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SEPTEMBER 2007
Progress in Campaign for Justice @ Smithfield!
The immigrant workers in this plant also shared the most recent horror stories about how Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raided and arrested suspected undocumented immigrants in and around the Tar Heel Community. ICE agents arrested some 28 Smithfield Employees. The crowd was outraged to hear that these politically motivated and misplaced raids came two days prior to the well publicized mobilization of workers, their families and supporters around the shareholders’ meeting. In spite of these ICE raids, immigrant and US born workers and their allies (including National JwJ & SLAP & JwJ coalitions from DC, Chicago, & Middle TN) traveled from all over Virginia, North Carolina, Washington, DC, Pennsylvania, Chicago, Nashville, Boston, and Atlanta to gather in the historic First Baptist Church in Williamsburg, then marched one mile through Colonial Williamsburg past a Smithfield and Paula Deen Ham Shoppe that is due to open soon and over to the Williamsburg Lodge where the shareholders’ meeting was happening. Protestors carried signs, blew whistles, marched, and sang songs of freedom all the way. A small delegation of workers and supporters carrying shareholder proxies went inside to deliver the crowd’s message to management and shareholders. Afterward, more words of encouragement were offered to the women and men who make Smithfield work at a rally in Centennial Park. Workers pledged to maintain their efforts until the company recognizes their human right to union representation. Jobs with Justice Executive Director Sarita Gupta voiced the wide felt sentiment of supporters when she emphatically expressed that: “Jobs with Justice will continue standing shoulder to shoulder with the workers at Smithfield as long as it takes for the workers to win their fair contract with Smithfield”. Meanwhile, Smithfield supporters in Massachusetts celebrated another victory last month. Boston area Justice @ Smithfield supporters, including Massachusetts JwJ, inspected 70 supermarkets and found that products made in the Tar Heel Smithfield plant had been pulled from the shelves of Shaw's, Stop & Shop, and Johnny's Foodmaster. These stores got the message that pork products produced in Smithfield's Tar Heel plant are not welcome in Massachusetts and were thanked for doing the right thing. In addition, the cities of Boston, Chelsea, Somerville and Cambridge all passed resolutions supporting the workers at the Tar Heel Smithfield plant and calling for the removal of products made in the plant from the shelves. All these victories have Smithfield scared! The company sent the head of PR for Smithfield, Dennis Pittman, all the way up from Virginia. He tried to do damage control with city and town officials, who all told him that they stand firm in support of Smithfield workers. Finally, Smithfield has agreed to negotiate with the UFCW about conditions for holding a free and fair election at the Tar Heel plant. We will keep you posted as this campaign continues to develop! WA JwJ Shuts Down Port ; Picket Sends Cargo and a Message back to Chehalis Company Over 100 Jobs with Justice activists and members of the community shut down a major terminal at the Port of Seattle on September 10th to protest National Frozen Foods Corporation’s (NFFC) treatment of workers at their Chehalis warehouse. Over the past three years, NFFC has:
In response, longshore workers and marine clerks from the International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU) stood by in accordance with their collective bargaining agreement until the issue was resolved. The terminal operator agreed to isolate the NFFC cargo, put it on wheels and have NFFC remove the cargo from the terminal. The protest took place at the Hanjin Shipping Terminal 46. NFFC uses the terminal to ship frozen vegetables to customers in Asia. The Hanjin Boston, chartered by Hanjin from German shipper NSB, was set to transport NFFC products from Seattle. The cuts in pay and benefits have hit those least able to afford them the hardest, particularly Latino workers and new hires. A majority of the peak work force is Latino. NFFC has attempted to strip workers of their voice at work twice since 2004. Workers beat back these efforts, voting to keep their union (Teamsters Local 252) on both occasions. On July 14, 2007, NFFC illegally declared bargaining to be at an impasse, and ended their contract with the workers' union. The Teamsters have filed unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board. Since then, NFFC has denied access to any pension plan for workers aged 18-21, eliminated entry into the defined benefit plan for new hires, stopped the Union grievance process, and put into effect minimal pay increases that come nowhere near making up for recent concessions. Additionally, NFFC is under investigation by the State of Washington for alleged child labor law violations, including having children work into the night, denying minors legally mandated meal breaks, using minors to operate machinery, and forcing minors to work at legally inappropriate work stations. Stay tuned for upcoming actions as WA JwJ continues to send the message to NFFC and shipping lines that we will not tolerate employers that continually disrespect the rights of their workers. WA JwJ will work with Jobs with Justice coalitions and their allies in other areas to confront shipping lines that carry NFFC products, and there will be problems throughout the logistics chain whenever and wherever NFFC cargo is involved. Vanderbilt University Agrees to First Step Towards Living Wages for Workers Students and faculty at Vanderbilt University who have been organizing since 2004 on a campus campaign for Living Wages turned up the heat on Vanderbilt University this fall when they joined forces with Mid-Tennessee Jobs with Justice. Meanwhile, the Laborer’s International Union of North America (LIUNA), who had for decades represented a unit of more than 600 predominantly African American, low-income workers at Vanderbilt University, began contract negotiations with the University—negotiations which quickly turned into a heated contract fight. Vanderbilt University is the largest private employer in Davidson County and the second largest in the all of Tennessee after Fed Ex in Memphis. It is also one of the most richly endowed private universities in the country. For good reason, the David and Goliath image of Vanderbilt’s low-wage workers juxtaposed with the extravagantly wealthy Board of Trustee members and a Chancellor whose annual earnings exceeded $2.3 million triggered the moral outrage of Nashville’s faith, labor, and community organizations. More than 250 activists representing more than 30 faith, labor, and community organizations gathered on the steps of the Chancellor’s office for a candlelight vigil to demand Living Wages for workers. The activity gathered national attention when the Chronicle of Higher Education, a national publication, ran a feature story on the Living Wage Campaign at Vanderbilt, highlighting the multi-racial, cross-class, interfaith aspect of the campaign’s leadership. Several key faith institutions including the Interdenominational Ministerial Fellowship (an organization of more than 60 black churches in Nashville) and First Unitarian Universalist Church wrote remarkable letters to the Vanderbilt Chancellor. These same institutional leaders were interviewed by the Chronicle and later, on the PBS NOW show which ran a feature story on the Vanderbilt Living Wage Campaign. Meanwhile, workers like Mary Hampton, a single mother of 2 who became homeless while working for poverty wages at Vanderbilt, was interviewed by the New York Times. Ted Thompson, a father of 5 working 2 jobs at over 80 hours a week, was also able to tell his story. Several local mainstream media outlets ran stories favorable to the workers at Vanderbilt, and luminaries such as Danny Glover and John Edwards came to Nashville to visit workers and show their support for the campaign. Eventually the University agreed to raise the wages of the lowest paid workers to over $10 an hour, but not for another 2.5 years. It was a partial victory, leaving the community with much work to be done. Toyota Refuses Meeting with Religious, Community Leaders on Working Conditions On August 29, representatives of the Kentucky Workers’ Rights Board attempted to meet with managers of the Toyota plant in Georgetown, KY, to make recommendations for improving working conditions and addressing other issues of concern to Toyota workers. The board members sent a certified letter to Steve St. Angelo, president of the Toyota Kentucky facility, requesting the meeting. Toyota initially indicated they would make arrangements for a meeting, but then failed to do so.
“The issues at Toyota concern the workers, Toyota and the greater community,” said Cain at a press conference following the Toyota visit. “The big issue is the lack of response from the corporation to the workers who have raised concerns, and when they do respond it is punitive.” “ Toyota represents what we are seeing worldwide. They are global players and don’t really care about the workers or the community,” said Rausch. “Somehow we have to get to a state where we, the community of faith and the body politic, really start getting serious about holding these corporations accountable.” “I believe Toyota has the opportunity here to do the right thing by its workers, to do the right thing by Kentucky and to respond to the needs of the workers to clean up some of the issues that have been raised with them,” said Meeks. “I was surprised by today’s events and see it as an education,” said Attica Scott of KY JWJ. “When I witnessed the lack of respect for community leaders, I thought about what workers put up with every day.” Following testimony from workers and other concerned citizens, the Workers’ Rights Board issued recommendations for Toyota to implement, including:
For a copy of the report, http://www.abettertoyota.org/images/stories/WRB_final.pdf Temple University Locks Out Clergy Is the demand for 5 days of paid sick leave per year asking too much of a company that boast that it is the largest owned and management contract security company in America? Unfortunately, Allied Barton Security Guards at Temple University currently organized as Philly Officers and Workers Rising (POWR) are finding that is the case.
The clergy group was surprised to find when they went to deliver a letter about the situation to President Ann Weaver Hart’s office that Sullivan Hall had been locked and was guarded by armed Temple Police Officers. Though many workers were still in the building, and possibly in violation of Philadelphia Fire Codes, the main entrances to Sullivan Hall were locked and fortified. A petition signed by 400 people and a letter signed by a diverse group of clergy demanding a meeting between the university president, POWR, Philadelphia Jobs with Justice, Student Labor Action Project, Philadelphia Student Union, Coalition of Trade Union Women, and other supporters were presented to Raymond Betzner, communications director at Temple. Betzner promised to hand-deliver the documents to University President, Dr. Ann Weaver Hart and to return to the rally to confirm the requested meeting. Leaders from the POWR Campaign waited for one hour and twenty minutes for Mr Betzner, but he never returned. Finally, on September 26th, Guards and representatives of Philly JwJ were finally able to meet with university officials. The university is unwilling to intervene with Allied Barton on the behalf of the workers. The university and the public has not heard the last of this issue. The guards are still seeking to meet with the University and will also seek an audience with the Board of Trustees. Portland Passes Sweat-Free Resolution Portland Jobs with Justice helped mobilize supporters to an August 29th City Council meeting where a Sweat-Free Procurement Resolution was to be voted on. Over 130 supporters crowded City Hall. Testimony was given from faith, union representatives, a former sweatshop worker, and community leaders in support of the resolution. The Portland Sweat-free Procurement Resolution unanimously passed. As an endorser of the Portland Sweat-free Campaign, Portland JwJ has been instrumental in supporting the organizing efforts of the coalition. The Sweat-free Resolution sets in motion a process to create the City of Portland Sweatshop Free Procurement policy for uniforms and clothing purchases to be fully implemented in 2008. The policy will require disclosure of supplier factory names and locations, provide $20,000 in funding for the State and Local Government Sweat-free Consortium to pool resources for investigations and monitoring of supplier factories, and establish a committee to craft a code of conduct for the city’s contractors, subcontractors, and vendors. Janitors Win Contract in Cincinnati; Build Momentum Throughout the Midwest
Jobs with Justice coalitions across the country continue to support the SEIU Justice for Janitors campaign. Central Indiana JWJ and allies mobilized supporters and clergy for a rally that shut down the center of the city's Monument Circle. Columbus JWJ held two actions in the past six weeks, building pressure as the janitors prepare to start bargaining. Cleveland JWJ is preparing to launch a campaign to support cleaners at public libraries, pressuring the Library Board to use responsible contractors. As the effort continues, JWJ members are gearing up for sustained action in Cleveland, Toledo, Boston and elsewhere. Chicago JwJ Rallies Against No-Match Letters
Mr. Alferez and his colleagues joined allies from labor and community groups on September 12th to denounce the abuse of no-match letters by employers who fire workers and by the Bush administration’s enforcement-first immigration stance. “Any company that illegally fires immigrant workers is going to pay a price. The community is going to punish them for their unjust actions,” said Martin Unzueta, organizer of the Chicago Workers Collaborative. At a press conference, advocates launched a Chicago Committee Against No Match Letters, opposing the expected unfair firing of thousands of workers by employers who receive SSA no-match letters. Leaders announced major mobilizations, hotline phone numbers, and invitations to several major corporations to join the campaign. The plans escalate efforts to keep SSA from mailing no-match notices to employers. Advocates point to past abuses of the notices by employers, and concerns have increased with a new Department of Homeland Security. New notices would include an explanation of the ruling, which would expose employers to liability to immigration law violation if they did not insure no-match discrepancies were resolved or employees re-verified their work authorization. An impromptu picket was held in Chicago when activists were refused entry to SSA offices on August 28th. Despite a temporary restraining order by U.S. District Court Judge Maxine M. Chesney, in a case brought by labor and immigrant advocates, Chicago-area groups plan to continue seeking to meet with SSA, as well as to educate employers and employees, and mount further actions if no-match notices are mailed. A Happy 75th Birthday for the Highlander Center!!! For 75 years, the Highlander Research and Education center has been a catalyst for progressive movements in Appalachia and the South, across the country and the world. It was an honor to be atop the Eastern Tennessee mountain that the Highlander Center calls home on Labor Day weekend 2007 to celebrate the Center’s 75th anniversary. Several Jobs with Justice coalitions sent members to participate the celebration. Amidst the Southern summer heat and humidity, more than 1,000 of Highlander’s daughters, sons, sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews, family and friends united around the glow that is the last 75 years of Highlander’s involvement supporting grassroots organizing and movement building for human dignity and justice for all people. Many of the participants were young people, who demonstrated their leadership in the program and through sharing their work, bringing new ideas, music and culture. Luminaries of the southern freedom movement including veterans of the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and Southern Students Organizing Committee (SSOC) came together with humility to celebrate their rich history, as well as to analyze current conditions and change making. Names on paper came to life for many of the young people who gathered around to hear SNCC stories from Fay Bellamy, Sparky Rucker, Leah Wise, Bob Zellner, Hollis Watkins, Charles McDew, and others. Today’s movement was on full display as plenary, workshop, and other conversations included folks deeply engaged in the uplifting of humanity through their work on immigrant and refugee rights, global justice, workers’ rights, environmental issues, the criminal injustice system, and more. The Celebration was a symbol of inclusion, where under large tents without walls overlooking the picturesque green covered Smokey Mountains, through song; sermon; personal testimony; and overarching analysis Highlander’s impact was lifted up and through the process, all of the participants (black, brown, yellow, red, white, women, men, LGBTQ, people with disabilities, etc.) were elevated as well. Conversations were local, regional, national and most importantly global, where nearly every participant who spoke, was clear that even our most local work must be put into a global context for it to truly make sense and take root. For more information on the 75th Anniversary of Highlander and its work, please visit: www.highlandercenter.org. |
MEDIA LINKS Two Day Conference in Buffalo Explores Economic Justice Trade Secret Possible Strike for Kentucky Nurses Association ARH Presents Final Offer To Avoid Strike 'Losing City We Love' Planner Tells Dutch Kills Civic Assn. Temple Meets with Guards to Discuss Wages and Benefits Protesters shut down US port over conditions and labour violations Rethinking Toyota, autoworkers and allies Pro-Vote Redux: Hickey Answers Back Atlanta: Protestors Criticize WSB-TV Grady Forum AHA Security Forces Activist out of Tenants' Meeting Toyota plant defends its workplace practices Union Takes Fight for a Fair Contract to the Ports of Seattle Community Protest Closes Port of Seattle 'Affordable Housing Month' To Be Celebrated By UB Law School Advocates in 'Tent City' press issue of living wage The News, Briefly 23 Organizations Issue Joint Report Critiquing Wal-Mart's ... Smithfield workers force company to the table Activists Hold Public Forum on Grady Hospital OB land value, future use remains unknown Bush legacy is a wreck, Biden says Activists celebrate Labor Day Labor Day Parade highlights living-wage campaign FISHER PRICE: The rise and fall of local industry Sanders Says Middle Class Shrinking Labor Day has lost much of its meaning Public invited to Labor Day Picnic at Pioneer Park Workers rally for McCaskill's bill, S.1992 Brown donating suspect funding 'Labor in the Pulpits' will affirm workers Sylvester Brown Jr. Allied Affront Utah pay gap stirs gender talk Labor group alleges labor abuses by Toyota Program focuses on workers' rights Auto briefs Toyota has no intention of meeting with union organizers Protest centers on Market Basket selling Smithfield products Activists protest Toyota conditions BUSINESS NOTES Protesters urge 'justice' Hillside workers win back pay, raise Dean, Dignitaries Count Down to Denver '08 Toyota Workers Demand A Slice In Company's Success Packaged with Abuse: Smithfield Workers to Take Message to ... Accident highlights Latino influx into the state's mining industry Not Your Father's Free Trade Protest Mine collapse illustrates influx of Hispanics into Utah's mining ... |
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On August 29, 2007, nearly 800 people converged on Williamsburg, VA, where Smithfield Foods’ shareholders were having their annual meeting. Smithfield workers, seeking union representation and a contract along with concerned clergy, community, youth and student activists came together to voice their support for the nearly 6,000 workers at the world’s largest hog processing plant in Tar Heel, NC. Workers are seeking a fair unionization process free of the illegal intimidation, harassment, firings, and other tactics used by Smithfield management to sabotage previous union elections. Workers want a card-check process where management would recognize the union and begin bargaining a contract upon receiving signed cards from a majority of the workers at the plant.
Armed with fliers and noisemakers, the peaceful picketers blocked the main entrance to the 88-acre terminal, chanting slogans in support of workers' rights and demanding that longshore workers not load the cargo, while distributing fliers calling on NFFC to return to the bargaining table.
The Workers’ Rights Board representatives – the Rev. Cynthia Cain, Father John Rausch and State Rep. Reginald Meeks – visited the plant in an effort to meet with managers. After the community leaders waited 40 minutes and made several requests to speak with top managers, Toyota spokesman Rick Hesterberg went down and accepted a copy of the board’s recommendations. He declined to meet with panel members or discuss the issues raised in their report, but said it would be reviewed by management. 
Led by the Philadelphia Jobs with Justice’s Interfaith Committee, a rally in support of the security guards at Temple on September 5th brought out more than 100 allies from the faith community, union allies, and student organizations. Speaker after speaker admonished the university administration for its failure to meet with the POWR and their supporters about the Temple’s relationship with Allied Barton. 
After months of struggle, janitors in Cincinnati, Ohio won that city's first contract, a deal that will raise wages more than $3/hour and deliver health benefits, paid holidays and other protections.
Martin Alferez and a group of his coworkers walked out of work on their last day before as many as 100 stood to be fired by their employer, a Chicago-area plastics manufacturer. The cause given for the firings was their receipt of no-match letters from the Social Security Administration.