[olympiaworkers] Support the Ford Visteon workers' occupation

Libcom.org April 5

Leaflet of workers occupying the Ford Visteon factory in Enfield, north
London. A ready-to-print copy is attached at the bottom.

We have occupied our factory Ford Visteon workers have occupied our
factory since Wednesday 1st April. The previous day in a meeting lasting
just 6 minutes we were told that the European company, with plants in
Belfast, Basildon and Ponders End, Enfield, was going into administration
and that we were to leave - without our wages being paid. Personal
possessions could be collected the next day, but at 10 o'clock the factory
was locked closed. Workers had already occupied the Belfast factory.

We demand what is due to us The 200 workers who are part of the Ford
subsidiary want the same conditions they have always had via "mirror
contracts" with the parent company. Up to now they don't know when they
will get wages due, and their pensions are to be controlled by the
government Pensions Protection Fund. This means a maximum of £9,000
payout, and much reduced conditions! Some of the women and men have 40 yrs
service!

The whole situation has been created for news management - announce it
during the G20 and it will get buried in the media. And this is largely
what's happened. The move is to save Visteon USA money at our expense.

But unexpectedly Unite union members have taken determined action that
bosses thought they had eliminated years ago.

The workers want their existing terms respected. Ford Visteon can't be
allowed to avoid their responsibility. So far they have tried legal
intimidation but have even managed to mess this up.

As well as proper redundancy payments, some are suggesting that the skills
of the workers who can make anything in plastic, should be used to make
increasingly needed parts for green products - bike and trailer parts,
solar panels, turbines, etc. Government investment in this rather than
throwing money at bankers could be profitable & save jobs in the long
term.

All support welcome Ford Visteon workers have been pleased at the support
received from other Ford plants as well, such as Southampton, who are
blacking Visteon products. 100s attended our rally on Saturday..

Please come to the factory at any time (especially 12 noon) to show us
your support. Get your Union branch or organisation to pass a resolution
in support. Help raise money by doing workplace and community collections,
and drop in...

Messages of support to those inside: visteonoccupation [AT] googlemail.com

This is a fight we can win. We're off our knees and fighting fit!

[olympiaworkers] Canadian auto-workers occupy factory

Libcom.org March 19, 2009

A group of disgruntled workers at a recently closed auto parts supply
company in Windsor, Ontario have taken over the plant.

In the latest twist in a saga that has been brewing since two auto
plants in the area shut down early last week, about a dozen workers
occupied the Aradco plant Tuesday night. They have welded the doors
shut from the inside and say they will not leave until they get what
they are owed.

Work at the Aradco plant stopped last week because of a dispute
between the plant owners and Chrysler, which has mused publicly about
pulling out of its Canadian operations unless unionized workers make
substantial concessions.

The Canadian Auto Workers Union that represents the Aradco workers
say that in the wake of the shutdown, the workers are owed money for
severance pay, vacation pay, and termination pay totalling $1.7 million.

The plant's owner, Catalina Precision Products Ltd. has offered the
workers four weeks of severance pay or about $200,000 in total for all
80 workers.

The plant builds parts for Chrysler. Since last week, Chrysler has
been trying to go in and collect parts and tools it says are its, but
the workers are not allowing it. They have been blocking trucks from
coming on to the property. Union representatives say the workers fear
that if the tools and parts are removed, they will have no negotiating
power.

"Some of the workers here have decided to take over the plant.
That's the only thing they have in order to try to get the monies that
are owing to them," said Gerry Farnham, president of the CAW local
representing the workers.

[olympiaworkers] 106 workers fired over wildcat in South Africa

Libcom.org March 11, 2009

The world's largest ferrochrome producer, Xstrata said on Wednesday it had
dismissed 106 workers at its Rustenburg smelter in South Africa for taking
part in an illegal strike over pay.

The workers had demanded to be paid 50 percent of their wages as well as
shift allowances during their extended leave in December, when such
payments are normally not due to them, Songezo Zibi, Xstrata's spokesman
said.

"They took part in a wildcat strike, an unprotected strike and did not
follow the process of calling a strike," Zibi said.

The Rustenburg smelter has a total of 800 workers, he said.

Zibi said Xstrata had sent the workers on the long leave due to a drop in
demand for ferrochrome, requiring big cutbacks in output and the closure
of its furnaces. Xstrata's rivals in South Africa have also cut back
drastically on production.

South Africa's National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said it would protest
the sacking of the workers and would ask Xstrata to re-hire them and call
a strike to force the issue.

"We are going to dispute the sackings and go on strike until sense
prevails and the workers are hired back," Lesiba Seshoka, spokesman for
the NUM told Reuters.

Seshoka said the workers had alleged they were sacked for not taking part
in a company programme meant to address HIV/AIDS at the workplace. He said
the workers said they were dismissed for not taking part in a compulsory
health briefing in which they said they were to be told they would have to
take an HIV test.

South African law says no worker can be forced to take an HIV test.

Zibi denied the worker's claims, saying the company had no intentions to
force the workers to take the test. He said the workers went on strike
during a meeting called to discuss HIV/AIDS, and demanded the December
backpay.

[olympiaworkers] Workers Occupyng Factory in Ukraine

Inforshop News Feb 5, 2009

Today at 9:30 more than 300 workers occupied the administrative building
of Kherson Engineering Plant. The workers demand payment of wages,
nationalization of the plant without compensation to its owner and are
decisively inclined to occupy the building until complete fulfillment of
their demands. During the occupation no worker was injured.Facto guards
did not resist seriously. The situation is controlled by yesterday's
elected workers' council. The police have not yet appeared near the
building.

At this moment the council is meeting in the former office of a technical
director. Leonid Nimchinov, the chair of the workers council, says that
these events must be widely spread and calls workers from other plants
throughout Ukraine to display solidarity and support each other. In the
near future he is going to address this call to workers of Lviv Bus Plant
and other factories.

The main demands of protesting workers:
- payment of wage arrears (near 4.5 million Ukrainian hryvnias);
- nationalization of the plant without compensation to its owner;
- the state-secured plant's production distribution – high-quality farm
machinery

In case their demands are ignored workers are ready to turn to the
toughest forms of protest.

Background:
On February 2, 300 workers of Kherson Engineering Plant started protest
actions against non-payment of wages since September 2008 and actual
destruction of the plant by its owners. During one of the previous
meetings with the workers Ms. Pugacheva, the alternate director, said that
the owners were not going to save the plant. "Why do you stick to this
plant so much?" she said. The workers hold a meeting near the entrance and
elected 5 representatives to the Workers' Council and its chair Aleksey
Nimchinov who will lead the future struggle and negotiate on behalf of the
workers.

Contact
Zakhar Popovich, +380 91 114 01 76
Photos, details and updates in Ukrainian and Russian
financist.org.ua
shapinbaum.livejournal.com
samozahist.org.ua

SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN FOR THE WORKERS OF KHERSON:

Solidarity with the workers of the Kherson Machine Building Plant, who are
currently occupying the offices of the company and will retain it to meet
the requirements! Solidarity with the legitimate demands - honest payment
of money owed - work which can be done any time under the pressure of
power. . It is probable that the owner of the factory will attempt to
utilize the power structures to combat the works council. In fact right
now, for fear of further decisive action, capitalists are trying to
institute criminal proceedings against employees. We believe that it is
now more important than ever to demonstrate to brazen businessmen that the
workers - thousands of people in different cities- stand united. Send
e-mail messages in support of Kherson WORKS!

Recipients:
vd-komp@oda.kherson.ua
alex@bcmaz.com.ua alex@bcmaz.com.ua
boss@bcmaz.com.ua boss@bcmaz.com.ua

[olympiaworkers] Iran: We must act in the next few hours

I need your help in the next few hours. 

We've received a report from the IUF that on Sunday, 22 February, there is going to be a court hearing in Iran at which the fate of five jailed trade union leaders may be decided.

Those men have been charged with "acting against national security" and face potentially long prison sentences.  Their only crime was to do their job as trade unionists.

We have only a few hours to flood the Iranian government with messages of protest from around the world.

Please take a moment and send off your message -- click here to do so.

And pass this email on to your fellow union members.

Thank you.



Eric Lee

To unsubscribe send an email to labourstart-en-unsubscribe@unionlists.org.uk
with the subject 'unsubscribe'.

From: "LabourStart" <ericlee@labourstart.org>
Date: Fri, February 20, 2009
LabourStart logo.

I need your help _*in the next few hours*_.

We've received a report from the IUF that on Sunday, 22 February, there
is going to be a court hearing in Iran at which the fate of five jailed
trade union leaders may be decided.

Those men have been charged with "acting against national security" and
face potentially long prison sentences. Their only crime was to do
their job as trade unionists.

We have only a few hours to flood the Iranian government with messages
of protest from around the world.

Please take a moment and send off your message -- *click here
<http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=468>*
to do so.

And _*pass this email on*_ to your fellow union members.

Thank you.

Eric Lee.

Eric Lee

[olympiaworkers] Pizza Time Strike Archive

http://cascadia.olympiaworkers.net/node/6640

On Feb 12th, 2005 all Olympia Pizza Time Employees stopped working under
unfair conditions. Once it was clear the new owner would not meet the
worker's demands they formed a picketline at the corner of 4th ave. and
Jefferson. The striking workers needed to get their message out to the
Olympia community and get support to win the strike. The following
communiques came from the Pizza Time strikers campaign that shut Olympia
Pizza Time down in 8 days.

Pizza Time Workers May go on Strike at 5pm Feb 12, 2005

please distribute widely amd join Pizza Time workers on the picketline

Pizza Time Workers May Go On Strike

Where: Pizza Time 112 jefferson st.
When: 5pm Sat Feb 12, 2005
Why: To improve working conditions

At 5pm Saturday, Pizza Time workers will present Shane Bloking, the new owner
of the Olympia Pizza Time franchise, a list of demands. If Shane Bloking
Fails to agree to these demands in writing, Pizza Time workers will be forced
to go on strike until all demands are met.

The Demands:

1) Abara and John rehired. Jeff Bloking (the owners brother) has to go.
2) no more workers are fired without just cause and without warning
3) No more use of racial slurs
4) A friendly, clean and safe work environment
5) standardized breaks
6) Respect our rights to unionize

Work conditions have deteriorated at Pizza Time to the point that we can no
long satisfy our customers. The bubble pizzas, missed items, wrong orders and
other mishaps are directly due to Shane and Jeff Bloking's mismanagement
and lack of
experience. As workers, we can not feel any pride for our jobs when we are
selling burned or
undercooked pizzas with giant bubbles. We want our customers to be happy. We
regret any inconvenience to our customers. Luckily there is a wide variety of
other pizza places to choose from.

We invite the Olympia Community to come together and support Pizza Time
workers.

Pizza Time Workers on Strike Picket at 12 noon Sun, 13 Feb 2005

picketline 12 noon at 4th Ave. and Jefferson

Pizza Time workers presented a list of demands to Shane Bloking, the new
owner of the Olympia Pizza Time at Old Town, after a week of mismanagement,
bad judgment and the firing of two competent employees. Shane Bloking
deteriorated product quality, employee morale and refused to agree to the
workers demands presented to him on saturday the night of February 12, 2005.
Olympia Pizza Time workers were forced to go on strike to get all demands
met.
The Demands are:

1) Abara and John rehired. Jeff Bloking (the owner's brother) has to go.
2) No workers are fired without just cause and without warning
3) No more use of racial slurs
4) A friendly, clean and safe work environment
5) Standardized breaks
6) Respect our rights to unionize

Pizza Time workers walked out and hoisted "Pizza Crime" signs and declared
they are on strike. Pizza Time workers were joined by more than 30 community
members who all walked the picket line on 4th and Jefferson. We would like
to personally thank all those who supported us and shared with us hot cocoa
and cider, and slices of Old School Pizza. Striking Pizza Time workers were
also greeted on the picket line with cheers and honks from people in cars,
people enjoying the rock show at the Manium, window shoppers, and Olympia's
Police officers and firefighters.
Pizza Time workers and community supporters will meet Sunday Feb. 13th at 12
noon on the corner of 4th Ave. ave and Jefferson (by the railroad tracks)
We invite the Olympia Community to come together and support local workers.
Once again, we the striking workers of Pizza Time at Old Town apologize for
Shane Bloking's mismanagement. We regret any inconvenience to our customers.
Luckily there is still a wide variety of other pizza places to choose from.

Pizza Time Strike Continues Into Day Three Mon, 14 Feb 2005

Come join the picket line at 12 noon at 4th Ave. and Jefferson St. on Monday

Pizza Time workers and community supporters kept the pressure on Pizza Time
owner Shane Bloking for nine straight hours on Sunday. Through hail, rain,
sunshine and strong winds, Pizza Time workers stood their ground defending
their rights as workers.

Pizza Time workers, once again, were greeted with overwhelming support from
all facets of the Olympia Community. City Councilman Joe Hire, speaking on
behalf of the Olympia City Council, commended the workers for their actions
on the picket line. With reasoned arguments against buying food from pizza
time, many customers respected the strike and chose to take their business to
more worker-friendly establishments.

The unbelievable show of community support is what is really making this
happen.
The workers are grateful, for the warmth and compassion extended to them by
the people of Olympia.

Pizza Time Strike; Day Four Wed, 16 Feb 2005

Pizza Time workers remain in high spirits on Tuesday and are stronger than
ever. Community support for the strike continues to grow. Pizza Time workers
feel they are winning and Pizza Time owners Shane Bloking and Richard Kelley
are running out of tactics to distort this campaign. The workers feel their
reasonable demands will be met soon.

Pizza Time workers look forward to negotiating with Shane Bloking, Richard
Kelley and Judi Kelley on Thursday when the Kelleys get back from their
vacation home in Mexico. Pizza Time workers will walk the picket line at 4th
Ave. and Jefferson until then.

For more information please come to the picket line and talk to the workers
or visit www.mediaisland.org

Day Five, Call Pizza Time Corporate President Wed, 16 Feb 2005

Please give comments to Pizza Time Corporate President John Vose toll-free at
1-800-798-1996

Pizza Time Corporate President John Vose has a lot invested in the name
"Pizza Time." The Olympia store is the only franchise in the whole Pizza Time
chain. Pizza Time Corporate President John Vose has a vested interest in
maintaining good public relations with the communities Pizza Time stores
operate in. Pizza Time workers think John Vose should hear comments about the
Olympia store and how Shane Bloking and Richard Kelley are treating local
workers unfairly.

Olympia Pizza Time workers urge community members to call John Vose at
1-800-798-1996 or fill out the "feedback" form at www.pizzatime.com.

Please print out our "We Support Pizza Time Workers on Strike" flyer and
place it in your workspaces, store windows, car windows, house windows, etc.
Download the flyer by following this link.
http://portland.indymedia.org/media/media/2005/02/310829.pdf

Pizza Time workers thank everyone for their participation in this stand for
workers rights and justice. Let John Vose know how you feel.

Day Six, Pizza Time Workers Prepare For Negotiations Thu, 17 Feb 2005

The Olympia community's support continues to inspire Pizza Time workers into
Day Six. None of this would be possible without the overwhelming support,
love and generosity the Olympia community gives striking Pizza Time workers.
Pizza Time workers are ready to support others in our community who struggle
for basic rights and an end to workplace discrimination of all kinds.

The workers want to return to their jobs and their livelihood, and are
confident going into negotiations with Shane Bloking and majority owner
Richard Kelley. Richard Kelley is expected to return from his vacation home
in Mexico sometime today. Pizza Time workers invite the community at large
to join the picket line on this important day.

Pizza Time Workers ask the communityat large to lay on their horns, join the
picket line and continue to express the community togetherness that makes
Olympia a wonderful place to work and live.

Pizza time workers urge everyone who is concerned with this matter to call
the Pizza Time corporate office and contact Pizza Time President John Vose at
1-800-798-1996 or fill out the "feedback" form at http://www.pizzatime.com. ;
Please tell John Vose that Olympia Pizza Time workers want to improve working
conditions and that Olympia Pizza Time owners are unfair to their workers and
customers. Pizza Time workers also invite people to display the "We Support
Pizza Time Workers on Strike" flyer in their car, storefront and home
windows. Download and print the flyer at

http://portland.indymedia.org/media/media/2005/02/310829.pdf ;

Pizza Time workers are ready to negotiate and will picket on the corner of
4th Ave and Jefferson until Shane Bloking and Richard Kelley come to the
table.

Day Seven, Pizza Time Workers Continue Negotiations Fri, 18 Feb 2005

Pizza Time workers head into their seventh day on the picket line confidant
that negotiations will go as well as yesterday. Olympia Pizza Time workers
are negotiating directly with the owners. Pizza Time workers anticipate being
back to work soon with all demands met. Please stand with us during this
important round of negotiations.

Pizza Time workers invite everyone down to the corner of 4th Ave. and
Jefferson today to improve work conditions and end workplace discrimination.

Pizza Time Negotiations Continue Into Day Eight Sat, 19 Feb 2005

Olympia Pizza Time Negotiations Go Favorably For Workers' Rights.

Olympia Pizza Time owners Shane Bloking and Richard Kelly are feeling
community pressure from all angles. Richard Kelley's mother woke him up at
6:00 in the morning to express her concerns about the Pizza Time strike.
Shane Bloking wants most of his money back from Richard Kelley for him to
leave.

The Olympia Pizza Time owners' last attempts to water down the workers'
demands reveal they are running out of ideas to break the striking pizza
workers' moral. Pizza Time workers remain 100% positive and are inspired by
the growing community support.

The ultimate threat of closing Pizza Time was repeated by Richard Kelley
during negotiations on Friday. Although Richard Kelley only admitted he
"could" or "should" close Olympia Pizza Time and lock nine local workers out
of their jobs in downtown Olympia, he remains open to negotiations with the
striking workers. Richard Kelley feels the workers' strike has caused so
much damage to the Pizza Time name that no one would ever buy a pizza from
Olympia Pizza Time again.

Pizza Time workers are confident business will increase if all the workers'
reasonable demands are met in writing and are given time to inform the
Olympia community that Pizza Time workers are back to work, the building is
actively being repaired and Shane Bloking is not given the chance to utter
another racial slur or arbitrarily fire another worker in Olympia again. The
Pizza Time workers' demands remain the same although a lot has changed in
seven days on strike for better work conditions.

Pizza Time workers continue urging community support of all kinds. Every car
horn, wave and community member on the picket line means the world to local
Pizza Time workers. The Olympia community inspires Pizza Time workers to
continue this struggle for workers' rights and justice.

Please visit http://www.mediaisland.org or email
pizzatimeworkers@riseup.net ;

Pizza Time workers suspend picket line while Pizza Time is closed. Mon, 21
Feb 2005

Pizza Time owners greeted workers Saturday with a "Sorry, Closed for Repairs"
sign on the business entrance in place of the orange and black sign reading
"Help Wanted." Pizza Time workers see this as a positive step in the
negotiation process. Pizza Time workers will suspend picketing while Pizza
Time is closed and discussions continue. Support from the community keeps
Pizza Time workers strong in the coming days as the dialogue between workers
and ownership develops.

For more information visit http://www.mediaisland.org or email ;
pizzatimeworkers@riseup.net
please forward

Striking Pizza Time Workers Throw Pizza Party Sat, 26 Feb 2005

Saturday, Feb. 26th at 908 E. 4th Ave (across from the Time gas station)
4pm-10pm

Featuring Hand-Made 14" Pizzas

Call 790-0097 or 402-5323 to place an order for delivery or carry-out, or
dine-in at 908 E. 4th Ave.

Suggested Donations:
$1 per slice
$8 per pie (carry-out or dine-in)
$10 per pie (delivery)

All proceeds go to the Pizza Time workers strike fund.

Sauces: Marinara and Pesto

Toppings Include: Pepperoni, Canadian Bacon, Italian Sausage, Grilled
Chicken, Mushrooms, Onions, Olives, Pineapple, Green Peppers, Garlic, Tomato
and Jalapeno

Pizza Time Owners Refuse to Bargain; Shop Remains Closed Wed, 02 Mar 2005

Pizza Time workers met with owners Richard and Judi Kelley at 10am on Tuesday
March 1st, to discuss the future of Olympia Pizza Time. Richard Kelley
repeatedly denied being the owner on one hand, while threatening to close the
store indefinitely and sell the equipment on the other.

Richard Kelley's conditions for reopening Pizza Time are: 1) the workers
agree to not have their demands for better work conditions met and 2)
workers would be forced to 'volunteer', or 'donate their time' to make Pizza
Time a more profitable business. Richard Kelley added that any monetary
shortfall cause by the strike would be withheld from the worker's wages. For
example, Richard Kelley suggested inside workers may be paid for seven hours
of every ten hours worked and that delivery drivers would 'have to live on
tips. Before the strike, the highest paid workers earned $7.50 an hour.

A little after 10:30am, Pizza Time owner Shane Bloking entered the store to
gather paper work. Shane Bloking denied being an owner and refused to
negotiate with the workers.

Pizza Time owners Shane Bloking, Judi Kelley and Richard Kelley all refused
to sign a statement voluntarily recognizing the Olympia Workers' Association
as the worker's collective body for self-representation.

Pizza Time workers filed for union recognition with the National Labor
Relations Board on Thursday Feb. 17th . At this point, Pizza Time workers
look forward to government mediation and an investigation into possible
unfair labor practices on the part of the owners.

Pizza Time workers and community support are strong. Pizza Time workers
thank community members who ate pizza with them on Saturday and everyone who
has showed support through this unnecessarily prolonged labor dispute. Pizza
Time workers want everyone to know that they will not give up the struggle
for better work conditions.

Update From the Pizza Time Lockout Sun, 27 Mar 2005

Olympia Pizza Time franchise owner Richard Kelley locked out all nine
striking workers by closing the store on Feb 21st. The last negotiations
between Pizza time workers and Kelley broke down when Kelley insisted he
would open the store if workers accepted wages below state law. Pizza time
workers refused Kelley's unreasonable condition.

Pizza Time workers took their case to the National Labor Relations Board. A
federal investigator interviewed the workers and Kelley. The investigator
informed the workers that federal labor law offers no protection from owners
who close their own stores. Pizza Time workers are in need of a labor
lawyer.

On March 8th Pizza Time workers joined in solidarity with the Global Women's
Strike. The Global Women's Strike is a day to recognize the value in work
women do, most of which is not paid or is underpaid, and for women around the
world to realize the power and autonomy they have when they stand together.
Pizza time workers made pizzas and helped feed local women on strike for the
day.

Pizza Time workers are joining up with Endicott Farms to help make a mobile
pizza oven. Once the oven is completed pizza workers will be making pizza
again and raising funds to start a worker-run pizza co-op. Pizza Time
workers are also working with the Olympia Food Co-op to learn what it takes
to start and operate a co-op.

Pizza Time workers wanted to create the first Olympia Worker's Association
union workplace. Although Richard Kelley refused to voluntarily recognize
the Olympia Worker's Association, the idea of a local independent union has
taken root with other workers in the community. Pizza Time workers realize
there are many workers in Olympia who want to improve their work conditions.

Pizza Time workers have no regrets about the strike. The ties workers created
between themselves and the Olympia community are strong. Many Pizza Time
workers feel the strike is one of the most meaningful experiences of their
lives and thank everyone who has shown support.

[olympiaworkers] [Fwd: [nwanarchy] This Saturday: Celebrating Seattle's Striking History]

I think it would be nice if we had a field trip for this. I'm going to
suggest that if anyone wants to head up, meet at the well on 4th Ave at
11am saturday.

see you there.

Brendan

---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
Subject: [nwanarchy] This Saturday: Celebrating Seattle's Striking History
From: "Andrew hedden" <mourningcommute@yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, February 3, 2009 3:30 pm
To: nwanarchy@lists.riseup.net
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, February 7:

Celebrating Seattle's Striking History: 90th Anniversary of the 1919
Seattle General Strike

Location: Seattle Labor Temple, 2800 1st Ave, downtown Seattle
Time: Doors at 12:30pm, Program 1pm - 5pm
Free!

Join the Bridges Center as we commemorate the 90th anniversary of
Seattle's General Strike. Presentations and performances will revisit the
event, followed by discussions of the strike’s legacy for today.

Including:
HISTORICAL LEGACIES OF THE I.W.W. AND WORKERS CONTROL
Howard Kimeldorf (Sociology, University of Michigan)

THE LOST HISTORY OF THE SEATTLE/SEIATEL COMMUNE
Robert Cherny (History, San Francisco State)

SEATTLE 1919: A MUSICAL HISTORY
Seattle Labor Chorus with Rob Rosenthal

MUSICAL PERFORMANCES
The Anti-Fascist Marching Band
Jess Grant, songs to provoke and amuse

DISCUSSION: IMMIGRANT RIGHTS, ORGANIZING AND THE FUTURE
Facilitated by Rosalinda Guillen, Community to Community Development

HISTORICAL DISPLAYS

REFRESHMENTS

AND MORE!

Sponsored by the Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies (University of
Washington), Pacific Northwest Labor History Association, the Center for
the Study of the Pacific Northwest, Amalgamated Transit Union 587, and the
ML King County Labor Council.

For more information, call (206) 543-7946, e-mail pcls@u.washington.edu,
or visit http://depts.washington.edu/pcls

Ninety years ago Seattle shut down. Shipyard workers went on strike for
higher wages and more than 100 other unions joined the strike in sympathy.
Stores closed. Streetcars and taxis stop running. Wealthy families fled
the city. President Woodrow Wilson ordered troops from Fort Lewis to
Seattle to, if necessary, maintain order.

Feb. 6, 1919 marked the beginning of what became known as the Seattle
General Strike, an event that made headlines around the world and ignited
an era of labor unrest following World War I.

To commemorate the event, union members, scholars, students, community
organizers and musicians will come together at Seattle’s Labor Temple on
Feb. 7 to mark the 90th anniversary of the Seattle General Strike.
Presentations and performances will revisit the event, followed by
discussions of the strike’s legacy. The program will run from 1 to 5
p.m. at 2800 First Ave, Suite 140. It is being sponsored by the University
of Washington’s Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies, the Pacific
Northwest Labor History Association, the UW’s Center for the Study of
the Pacific Northwest, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 587 and the ML King
County Labor Council.

The Bridges center also has declared 2009 as Washington’s Labor Heritage
Year because it marks important anniversaries of five significant labor
actions and protests. In addition to the Seattle General Strike, this year
is the 100th anniversary of the Spokane free speech fight involving the
Industrial Workers of the World; the 90th anniversary of the Centralia
Massacre; the 75th anniversary of the West Coast longshoreman’s strike;
and the 10th anniversary of the World Trade Organization protests in
Seattle.

“The Seattle General Strike helped define Seattle and western
Washington,” said James Gregory, a UW history professor and chair of the
Bridges center. “Seattle is built on layers and layers of history and
the general strike is one of the key events. 1919 lives on today in the
strength of our labor movement and in our culture of political
activism.”

The general strike was triggered when workers in Seattle’s shipyards
demanded pay increases following a federal government wage freeze during
the First World War. The strike lasted six days and, unlike many others
that followed across the county, was non-violent.

The Feb. 7 program will include presentations by labor scholars Howard
Kimeldorf of the University of Michigan and Robert Cherny of San Francisco
State University and musical performances by the Seattle Labor Chorus and
Rob Rosenthal doing selections from Seattle 1919, a musical account of the
strike. The Anti-Fascist Marching Band and Jess Grant also will perform.

In addition to the declaration of Washington’s Labor Heritage Year, the
Bridges center, the UW libraries, and unions throughout the state, have
joined together to create a Washington labor archives as part of the UW
Special Collections Library. Gregory said the labor community is
supporting the campaign to raise $100,000 a year over the next three to
five years for the archives and an archivist to operate it.

###

For more information, contact Gregory at 206-543-7792 or
gregoryj@u.washington.edu, or Andrew Hedden, Bridges Center program
coordinator, at 206-543-7946 or pcls@washington.edu.

More information about the Seattle General Strike can be found on the Web
at: http://depts.washington.edu/labhist/strike/index.shtml

[olympiaworkers] Jeff Monson on FRO Tonight at 8pm

Hi everyone,

I'm sure many of you have heard about what Jeff Monson has been up to
lately - he's been in the news a lot. A few months ago, he and I were
interviewed by ESPN Magazine that featured an article on him and his
political beliefs as an anarchist. For those who don't know Jeff he's an
anarchist, a member of the IWW and an ultimate cage fighter/professional
fighter. There was a picture of him in the ESPN magazine standing at the
Washington state capitol building at night near an anarchist circle-A that
was tagged on the building. He's being charged because of that picture and
the same prosecutor who helped convict and sentence Forest Student to 60
days for crimes that Forest did not commit on May Day last year is on
Jeff's case as well. (I have a hunch that that prosecutor doesn't like
anarchists too much.) NLG lawyer Legrande Jones is representing Jeff.

However, something happened last week in the Carolinas that landed Jeff in
jail. Jeff and his girlfriend had a dispute and Jeff was taken into
custody and charged with domestic violence (she told The Olympian
newspaper that Jeff grabbed her). I was very upset when I heard this and
concerned for her safety and wellbeing. Jeff is back in Olympia and I just
got off the phone with him. He claims that he never touched her and told
me he's a pacifist and would never do such a thing. Apparently, there are
other things The Olympian didn't mention in their reporting on the
incident.

I don't want to speak too much about this. I would like to get more
information from all sides of the story.

However, Jeff was given an opportunity to speak for himself by a dj on
Free Radio Olympia 98.5FM. There will be a live interview of Jeff tonight,
Thursday the 29th at 8:00pm (Pacific Standard Time). You can tune in on
the radio if you live in or nearby Olympia or you can visit FRO on the web
(www.frolympia.org) and listen live from there. I'm not sure but there may
be an opportunity for call-in questions.

In struggle,
Maslauskas

Some background information:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3835617

http://mmafrenzy.com/9121/jeff-monson-arrested-for-assault-property-damage/

http://tacoma.planetdiscover.com/sp?aff=1100&keywords=jeff+monson&skin=300&sumit=Go

[olympiaworkers] Pizza Time Strike 4th Anniversary Feb 12th, 2009

Hey all, I'm wondering if anyone wants to get together for the 4th
anniversary of the Olympia Pizza Time strike?

Joe

[olympiaworkers] Lacey Pizza Time employees ordered to work in the cold

Lacey Pizza Time employees ordered to work in the cold

http://www.king5.com/topstories/stories/NW_010209WAB_pizza_store_heat_turned_off_TP.3153885b.html

Monday, January 5, 2009

By JESSE JONES / KING 5 News

Video: Pizza shop owner cuts off store heat
Larger screen E-mail this clip

LACEY, Wash. – Employees of a pizza delivery shop say the owners have cut
off the heat in the store. And they say if the workers don't like it, they
can leave.

Dan Baxter, who works at the Pizza Time in Lacey, says he was suspended
for two weeks after talking to KING 5 about this. He expects to be fired
and is looking for other employment.

"When it's really, really cold, like when it's 19 (degrees) outside, it
will be 25 in the store," said Baxter.

So what about using the ovens to heat the place?
Related Content

"The ovens create a little bit of heat, but the exhaust fans pull it all
out," said Baxter.

Baxter says the employees were once allowed to keep the heat around 55
degrees, but one night, they forgot to shut the furnace off after work.

That was the end of the heat at the store.

"He said we have to deal with it. They are not going to do anything about
it. They know it's cold," said Baxter.

The message left by the owner was put on a white board for all to see.
Baxter even took a picture of it. It reads:

"If you don't want to work here quit, otherwise shut up and do your job.
The next person I hear complaining is off for two weeks. We don't have
heat!! You guys screwed up, not us. You want to blame someone, look in the
mirror."

Owner Luke Benjamin stands by his chilly stance.

"They know where they work. If they can't deal with it then there are
plenty of other jobs out there," said Benjamin.

The temperature was 55 degrees when we went in on Friday, but we saw
something else. There's a space heater in the office where Benjamin's wife
– the real boss – runs her accounting business.

Then we get to the real truth of the matter.

"It doesn't look good, but she's my wife and my boss and she tells me what
she's going to do and I'm not going to argue with her," said Benjamin.

Baxter will not apologize for his actions.

"I can't apologize for something that I don't think I've done wrong ,"
said Baxter.

The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries says there is no
law regarding the temperature of a room you have to work in, unless you're
working in extreme situations like cold storage or foundries.