[olympiaworkers] SeaSol - Victory: Lorig drops lawsuit, pays $22,000 to fired worker

Libcom.org Sep 4 2010

After thirteen months of aggressive actions, we have finally won our fight
against developer Lorig Associates. The have granted our "final offer"
demands, dropping their lawsuit against us and paying fired secretary
Patricia $22,000 in back-pay compensation (though they won't call it
that).

This fight has been longer and harder than any of us ever imagined it
would be. The company brought in a major nationwide union-busting law firm
to try and crush us with lawsuits against both our organization and three
individual brothers and sisters: Emily, Andrew, and Patricia. They tried
to get an injunction banning us from picketing, on pain of arrest. They
promised they would never give in to our demands.

Still we stood our ground and managed to keep up a never-ending series of
aggressive actions against the company. We repeatedly picketed many of
Lorig's for-rent and for-sale properties. We continually posted "Don't
Rent Here" flyers. We brought our message to Lorig-sponsored "open house"
events, industry events, and even charity events. We picketed and
addressed three different city councils who were considering hiring Lorig
for city developments. We contacted the owner's neighbors. We brought
Lorig's troubles to the attention of their financial backers at Bank of
America. The cost to Lorig in lost business, reputation, and legal
expenses has been huge. Now finally, after a full year of pressure,
they've had enough.

The strength to stick it out and win came from the unwavering solidarity
of a ton of SeaSol members, supporters, and allies. When Lorig started
suing people, no one ducked for cover - instead, more people stepped up.
To everyone who participated in the Lorig fight: THANK YOU! This is your
victory.

Thanks also to the lawyers Brendan Donckers and Keith Scully of Gendler &
Mann LLP, as well as to Dmitri Iglitzen and Jennifer Robbins of
workerlaw.com, who took a stand for freedom of speech by defending us for
free when Lorig tried to shut us down with a lawsuit.

http://www.seattlesolidarity.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=63