Industrial Workers of the World – Boston GMB

On March 14, IWW members and allies held a spirited picket for union organizer Tasia Edmonds, suspended without pay for a month in retaliation for her union activity by Insomnia Cookies. The IWW enjoyed the support of members of Resist the Raids (including Alberto Peniche who spoke movingly about his immigrants’ rights activism, mistreatment and detention by the state, and who is campaigning to unite his family in the face of unjust laws), the Bangladesh Workers Solidarity Network, Black Rose Anarchist Federation, the Communist Party, Socialist Alternative, the Boston Solidarity Network and the Green Party. Wobs and friends picketed for about an hour, vowing to return soon for more actions at the store if Tasia is not returned to work with back pay. The National Lawyers Guild provided a Legal Observer to help defend the rights of picketers. Virtually no customers entered the store during the picket. The IWW thanks our friends and allies for helping us fight union-busting and illegal retaliation by Insomnia!

Insomnia Cookies has suspended IWW Organizer Tasia Edmonds w/o pay for a month, falsely claiming she was “unprofessional” and neglecting to serve her any formal written notice. You’re invited to take action against union-busting by the boutique cookie business. Join IWW and our allies as we picket in support of Tasia!

Please also email the company at pfs@serveubrands.com, & call CEO Seth Berkowitz at 877 632-6654. Suggested message: “It is intolerable that IWW Organizer Tasia Edmonds has been suspended without pay for her union activity. Please take immediate action to bring Tasia back to work, and compensate her for any loss in pay. Union-busting is disgusting!”

Background: Tasia went public with her union affiliation on December 7. She has been building the union in her store. In February, a new manager began harassing her about her union membership. On March 9, Tasia was told she has been suspended without pay for a month! The union is filing Unfair Labor Practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). An organizing drive began at Insomnia in August after 4 workers spontaneously went on strike. Their demands included $15/hr, health care, and a union, and they were immediately fired. Despite recently promising to give about $4,000 in back pay to the strikers, and post a notice in the store pledging not to retaliate against workers for union activity, Insomnia is apparently still determined to crush the union drive. The union is even more determined to get justice for Tasia and all workers at Insomnia!

“…Something told me to stand up for what I believe in. To me, this victory was worth every bit of the struggle.” – Jonathan Peña, IWW member and Insomnia Cookies Striker.

Four workers at Insomnia Cookies’ Cambridge store went on strike on August 19, protesting poverty pay and wretched working conditions, and demanding $15/hr, health benefits and a union at their workplace. The company illegally fired all four. For the next six months strikers, IWW members, allies, and student organizations at both Harvard and Boston University held pickets, marches, rallies, forums, phone blitzes, and organized boycotts, while workers continued organizing at both the Cambridge and Boston locations. The union also pursued legal charges through the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

On March 3, a company representative signed an agreement promising almost $4,000 in back pay to the four strikers (two of whom had given notice before going on strike; and all of whom had moved on to more rewarding jobs or pursuits). The company also agreed to post a notice in the Cambridge store, promising not to fire or otherwise retaliate against workers for taking collective action, including joining the union and going on strike. The company was also made to revise a confidentiality agreement that improperly restricted workers’ rights to discuss their conditions of employment with one another and third parties (including union organizers and the media). All references to the terminations have been removed from strikers’ personnel files.