INTERNATIONAL LABOUR:

GIVE HERSHEY A VALENTINE:



Valentine's Day is coming up on Monday, and now is a good time to look at the root of where a lot of our chocolate comes from ie child labour in the cocoa industry. Here's an item from the International Labor Rights Forum on what you can do to end this exploitation.
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Valentine's Day 2011 Actions for the Hershey Campaign



Valentine's Day is a major chocolate buying holiday, but your gifts for your sweetheart should not come at the expense of workers rights! Forced labor, child labor and trafficking continues in the cocoa industry in West Africa. Almost all major chocolate companies have begun to commit to using independent, third-party programs to certify that their cocoa suppliers comply with international labor standards, but Hershey continues to lag behind the industry.

There are two easy and fun ways to take action to tell Hershey to go Fair Trade leading up to Valentine's Day:

1.SEND VALENTINES TO HERSHEY! Create your own personalized Valentine telling Hershey to start using Fair Trade Certified cocoa for its products, like the iconic chocolate Kiss. Address your Valentine to Hershey CEO David J. West and mail it to: 100 Crystal A Drive, Hershey, PA 17033. You can also download this PDF of a Valentine to mail to the company. If you make your own Valentine, please do scan an image of it or take a photograph of your Valentine and send it to ILRF Campaigns Director Tim Newman at: tim.newman@ilrf.org. We'll post them online and you can get a 10% discount to Global Exchange's store by sending your images and photographs to us! Please mail your Valentines to Hershey by February 18, 2011.
2.HOST A SCREENING OF THE DARK SIDE OF CHOCOLATE! You can host a screening of this documentary that exposes the ongoing use of trafficked child labor in the cocoa industry in your community. Click here to order your DVD and click here to download a screening toolkit. ILRF and partner organizations across the country are especially encouraging people to host screenings during a national week of action leading up to Valentine's Day from February 4-14.
You can also send an e-mail to Hershey online here.

Together we can support cocoa farmers and workers and make Valentine's Day sweet for everyone!

Also, don't forget about our petitions to Hershey! You can download the petition here and collect signatures in your community.
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THE LETTER
If you want to get a jump on things go to this link to send the following letter to the Hershey Corporation.
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Subject: Time to Raise the Bar, Hershey!

As a chocolate consumer, I am deeply concerned about labor rights abuses in the cocoa industry. Forced labor, trafficking and child labor continue on West Africa's cocoa farms.

While many companies are working to trace their cocoa and institute labor standards among their suppliers, I am disappointed to learn that Hershey is lagging behind its competitors in this area. I believe you can be a leader in responsible cocoa sourcing.

I ask that you meet the goals of the “Raise The Bar, Hershey!” campaign, which include:

* an agreement to take immediate action to eliminate forced and child labor in your cocoa supply chain;

* a commitment to sourcing 100% Fair Trade Certified™ cocoa beans by 2012 for at least one of your top five selling chocolate bars that prominently displays the Hershey name; and

* a commitment to making at least one additional top five selling bar 100% Fair Trade Certified™ every two years thereafter, so that Hershey’s top five selling cocoa bars will all be 100% Fair Trade Certified™ within 10 years.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR:

CAMPAIGN AGAINST SODEXO:





The following story and appeal is from the United Students Against Sweatshop group. I gotta admit that the intro makes me a bit jealous. Going to Paris with a purpose. On the other hand I gotta say that I would much rather go to Paris with no purpose and certainly at a different season. Sodexo is one of those multinationals that you just love to hate, with a global reach and incredibly nasty talons at the end of its reach. Here's the story.


SDSDSDSDSD
Tell Sodexo that student-worker solidarity is global!
Yesterday, four of us arrived in Paris to confront one of the world's largest corporations on its home turf. Sodexo, the French corporation that serves food to more U.S. college students than any other company, is just days away from its international shareholders meeting. This is a key moment to show the 21st largest employer in the world that we will not tolerate poverty wages and union-busting any longer.

Click here to e-mail Sodexo executives and tell them to respect the rights of their 380,000 workers around the globe.

Workers are fighting, and it's time for us to join them in solidarity. As more universities outsource and privatize good jobs, the "Big 3" - Sodexo, Aramark and Compass - control more than three-quarters of all outsourced college food service. And these corporations squeeze pennies from workers just to make their billion-dollar profits each year. Big 3 workers and their many unions are fighting for justice on campuses around the U.S. and all across the globe. Workers in our campus cafeterias and stadiums are rising up against poverty wages, while Sodexo workers at a mine in the Dominican Republic tried to organize a union just months ago and Sodexo responded with a firing, and even the Sinaltrainal union in Colombia that started the "Stop Killer Coke" campaign recently fought with Sodexo to win fairer labor practices. The corporations are global, the worker exploitation is global, so our solidarity must be global.

Since at least 1999, students have been fighting to kick Sodexo off our campuses. By 2001, students forced 6 universities to kick out Sodexo, and the company finally pulled out of for-profit prisons in the U.S. (they still profit from prisons in many other countries!). For a decade, students from coast to coast have demanded their schools drop Sodexo over worker rights violations, environmental misdeeds and unfair meal plan costs. Now, USAS activists have launched a campaign to kick Sodexo off as many campuses as necessary until the corporation begins paying living wages and respecting workers' freedom to form unions without intimidation.

Please take a minute to tell Sodexo to respect worker rights.

We want you to follow us on our journey here in France. Here's a couple ways to get connected:

* On Facebook, "like" the Kick Out Sodexo page: http://www.facebook.com/KickOutSodexo
* We'll post updates on the campaign blog: http://kickoutsodexo.org/
* To get campaign updates by e-mail, just send a message to kickoutsodexo@usas.org

In solidarity,

Terasia Bradford, Ohio State University USAS
Vicko Alvarez, USAS National Organizer & University of Chicago USAS alum
SDSDSDSDSD
THE LETTER:
Please go to this link to send the following letter to Sodexo management.
SDSDSDSDSD


I write to express my deep concern over Sodexo's treatment of its workers. All workers deserve basic human rights, including the right to a family-support living wage and to associate freely.

I believe your company has violated these rights in the United States and around the world. The TransAfrica Forum has documented Sodexo workers struggling with severe poverty wages and a host of other human rights violations. Human Rights Watch reported extensively on your company's use of "captive audience meetings" and other tactics to intimidate workers from joining unions.

As an industry leader that makes over a billion dollars in profits a year, Sodexo can afford to treat workers fairly. I urge you to pay family-supporting living wages and to respect workers' freedom to form unions by any legal method of their choosing, on every U.S. college campus, and in every Sodexo workplace around the globe.

Thank you for your time. I eagerly await your response.

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR-TAIWAN:

TOUCHSCREEN WORKERS STRUGGLE FOR THEIR RIGHTS:

The "tech miracles" that gain such enthusiastic praise (and even more enthusiastic marketing) often have a grimy core that is hidden beneath the gee-whiz. One such situation is the Young fast Optoelectronics company in Taiwan, manufacturers of touch screens for some of the biggest players in the world tech market. The following appeal for these workers is from the online labour solidarity site Labour Start.

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Taiwan: Touch panel screen workers struggle for basic rights
Workers at Young Fast Optoelectronics (YFO) in Taiwan urgently request your support for their struggle to defend their union and basic labour rights against the company's union-busting actions and the Taiwanese government's negligence of the law. YFO is one of the major manufacturers for touch panel screens in the world; its buyers include: Samsung, LG, HTC and Google. Although making tremendous profits, the working conditions in YFO's Taoyuan Plant are worse than most people expected. The unacceptable conditions include child labour, excessive and forced overtime working, deduction of overtime wages, and poor health and safety conditions. YFO has been sabotaging the union YFOTU since its establishment in December 2009. It dismissed five union officers and more than ten active union members in March 2010, under the pretense that their production line will be moved to China. Trade unionists in Taiwan believe that this is a deliberate union-busting action and gross violation of the Labor Union Law. YFOTU and National Federation of Independent Trade Unions (NAFITU), which YFOTU is affiliated with, have waged a campaign since the illegal dismissal.

ILILILILILILILILILIL

THE LETTER:

Please go to this link to send the following letter to both the Taiwanese government and to corporate management.

ILILILILILILILILILIL
I am deeply concerned about the working conditions and union-busting actions at Young Fast Optoelectronics (YFO), which is a supplier to Samsung, LG, HTC, Google, Qualcomm, Vodafone, Verizon, Chunhwa Telecom and Taiwan Mobile, and I am writing to request you to look into the case and correct the abuses of labor rights in YFO. In support of YFOTU and NAFITU, I call on the above mentioned corporations to communicate with YFO aiming to reinstate the dismissed union officers and members; resolve the labor dispute through dialogue with YFOTU and NAFITU; monitor the labor rights and working conditions, and prevent repetition of labor rights abuse in YFO. I also strongly urge the Taiwan Government to make a thorough investigation on the working conditions and labor rights in YFO; and to take concrete actions against the illegalities and to protect the workers in YFO.

AMERICAN LABOUR-NEW YORK:

SOLIDARITY WITH MOTT'S WORKERS:

Workers at the Mott's plant in Williamson NY have recently taken a strike vote, and voted overwhelmingly to go out if management persists in its unreasonable demands. Mott's, despite its high profits is begging poverty and wants to both roll back wages and abolish the workers' pension plans. The workers, represented by the RWDSU, have launched a campaign for public pressure on Mott's management to force them to bargain realistically. Here's the appeal from the American Rights At Work group.

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Take Action:

Tell Mott's Management: Don't Take Money out of Workers' Pockets!
The Mott's company is raking it in and its market share is up. Just last year, its parent company - the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group - earned $555 million in profits.

The popular apple sauce and juice company should be rewarding its workers for the company’s success.

But Mott's is doing the opposite. At the Williamson, NY, facility, management is trying to slash wages by as much as $2.50 per hour AND take away the workers' pension plan!

Tell the parent company President Larry D. Young: Mott's workers deserve better!
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The Letter:

Please go to this link to send the following letter to Mott's management.

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Dear Mr. Young,
As a consumer who cares about how a company treats its workers, I am writing to express my concern about the Mott's facility in upstate New York. It has come to my attention that Dr. Pepper Snapple, as Mott's parent company, is trying to slash workers' wages and pension plans despite the fact that the company is profitable and financially healthy.

It is an outrage that a company would seek to take advantage of a distressed economy to inflict further economic pain on workers in upstate New York. I would ask that you do what you can to intervene in this situation and work with the union to reach a fair contract that protects workers' pay and retirement.

ALALALALALALAL

Here's an article from the Prnewswire that gives more background on this dispute.

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Mott's Workers Authorize Strike as Company Refuses to Bargain
Profitable Company Trying to Cut Workers' Wages

WILLIAMSON, N.Y., April 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Over 300 members of Local 220 of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, UFCW, voted to authorize a strike if no agreement can be reached with Mott's for workers at the company's Williamson, NY facility. The vote, which was 250-5, gives authorization for the union to call a strike if the company continues to engage in unfair labor practices and refuses to bargain.

"We may have no choice," said RWDSU Local 220 President Mike Leberth. "All we want is a fair contract but the company refuses to even talk to us."

"We want to reach an agreement with Mott's," said RWDSU Representative Ron Duncan. "We stand ready to bargain but the company has taken this position that we should just shut up and accept whatever they are offering. It's really disgraceful that they want to take away from their employees at a time when the company is doing well."

"The employees of Mott's deserve better," said RWDSU President Stuart Appelbaum. "The company should be working with us to resolve whatever issues there may be. But from the beginning they came to the table looking for drastic cuts to workers' wages and pension even though the company is very profitable. There is no economic reason, no justification, for taking money away from the workers. None. They are simply trying to take advantage of the bad economy and high unemployment in the area."

Mott's LLP is a subsidiary of Dr. Pepper Snapple Group (DPSG). Last year alone DPSG earned $555 million in profits.

"Mott's told us we were simply making too much," said Leberth. "They said they know they are profitable. I guess they figure they can put their hands in our pockets and nobody will care."

"These are hardworking people, decent people, and what the company is trying to do will cause a lot of hardship," said Appelbaum. "That they won't even try and work this out is inexcusable. They may give us no choice but to strike."

Despite Mott's aggressive stance at the bargaining table the union was trying to reach an agreement that would protect workers' wages, health coverage and other benefits. The company made an offer on Tuesday, April 13, 2010, that the union brought to the membership for a vote. That offer was rejected by a vote of 272-18 and the union sought to continue bargaining. The company refused and even threatened to cut workers' wages if their "final" offer was not accepted. The union has filed unfair labor practices with the National Labor Relations Board over the company's conduct.

"The company has violated the National Labor Relations Act and we are confident that the board will find in our favor," said Duncan.

The RWDSU represent 100,000 members in the United States and Canada and is affiliated with the United Food and Commercial Workers.


SOURCE Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union

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RELATED LINKS
http://www.rwdsu.org

AMERICAN POLITICS:

BANKER GUILTY AS CHARGED:

The following item is from the AFL-CIO Blog. It describes a recent action in the city of Madison Wisconsin where a mock trial of JP Morgan Chase executive Jamie Dimon. The action was part of an extended campaign to put pressure on American financial institutions to create jobs.

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JPMorgan Chase Greed Brings ‘Guilty’ Verdict

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon was found guilty yesterday of conspiracy to wreck the economy, destroy jobs and the immoral use of taxpayer bank bailout money for millions in Wall Street bonuses.

The courtroom was on a Madison Wis., street in front a JPMorgan Chase bank branch and the jury included dozens of union and community activists. The street theater was part of the AFL-CIO union movement’s two weeks of action across the country to Make Wall Street pay to create jobs and fix they economy they ravaged.

Jim Cavanaugh, president of the South Central Federation of Labor, which organized the curbside drama, says:

We bailed out Wall Street now its time for Wall Street to bail out Main Street.

More than 200 “Good Jobs Now, Make Wall Street Pay” actions are planned through March 25. The rallies and marches will demand that the Big Six Wall Street banks–Bank of America, Citibank, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley and Wachovia-Wells Fargo–take the following actions:
**Pay their fair share to restore the jobs their actions destroyed.
**Stop their multi-million dollar lobbying blitz to kill financial reform.
**Start lending to communities, small businesses and others starved for credit.

Also yesterday, union members distributed leaflets in front of JPMorgan Chase branch in Baton Rouge, La., and rallied at a Bank of America office in Charleston, S.C. Today union activists in Butte, Mont., will march in the town’s St. Patrick’s Day parade carrying “Make Wall Street Pay” signs and banners. This afternoon, the West Virginia AFL-CIO, along with community allies, staged a rally in front a Wells Fargo/Wachovia Bank in Charleston.

Find out about events in your area here. If you take part in an event, be sure to send us your photo or video here.

You also can tell Wall Street executives to pony up and create good jobs by sending a letter urging them to do the right thing. Just click here.

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The Letter

I have to admit that I have my doubts about this one. Petitioning bankers to go against their self interest is something like petitioning the Devil to cease being the High Lord of Hell. Still, for what it is worth you can go to this link to send the following letter to assorted lords of finance.

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Dear [ Wall Street Banker ],
I am part of the fight to create the 11 million good jobs America needs--and I call on you and all the big Wall Street banks to:

1. Pay your fair share to restore the jobs you destroyed.

2. Stop fighting financial reform.

3. Start lending to communities, to small business and to others starved for credit so they can create jobs.
Sincerely,

[Your name]

[Your address]

CANADIAN POLITICS ONTARIO:

SUPPORT THE SPECIAL DIET CAMPAIGN:

The following appeal for an upcoming campaign in support of the 'Special Diet' for poor people in Ontario comes from the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP). You don't need to be an Ontario resident to participate.

CPCPCPCPCPCPCPCPCP

Mass phone and e-mail:

Meilleur: Hands Off The Special Diet!‏
Meilleur: Hands Off The Special Diet!

Yesterday We Crashed Your Office, Next Week We Will Crash Your Phone Lines

Mass phone/email to save the Special Diet: Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

The Ontario Government is looking to balance the budget on the backs of the poorest people in the province. They are intending to slash the Special Diet funding, a crucial source of income to 162,000 people in Ontario. This benefit provides up to $250 a month to those on assistance who are suffering health problems. One in five people on assistance rely on this money to be able to eat at all properly. Cutting this money will lead to a massive increase in hunger in the province, evictions, and long term health consequences for people on social assistance.

Since 2005, the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty organized clinics staffed by doctors and nurses who believed that the allowance could provide essential support for people unable to live healthily on current welfare and disability rates. The largest clinic, held on the lawn of Queen’s Park in 2005, signed up 1000 people.

Welfare and disability payments need to be brought back to the levels that they were at before Harris cut welfare in 1995. This requires a 40%increase. Without a raise of that level, the Special Diet funds are the difference between housing and the street. Between sickness and health.

What does losing the Special Diet mean to people's lives?

“There would be no food in the house... there would be a lot of difficulties.” -Ahmed

“I might have to move. My stomach problems will increase because I won't be able to eat as well.” - Marque

“I don't know what I will do if I lose the Special Diet. I might lose my housing. I will definitely have to decide between paying my rent and my health. My condition is greatly affected by diet, if I can't eat healthy food, I get quite a lot sicker. My entire life will be negatively affected if I lose the Special Diet.” -A.J.

“I live on the street and I use the special diet money to buy food because the Salvation Army food is disgusting. I need fresh fruit and vegetables and you'll never see anything like that in the shelter.”-Brian

“They give me $2200. Our rent is $1460. I have 5 kids. Do you think that is enough? We are not saying we need access to luxuries... but at least basic things like food and clothing.” - Khadija

It looks like the provincial government is planning to cancel the special diet. This will mean that thousands of poor people in this province will be pushed into hunger, illness, homelessness and desperation. This is unacceptable – and now is the time to tell your provincial politicians and the City politicians that helped to make this happen. On Tuesday March 23rd, call and email the politicians below.

· Demand that they maintain the Special Diet funding.

· Tell them that they can’t cut costs by attacking those on social assistance and disability support payments.

· Let them know that what is needed is a 40% raise in social assistance rates back to the levels in the mid 1990s.

You can even start now!

Premier Dalton McGuinty

(416) 325-1941

fax at (416) 325-3745.

Dalton.McGuinty@premier.gov.on.ca

Madeleine Meilleur

Minister of Community and Social Services

mmeilleur.mpp@liberal.ola.org

416-325-5225.

Fax 416-325-5191

Janet Davis

Chair of the Council Committee Responsible for Social Services

City of Toronto

Phone: 416-392-4035

councillor_davis@toronto.ca

Fax 416-397-9289

**

Ontario Coalition Against Poverty

10 Britain St.

Toronto, ON

M5A 1R6

416-925-6939

ocap@tao.ca

http://www.ocap.ca/

**