AMERICAN LABOUR CALIFORNIA:

HAVE A HEART: SUPPORT THE UFW IN CALLING FOR A BAN ON METHYL IODIDE;


This Valentine's Day give a gift to farm workers and rural residents in California and ask that the toxic fungicide be banned in the state of California. Here's the article from the United Farm Workers (UFW).

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CA appoints new director of pesticide regulations
Urge Gov. Brown and Dir. Leahy to take action on methyl iodide now
BREAKING NEWS: Governor Brown has just appointed Brian Leahy as the new Director of California’s Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR). California is now poised to reverse the decision to permit the use of the cancer-causing pesticide, methyl iodide.

For over a year, Gov. Brown has not taken action on methyl iodide, saying that the decision must rest with the incoming head of DPR. That person, Brian Leahy, is now in place. Please join us in calling for immediate action on methyl iodide.

More than 85% of the country’s strawberries are grown in California so actions here will have national implications. It may give the EPA a new opportunity to re-evaluate this chemical that has no safe place in agriculture.

Methyl iodide is a known carcinogen that could cause spontaneous miscarriages and contaminate groundwater. Injecting it as a gas into the soil presents unacceptable risks to farm workers, nearby rural communities, pregnant women and children. Clearly, this toxic chemical is dangerous and should be banned.

The UFW is joining with a coalition of environmental groups to send a petition to Director Leahy telling him to prioritize banning of methyl iodide. Sign the petition today!

* If possible, please add a paragraph personalizing your comment.
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The Letter
Please go to this link to send the following letter to Californian Governor Jerry Brown and his director of pesticide regulation.
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Dear Governor Brown and Director Leahy,

I am writing to urge you to take action on methyl iodide in the new year. In March, Gov. Brown said he would take a “fresh look” at the chemical slated for use on California’s strawberry fields, and since then, the case against cancer-causing pesticide has only gotten stronger.

Scientists have said time and time again that methyl iodide causes cancer, poses extremely high risks to farmworkers and pregnant women, and has the potential to contaminate our scarce groundwater resources. And based upon recent court findings, it’s clear that the Schwarzenegger Administration ignored that body of science in its zeal to approve the chemical.

We are hopeful that Director Leahy has the right farming and government experience needed to pull methyl iodide off the market.

We trust that that you have had enough time to “look” at methyl iodide. In looking you would have seen that the chemical doesn’t belong in California – not near farmworkers, rural children or any community.

Sincerely,

AMERICAN LABOUR:

MORE ANTI-WORKER LEGISLATION IN ARIZONA:

The following item is from the National Public Radio in the USA.

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Arizona Lawmakers Target Public Workers' Unions
by Ted Robbins

February 9, 2012

Labor unions plan to rally in front of the Arizona State Capitol on Thursday afternoon to protest four bills quickly moving through the state Legislature that could make last year's Wisconsin labor laws look modest by comparison.

Three of the four bills restrict the way unions collect dues and the way workers get paid for union activities. The fourth bans collective bargaining between governments and government workers: state and local. Unlike Wisconsin, it affects all government employees, including police and firefighters.

"It seems as though those employees or at least the unions that represent them don't care what the burden is on the taxpayer as long as they get theirs," says state Sen. Rick Murphy, a Republican who is sponsoring the bills.

Murphy says collective bargaining lets public workers put themselves ahead of the public they are working for.

Nick Dranias of the Phoenix-based Goldwater Institute, a libertarian/conservative think tank that helped Murphy write the bills, says public-sector workers in Arizona make about 6 percent more in salary and benefits than their private-sector counterparts.

"You're not in government, you know, to collect a fat paycheck," Dranias says. "You're in government to serve. And if you get paid reasonably, that's nice, but the moment you feel the need to organize collectively and create laws like collective-bargaining laws that give you special privileges to negotiate and extract compensation not seen in the private sector, you've gone too far."

Arizona is also different from Wisconsin in that it's a right-to-work state: No one can be forced to join a union. So unions in Arizona already have less clout. Still, 80 percent of police in the state choose to belong to a union.

Brian Livingston, who represents the Arizona Police Association, which is fighting the bills, says police and firefighters typically get paid less in salary, but he acknowledges that they negotiate better benefits and retirement plans. Livingston says police deserve it.

"By the time we retire, we know that most of us will not live beyond what the average private citizen does," he says. "And I'm speaking specifically about public safety, the rigors of our occupation, the hazards of our occupation take a lifelong toll on our longevity."

Democrats in the Arizona Legislature are outnumbered by Republicans 2-to-1 in the House and by more in the Senate.

Senate Minority Leader David Schapira says he is appalled by the bills.

"These bills are clearly the most anti-worker, anti-middle class, anti-union bills in the history of the country," he says.

These bills are clearly the most anti-worker, anti-middle class, anti-union bills in the history of the country.

- Arizona Senate Minority Leader David Schapira
Schapira says the bills are purely political. They're being considered, he says, because union leaders tend to support Democrats over Republicans.

"These are people that the Tea Party leadership at the State Capitol in Arizona disagree with, and so they're punishing them and that's the purpose of these pieces of legislation," he says.

Murphy, the bills' sponsor, acknowledges that public worker labor unions are a political problem for him. The elected officials labor leaders are negotiating with, he says, are afraid to give in to unions for fear of political reprisal.

"When the unions are the ones who are disproportionately influencing those elected officials, the elected officials are very rarely on the side of the taxpayers in those negotiations," he says.

The swiftness of this new attempt at cutting the power of public worker unions took labor leaders by surprise. The bills were introduced just last week, passed through committee and are ready for a full Senate vote.

AMERICAN LABOUR:

WORKERS WIN INJUNCTION AGAINST WALMART CONTRACTORS:

Here's an interesting item and an appeal for solidarity from the Making Change At Walmart group.

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Workers win injunction against Walmart contractors
Posted on February 2, 2012 by benjaminwaxman

Yesterday, employees working for two Walmart contractors that operate warehouse facilities won a major victory in federal court. The U.S. District Court for Central District of California issued an injunction prohibiting two companies, Schneider Logistics and Rogers-Premier Unloading Services, from firing workers who participated in a federal class action lawsuit to recover stolen wages. As a result, workers will be able to keep their jobs, which were scheduled to be eliminated on February 24th.

Why did workers sue in the first place? According to Jose Tejeda, a worker who is employed by Schneider Logistics, conditions in the warehouses are pretty brutal. During a conference call organized by Warehouse Workers United, Tejeda said that workers were required to work long hours without a bathroom break and could be punished by supervisors for taking a sick day. Another worker, Manuel Gonzalez, said that workers are often required to work 12 hour days and do not receive overtime. These types of conditions are why Tejeda, Gonzalez, and other warehouse workers joined together to sue the Walmart contractors.

That provoked a response. Janet Herold, an attorney representing the warehouse workers, said that management in one of the facilities gathered together all employees and said that anyone participating in the lawsuit would “be crushed.” The employees were then notified that there would be a mass firing of all workers involved in the case. Thankfully, the ruling that came down yesterday means that workers will be able to keep their jobs.

However, a single lawsuit isn’t the answer to preventing this kind of abuse in the future. Walmart must adopt a responsible contractor policy, which would require any company working for the retail giant to meet basic labor standards. That’s the only way to ensure that warehouse workers won’t be abused in the future.

Click here to sign a petition supporting the Warehouse Workers!

AMERICAN LABOUR:

BETTER CONDITIONS FOR US GUESTWORKERS:

All across the "developed" world temporary workers, often referred to as "guestworkers" are employed usually at much lower wages and longer hours than workers in the country they are "imported to". Here's an item from the Jobs With Justice group asking all US citizens to support legislation that would extend equal labour rights to 'guestworkers' in that country.

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Support Collective Bargaining Rights for ALL workers‏

Every year, thousands of workers come to the United States via the H-2B guestworker visa program. Under this program, a workers' visa is tied to his or her employer, giving their bosses a great deal of control over their lives. All too often, workers in the US on the H-2B visa find themselves in unfair, unsafe, or even illegal work situations, but because their immigration status is tied to their employer, it is very difficult to organize for better working conditions. You may remember the story of Hilario Jimenez, a guestworker who escaped company housing to expose his employers for using taxpayer money to exploit migrant workers while excluding local workers from jobs.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. On March 17, 2011, the National Guestworker Alliance won a major victory and a vindication of five years of organizing, advocacy, and litigation as the Department of Labor (DOL) proposed new regulations of the H-2B non-agricultural visa program. The proposed regulations would ensure that workers in the U.S. through this program are not trapped in debt to recruiters and do not face retaliation for organizing to become members of workers’ centers or unions. The new regulations would also ensure that employers keep their promises to workers about the type of work, working conditions, and hours they will have, and that if they break the rules they are punished.

Big businesses are gearing up to fight these new rules that would protect workers’ rights.

Support the rights of ALL workers to organize! The DOL is accepting comments on the new regulations until May 17th.

CLICK HERE TO MAKE YOUR COMMENTS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR.

Please personalize the sample comments below.

I believe in dignified work, just migration, and equality for all workers. [ Include your personal experience/ opinion on why these rights are important for guestworkers and U.S. workers].

The current H-2B program does not protect workers. Under the current rules, debt, retaliation, and a lack of enforcement block workers from organizing and defending their rights. Any time a worker’s visa is tied to his employer, the employer has a lot of control.

I support DOL’s new proposed rules for the H-2B program because I believe:

1) Workers should not be trapped in Debt. Employers should pay the costs of a workers’ travel, visa, and recruitment for an H-2B job. U.S. employers should be responsible for actions by their agents and recruiters.

2) Employers should keep with their promises about the job. Employers should have to comply with their promises about the type of work, working conditions, and hours. Job contractors should not be allowed to bring in H-2B workers. Workers should receive copies of the paperwork filed with the government describing their job so they can defend their rights.

3) Workers should not face retaliation for organizing. Employers should not retaliate against workers who organize and become members of Workers’ Centers or unions. DOL should protect a worker’s right to continue working and not face deportation if the employer retaliates against him.

4) Employers who break the rules should be punished. They should have to pay the workers what they are owed. If they break the rules, they should not be able to bring in more H-2B workers. Workers should be able to participate in the administrative processes to make sure this happens. Workers are experts on their workplace and have the information to help make sure employers cannot continue to break the rules and exploit future workers.

I support the more detailed comments of the National Guestworker Alliance. They are a membership organization of guestworkers, and they know the solutions to make this program more fair for the workers and their families.

AMERICAN LABOUR CALIFORNIA:

WHAT IS A LIFE WORTH ?:

The following appeal is from the American United Farm Workers, and it's about the excessively lenient sentence for the contractor responsible for the death of Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez. This case has been mentioned before here at Molly's Blog. The basic fact is that this young woman was killed by the heat while forced to work in adverse conditions as an agricultural labourer in California. Reports say that the contractor responsible will be let go with a suspended sentence and a minimal fine. The UFW feels that this is totally out of line with the magnitude of the crime. It certainly is as the penalty for a traffic accident causing death would be far harsher in almost every jurisdiction. And this was not an "accident". Here's the story and appeal.

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DA plea deal reduces manslaughter to community service
Less than 5 days left to fight this travesty

Time is running out and we need you to take action. March 9th is the hearing for the sentencing of the two people responsible for the heat death of 17-year old Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez. Maria died of heat stroke in 2008 while laboring in the scorching grape vineyards near Stockton. Her body temperature reached 108.

News reports state the district attorney is going with a plea deal that would let the accused go without even jail time, possibly with just community service. Can you believe it?

3 years probation and 40 hours community service for the owner of the labor contractor company and 400 hours of community service and a $1000 file for the company's "Safety Coordinator," instead of the original involuntary manslaughter charge?

The family and the UFW have met with the DA to no avail. The DA has told the family he is proud of setting precedent in California by convicting a labor contractor of a felony .

Is that an even exchange for the life of a young girl? What does it matter if the system calls it a "felony," if justice is not served?

I'm sure you will join us in saying “No. That is not enough!” There were laws in place to protect farm workers from heat stroke and the labor contractor and her safety supervisor had the responsibility to ensure they were followed. It's simple. They didn't. Not even the most basic heat laws were followed.

This was not a one time occurrence for this employer. In 2006, Merced Farm Labor was fined for failure to have a written heat stress prevention plan and heat stress training for workers, as required by law. But they did not care. They never even paid the fine.

Please send an e-mail immediately and tell the District Attorney, James Willett, not to set a precedent that farm workers' lives are unimportant. There must be serious consequences. Tell him that jail time is a must and nothing short of that will satisfy the family or the public.


http://action.ufw.org/pleadeal2

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THE LETTER:

Please go to the highlighted link above to send the following letter to the Disrict Attorney in charge of this case.

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Please do not go ahead with your planned plea bargain in the tragic heat death of 17-year old Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez.

California’s 650,000 farm workers face a daily risk of death and illness from toiling in stifling summer heat. They are at the mercy of agricultural employers and farm labor contractors who many times fail to live up to their constitutional and statutory duties to protect the safety of farm workers. Farm workers are literally dying because of the state’s broken system, which is designed in a way that ensures inadequate enforcement of the law. The laws in the books are not the laws in the fields. You have the opportunity to change this and ensure there a real consequences for breaking the law.

You have the unique opportunity to set a precedent that will make agricultural employers think twice about not following the laws of California and putting at risk the life of a human being. This will only happen if there are real consequences to farm employers breaking the law. The word "felony" is not enough.

The case of Maria Isabel Vazquez Jimenez is hard to accept, because it didn't need to happen. There is no difference between a driver killing someone while breaking our traffic laws and a labor contractor breaking the law and killing this beautiful young woman.

Maria's family and the public ask that you do everything in your power to ensure that these farm labor contractors are sentenced to the fullest extent of the law. Fines and community service hours aren't enough. Anything less than jail time is a desecration of Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez' death.

Thank you.

AMERICAN LABOUR:
STAND WITH WISCONSIN WORKERS:


The standoff in Wisconsin continues as the Governor refuses to negotiate concerning his anti-worker legislation, and the people protesting the Bill continue to demonstrate and occupy parts of the legislative building. Meanwhile similar union busting legislation is also under debate in other states as the various governments attempt to unload their financial crises onto the backs of public employees.



Here's an item from the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) about what you can do to stand in solidarity with American public service workers.
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Join Wisconsin's Workers: a Last Stand for the Middle Class‏
You've no doubt seen by now that tens of thousands of working Americans, including UFCW members, have come to the Capitol in Madison, Wisconsin to rally, protest, and make a stand for workers' rights. It's no exaggeration to say that what's happening in Wisconsin is of great importance to working families. It may be our last chance to save our shrinking middle class.

Republican Governor Scott Walker's attempt to strip public workers' collective bargaining rights under the pretense of balancing the state budget has got working Americans all over the country up in arms. Especially since Wisconsin's budget was in great shape until Governor Walker decided to reward his corporate buddies with tax breaks.

It's the same old corporate greed that we've seen chipping away at the American Dream in the last few years, with politicians exploiting working people while stuffing the pockets of their Wall Street cronies.

But it's clear as the momentum keeps building and the movement keeps growing in Wisconsin that this is no ordinary protest. And now workers nationwide are joining with Wisconsin's workers to make a last stand for the middle class. Click here to find out more info on where and when these rallies are happening, and if there's one near you.

These are families who have seen years of Republican fiscal irresponsibility—and are saying, no more.

These are union members who are tired of being scapegoated by the same old politics—of being told that they're responsible for this fiscal crisis, rather than the CEOs and Wall Street speculators that drove our economy into the ground.

These are students and teachers and parents and nurses and firefighters and retail clerks and plant workers and auto workers and steel workers and plumbers and truck drivers and public employees—these are the ordinary working people that make this country strong.

And they have had enough.

It's not just in Wisconsin, either. In states all across the country—maybe your state, too—Republicans are proposing bills to take away workers' rights, to destroy the unions that serve as the last line of defense for America's middle class.

Click here to find out here what's going on in your state and what you can do to help.

And call your elected officials to let them know you oppose any such legislation in your state.

President Obama was half right when he said what was happening in Wisconsin is “an assault on unions.” Because it's not just unions. The laws that are being proposed in Wisconsin and elsewhere are an assault on all working people, on all working families.

So the middle class is making a stand in Wisconsin. And if we can stop Governor Walker there, we can stop similar attacks on workers across the nation. It's so important that we stand with our brothers and sisters in Wisconsin, as well as in Indiana, in Ohio, and all over the country.

Click here to find out how you can help workers stand up for the middle class and save the American Dream—before it's gone for good.

In solidarity,

Joe Hansen
UFCW International President
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Here's another proposal to show solidarity with the workers of Wisconsin. From Local 668 Chapter 13 of the Service Employees International Union in Pennsylvania....
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WEAR RED ON TUESDAY!
Time Tuesday, February 22 · 7:00am - 6:00pm

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Location Everywhere
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Created By SEIU Local 668 Chapter 13
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More Info
Wear red on Tuesday in support of Wisconsin state employees and collective bargaining! Take pictures of groups of workers holding signs saying "We Are One!" and email them to me.
http://www.paaflcio.org/

AMERICAN LABOUR WISCONSIN:

THE IWW ON THE STRUGGLE IN WISCONSIN:

The struggle in the American state of Wisconsin continues as the Governor attempts to destroy the public sector unions there. He is, however, not unopposed. A call for Tea Party goons to show up to intimidate union members basically flopped as the unions and their supporters vastly outnumbered the other side. The Wisconsin unions are also gathering huge support, both nationally and even internationally as this is very much a test case to see how far government in the USA can go in destroying workers' rights. Here's one expression of this support, from the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) and their General Defense Committee.

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IWW General Defense Committee Statement on Wisconsin
by Twin Cities IWW on Saturday, February 19, 2011 at 5:16pm.

General Defense Committee
of the Industrial Workers of the World

An Injury To One Is An Injury To All!

GDC Central • Post Office Box 180195 • Chicago, Illinois 60618 USA

Email • gdc@iww.org • Telephone • 773.857.1090

Right now in Wisconsin public workers from across the state, supported by
private sector workers, students young and old, retirees, labor activists and more,
are holding unprecedented protests in Madison against the utterly dictatorial move
by Governor Scott Walker to gut their collective bargaining rights.


After giving $140 million to special interest groups in January, many of whom
donated to Republican campaigns and to the Governor himself, Walker is now
attempting to strip Wisconsin's state workers of their hard-won right to collectively
bargain over the conditions of their labor under the guise of filling a claimed $137
million budget shortfall.


A similar bill has been introduced in Ohio, and Republican Sen. Jane
Cunningham in Missouri has also introduced a bill to strip state law of all Child
Labor protections.


In light of these increasing attacks on the working class, We, the Steering
Committee and Central Secretary Treasurer of the General Defense Committee of
the Industrial Workers of the World, stand firmly behind all workers fighting back.
We extend Solidarity to all workers, union or non-union, fighting back against the
Capitalist class trying to return us to conditions not found since the Industrial
Revolution.


As our primary mission is to offer solidarity and defense help to any workers
imprisoned, arrested, attacked, or punished by the State in any way in fighting the
class war, the GDC of the IWW is here to offer any and all help we can during these
times, and during all labor struggles.

An injury to one is an injury to ALL!


Solidarity Forever!
Signed,
Central Secretary-Treasurer:
Steven Ayers

Steering Committee:
Chuck Bailey
Eric Zenke
Marie Mason

AMERICAN LABOUR:

SOLIDARITY RALLIES IN SUPPORT OF PUBLIC SERVICE WORKERS ACROSS THE USA:

In recent days the State of Wisconsin has seen what may be the most significant labour rebellion in decades as tens of thousands protest and even invade and occupy the state legislature to express their opposition to the recent bill that proposes to basically abolish collective bargaining for public employees. Wisconsin, however, is not the only state in the union that is attempting to unload its fiscal crisis onto the backs of its employees. Thus solidarity rallies are being called nationwide to oppose this attack on working people. Here's news item from Jobs With Justice about the scope of these rallies.

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Worker Solidarity Growing: Wisconsin to IN, OH and Beyond‏
In this still-struggling economy, our country needs one thing: more good jobs. But instead of focusing on finding ways to create good jobs, politicians have turned their attention to political payback to the corporate CEOs who spent more than $1 billion on the November elections.

In states across the country, workers are fighting back against corporate-backed lawmakers who are trying to use state budget problems as an excuse to gut workers’ rights and benefits, when in fact it was Wall Street’s gambles and broken promises that have hurt taxpayers and the middle class—not workers. CEOs are trying to shift the blame for high unemployment and rising poverty levels away from themselves and onto workers and our unions.


But we won't let that happen. Workers across the country -- from Wisconsin to Indiana, Ohio, and beyond -- are fighting back.

In Wisconsin, workers, students, community, and faith have joined together to stage massive protests this week against Governor Walker’s budget proposal which would gut collective bargaining rights for 200,000 public workers. Tens of thousands of people are putting their everyday lives on hold to stand in solidarity. Student Labor Action Project activists in Wisconsin have been mobilizing on a daily basis to the capitol.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
**Beginning Monday, workers, students, faith leaders, and community allies will be holding solidarity rallies in their own states. Plan your own action, or contact your local JwJ coalition to find out if there is already an action planned in your area.
**Thousands of people are changing their facebook status to say, “Today I stand with in solidarity with the teachers, firefighters, nurses, and all public workers who are fighting for their rights. If you do too, change this to your status for the rest of the day.”
**The Student Labor Action Project is organizing a March 2nd Public Need vs Corporate Greed Day of Action. Stay tuned for more details on these actions in days to come.
**In Ohio, working people are also fighting a repeal of collective bargaining rights for the teachers, firefighters, nurses, and other public servants who provide vital services in our communities. Yesterday, thousands of people, including members of Columbus and Toledo JwJ, converged on the capitol to rally against Senate Bill 5. JwJ coalitions throughout the state, including Cleveland and Columbus, are gearing up for more actions in the coming weeks, including more actions at the capitol, vigils, town hall meetings, and rallies in key cities.
**In Indiana, working people are fighting several anti-worker bills, including so-called "Right to Work" legislation that makes it easier for companies to lower wages and cut benefits. JwJ coalitions across the state have been taking action at the state house and holding hearings and press conferences. They're gearing up for a hearing on Right to Work and visits to the state house every day next week.
In other states across the country, including Maine, Florida, and Missouri, JwJ coalitions are fighting back against anti-worker legislation ranging from Right to Work to corporate tax breaks to fighting to keep the state's minimum wage.

Make no mistake - these attacks on working people aren’t about balancing any budget – they’re about corporate CEOs using politicians to make sure that nothing gets in the way of their ability to bring home huge paychecks and even bigger bonuses.

CEOs know that workers united through unions are one of the few remaining protections workers have from unchecked corporate greed. They want to weaken or eliminate unions so that the voices of all workers are weakened.

Corporations want to control how our communities spend money. They want to cut public sector jobs instead of closing tax loopholes, privatize pubic sector jobs so that they can profit, and do away with agreements that ensure government contractors pay decent wages and don’t cut corners on safety. Meanwhile, politicians are asking working people to sacrifice vital public services like firefighters, teachers, and nurses so that they can give tax breaks, bailouts, and tax loopholes to corporations and CEOs.

These CEOs may have more money than we do, but we have strength in numbers. We need to come together to curb unchecked corporate power and restore the balance to our politics. It’s time for politicians to come together to create real solutions to the problems that are facing ordinary Americans.

At a time of record economic inequality, these laws that direct more money to corporations will only widen the gap between the wealthy and the poor, enriching a lucky few while forcing more people into poverty. Who will control our communities: working people or corporations?

AMERICAN LABOUR IOWA:

ROQUETTE LOCKOUT CONTINUES COMPLAINT LODGED WITH OECD:

Here is more on the lockout at Roquette Frères in Keokuk Iowa that was reported on before on this blog. The union representing the workers, an affiliate of the IUF, along with their allies have launched a complaint with the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) about violations of standards of practice for multinational enterprises. Here's the story from the IUF.

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Sugar and starch TNC Roquette in the dock at the OECD
The US AFL-CIO and the global union federation ICEM have joined the IUF in lodging a formal complaint against French-based sugar- and starchmaker Roquette Frères for violating the Guidelines on Multinational Enterprises of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

The Guidelines, which are legally binding on the 34 member states of the OECD and other countries which have signed on, oblige governments to ensure that transnational companies headquartered in or operating on their territory comply with internationally agreed human rights standards, including core Conventions of the ILO guaranteeing workers their rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining, among others.

Workers at Roquette America’s corn milling plant in Keokuk, Iowa, represented by the IUF-affiliated BCTGM, have been locked out of their jobs since September 28 last year for refusing to submit to contract proposals which would have effectively destroyed their wages, seniority, pensions and health benefits while opening up the workplace to "temporary" employees with no benefits or security.

Immediately after the lockout, according to the submission, "The company continued operations at the plant using a combination of supervisors, employees from the Illinois Roquette facility and workers recruited and supplied by a company based in Westchester, Ohio - "Last, Best & Final" specializing in furnishing replacement workers during industrial disputes.

"The fact that replacement workers were instantly available to operate a complex plant requiring a trained, specialized workforce immediately after the lockout was implemented indicates a premeditated plan to lock out the workers, if necessary for a prolonged period, in order to impose a collective agreement on the company’s unilateral terms and/or to permanently replace the existing workforce. Such an operation would have required sophisticated planning to have been underway no later than August, as part of management’s aggressive drive to weaken the union."

Running a sophisticated plant with hastily trained scabs has led to environmental contamination: over December 30-31, the Keokuk plant discharged 6,000 gallons of corn syrup into the Mississippi river – and the company failed to report the spill as required by law, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

The union submission to the OECD calls on the US National Contact Point for the Guidelines to facilitate a resolution to the dispute, and to involve as well the government of the home country, France, in these efforts.

You can support the Roquette workers – now in their fourth month on the picket line – by clicking here to send a message to Roquette Frères in the US and France, urging an immediate end to the lockout and an unconditional return to good faith negotiations.

AMERICAN LABOUR MINNEAPOLIS:
SOLIDARITY WITH CHIPOTLE WORKERS:


The following call for a solidarity action with Chipotle workers in the Minneapolis area comes from the SEIU Local 26.
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Solidarity with Chipotle Workers Action
Time Thursday, January 20 · 10:00am - 1:00pm

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Location SEIU Local 26 Union Hall
706 North 1st Street, Suite 110
Minneapolis, MN

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Created By SEIU Local 26

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More Info
Join us and our allies as we let Chipotle know that workers rights are just as important as animal rights. We'll be gathering at the SEIU Local 26 Hall and traveling to a nearby restaurant to let the fast-food restaurant know enough is enough.

Integrity starts with people.

In December, right before Christmas, Chipotle abruptly fired more than 150 Latino immigrant workers at multiple stores in Minneapolis, MN without notice or paying back wages. To continue using “Mexican” in its name and the chili pepper in its logo, we expect Chipotle to treat the hardworking Mexican American employees who’ve made their company a success with integrity and respect.

Chipotle prides itself on serving food with integrity; however it is not sufficiently committed to treating people with dignity. In fact, Chipotle treats its chickens and hogs better than it treats its employees The slogan, "Food with Integrity" means nothing when employees are treated with disdain.

The real winners of today’s broken immigration system are companies like Chipotle who reap huge profits off of a low-wage immigrant workforce. Instead of standing up for a comprehensive solution that would lift all worker wages, Chipotle scapegoats its workers and turns a blind eye, supporting practices and politicians that are anti-immigrant. Enforcement without comprehensive immigration reform just perpetuates a system
where corporations profit, workers suffer and our immigration problems continue to fester without relief.

IT’S TIME FOR CHIPOTLE TO STAND UP FOR WORKERS, SUPPORT IMMIGRATION REFORM

• We are calling upon Chipotle to stand up and treat its workers with the same dignity they give to their ingredients. We are asking Chipotle to do the following:
* Pay, in full, back wages to immigrant workers wrongly fired at Chipotle stores in Minneapolis, MN.
* Stand up for Comprehensive Immigration Reform, because it’s good for workers and it’s good for companies.
* Refuse to work with suppliers that support anti-immigrant candidates through political contributions.

AMERICAN LABOUR MINNESOTA:

ROUND TWO AT THE JIMMY JOHNS SHOPS:

This just in from the IWW Jimmy Johns Workers Union in Minneapolis and St. Paul...the National Labor Relations Board has ruled that the previous union election that the Union lost by a narrow 87-85 vote was invalid because of massive employer violations was invalid. This once again opens the matter of organizing at these shops. Here's the story from the Jimmy Johns Workers website.

IWWIWWIWWIWW

In Big Union Victory, Jimmy John's Union Election Nullified Due to Employer Labor Rights Violations
press release
Sandwich Workers Begin New Push for “10 Point Program” to Reform Fast Food Industry

MINNEAPOLIS– The National Labor Relations Board approved a settlement today nullifying the results of the historic October 22 union election at Jimmy John's, putting victory back on the table for the nation's first-ever union in franchised fast food. The settlement validates workers' claims that franchise owners Mike and Rob Mulligan were able to squeak out an 87-85 victory in the election only by resorting to unlawful tactics including threatening a wage freeze, intentionally fabricating rumors that the union engaged in sabotage, retaliating against union supporters, and numerous other labor rights violations.

With the tainted election results nullified, the union is asking the franchise owners to negotiate over its "10 Point Program for Justice at Jimmy John's," a comprehensive package of reforms that will bring respect, dignity, and democracy to the fast food workplace.

“There can now be no doubt that our rights were severely violated, but we're willing to put the past behind us. We are calling on Mike and Rob Mulligan to make a fresh start and work with us, rather than against us, to improve the lives of Jimmy John's workers and their families by negotiating over our 10 Point Program for modest but urgently needed changes,” said Micah Buckley-Farlee, a delivery driver at Jimmy John's and active member of the union campaign.

Based around benefits that workers in many other industries take for granted, the program is the response of Jimmy John's workers to their most pressing problems on the job. Core demands include sick days, improved job security, guaranteed work hours, a reasonable pay increase and regular raises, improved harassment policies, other basic job benefits, and the establishment of a system of shop committees giving workers a democratic voice within the company.

If franchise owners Mike and Rob Mulligan refuse to cooperate, the union has indicated a willingness to return to the trenches and continue the fight for union recognition, this time on terms that are much more favorable to the union due to the settlement agreement.

Under the NLRB settlement, Jimmy John's must cease engaging in a wide range of unlawful anti-union activities, post notices informing employees of the company's new commitment to obeying the law, and host a series of mandatory employee meetings in which a representative of the NLRB will read the notices in the presence of the company owner.

In 60 days, the Union will also be eligible to file for a fresh election at any point in the next 18 months, with an abbreviated “campaigning period” of 30 days, 12 days shorter than what is customary for NLRB elections.

Union member Ayo Collins said, "Mike and Rob Mulligan can either continue their losing battle against their employees, or they can work with us and distinguish themselves as leaders in bringing much-needed change to the nation's fast food industry. For our part, we're hoping for the best and preparing for the worst. We are more confident than ever that in the end, we will win, setting an example for 3.5 million fast food workers to follow."

The Jimmy Johns Workers 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.

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http://www.jimmyjohnsworkers.org

AMERICAN LABOUR WASHINGTON STATE:

THE BOSS IS PACKING:

Molly has mentioned the long struggle between the United Farm Workers in the USA and Ruby Ridge Dairies several times before on this blog. I believe that this issue might be the one where an extremely aggressive reply from what I presume is either the owner or one of his managers was received at one time on this site. That little bit of verbal aggression, however, is nothing compared to what the workers at Ruby Ridge have to face, as the following item and appeal from the United Farm Workers (UFW) makes plain. They are asking for your support in cutting off the financial iv line that allows Ruby Ridge to keep up its anti-worker policies.

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This Boss Brings a Rifle to Work

Workers will hand petition in on January 11.
Sign the petition today!

We've written to you before about the unbearable situation workers face at WA's Ruby Ridge dairy. The dairy is being sued for violation of Washington wage and hour laws, unlawful discharge by firing 1/3 of the workforce and even assault. The workers who haven't yet been fired are afraid they're next.

Owner Dick Bengen often carries a rifle with him on his large dairy farm. To Dick Bengen, that rifle is his anti-union rifle that he uses to scare the workers into line. Mr. Bengen made a point of explaining the special purpose of this rifle to Miguel Cuevas, when he told him, "This rifle is for those people with the union."

Workers, members of the faith community and most recently, thousands of UFW supporters, contacted Northwest Farm Credit Services, the bank that loaned $13 million to Ruby Ridge. They demand the bank use its influence to resolve the issues at the dairy. The bank's mortgage language specifically prohibits illegal behavior such as the workers say is happening at Ruby Ridge.

The bank continues to ignore our calls. According to Margarito Martinez, who was fired from Ruby Ridge for supporting the union and fighting for his rights, "When workers and supporters tried to reach out to the bank to intervene in this matter, they turned us down, saying they did not want to be involved."

On January 11, right after the Christmas holidays, Ruby Ridge workers and their supporters will gather in front of the bank's headquarters. They will demand that the bank enforce their lending language.

We know that not everyone can join the workers in Spokane, WA, but you and your friends and family can join virtually by signing the petition that we'll present to the bank that day.

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THE PETITION:

Please go to this link to add your name to the following petition

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Petition:

Northwest Farm Credit Services should use its influence to resolve the dispute at Ruby Ridge Dairy. This bank has lent Ruby Ridge $13 million and has failed to hold the dairy accountable for its actions.

AMERICAN LABOUR NEW JERSEY:

STAND UP FOR NEW JERSEY PUBLIC EMPLOYEES:

Chris Christie is the Republican Governor of the state of New Jersey, and it seems he is angling for a run at the Presidency next time around. In his role as Governor he has proven to be one of the most anti-worker politicians in the USA. Here's a story and appeal from the AFL-CIO blog about his latest trip to TV land.

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NJ’s Christie Used ‘60 Minutes’ Platform to Attack Public Workers
by Mike Hall, Dec 20, 2010

Last night’s “60 Minutes” report on the budget crises and shortfalls many state and local governments face could have been written by anti-worker, anti-union New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), who used his airtime to slam public employees and their unions as the root cause for the huge budget gaps. Yet 60 Minutes did not give one second of airtime to a public employee or union spokesperson.

Throughout the report, writes Media Matters’ Jamison Foser:

CBS allows Christie, New Jersey’s Republican governor, to launch attacks on unions and make unsupported claims about budget problems, all without ever challenging his assertions and without including substantive disagreement from Christie critics… If Christie didn’t get a producer credit on the 60 Minutes segment, he should have.

BTW, “60 Minutes” producers never even contacted the AFL-CIO for input or comments. AFSCME President Gerald McEntee says Christie “is more interested in scoring political points than solving state and local budget challenges and getting the economy moving.”
The fact is, hundreds of thousands of public employees, just like private-sector employees, have been laid off and taken pay and benefit cuts—even as Wall Street executives lined their pockets with taxpayer money and took home huge bonuses. And as [the report] noted, much of the pension problem stems from the fact that politicians did not contribute to their pension funds.

While politicians like Christie rail against the pensions public employees have secured through collective bargaining—painting them as overly generous golden parachutes, McEntee notes the average annual pension for an AFSCME member is $19,000, and the workers contribute 80 percent during their lifetime on the job.

[Take action: Write a comment on the "60 Minutes" Facebook wall here and if you're on Twitter, retweet: RT @AFLCIO #60minutes Why did you do segment on public wkrs in state w/ Christie/Wall St, but didn't contact the workers? @60minutes #p2 ]

The long term solution to state and local fiscal challenges, says McEntee, is “a robust economy, one that is creating jobs and replenishing tax revenue.”

Public employees stand ready to help state and local governments get through the economic storm. But to suggest that they have not sacrificed is a lie, and we will not allow politicians like Chris Christie to blame the economic crisis on working and middle class Americans.

AMERICAN LABOUR:

ONLINE DAY OF SOLIDARITY WITH THE JOBLESS:



Tomorrow there will an "online day of solidarity" with the unemployed in the USA. Here's the story and appeal from the AFL-CIO Blog.
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Join Online Day of Solidarity with the Jobless Dec. 7
by Mike Hall, Dec 3, 2010

Republican lawmakers continue to hold hostage vital unemployment insurance survival help for millions of jobless workers, vowing to keep the Senate gridlocked until the nation’s wealthy are guaranteed continued tax breaks.

More than 900,000 workers already have lost their unemployment insurance since Republicans pulled the plug Nov. 30. Every day another 38,000 job-seekers lose their unemployment insurance.

So please join us Tuesday, Dec. 7 for an online day of solidarity with the jobless via Facebook and Twitter. It’s simple.

•Update your status on Facebook and Twitter to say you’re “in solidarity with jobless workers.”
•Sign our petition urging Congress to extend emergency unemployment aid here.
•Change your Facebook and Twitter profile pictures with images here.
Click here for complete instructions.

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THE PETITION:

Please go to this link to add your name to the following petition.

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"Letting emergency unemployment benefits expire will hurt our fragile economy just as we're struggling to recover. With five job hunters for every one opening, long-term unemployed workers need uninterrupted help to keep food on the table. I urge you to renew the federal unemployment insurance programs immediately!"

ANARCHIST MUSIC:
ANNE FEENEY FOR THE HOLIDAYS:



Here's a little promo from the union maid herself Anne Feeney, now recovering from cancer chemotherapy. I can't think of any better Christmas gifts than one of her albums. Promotion duly noted.
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DECEMBER 2010 - Anne Feeney's Fellow Travelers' Advisory - VOLUME SIX #9‏
You can buy my CDs at http://cdbaby.com/all/unionmaid or by calling 1-800-BUY-MY-CD. They make great grab-bag gifts!
4 December 2010


UPCOMING BENEFIT SHOWS - FT. LAUDERDALE and PITTSBURGH



Tomorrow afternoon (well, today if you're reading this on Sunday...) some of the finest of Florida's musicians as well as some superb touring musicians will join forces in Ft. Lauderdale at the legendary Labyrinth Cafe in a benefit for my "paid sick days" fund. It's so overwhelming and very touching to see musicians coming together for me. If you have friends near either one of these cities, please spread the word.


Sunday, December 5, 2010
2:00 p.m.
Anne Feeney Benefit Concert
Labyrinth Café
UU Church of Ft. Lauderdale, 3970 NW 21st Avenue, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33309
http://www.labyrinthcafe.com/Cosponsored.html

Anne Feeney has been a force to be reckoned with for many years. She has sung out and stood up for political and social injustice in every area of her life. She has helped many people in need. Now she is fighting cancer, and we want to help her in her struggle.

Performers include: Ellen Bukstel, Coalition of Immokalee Workers, Ray Del Papa, Jennings & Keller, Rod MacDonald, Marie Nofsinger, The Raging Grannies, Joan Rose, Vicki Ryder, The Solidarity Singers, Amy Speace, Amy Carol Webb, Doug & Telisha Williams, Valerie C. Wisecracker...


For more info about Anne, you can check out her website (http://www.annefeeney.com/ ) or go to http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/annefeeney , where you can read the journal updates and/or write in her guest book - Ms. Feeney's Wild Ride indeed!
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There is also a raffle planned. You could win a $2000.00 handmade guitar. This guitar, handmade by S. L. Smith, with a hard case is being raffled off for Anne's benefit. There will be only 250 total tickets sold at $10.00 each. For more info about who made the guitar: http://guitars.slsmith.info/


We expect to hold the drawing during the concert on December 5. If all 250 tickets are not sold by that time, an equitable time for the drawing will be determined and the winner will be posted. Michael Stock, of WLRN's Folk and Acoustic Music Show, on Sundays from 2 - 5 PM, has kindly agreed to assist with the drawing and announcement of the winner if it does not take place at the fundraiser.


(Let me know if you're interested in a raffle ticket. If they don't sell all the tickets by tomorrow, I'm sure they'll be happy to sell one to you! email me @ anne@annefeeney.com)

PITTSBURGH, PA - SUNDAY, DECEMBER 12th - MR. SMALL'S - 2PM

You'd have to be a student of Pittsburgh musical legends to understand how completely amazing the lineup is for the December 12th show at Mr. Small's. RUSTED ROOT will be turning in a short set. Blues giant BILLY PRICE will sing. THE GRANATI BROTHERS will rock out. Justin Sane from ANTI-FLAG will add some hard edged punk to the show. Fresh from his night of performing with Bruce Springsteen, JOE GRUSHECKY AND THE HOUSE ROCKERS will dazzle us. My dear friends THE NEWLANDERS will perform, as will JACK ERDIE, BRAD YODER, TRES LADS, JOE MUNROE, SUE POWERS AND JEFF BERMAN. This concert was the brainchild of MIKE STOUT and the HUMAN UNION who will perform songs from their fabulous new CD. Many of Pittsburgh's finest side musicians (ROBBIE KLEIN, NELSON HARRISON and so many more!) will be filling out the lineup, and (I hope) joining me on stage if I feel up to it. Many many thanks to Senator Jim Ferlo for his generosity, support and guidance in the planning of this event.


There's going to be an incredible silent auction during the show with some impossible-to-find-anywhere-else items donated by local musicians and artists. All the musicians will have CDs on sale, so please come to buy some recordings too - support all our fabulous live local musicians!


Advance tickets available at http://ticketweb.com/mrsmalls or charge by phone @ 866-468-3401 and various locations around Pittsburgh.


I hope to have some photos from this for the January Fellow Travelers' Advisory.
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Many many thanks to the Mother Jones Committee in Springfield, IL who dedicated their 2010 annual banquet to me. They had a silent auction before dinner and a hat pass afterward, and folks were exceedingly generous.

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STRANGELY ABSENT FROM THE ELECTORAL DEBATE

You would have never guess we're still in the middle of two wars. All during the recent election campaigns there was hardly any mention of the high cost of the 2 invasions and occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. Besides the deaths often estimated over 1 million people, over $1.1 trillion or more has already been spent with no end in sight. It is estimated that it has cost the U.S. $50 million to kill each Taliban. The proposed U.S. embassy to be built in Kabul will cost $500 million. A new audit shows that the U.S. cannot account for nearly $18 billion earmarked for the Afghan occupation. (Democracy Now, 10/29/10). U.S. soldiers sent to Iraq and injured will need $600 billion for their healthcare. However, there is hardly a peep from the Tea Party, which usually vehemently complains about the overspending of tax payer money. Over 55% of federal taxes are spent by military bureaucrats and lobbyists at the Pentagon. If we cut military spending by only 1% we could completely eliminate poverty in the U.S. (Online Journal Sentinel, 11/19/10). If we used the tax money for basic human needs instead of invading and occupying countries for economic reasons we could guarantee all our citizens, not just some, education and healthcare. In other words, we could have what most Europeans already have. All we have to do is follow their example and drastically cut military spending. It would be a step in the right direction towards a more peaceful and just world. We get what we pay for. -------Don Timmerman

This piece appeared in "The Sparrow Sings" - the wonderful monthly newsletter from my friends Don Timmerman and Roberta Thurstin. If you'd like to subscribe, send an email to: don2roberta@yahoo.com and tell them so.
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SOAW UPDATE

This just in from Don and Roberta: Some of the 29 people taken into custody outside Ft. Benning during the rally at the annual School of the Americas Watch Vigil on Nov. 20 in Columbus GA were undercover agents, one of whom was arrested with the others. Fr. Bill Brennan, S.J., a former Casa Maria community member, at 90 years old, was one of those arrested and later released. Good going, Bill! Fr. Louis Vilale and Davvid Omondi, both Catholic Workers, were arrested for civil disobedience or divine obedience and sentenced to 6 months in prison. -----SOA Watch Enjoying your freedom? Thank a protester!


I was so sorry to miss the gathering at the gates of SOA this year. The musical collective was in grand form, with the lovely new addition of our pal Roy Zimmerman. It's hard to say how long it will take to close this evil place, but I believe that we will. I was very pleased to hear that the musical collective sang "Have You Been to Jail for Justice?" on Saturday, and dedicated it to me.
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I LOVE HEARING FROM YOU!

Please keep the cards and letters coming. I get so stir-crazy sitting at home day after day after week after month (although it sure beats being in the hospital...). I wish I felt up to more phone calls, but my energy level is VERY low. That's why I love reading your comments at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/annefeeney and getting mail from you. As soon as I feel up to it, I'm hitting the road to come and thank you all in person. That could be a while though. In the meantime, know how very much I cherish our connection and look forward to our next meeting.

Anne Feeney
2240 Milligan Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15218
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SEBASTIAN

I don't know if you all will be able to see this 54 second video of my grandson, Sebastian, at home in Ecuador. (If not, trust me, he's cute. Very cute.) I'm so looking forward to having him and the rest of my family here from December 18-26th. It will be wonderful! http://sharing.theflip.com/session/b65c0d92ccb4955b65d476a038bf2729/video/31896261

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WHATEVER YOU'RE CELEBRATING

I hope the coming weeks bring you plenty of days off, the light and love of family and friends, good health and that 2011 will be a wonderful healthy year for us all.

Much love
Anne

Anne Feeney
http://annefeeney.com

http://cdbaby.com/all/unionmaid - Buy CDs!

412-877-6480 (cell)

"Anne Feeney is the greatest labor singer in North America." -- Utah Phillips

AMERICAN LABOUR MADISON WISCONSIN:

NO OUTSOURCING AT UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN:

This following appeal for solidarity with workers at the University of Wisconsin at Madison comes from the United Students Against Sweatshops.

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Tell Chancellor Martin to stop union busting


Join USAS activists at the University of Wisconsin and stop the university of outsourcing away good union jobs for campus workers: E-mail Chancellor Martin now

Stop Outsourcing Away Union Jobs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison!
Hello,

Here at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, we are waging a campaign to stop the outsourcing of good union jobs on campus. The university and private sources are opening a new building on campus as part of a "public-private partnership." The university and private companies want to privatize the food service at this new building, which would result in low wages, no benefits, and no union representation for all workers. It would also undermine the power of the AFSCME local here, which represents all 1,600 blue collar worker on campus.

Please take a second and email Chancellor Martin and the Managing Director of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation today and stand up for campus workers!

Take action now: Tell Chancellor "Biddy" Martin to stop privatization and union busting!
In solidarity,

Jonah Zinn
Student Labor Action Coalition, University of Wisconsin-Madison
United Students Against Sweatshops
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THE LETTER:
Please go to this link to send the following letter to Chancellor Martin of the University of Wisconsin.
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I am deeply upset about the current situation taking place at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery. The plan to outsource the food service jobs in this building is unacceptable. AFSCME 171 has a long history and tradition of representing the hard-working people of this campus and striving to secure a living wage and respectable working conditions. The outsourcing of these jobs will undercut AFSCME and will result in workers being exploited on the University of Wisconsin campus. One of the greatest strengths of the Madison Community is the strong union voice which maintains living wages and keeps the economy of the city afloat while most of the country is wading deep in the waters of recession.

The attempt to privatize these jobs is a blatant attempt to weaken AFSCME 171 as a whole and to move the entire university towards a privatized workforce. This is not what the university needs, the community wants, or the Wisconsin Way.

I urge you to resolve this issue immediately. The only acceptable resolution is to make these jobs public and to guarantee that these workers will have union representation under AFSCME 171. I trust that we can count on you to not let Madison fall by the wayside.

AMERICAN LABOUR IOWA:

SUPPORT ROQUETTE WORKERS IN IOWA:

The following appeal for support for locked out workers in Keokuk Iowa come from the international union federation the IUF.

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Lockout at Roquette America enters month 3
Urgent Action 02-12-2010
Workers at Roquette America’s corn milling plant in Keokuk, Iowa, represented by the BCTGM, have been locked out of their jobs for over 2 months – and the union is calling for international support to end the lockout as it moves into month 3.

Roquette Frères is a French-based manufacturer of starch and sugar derivatives and polyols, which have a broad range of food, beverage and other manufacturing applications. The fourth largest global company in its sector, with 18 plants worldwide, family-held Roquette is notoriously secretive about its finances and general operations. This doesn’t prevent them from boasting of their market capitalization (over €8.8 billion, or some USD 11.5 billion) on their corporate stationary just below the address and phone number. A sample is visible on the letter the company CEO wrote last year to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon when they joined the UN global Compact and committed to respecting labour rights and integrating them along with other principles into the “strategy, culture and day-to-day operations” of the company.

Management at Roquette America apparently hasn’t been brought up to speed on this. BCTGM Local 48G represents 240 workers at the Keokuk plant, which manufactures starches including the high-fructose corn syrup sourced by companies including Coca-Cola and Heinz. Negotiations for a renewed contract officially began on September 14, with the company demanding, among other major reductions and concessions, the right to hire temporary workers at less than half the wages of the permanent workforce with no benefits, an end to seniority in layoffs, an end to overtime for weekend work, the elimination of sick, personal and maternity leave, enormous increases in worker contributions for health care, the end of the company pension scheme and a 4-year wage freeze.

When the members rejected these proposals, the workers were given a 24-hour ultimatum to approve the company’s final offer – and locked out of their jobs when the contract expired on September 28, despite the union’s offer to continue working under the terms of the expired contract while negotiations continued.

The Roquette workers are the latest union workforce to be attacked by a vicious corporate offensive to profit from high unemployment by rolling back wages and conditions at a time of healthy profits and cheap credit. Despite sub-zero temperatures, members of Local 48G have maintained a round-the-clock informational picket at the plant. They are fighting for the rights of current and future Roquette workers. The union has two demands: an immediate end to the lockout, and an unconditional return to negotiations. You can support their struggle by clicking here to send a message to French and US management.

We thank you for your solidarity and support.

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THE LETTER:

Please go to this link to send the following letter to French and American management of Roquette.

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To Marc Roquette, Président Roquette Frères
Guy Talbourdet CEO

Dear sirs,

Roquette Frères claim to be committed to upholding international labour standards and integrating them into the company's operations, strategy and culture. The punishing lockout of BCTGM Local 48G at your plant in Keokuk, Iowa which continues since September 28 is in violation of ILO standards, the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and the principles of the UN Global Compact which you have signed on to. I urge you to act to ensure that the lockout is immediately and unconditionally lifted and good faith negotiations for the renewal of a collective agreement commence without delay.

Yours sincerely

AMERICAN LABOUR WASHINGTON STATE:

NO MORE MONEY FOR RUBY RIDGE:

The Ruby Ridge Dairy in Washington State has a long record of abusing its workers, and now it is applying for yet more money to continue on as before. The United Farm Workers are asking that you help them apply pressure to the lender Northwest Farm Credit Services to withhold further loans until Ruby Ridge mends its ways. Here's the appeal....

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Would You Lend this Dairy $13 Million?
Does continuing to invest $13 million in a dairy that is being sued for violation of Washington wage and hour laws, unlawful discharge by firing 1/3 of the workforce and even assault sound like a good investment?

Apparently Northwest Farm Credit Services thinks so. They’re the bank who lent Ruby Ridge Dairy $13 million. Here’s the language from their January 29, 2008 mortgage. It states, "Mortgagors agree to comply with all laws, ordinances, regulations, covenants, conditions and restriction affecting the Property use including without limitation all environmental laws. Also not to use or permit the use of the Property for any unlawful or objectionable purpose or for any purpose that poses an unreasonable risk of harm, or that impairs or may impair the value of the Property." It sure appears that Ruby Ridge is not fulfilling the terms of their mortgage.

The lawsuit is only the tip of the iceberg. The workers who haven’t yet been fired are afraid they’re next. They tell us how pro-union workers have much higher daily quotas to meet that anti-union workers. The workers at Ruby Ridge believe are supporting the union are being segregated from the rest of the workforce. The pro-union workers report they work in a room that there is no safe drinking water. They either drink from hoses used to remove manure from the room’s floor or water barrels from which the cows drink. These workers also do not have a break room, so they are forced to eat alongside the cows. And when the owners see them taking a lunch break they are yelled at.

The UFW has repeatedly tried to bring these issues to the bank’s attention. So has the faith community and the Ruby Ridge workers. Northwest Farm Credit Services simply turned a blind eye.

We now need your support. Please send the email below and join our call for this bank to use its power to resolve the problems at Ruby Ridge Dairy.
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THE LETTER:
Please go to this link to send the following letter to the Northwest Farm Credit Services.
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Your bank has a moral and legal responsibility to address the issues at Ruby Ridge Dairy, a business to whom you’ve lent $13 million. No human beings should be subjected to the treatment that the workers at Ruby Ridge have been suffering. Twenty-five workers have filed suit against the dairy for wage and hour violations, assault and outrageous conduct. Your mortgage agreement clearly stipulates that Ruby Ridge must comply with all laws.

I call on you to immediately use your influence to resolve this situation. Please demand that the owners of Ruby Ridge meet with the United Farm Workers to resolve this dispute.