November 2009

Tennesseans, like others around the country, have watched in horror as the effective enforcement of labor standards dramatically declined. Many employers in the state have been quick to take advantage of a climate that has privileged business interests over workers and their unions.  Meanwhile, many agencies charged with upholding workplace standards have lacked the resources, or in some cases the political will, to firmly and consistently enforce the law. And it’s workers and their families that have paid the price!

This fall, Jobs with Justice of East Tennessee (based in Knoxville), Middle Tennessee Jobs with Justice (based in Nashville), and the Worker Interfaith Network of Memphis joined forces in a statewide effort to bring to light some of the worst cases of abuse, such as wage theft and violations of workplace health and safety.

Targeting primarily the Tennessee Department of Labor and the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA), the 3 groups are gearing up for a statewide series of workers’ rights board hearings to receive testimony from immigrant workers who have had their pay withheld for no reason, sheet-metal workers who have had to work in unsafe conditions, and a number of other worker stories.

Debbie Kline is Coordinator of Cleveland Jobs with Justice.

Unless you are a real news junkie and read the Business Section of your local newspaper or know one of the former employees, this is one story you may have missed.   

InkStop was a chain of 152 convenience stores for office supplies that stocked ink cartridges and small electronics.  The stores were located in small plazas in communities where big box office supply stores did not exist.   InkStop owner Dirk Kettlewell boasted that the chain would be profitable by the end of this year by using over $80 million from private investors.  This was supposed to be the “Sleeping Beauty” business story of the decade, but instead it turned into something that rivals “Psycho.”

The first blow came when all 152 InkStop stores were closed without warning on October 1st.  It was business as usual earlier in the day.  As the doors were locked for the night, the devastating news came via a faxed and emailed letter to employees to tell them:  No more jobs and no pay for the last three weeks of work.  This news was accompanied by a plea for patience “during this trying time.”