When miners get tired of being buried alive for them, the few.

When keyboard pounders get tired of wearing their hands out for them, the few.

When the truckers get tired of the weariness of driving endlessly for them, the few.

When fast food workers get tired of producing large quantities of food quickly at near starvation wages for them, the few.

When women workers get tired of being paid less and used as sex objects for them, the few.

When farm workers get tired of picking the food for all to eat while being poisoned and not having enough to eat themselves for them, the few.

When workers of color get tired of racism and having to labor in the worst jobs for them, the few.

When hospital workers get tired of working for the profit of the bosses, caring for the sick and injured for long hours for them, the few.

When construction workers get tired of building the homes and buildings of society under dangerous conditions for them, the few.

When child workers get tired of producing the latest fashion statements of the rich while having their childhoods robbed by them, the few.

When ship workers get tired of long hours in hot, miserable conditions and having to be far from home for them, the few.

Jimmy Johns Workers Union (Industrial Workers of the World) Contact: Erik Forman, 612-598-6205, Ayo Collins 612-281-0882

MINNEAPOLIS – Workers at 10 Jimmy John’s franchise locations in Minneapolis are crying foul after a near tie in a union certification election marred by misconduct by owner MikLin enterprises. 85 workers voted in favor of unionization and 87 against, with two unknown contested ballots. Under the National Labor Relations Act, a tie goes to the employer.

Workers reported strong evidence of several violations of the National Labor Relations Act on and before election day, including attempted bribes of workers, management asking workers to wear anti-union pins, threats of mass firings, and anti-union firings. MikLin Enterprises currently stands charged with 22 alleged violations of the National Labor Relations Act.

“We are extremely disappointed with the company’s conduct in this matter; rather then letting simply letting us vote, management chose to break the law repeatedly during the last six weeks. They spent over $84,500 on a vicious anti-union smear campaign, that's over $1000 per vote. We do not recognize these election results as legitimate and will continue to fight for our demands,” said Erik Forman, a worker at Jimmy John’s and a union member.

Ayo Collins, a delivery driver, says the union “hasn’t put all their eggs in one basket” and has multiple avenues of action still open to them. He says the union is considering taking legal action against the company over their misconduct in the runup to the election.

"In a company with turnover approaching 50% each month, a majority at any given moment only means so much. We have a mandate- more than 85 of us are committed to continuing the fight for decent wages, consistent scheduling, sick days, and the basic respect and dignity that all workers deserve. This is just the beginning of the fight," said Collins.

The Jimmy Johns Workers Union, open to employees at the company nationwide, is the first fast food union in the nation, and is affiliated with the Industrial Workers of the World labor union. Gaining prominence in recent years for organizing Starbucks workers, the IWW is a global union founded over a century ago for all working people.

Potential Turning Point for Working Poor as Millions Face Deepening Poverty

Jimmy Johns Workers Union (Industrial Workers of the World) Contact: Mike Wilkow, 612-807-6633 | October 22, 2010.

MINNEAPOLIS– 200 workers at ten Minneapolis-area Jimmy John's will vote on unionization today, an historic first in the nation's almost entirely non-union fast food industry. The secret ballot union election could hold profound implications for millions of Americans employed in low-wage service sector jobs.

“We are standing up for quality jobs for working families, for a future for young workers, and for dignity and respect for all working people. Business as usual has been a disaster for poor and working people in America. We are going to take the power back,” said Ayo Collins, a Jimmy John’s employee and union member.

The unprecedented fast food union campaign at Jimmy John's comes at a time of deepening economic misery for US workers. According to the US Census Bureau, a record-breaking 43.6 million Americans– 1 in 7 people– are living in poverty. As higher-paying jobs get harder to find due to outsourcing, layoffs, and the recession, many workers are forced to seek work in one of the economic areas adding the most jobs: the food service sector. Employment in the food service industry is expected to grow 15% from 2008 to 2018, significantly higher that the 10.1% average rate predicted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for all industries.

While millions of workers can expect to find employment in food service in the next decade, wages and working conditions in the industry are widely regarded as substandard; in 2009, the median wage in the fast food industry was only $8.28/hr. As of July 2010, the average workweek in fast food was only 24.3 hours. The median annual income for fast food workers is $10,462, or $871 per month. This is less than half the federal poverty line of $21,954 for a family of four.

Unionization holds a strong allure to poverty-wage food service workers. According to figures released by the Bureau of National Affairs, union members in the food service industry earned on average $2.36 more per hour, a 32% difference, than non-union workers in the same industry in 2009.

Despite the appeal of higher wages and better benefits, union density in the fast food industry is stuck at only 1.8%, far below the national average of 12.3%. Unionization efforts have been stymied by stiff employer resistance and professional “union avoidance” firms that specialize in thwarting NLRB election campaigns.

The workers at Jimmy Johns hope to change this by inspiring others to follow in their footsteps. “We’ve been in touch with fast-food workers across the country who are so excited about this that they’re thinking about unionizing their own workplaces,” said Collins.

The all-volunteer union campaign at Jimmy Johns has defied the expectations of labor experts and business analysts alike.

“Service industry jobs are the future and our future needs to have quality jobs for working families with living wages, affordable healthcare, paid time off, consistent hours, and basic respect. It's time for change in America, we hope this will be a turning point for all workers,” said Collins.

The Jimmy Johns Workers Union, open to employees at the company nationwide, is the first fast food union in the nation, and is affiliated with the Industrial Workers of the World labor union. Gaining prominence in recent years for organizing Starbucks workers, the IWW is a global union founded over a century ago for all working people.

A Sign of Hope for a Nation Reeling from Recession

Jimmy Johns Workers Union (Industrial Workers of the World) Contacts: Emily Przybylski, 414-477-9803; Ayo Collins, 612-281-0882.

MINNEAPOLIS– Jimmy John's workers and supporters will rally this afternoon, kicking off the final countdown to an unprecedented NLRB union election at the Minneapolis-based franchise of the national sandwich chain on Friday. If a majority of workers vote in favor of unionization, 10 Minneapolis Jimmy John's that employ total 200 workers will become the first union fast food franchise in the United States.

“A union in fast food is an idea whose time has come. There are millions of workers in this industry living in poverty, with no consistent scheduling, no job security, and no respect. It's time for change and we are leading the way,” said Emily Przybylski, a union member at Jimmy John's.

A victory for the union would force franchise owner Mike Mulligan to negotiate with workers over their grievances, which include pay hovering around minimum wage, shifts as short as one hour, and pressure on workers to work while sick.

Since the launch of the union campaign on September 2nd, the IWW Jimmy John's Workers Union has been buoyed by an outpouring of public support from a nation reeling from the deepest recession in decades. Supporters have picketed and leafletted Jimmy John's locations across the country, while endorsements and donations have come pouring in from scores of unions and community groups.

Propelled by deep-seated frustration with a stagnant economy and record levels of poverty, the IWW Jimmy Johns Union has broken new ground for America's labor movement in a sector known for the lowest union density– and lowest wages– in the United States. Only 1.8% of fast food workers are represented by a labor union, far below the nation-wide average of 12.3%. With union workers in the fast food sector making on average $2.36 more per hour than their non-union peers, unionization has the potential to lift millions out of poverty.

The sandwich workers have succeeded in unknown territory for unions by tapping into deep-seated disenchantment with economic elites with an innovative organizing model that puts workers in full control of every aspect of their own union campaign, rather than relying on professional paid staff.

“At Jimmy John's, we are the union, the workers are the union. We built our union from scratch, just like in the early days of the labor movement. We expect to win this election, and expect to keep growing as long as workers continue to suffer because of corporate greed,” said Ayo Collins, a delivery driver and union member at Jimmy John's.

The Jimmy Johns Worker's Union, open to employees at the company nationwide, is affiliated with the Industrial Workers of the World labor union. Gaining prominence in recent years for organizing Starbucks workers, the IWW is a global union founded over a century ago for all working people.

By Colin Bossen - Minister, Unitarian Universalist Society of Cleveland:

I write to you on the eve of your historic union election. Tomorrow you will be one of the few groups of fast food workers in the United States ever to have the opportunity to vote for a union. I urge you to vote yes. You are not just voting for yourselves. You are voting for fast food workers across the country.

In my religious tradition we believe that all human beings have inherent worth and dignity. By voting for a union tomorrow you will be sending a signal to the nation that all workers, regardless of occupation, are worthy of dignity and respect and that everyone has a right to a decent living.

More importantly you will be demonstrating that an industry--fast food--that has long been held as unorganizable can in fact be organized. For most of the last thirty years the income gap between the rich and the poor has been increasing. The primary reason for this has been a decline in union membership. You have a chance to reverse that trend by proving that any group of workers can come together and work to improve their working conditions.

Tomorrow you have the honor of standing at a pivot point in history. You do not stand alone. Across the country hundreds of working people have rallied in your support. If you vote for the union thousands more will rally to your cause. You may well help spark a revival in the labor movement that leads the improvement of not just your own lives but the lives of tens of thousands more.

Tomorrow you can make history. Tomorrow, vote union yes!

In solidarity and with love and admiration,
The Rev. Colin Bossen
Minister, Unitarian Universalist Society of Cleveland

Disclaimer: - This article and accompanying image are reposted in accordance with Fair Use guidelines.

By Mike Hughlett - Minneapolis-St Paul Star Tribune, October 20, 2010

As union elections go, it doesn't get much rarer than what's being served up Friday at nine Minneapolis-area Jimmy John's sandwich shops.

About 185 workers are slated to choose whether they want to unionize under the banner of the Industrial Workers of the World. Organized labor is all but unheard of in the fast-food sector; most unions don't even try to make a run at burger or sandwich joints.

Of course, the Industrial Workers of the World isn't exactly a conventional union.

In its heyday in the 1910s, the IWW pioneered a fiery grass-roots style of unionism aimed at organizing workers that other unions shied away from. Its time in the limelight is long gone, but the IWW never went away and in recent years has resurfaced with a campaign to organize Starbucks workers.

The IWW has historically tended to eschew formal union elections conducted by the National Labor Relations Board, making Friday's vote at Jimmy John's particularly uncommon.

"Maybe it takes something on the fringe, like the IWW, to have the courage or craziness" to unionize fast-food workers, said John Budd, a labor relations expert at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management.

The election will be held at seven Jimmy John's outlets in Minneapolis and two in St. Louis Park. All are owned by Rob Mulligan and Mike Mulligan, who declined to be interviewed. In a statement last month, they said they "take issue with the claims made by the IWW. We value our relationship with our employees and offer competitive wages and good local jobs."

Pro-union Jimmy John's workers say they want better pay and benefits, common themes in most union drives. Workers start at the federal minimum wage of $7.25, said David Boehnke, 25, who gets paid $7.90 an hour after working for about a year and a half at a Jimmy John's in downtown Minneapolis.

Note and Disclaimer: - The writer of this article obviously doesn't understand the concepts of solidarity unionism, because the IWW has won many gains at Starbucks due to our constant campaigning and direct action strategies. Details can be found here.

This article is reposted according to Fair Use Guidelines:

By Steven Greenhouse - New York Times, October 20, 2010

MINNEAPOLIS — The Jimmy John’s restaurants here are known for serving attitude with their sandwiches. Many of their young workers wear nose rings, beards and dreadlocks, and the shops sport mottoes like “The Customer Is Usually Right” and “Subs So Fast You’ll Freak.”

But recently, the employees at the 10 shops here have started to exude more attitude than management would like. Some of the 200 workers wear T-shirts that say, “Wages So Low You’ll Freak,” and many are backing a campaign to unionize the shops, which compete with Subway and Quiznos.

The unionization drive is one of the few efforts to organize fast-food workers in American history. Employees will vote Friday, and if the union wins, organizers say they will seek to unionize fast-food workers in other cities.

The issues that have roused the Jimmy John’s workers are typical of what many low-end service-sector workers face: earning the $7.25-an-hour minimum wage or slightly above that, working unpredictable and often short shifts and dealing with their bosses’ wrath when they call in sick.

I'm exhausted.

I've spent the last three days going from road block to road block, together with teachers, railroad workers, truckers, nurses, etc.

So far, in our sector, we've managed the feat of keeping the Arnages oil depot totally closed since Friday 4 AM!

As a result, all the petrol stations in aradius of 70 kms are closed, completely out of gas.

I slept 4 hours on Friday night, 6 hours on Saturday, 2 on Monday ...

Today, we got the main Teachers' Union to call on all striking teachers to come and help block all the remaining fuel depots.

The police can't intervene, because the truckers have established road blocks on the major roads leading to the oil depot.

What is incredible is that despite the fact that there is no more oil available, and therefore that people are blocked at home, a resounding 71% of the population approves of the strike (according to today's opinion polls).

The movement is set to last at least another week. I spent the whole of Sunday night with transport (railway and truckers) workers playing cards and drinking beer. It was quite cold (2?C) around 4 AM, but the railroad workers brought several truck-loads of "palettes" (empty wooden containers) and we lit a might bonfire.

Striking workers from the neighbouring Renault factory brought firecrackers and we spent the wee hours of the morning lighting them.

Workers are determined to fight until the bitter end. Workers who chose not to go on strike are being encouraged to donate part of their salary to the workers of the most "strategic" sectors, especialy the Donges raffinery.