“Statement on the Southern California Grocery Strike:
What’s at Stake for America
Over 70,000 supermarket workers have been on strike or locked out since October 11, 2003. Millions of customers have been inconvenienced, and hundreds of millions of dollars have been drained from the Southern California economy. The strike/lockout has exacted a terrible human and economic toll.”
A Coalition of Students Dedicated to Preserving SAPAC’s Mission and Services
Don’t let the administration decide for us what students need! Come to the
first “Our Voices Count” meeting to learn about how you can get involved to
help save SAPAC! SAPAC started as the result of protests by women on
campus. Let’s not be silent now!
Our Voices Count Meeting
Monday, February 2
8:15pm
MSA Chambers, 3rd Floor, Michigan Union
**At this meeting, you will hear information gathered from former and current SAPAC volunteers, sexual assault survivors and campus activitsts about the reasons that the Unversity’s reorganizing of SAPAC will lower the quality of
services and support received by survivors of sexual assault, domestic/dating violence, stalking and sexual harassment.
**We will also be signing people up to join this campus-wide coalition in
support of saving SAPAC’s counseling services and 24 hour crisis line.
If you want to help, but are unable to attend the meeting, please reply to
jmanders@umich.edu with the words “I want to help OVC” in the subject line.
For more information on the Univesity’s current plan to dismantle SAPAC,
please see:
Boycott the New Del Rio, the bar/resturant used to be cooperatively run, now there is a corporate top down model and lots of unjust firing.
AN OPEN LETTER TO DEAN EARL LEWIS
Dear Dean Lewis,
I was appalled to see you cross the Borders picket line on Friday evening. Like many other graduate students at the University, I regarded you as one of more progressive voices in the upper echelons of the administration. I know you to be a well-respected historian and author of several articles on race and class issues in the U.S. I also know you to be a strong proponent of affirmative action and a prominent leader in U.S. higher education.
Given all of these stellar qualifications and your support of graduate students at U-M in the past, I do not understand how you found it in yourself to enter a bookstore where workers have been on strike for over a week. I do not understand how you can support affirmative action — a policy that attempts to correct differences in access to education and jobs — on the one hand, and on the other, endorse a corporation that does not even pay its workers a living wage. I do not understand how you can separate struggles for justice within the academy from those that occur down the street. Finally, there’s the issue of basic human dignity and respect. As I’m sure you’ve heard, Borders Inc. has engaged in a systematic union-busting campaign for months now and has made absolutely no moves towards settling a fair contract though employees have been on strike since last Saturday. I’m curious as to how it behooves an educator like you to support a company that treats its employees with such callousness. I’m especially disappointed given that your actions seem to contradict the values you profess elsewhere.
The questions I raise here are not mine alone. I would appreciate a response from you at the earliest.
Sincerely,
Pavitra Sundar
Women’s Studies & English
(editors note, email Earl Lewis to express your thoughts on this – earlewis@umich.edu
Workers at Borders Books store #1 in Ann Arbor, MI will go on strike this Saturday, November 8 at 9:00 AM. We do not take this step lightly. By striking, we hope to convince Borders Management to negotiate with us in good faith so we can reach a fair contract and return to our jobs.
The Graduate Employees Organization, AFT/MFT&SRP Local 3550, supports AFSCME 3800 in their efforts to get a fair contract for University of Minnesota clerical workers.
While the University is certainly faced with a budget crisis, it is fundamentally unfair to place a disproportionate share of the burden on the shoulders of the clerical workers, who, despite the essential role they play in the life of the university, are already among its lowest paid employees. The University’s bargaining position, that the clericals should accept a one-year wage freeze, the end of step increases, reductions in severance benefits, and an increase in health insurance premiums, is untenable and unjust.
The administration has said that in times of fiscal crisis, all must share the burden of budget cuts. In light of the $1.6 billion in contributions netted by the recent capital campaign and the planned and ongoing construction projects on the Twin Cities campus, the bitter pill offered to the clerical workers makes it obvious that the
University is not putting this policy into practice. Indeed, it seems that the University is suffering not merely from a budget crisis, but also from a crisis of priorities.
The civic mission of public institutions mandates the fair and just treatment of employees. We demand that the University of Minnesota live up to its responsibility and return to the table to negotiate in good faith with the workers of AFSCME 3800.
Borders Inc. is trying to bust the Union at Store #1, on Liberty Street across from our office and refuses to negotiate in good faith as they try to get their first contract.
Borders Readers United is a group of community members working to support the workers in their fight for a fair contract. We meet Mondays at 9 and Fridays at 6 in the GEO office. Check out Borders Readers United for more info.
From Phyllis Walker, President of Local 3800:
On September 4, 2003, AFSCME 3800 Clerical Workers at the University of Minnesota, reached impasse at the negotiating table.
The University’s final offer contains greatly increased health care costs, a 2003 wage freeze, the elimination of step increases, the elimination of an important severance benefit and no agreement on important job security related measures. These take backs amount to a pay cut of more than two weeks’ take home pay for most clerical workers. Our negotiating team was not sent to the table to negotiate concessions and will be taking the University’s final offer to the membership with a recommendation to reject it and to strike.
The University of Minnesota administration says that its final offer is “sharing the pain” of its budget problems. In reality, they are asking the lowest paid workers at the University to shoulder the burden, not to share the pain. There is a distribution crisis at the University of Minnesota, not a budget crisis. The University is still finding money for raises for those already making over $100,000 per year, as well as millions for building and beautification projects. The health of our families needs to be a priority in the University budget.
For more information on how to support AFSCME 3800, go to http://www.uworkers.org/
Cintas is being prosecuted by the National Labor Relations Board based on more than 30 charges filed by the union to which the workers are turning–UNITE. These charges spell out the company’s tactics against workers’ organizing efforts. They include firing workers to discourage union activity, spying on workers engaging in union activity and illegally threatening to close facilities and fire workers.
August 27, 2003
Cintas is being prosecuted by the National Labor Relations Board based on more than 30 charges filed by the union to which the workers are turning–UNITE. These charges
spell out the company’s tactics against workers’ organizing efforts. They include firing workers to discourage union activity, spying on workers engaging in union activity and illegally threatening to close facilities and fire workers. Click below to take action or keep reading for more:
http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/tellcintas/ibnsd62156xw
Starbucks uses Cintas in its national chain of coffee shops for apron, mat and linen services. Starbucks professes a concern for workers, the community and the environment. But Starbucks still uses Cintas, despite reports exposing the company’s anti-worker tactics. We can make a difference by speaking out. Send a message to Starbucks by clicking on the link below. Tell America’s coffee shop giant to dump Cintas until the laundry company cleans up its act. A copy of your message will be sent to Cintas:
http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/tellcintas/ibnsd62156xw
Please tell your friends, family and co-workers about this campaign:
http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/tellcintas/forward/ibnsd62156xw
More than 17,000 workers at Cintas are coming together to form their union in order to win better pay, safer working conditions, improved benefits and respect on the job. To learn more about this campaign, visit:
http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/Mp1w25n1Xp1f/
Workers at a garment factory in Mexico, just over the border from the United States, who are producing goods for such companies as Levis and Tommy Hillfiger, recently attempted to form an independent trade union and negotiate with their employer. The employer reacted by sacking five of the union’s leaders, then fifty more, and now threatens to lay off thousands. They are asking for our help. Please send off a protest message and consider making a financial contribution as well via LabourStart