HISTORY:

ROSA PARKS:

On this date Rosa Parks (1913-2005), the mother of the American Civil Rights Movement was born. On December 1st 1955 she refused an order from a bus driver to give up her seat for a white and "move to the back of the bus". This led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott that was the first action of the civil rights movement in the USA. The notice for this anniversary was from the Daily Bleed. To learn more about Rosa Parks see this Wikipedia entry.

TODAY IN HISTORY:

ANNIVERSARY OF 'THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES'

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It was today in 1859 that Charles Darwin published 'The Origin Of Species'. It can be argued that this has been the most influential book of the modern age. Today pretty well anybody involved in the sciences is a "Darwinist". This doesn't just apply to the obvious disciples such as biology, anthropology or archeology. Evolutionary thought is now a paradigm in fields as far apart as cosmology, geology and even chemistry.

Those who refuse evolutionary thought are a tiny minority, at least outside of the USA. On the left there are a tiny number of academics who deny that evolution has anything to do with humans. On the right the USA is the only country in the world where large numbers of people oppose the idea of evolution for religious reasons. In a strange twist of "survival of the fittest" America still has to come to terms with its high class university system bleeding India, Russia, China, Japan and Korea for talent while at the same time religious obscurantism helps to keep the public school system in the USA as substandard.

AMERICAN POLITICS:

ANOTHER SORT OF FIRST OF JULY:

Well now that the great raison d'être for America's far flung wars is safely swimming with the fishies it might just be time for that country to question why they continue to fight. A peace coalition called the Three Million Strong March On Washington is planning to drive this point home next July 1. Here's their announcement.

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Anti-War Rallies and Demonstrations
Friday, July 1 at 8:00am - July 4 at 4:00pm

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Location Everywhere USA

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More Info

Glen Ford recently wrote in the Black Agenda that Americans no longer support the Anti- War movement because there is a Democratic President in office. Let's prove him wrong on his analysis. Party Politics Be Damned when it comes to war - we should all be working towards a more peaceful and just planet. www.htp://threemillionstrong.yolasite.com/organize-locally.php is an organize locally page for the Three Million Strong March on Washington. I challenge each of you to use it to organize an Anti-War rally in your area over the 4th of July weekend. Let's show the world what the American people are really about.

Three Suggestions -
1. You should be peaceful and respectful
2. You should not condemn our brothers and sisters in Uniform. They are not the problem of war, they are simply doing what they believe is right for their country.
3. Since this is the month President Obama has made clear he will begin withdrawal from Afghanistan, your protest/rally should reflect that.

Printable flyers at http://threemillionstrong.yolasite.com/organize-locally.php

Once you've organized please announce your action here, no matter how big or small...it's important, even if you only have a few folks, every person, or group of people count. Also - please photograph your action/s and send them to us --so we can organize pictures prior to, during, and after-wards.

INTERNATIONAL POLITICS EGYPT - USA:

EGYPTIAN POLICE TEAR GAS "MADE IN THE USA":

The following story and appeal is from the US based organization Human Rights First. They are calling for the United States government to cease its support of the Egyptian dictatorship and not just in words. Here's the story...

TGTGTGTGTGTG
“Made in the USA” Tear Gas Thrown at Protesters in Egypt
The United States has given billions of dollars in military aid to Egypt over the decades. The State Department approved the sale of tear gas to its police, despite its known history of brutality.

As everyday life begins to resume in Egypt, there are lingering questions about what happened, how it happened, and what's next.

The House Foreign Affairs Committee is tackling some of these questions. We have our own questions we would like answers to.

Help us get our questions asked—and add your own!—by sending a letter to the chairs and members of the committee.

Given the U.S. relationship with Egypt, President Obama and U.S. policymakers can make a difference in what happens in Egypt—let's make sure they keep the interest of Egyptian citizens in mind.

TGTGTGTGTGTG

THE PETITION

Please go to this link to sign the following petition to the American Administration.

TGTGTGTGTGTG

I’d like to hear members of the Obama Administration answer the following questions:

1. Why did the State Department approve the sale of tear gas to Egyptian police despite its well-documented history of brutality?
2. Can you describe what steps the administration is taking to ensure that the transition process now underway in Egypt leads to more respect for human rights and a more representative and responsive system of government?
3. How can we ensure that the State of Emergency is lifted, that political prisoners are released and that necessary constitutional amendments and other safeguards are implemented to permit free elections to take place in the coming months?
4. Given that discrimination against Egypt’s minority Christian community has been a constant feature of Mubarak's policy -- and the marked increase in violence against Copts -- can you discuss what the U.S. Government is prepared to do to help support religious freedom in Egypt?
5. Considering the U.S. commitment to Internet freedom as a basic aspect of freedom of expression, what is the U.S. Government doing to protect the role—and the private services—of tech companies in places such as Egypt, where the rule of law is not respected?
6. The Egyptian military has been a longtime partner of the U.S., receiving billions of dollars of aid and training. What is the administration doing to persuade the military to become a force for stability and respect in Egyptian society?

Thank you for considering these questions.

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.

HUMOUR:

BIFOCALS AMERICAN STYLE:

Here's another winner from the Kirktoons site.

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.

AMERICAN ANARCHIST MOVEMENT MINNEAPOLIS:
RNC (FOUR) AGREE TO PLEA BARGAIN:


This the latest from the Defend the RNC 8 group. The four remaining defendants will likely enter a plea bargain next Tuesday. What this means the future will tell. Here's the story.

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Important Update on the RNC 8 Case:
New Hearing Tuesday 10/19 at 9am
Dear supporters near and far,

It is with strong and mixed emotions that we bring important news: there appears to be a major change in the cases of the four remaining RNC 8 defendants--Garrett, Max, Nathanael and Rob. The four have tentatively reached a plea agreement with prosecutors, likely avoiding trial. The agreement, if it goes according to plan, significantly reduces the charge, calls for favorable sentencing, and is non-cooperating.

We wish to thank you for being there for the 8 and for us all along. You raised funds, raised consciousness of the fight against criminalization of dissent, and raised the next generation of rebels and revolutionaries to keep the struggle going. You were there at the jail vigil and the very first hearings; you were there in the kitchen and the dining room at our community meals; you were there at our rallies and actions. You were there at meetings, you were there at fundraisers, and you were there in the courtroom, through thick and thin.

Now, please be there in the courtroom for what we expect to be one final time:

* When: Tuesday, October 19, at 9am
* Where: Ramsey County Courthouse, 15 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul

Check our updates or the monitors in room 131 for the courtroom number. Please stay afterwards for a press conference and address immediately upon conclusion of the hearing.

We understand this news may well be surprising. Many of us feel the same and much, much more, but above all, we personally support all the defendants in their difficult decision and will continue to support them through whatever hurdles remain. We will release more information, analysis and logistical updates to you all after details are confirmed on Tuesday. We ask that, until then, speculation or rumor be kept to a minimum.

Again, thank you for your continued support and struggle.

In solidarity,

the RNC 8 Defense Committee

AMERICAN LABOUR:

MOTTS STRIKE ENDS VICTORY OR DEFEAT ?:




Well the strike at the Motts plant in Williamson New York has finally ended after a vigorous continent wide solidarity campaign. Now Molly can go back to buying Clamato juice by the case. Yum ! The United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) who are the parent union of the RWDSU who represent the Motts workers are 'declaring victory". Here is their statement from the Canadian website.
MWMWMWMWMW
Mott’s strike ends in victory

The four-month strike by three hundred RWDSU-UFCW Local 220 members at a Mott’s bottling plant in upstate New York has come to a successful conclusion.

Workers at the plant, owned by the Dr Pepper Snapple Group (DPS), have ratified a new collective bargaining agreement by a margin of 3 to 1.

“This is a very important victory for our Local 220 brothers and sisters,” said UFCW Canada National President Wayne Hanley. “Their resolve was reinforced by the solidarity and support of UFCW International and UFCW Canada members and local unions across North America through their letters, petitions and boycott of DPS products.”

More than 300 members work at the Mott’s plant in Williamson, New York. With the successful conclusion of the strike, the campaign to boycott DPS products has also come to an end. The conclusion of the work stoppage also marked the end of UFCW Canada's very successful No to Clamato/Down with Caesar campaign, which was widely received by Canadians across the country.

"Our brothers and sisters in Canada were a key part of this fight," says RWDSU President Stuart Appelbaum. "The donations to the hardship fund we received from Canadians, the support of Members of Parliament, and innovative campaigns like UFCW Canada's "No to Clamato/Down with Caesar" petition drive - all of these things helped Local 220 members know that they were not alone as they fought for good middle class jobs. We are grateful to our brothers and sisters in the UFCW."
MWMWMWMWMW
All, however, is not wine and roses in this agreement. It is, I guess, expected that the unions involved would blow their own horns about "victory". Expected yes, but is it either useful or desirable ? This fault called in old-fashioned language "triumphalism" is hardly restricted to unions or the business world in general. It is a widely spread human tendency. Where it becomes harmful is where the disconnect from reality is so great that pretty well anyone other than a protagonist can see the discrepancy. In such cases the claims do little other than discredit the claimant. This is where it becomes undesirable. It becomes a hindrance ie not useful when it prevents the protagonist from dispassionately analyzing what went wrong and what went right and making future plans. be my guest to judge where the union proclamations of "victory" fall in this case.



Many others outside of those immediately involved have opined that the strike was less than a clear victory. I could quote many sources, but here is a particularly good one from Mike Elk in the Huffington Post. This has been a long running theme on this blog. Truth is usually a messy affair in which one side is never always either right or good. After many years of being "on one side" I have come to accept it as a truism that many on my own side may exaggerate, lie or even be simply out to lunch. In this case I would personally definitely support the Motts strikers, but I don't see the usefulness of lieing and pretending that they achieved an unsullied victory.
MWMWMWMWMW
Was the Mott's Strike "Victory" Really a Victory?
While organized labor spends close to $100 million to propel Democrats to victory in November, members of the Retail, Wholesale, Department Store Union/UFCW (RWDSU/UFCW) Local 220 on Monday won perhaps labor's most important victory of the fall.


The Mott's applesauce plant workers went on strike in Williamson, N.Y., on May 23, after Mott's parent company, the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, demanded what amounted to a $3,000 per year wage cut for every worker across the board, as well as cuts in pension and healthcare. Companies and unions across the country were watching the Mott Applesauce Strike as a sign of bargaining trends to come. So Monday's settlement is being seen as a "victory" because it stopped profitable companies from demanding wage cuts.

But was the "victory" at Mott's really a victory? For the first time, Mott's workers were forced to accept a two-tier employee structure -- a system that breaks union solidarity over the long run by pitting new hires against older employees. Under the new system, new hires will not have guaranteed pension plans like current workers, but instead have riskier 401(k) plans. Likewise, the company will decrease its matching payments to all retirement plans as well as force employees to pay health care contributions of 20 percent.

As Stephen Franklin reported last week, Snapple argued that because the average worker in the Williamson area was making $14 an hour, while Mott's workers were averaging $21 an hour, Mott's workers should accept wage cuts because the local area contained so many workers who would work for less. Mott's demanded this despite boasting one of its best annual profits on record last year--$550 million, up from $312 million the year before.


As Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), an affiliate of the United Food and Commercial Workers union, said, "This is the first time a very profitable company has come to us and asked for concessions, and I've been with the union for 23 years."

Yes, the new agreement does "restore" wage levels for current employees. But it also freezes them for three years.

One has to wonder how much of a victory this truly is for labor. At a time when Mott's overall profits are increasing, workers wages' should be increasing. By threatening massive wage cuts, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group was able to force the union to accept small benefit concessions and a two-tier employee system that saves Dr Pepper Snapple money.

The fact that a corporation was able to force these concessions on workers while making record profits is a testament to the weakened state of organized labor, and the desperation of American workers.

Follow Mike Elk on Twitter: www.twitter.com/MikeElk

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR CHILE USA:

MORE PRESSURE ON KROGER:

Molly has reported before on this blog about the campaign on the part of the American United Farm Workers to apply on Guimarra Vineyards via its customer Kroger. The Kroger supermarket chain claims an ethical code of conduct that it expects its suppliers to adhere to. As the following from the UFW makes plain Guimarra is in violation of this code both in its American operations and also in the 'off season' grapes it obtains from Chile. Conditions for farm workers are abysmal in both countries.

FWFWFWFWFW
Natures Partner Violates Kroger's Code of Conduct in Chile Too

Last week, thousands of farm worker supporters took action to tell the Kroger grocery chain* to hold a particular supplier accountable—Giumarra Vineyards, provider of Nature’s Partner produce.

In its 2010 Sustainability Report, Kroger features a Code of Conduct for its vendors which specifies standards that vendors must be able to demonstrate compliance with. As we demonstrated, Giumarra Vineyards Corporation, with its Nature’s Partner label, is not in compliance.

Now we want to share that these violations don’t stop with the California fields where grapes with the Nature Partner label are produced. The kinds of abuses workers report at Giumarra Vineyards trickle down throughout the company’s supply chain. Chilean companies that provide Giumarra with the off season produce you’ll see on Kroger’s shelves, under the Nature’s Partner label, are also out of compliance with the code.

Chilean field worker Magaly Luna describes the following:

"The first thing they tell you when you arrive at the company is that you can’t complain… they say is that ‘if you fall from the ladder this year you are of no use to me to thin the vine. You are nothing because if you limp, then what use are you? You will climb the vine, it will hurt, then you will get down. If before you made 100 vines, now you will only make 60 vines and will be of no use to me.’

"Another thing is when final paychecks are issued, we are left being owed money. We’re not paid for all of our work. We’re told the accountant will look into it, but nothing ever happens, they just keep our money."

It is clear that Kroger needs to have a much more thorough system for verifying that its suppliers are actually in compliance with its Code of Conduct. And it is important that Kroger not just take these companies’ own word at face value when it comes to verification—worker testimony must be taken into account.

Take action today by clicking on the green "participate" button on the top right and tell Kroger to find out what is really going on out in the ranches that put the food on their shelves.

* The Krogers grocery chain includes Ralphs, Food for Less, Fred Meyer, QFC, Frys, Baker’s, City Market, Dillions, Foods Co, Gerbes, Hilander, JayC Stores, King Soopers, Owen’s Market, Scotts Food & Pharmacy, Smiths Food & Drug, Smith’s Marketplace, Turkey Hill, and more.

FWFWFWFWFW

THE LETTER:

Please go to this link to send the following letter to Kroger management about this violation of their code of ethics.

FWFWFWFWFW

Dear Mr. Dillon,

According to the 2010 Sustainability Report featured on Kroger's website, your company expects its vendors to uphold certain standards. Additionally, the report states that these vendors must provide actual proof of their compliance.

Consumers are becoming increasingly interested in the origins of their food and expect that their grocers are aware of who their suppliers truly are.

I am writing you today to inform you that one of your vendors, The Giumarra Companies with its Nature's Partner label, is not in compliance with your Code of Conduct. Farm workers have indicated there are serious violations both here in the US and also with suppliers who provide Chilean imports. Allegations against Giumarra/Nature's Partner include sexual harassment, wage and hour violations and more.

Because these allegations are so strong and the evidence is mounting, I ask the Kroger Corporation to conduct a very thorough investigation into this company's practices and evaluate the Kroger-Giumarra relationship based on your findings. It is not enough to take this company's word for it--workers are speaking out and we hope Kroger is ready to listen.

Sincerely,

AMERICAN LABOUR OMAHA:

SOLIDARITY WITH OMAHA STARBUCKS WORKERS:

The following appeal for solidarity with Starbucks wobbly workers in Omaha Nebraska comes from the site of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW).

SWSWSWSWSW
Take Action to Defend IWW Baristas in Omaha!
Since Starbucks baristas at the 15th and Douglas store in Omaha announced their membership in the IWW one month ago, Starbucks has unleashed an aggressive union busting campaign on the workers with a particularly extreme effort to intimidate and threaten FW Tyler Swain.

In response to this, all members of the Omaha SWU have voted unanimously to send out an appeal for solidarity to the broader IWW and labor movement. Please show Starbucks that an injury to one is an injury to all by taking the following actions:

1. Call Partner Resources Representative Shari Rugi, (314)607-4180

Shari Rugi is coordinating a campaign of intimidation and harassment against union members at the 15th and Douglas Starbucks. This intimidation has included fabrication of sexual harassment allegations and interrogation of union members at the store over these accusations concocted by management. Furthermore, Shari Rugi as directed the store manager at 15th and Douglas, Missy Kemp, to tighten policy and increase disciplinary actions against workers, in particular against FW Tyler Swain. Rugi has forced Store Manager Missy Kemp to write up FW Tyler Swain twice since going public for alleged violations of policy, contriving allegations of insubordination, and illegally tightening the time and attendance policy. weeks after these alleged violations have occurred. Union members at the 15th and Douglas location have, on multiple occasions, overheard conversations taking place between the store manager, Missy Kemp, and the partner resource manager, Shari Rugi, in which she has insisted FW Swain be written up for these alleged infractions, regardless of the store managers opinion of the events.

It's time to let Shari Rugi know that we as an organization will not tolerate the unfair and discriminatory treatment of public union members, and that we, as a global organization are well aware of her actions.

2. Call District Manager Jennifer Rojas, (402)319-2760

The District Manager has repeatedly disrespected workers in her area.

Based upon this level of disrespect, the final demand in the letter presented to management, including the 15th and Douglas store manager Missy Kemp, district manager Jennifer Rojas, and Regional Director of Operations Brett Battes, was a request that Jennifer Rojas resign from her position. A month after the delivery no mention of this demand has been made, despite targeted attempts to separate public union members from the company. It's time to let Jennifer Rojas know that her disrespect to workers in her area does not go unnoticed, and that she needs to be working for noticeable improvements in the working environment she oversees or resign immediately. Specific demands are:

•the immediate back pay of wages owed to FW Samantha Cole which were promised to her the morning of August 6th in a phone conversation that took place between Jennifer Rojas and Samantha Cole,
•an open and cooperative dialogue between levels of management and the Starbucks Workers Union,
•an open environment for members of the union to organize without fear of retaliation,
•and an increased effort to put into place the district wide 20 percent wage increase that the union is fighting for.
3. Send Letters of Support to the 15th and Douglas Store

We humbly request all union members to send letters directly to the 15th and Douglas store (222 S. 15th St. Omaha Ne. 68102) addressed specifically to The Barista's of the Starbucks Workers Union, as well as a separate letter, jointly addressed to both our Store Manager, Missy Kemp, and our District Manager, Jennifer Rojas. These letters should express support for the public campaign as well as public members in the store, as we fight for improved working conditions that include more reliable scheduling, a safer work environment and better compensation. It would also be appreciated if some attention would be given to our rights to organize as workers, and an immediate stop to all intimidation to public union members on the job.

Thank you for your support and solidarity. Together we will win!

in solidarity,
The Baristas of the Omaha SWU.

Related Links
•IWW Starbucks Workers Union

AMERICAN LABOUR ILLINOIS:

A THING THAT SCABS SHOULDN'T TOUCH:

There are some things that inexperienced and ignorant people just should not touch. One of the biggest things would be a nuclear power plant, but that is exactly what Honeywell did when they hired scabs to replace the employees that they locked out. The predictable result..."ooops". Here's the story from the AFL-CIO blog.

NPNPNPNPNP

Explosion at Honeywell Nuclear Plant Staffed by Strikebreakers

This past weekend, just one day after the federal government allowed Honeywell to start up core production at its uranium enrichment facility in Metropolis, Ill., with replacement workers, an explosion rocked the plant. No one was reported injured, but local union officials say the plant has not been in production since the blast.

For the past two months, union workers, members of United Steelworkers (USW) Local 7-669, have been locked out of the plant after contract negotiations broke down over Honeywell’s demand that workers give up their retiree health care coverage and pension plans. Other issues include management demands to eliminate seniority, contract out about 20 percent of the work at the plant and make changes in overtime pay.

Local 7-669 President Darrell Lillie says negotiations will not resume until Oct. 11. In the meantime, the workers are running a 24/7 picket line. Last month, 3,000 people from four states rallied in support of the locked-out Metropolis workers.


Safety is important at any worksite, but especially at the Metropolis plant. This facility is the only one in the United States that can convert uranium into the extremely deadly UF6, which is used in nuclear reactors. Since it is the only conversion plant of its kind in the country, it is critical that workers in the plant be familiar with that plant.

Lillie says it takes many years to learn the skills needed at the plant and the conversion process is hard to troubleshoot if something goes wrong.

Honeywell CEO David Cote, a member of President Obama’s deficit commission, locked out the 230 workers on June 28, even though they offered to continue working under the terms of their expired contract. Honeywell had proposed eliminating retiree health care and increasing workers’ out-of-pocket health care maximums to $8,500 a year.

In a letter to President Obama, the Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees (SOAR) asked the president to remove Cote from the commission.

ANARCHIST BOOKFAIRS:
TWIN CITIES ANARCHIST BOOKFAIR:



They're popping up here, there and everywhere; far too many to keep track of. Anarchist Bookfairs have become a favoured method of gathering and exchange between the ever expanding anarchist communities. Here's a new one ( at least I think it's their first ), the 'Twin Cities Anarchist Bookfair' being held on September 11 and 12 in Minneapolis, MN.



Minneapolis is not that far from Winnipeg, 621 km to be exact. The internet says that is 7 hours, 4 minutes driving time. Leadfoot Molly would bet she could make it in 6 easy. The twin cities are actually the closest real city to the dreaded 'Peg'. The even more dreaded Regina is 572 km away, but it takes a certain masochistic impulse to go to Regina for any reason. So, if you're interested Peg People this might actually be a somewhat legitimate excuse to visit Minneapolis and St. Paul. Here's the schedule for the event. Check the website for other details.
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Schedule/Locations
The bookfair will take place at the Powderhorn Park building located at 34th st and 15th ave s., Minneapolis.


Saturday 9/11: Noon-6pm
First Workshop Block: 1-2pm

-EXCO and Anarchist Education

http://www.excotc.org/

Featured Speaker: 2-4pm- Diana Block

Diana Block has been a social justice/feminist activist for forty years. She was a founder of San Francisco Women Against Rape and of the anti-imperialist group Prairie Fire Organizing Committee in the seventies. She spent thirteen years underground in connection with her solidarity activities with the Puerto Rican independence and Black liberation movements, including two years living in Minneapolis. After returning to public life in 1995, she was a founding member of the California Coalition for Women Prisoners, the Jericho Movement and the San Francisco 8 Defense Committee and continues to be active in prison abolitionist work focused on women and transgender prisoners. In 2009 she published her memoir, *Arm the Spirit – A Woman’s Journey Underground and Back.* She lives in San Francisco with her partner, Claude Marks, and has two children.

She will read excerpts from her book and reflect on her experiences.

Featured Speaker: 4-6pm- Cindy Milstein

Cindy Milstein is a board member of the Institute for Anarchist Studies, and a former teacher at the Institute for Social Ecology. She does grassroots political work at home and public speaking anywhere else, and has long been involved in anarchist projects and social movements. She recently released a book on AK Press, “Anarchism and its Aspirations.”

Other Events:
1pm- Anti-War Committee “End the War on Terror” Protest (Hennepin Ave and Lagoon Ave)

7pm- Diana Block at the Friends Meeting House in St. Paul

Sunday 9/12: 2:30- 8pm
First Workshop Block: 3-4pm

-Anarchism and Fiction

-Money: Where do we go from here? Presented by Tony Hunnicut

A full schedule of workshops and speakers will be posted soon.

Other Events:
2pm- Really Really Free Market- Powderhorn Park (by stage)

AMERICAN LABOUR NEW YORK:

MOTTS STRIKE GOES PAST 100 DAY MARK:

Molly has blogged before on the strike at the Motts' production facility in Williamson New York (see here, here, here, here and here). At least one of those posts gathered quite a bit of comment, including a mendacious posting from what I presume was a member of Motts management. Now this strike is beginning to take on epic proportions with national and even international (Canada) repercussions. On the one side is a corporate management that seems determined to live up (down ?) to the classic image of an evil top hatted capitalist, twirling mustache and all, with its CEO making $6.5 million a year and so "devoted" to keeping the company afloat that he was off on a "hunting trip to New Zealand" while the strike was ongoing. On the other side stands what one article in the Nation magazine describes as "gun fans, military veterans and motorcycle riders" ie a selection of ordinary people whom the "left" loves to look down on who are now carrying out the most visible example of class struggle in the USA. With, however, the support of the local community, of union members across the continent and even of some otherwise anti-union politicians this small band of workers may be the test case of whether the corporate ruling class can carry out their full program of 'peonizing' US workers.

Here's an article and appeal from the AFL-CIO Blog about this important event.

MSMSMSMSMS

100 days of fighting the low waging of America:

For 100 days, more than 300 Mott’s workers in Williamson, N.Y., have been on strike, fighting the low-waging of America. The Dr Pepper Snapple Group, the corporate conglomerate that owns Mott’s (of apple juice and apple sauce fame) has been trying to cut their pay and benefits—even though the company reported a net income of $555 million in 2009.

Tell Dr Pepper Snapple to back off its corporate greed and treat the Mott’s workers fairly.

Dr Pepper Snapple is taking advantage of the recession and high unemployment rates in the area to beat down the workers, members of RWDSU/UFCW Local 220. A spokesman told The New York Times recently the company’s just trying to take wages down to meet “local industry standards”—in other words, to make recession-era wages the norm.

Dr Pepper Snapple is demanding wage cuts that would amount to $3,000 a year per worker, ending pensions for new hires, cutting the company’s 401(k) retirement contributions and increasing employee health care costs.

This is a 142-year-old company with a product that’s as American as you can get—a company you thought you knew and could trust. It’s a company that symbolizes everything we’re fighting for—and everything we’re fighting against: the low-waging of America.

This strike isn’t just about Williamson, N.Y. As The Times put it, “if the Mott’s workers lose this showdown, it could prompt other profitable companies to push for major labor concessions.”

If America’s economy is going to recover, we need paychecks that can fuel consumption. And if profitable companies are allowed to use the recession to drive America’s middle class out of existence, it’s unconscionable.

Don’t be silent about the low-waging of America. Support the Mott’s workers who have been walking the picket line for 100 days. Act now.

Tell Dr Pepper Snapple to back off its corporate greed and treat the Mott’s workers fairly.

Thank you for taking action for the Mott’s workers and all working families. Please forward this e-mail to at least five friends and urge them to take action, too.

In solidarity,

AFL-CIO Working Families e-Activist Network

P.S. The RWDSU Mott’s Hardship Fund has been established to help aid Mott’s workers affected by the strike. Donations to this fund will be used to help offset hardships being faced by Local 220 members as a result of their strike against the corporate greed of Mott’s/Dr. Pepper Snapple. Please consider making a contribution to the strike fund by clicking here.
MSMSMSMSMS
THE LETTER:
Please copy and paste the following letter, and send it to Motts management at this email address:.
MSMSMSMSMS
Dear Dr Pepper Snapple,

With record-breaking profits, your company has no justification to cut the pay and benefits of the more than 300 Mott’s workers in Williamson, N.Y. In saying you want to bring their wages down to “local industry standards,” you are trying to take advantage of the recession and high unemployment rates to lift your profits even higher.

Your workers deserve better. And so do workers at other profitable companies that might try to follow your shameful example.

Mott’s is a 142-year-old company with a product that’s as American as you can get—a company we all thought we knew and could trust. I hope you realize you are jeopardizing a well-known, well-established and respected brand. That’s a lot to throw away.

I urge you to back off your attack on the Mott’s workers’ wages and benefits and do the right thing.

HUMOUR:

THE SAD END OF EMPIRE:

HUMOUR:

FOREIGN AGENTS ABOUND:

INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY:

THE LEMONADE REVOLT:

The following call to action may be somewhat dated as the latest news from the Oregonian is that the local government there has backed down, and , yes, the little girl can set up her lemonade stand without a "temporary restaurant licence". Her family has even received an apology. Still I reprint the following Facebook call for a "lemonade revolt" because the whole thing is quite instructive.

What do incidents like this say ? To sum it up it's the old adage of "give them an inch and they'll take a mile". By that I mean the supposed "service" agencies of government and their "help". Now it is doubtlessly true that institutions such as health departments do indeed do some useful work though it is possible that what they accomplish could be better done by voluntary non-governmental organizations. Yet it is in the nature of the bureaucratic beast to constantly expand its range of action regardless of whether it is doing its previous job well or not. In other words such organizations are too often quite lax in their original mandate, but you can be assured that they will always be on the prowl for new things to control.

We had a recent incidence of this here in Winnipeg with the sad death of the late lamented "beer snake" (more on this later I hope). The inevitable tendency of any governmental agency to continually expand its range of action is the reason why I am very reluctant to support any new initiative of this sort no matter what the purported benefits and why I am generally not too upset on those rare occasions when the octopus of state control loses its grip on one of its tentacles.

A case in point is the recent abandonment of the compulsory long form census here in Canada. This is one of those rare occasions where I actually approve of an action of our federal government. This change has generated all sorts of opposition ranging from linguistic minorities , academics who will lose their data mines and unions all the way "up" to all those lovely folks that send you junk mail. Approving of this change can easily make you quite unpopular because so many groups have an axe to grind over this, and I'm sure that the data is quite convenient or even necessary for many of those who wish to keep the form. On the other hand the majority of the population who aren't making money or gaining power from using such data are quite thrilled to see this compulsion go. It is a laudable change as it is one less compulsion that the average citizen has to undergo. In the end it speaks volumes about the lack of grassroots democracy in our country that the 'social planners' are so unacquainted with those the rule (excuse me "serve") that they have to have the government as a data gatherer.

All that, however, is aside from the matter at hand. The basic story of what follows is that in Portland Oregon a 7 year old girl was setting up a lemonade stand at a neighbourhood fair. Within 20 minutes the county health inspector descended on her demanding that she produce a $120 "temporary restaurant license". Huh ? The inspector then demanded that she pack up and leave despite loud support from the crowd. You can read the full story here. This little act of petty tyranny was seen by one Michael Franklin who was at a booth next to the girl's. Even when the first inspector called in another to help intimidate the girl and her mother the crowd surrounding them was quite hostile, and the inspectors "felt intimidated". Tsk, tsk ! Franklin later publicized the incident on his Bottom Up Radio Network and called for the 'Lemonade Revolt'. We'll see what happens on the last Thursday of this month.

LLLLLLLLLL
The Lemonade Revolt!
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Location EVERYWHERE! ALL THE TIME! EVERYTHING FOR EVERYONE! if you are in Cascadia...Last Thursday on Alberta St. between 25th and 26th street. BUT, make it happen where you live!

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Created By Michael Franklin

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More Info

On last thursday in July, on Alberta and 26th, a young girl was cheerfully setting up her lemonade stand. This was her first time doing this, and with her mother, she planned on selling lemonade for 50 cents a cup. No more than 20 minutes later, two state employees with badges informed her that if she did not desist, she would face a $500 fine.

We, as anarchists and community members, informed the mother that if she stayed again...st the wishes of the state, we would defend her. We suggested a donation based stand. They tried that and the state workers, two women with clipboards and badges, returned and demanded they stop. We surrounded these workers and informed them of our sovereignty, that this is an autonomous zone, and they not only have no authority here, but they must leave the area. They went to the police.

The mother, who feared for losing her new job and out of heartbreak of seeing her daughter crushed and in tears, decided it was time to go. We made appeals to the crowd, but to no real avail, as people just kept walking by. This is bullshit and must be met with creative action.

We are proposing a lemonade bloc next last Thursday(the last Thursday of August- Molly ). Get together with your friends and family and come up with a creative lemonade. Rosemary, lavender, mint, honey, agave, mate, carob, what the fuck ever you can come up with, show up early on alberta and 25th to 26th streets around 11 or 12 in the daytime, set up a table and offer lemonade for donation, or free. We should fill the entire bloc with lemonade stands! The state will come, but we will NOT leave. We will fill the streets with dance and revelry in the spirit of last Thursday's origins, an autonomous, anarchistic freak show that reclaims the streets, the neighborhoods and our lives.

This is symbolic in one sense, but absurd and beautiful direct action in another. Please do not blow this off! Let's make a horrible mess for the state! When the state gives you lemons....GIVE THE STATE HELL!

You can choose to donate money made from lemonade to throwing a block party for families, or anything else you want to do with it, the point is to do it!

AMERICAN LABOUR NEBRASKA:

BARISTAS SHUT DOWN OMAHA OUTLET:

The following news item is from the IWW Starbucks Union, organizing here there and everywhere for a fair deal for baristas at the Starbucks chain.

IWWIWWIWW

Squeezed Baristas Shut Down 15th and Douglas Starbucks to Protest Cutbacks
For Immediate Release:
Starbucks Workers Union/Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)

Contact: Tyler Swain, 402-320-2002

August 5, 2010

Squeezed Baristas Shut Down 15th and Douglas Starbucks to Protest Cutbacks

Workers Demand Reversal of Recession Labor Cuts as Starbucks Returns to Profitability

Press Conference: 4:30 August 5, 15th and Douglas, W. Entrance to Omaha Public Library

Omaha, NE- Baristas and community supporters shut down the 15th and Douglas Starbucks (SBUX) this morning demanding that management reverse all cuts to healthcare, staffing, and benefits that have been imposed during the recession. The baristas claim that executives have no justification to squeeze working families with Starbucks raking in profits of $977.2 million in the past four fiscal quarters.

“We are being squeezed, and we can't take it any more. Since the recession began, Starbucks executives have ruthlessly gutted our standard of living. They doubled the cost of our health insurance, reduced staffing levels, cut our hours, all while demanding more work from us. Starbucks is now more than profitable again. It's time for management to give back what they took from us,” said Sasha McCoy, a shift supervisor at the store.

Since the onset of the recession, Starbucks imposed a series of deep cuts on its workforce. Starting in 2008 as the economic downturn began, the coffee giant shuttered over 800 stores and slashed over 18000 jobs. The remaining skeleton crew workforce was stretched out, forced to push VIA and other promotional products while keeping the stores running with insufficient staffing levels. CEO Howard Schultz then doubled the cost of the company health insurance plan in September 2009, leaving many workers unable to afford medical treatment because of sky-high deductibles and premiums. While the cuts continue, Starbucks made a record profit of $207.9 million in the last quarter according to company figures.

The protesting baristas are members of the Starbucks Workers Union, which is an international campaign of the Industrial Workers of the World labor union. The store action makes the 15th and Douglas location the first Starbucks in Nebraska to have a public union presence. The workers decided to move to unionize after watching their standard of living be whittled away while top executives chose to reward investors with dividends.

Samantha Cole, a Barista at the store said, “I work hard for every dollar I make in order to put food on the table for my family; Starbucks rewards workers with a poverty wage while they give their Wall Street pals dividends. I'm not doing this for myself so much as for the next generation that will grow up in this country. These are the only jobs that are left here- we need to make sure they are good jobs for working families.”

While portraying itself as a ‘socially-responsible’ employer, Starbucks pays Nebraska baristas a poverty wage of $7.35/hr. In addition, all retail hourly workers at Starbucks in the United States are part-time employees with no guaranteed number of work hours per week. According to Starbucks figures released to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 40.9% of its employees (including managers) are covered by the company health care package, a lower percentage than the oft-criticized Wal-Mart, which insures 47% of its workforce.

Since the launch of the IWW campaign at Starbucks on May 17, 2004, the company has been cited multiple times for illegal union-busting by the National Labor Relations Board. The company settled numerous complaints against it and was recently found guilty by a judge in New York on more than 30 additional rights’ violations. Starbucks’ large anti-union operation is operated in conjunction with the Akin Gump law firm and the Edelman public relations firm.

The IWW Starbucks Workers Union is a grassroots organization of over 300 current and former employees at the world's largest coffee chain united for secure work hours and a living wage. The union has members throughout the United States and Canada fighting for systemic change at the company and remedying individual grievances with management.

Union baristas, bussers, and shift supervisors have fought successfully toward improved scheduling and staffing levels, increased wages, and workplace safety. Workers who join the union have immediate access to co-workers and members of the community who will struggle with them for a better life on the job.

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http://www.facebook.com/l/a781akQD1JUteiOx1cBsGLffhLA;www.StarbucksUnion.org