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News :: Miscellaneous |
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Seattle ACORN Workers on Strike, your help is needed |
Current rating: 0 |
by solidarity
Email: bayou (nospam) blarg.net (unverified!) |
26 Mar 2001
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Seattle ACORN workers have been on strike for a month. Scabs have been brought in. Your help is needed. |
ACORN Workers Organize
From: SEATTLE INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT COUNCIL—IWW
5215 Ballard NW
Seattle, WA 98115
(206) 706-6250
E-Mail: bp172 (at) scn.org
http://bari.iww.org/alerts.html
WASHINGTON ACORN DECLARES WAR ON IT\'S OWN STRIKING WORKERS!
March 23, 2001
New Development: Office is Packed Wall to Wall with SCABS!
On February 26th, staff workers at Washington ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) organized into a union with the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), and asked the employer, Doug Bloch, for union recognition. The employer refused to bargain with the union, even though nearly 100 percent of the workers had joined the union, and had presented demands, which included a 40 hour week, paychecks on time and in full, a sexual harassment policy, safety on the job, and lunch breaks. Most of these demands are asking for the employer to comply with Federal and State labor law. Workers went on strike, and have been out for nearly 1 month.
Wade Rathke, Chief Organizer (and effectively CEO of ACORN) has fought unionization tooth and nail since day one He had lied, stating that ACORN is proceeding in a legal manner. He is lying because:
1) Workers in Philadelphia, Dallas, and Seattle have files Unfair Labor Practices with the National Labor Relations Board
2) Workers have bee refused their jobs, after offering an unconditional return to work
3) As of today ACORN management has replaced all of the striking workers in the Washington office with Scabs from the Portland ACORN Office.
4) Wade Rathke has lied and said that workers have called off the strike.
Workers filed for a union election with the Labor Board, and ACORN management is doing everything possible to ensure that this election never takes place, though frivolous delaying tactics and packing the bargaining unit with scabs.
We charge that there is no difference between Kaiser Aluminum, Oregon Steel, The Seattle Times, and ACORN National in how they deal with their own workers. This is flat out union busting. ACORN management shows their true colors as strikebreakers, lawbreakers, and short on the truth; they tell their donors that they support workers\' rights, and use the money to destroy the union!
We charge that ACORN management is in violation of Federal labor standards, specifically ignoring overtime laws, sex discrimination, and the Wagner Act (the right to organize a union).
We charge that ACORN is in violation of Washington State labor and industries standards.
We charge that ACORN management is in violation of the UN Declaration of Human Rights, which specifically states the human right to join in unions and bargain collectively.
We charge that Wade Rathke, ACORN CEO, has used the name of ACORN as a cover for his own quest for personal and political power.
We charge that ACORN is devoid of any credibility, so long as their attacks on human rights and the union continues, and that their leadership constitutes a cult that is disconnected from the needs of their own workers.
Striking Washington ACORN Workers Need Your Help!
(1) Strike Funds are desperately needed: Checks or Money orders can be made payable to IWW, and mailed to:
Seattle IWW, 5215 Ballard Ave NW, Seattle WA 98107
(2) Contact everyone you know and gather their support for the striking ACORN workers in Seattle.
(3) If you know of any ACORN members, ask them to write letters of support to the striking workers; send them to the address listed above or e-mail them to bp172 (at) scn.org. If you are a member of ACORN, withhold your funds. The workers have declared a boycott, which is being honored by hundreds of ACORN members in Washington alone.
(4) Likewise, if you are a member of a labor or community organization, ask your membership to draft a resolution or letter of solidarity for the striking ACORN workers and condemning ACORN management union busting. Send it to the address listed above or e-mail it to bp172 (at) scn.org.
(5) Call Wade Rathke at 504-943-0044. Call him everyday. Leave detailed messages on why he should recognize the union or resign. E-mail him at chieforg (at) acorn.org, fax 504-944-7078
(6) Call Doug Bloch at 206-723-5845 and demand that he recognize the union and dismiss all scab workers. Inform the scabs in the Washington ACORN office that what they are doing is a disgrace and that they need to go back home to Portland. Fax 504-723-8658
(7) Call the newspapers, radio, and TV stations, and ask them to do a story. For further Information, the Seattle IWW can be contacted at 206-706-6250
An Injury to One is an Injury to ALL!
Seattle Industrial District Council--IWW
http://bari.iww.org/alerts.html
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See also:
http://bari.iww.org/alerts.html
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portland scabs |
by grace
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
26 Mar 2001
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for an update, see the feature on Portland Indymedia which will link you to other sources of information about how Portland scabs got involved. |
See also:
http://portland.indymedia.org
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