June 05, 2005

OWA Barbeque a Success!

The Olympia Workers Association Barbeque on June 4 was a successful event for drawing together a diverse group of Olympians to share food and drink, enjoy music, meet new people and learn about the OWA and workers' rights. At least 150 people came and went throughout the day, with about 50 people at the barbeque at a time. There were separate vegetarian and meat grills, with a little something for everyone, and the Waltz Invention performed a great acoustic set. Members of the Beehive Collective and Pepperspray Productions were there to interview former Pizza Time Workers about their strike and subsequent organizing activities, including the formation of the Olympia Workers Association as an all-trades labor union for workers in the Olympia area. Union members got our membership cards, and many new members joined yesterday and paid their dues of one dollar a year. Quite a few folks came just to check out the scene after seeing a flyer. Even the guy with the airplane strapped on top of his van was there, after having a flyer left under his windshield wiper. The event was peaceful and a good time was had by all.

Thursday, May 26, 2005

OWA BBQ sat June 4th at 2pm

Olympia Workers Association Barbeque June 4


Olympia Workers Association BARBEQUE
Saturday, June 4th at 2 PM
3210 Overhulse Rd. NW (first house past Cooper's
Glen Apartments)

FOOD! FUN! MUSIC! including The Waltz Invention!

Separate veggie and meat grills

Learn about OWA and your rights at work!

The Olympia Workers Association's mission is to assist working people in Olympia who want to improve their working conditions. Workers in all different types of employment deal with the same issues - job insecurity, health, safety, and childcare issues, bad pay, and the general lack of respect for wage workers. The Olympia Workers Association believes all people deserve workplace dignity, a living wage, safe working conditions and workplace democracy.

Please Call us at 1-360-754-1350
Email olympiaworkers@riseup.net or
Visit our Union Hall at 1320 8th Ave SE Olympia, WA 98501

To stay informed about Olympia Workers Association meetings and events, please subscribe to our email list by sending an email to olympiaworkers-subscribe@lists.riseup.net.

We are online at http://olympiaworkers.org !!!

Wednesday, May 18, 2005

May Day Community Garden Destroyed

It appears that the City of Olympia destroyed the Community Garden people made on May Day.

Monday, May 02, 2005

Welcome to the Olympia Workers Association blog

this space is open for workers in oly use