IWW holds Solidarity picket in Grand Rapids for Jimmy John’s workers

Originally posted on GRIID

by Jeff Smith (GRIID)

Today, 10 members of the local chapter of the IWW and a few supporters stood in the rain outside of the Jimmy John’s restaurant in Eastown today to show support for a new national effort to unionize fast food restaurant chain in the US.

IWW members received primarily positive responses from people walking and driving by the Jimmy John’s location on Wealthy Street near the intersection of Lake Dr and Wealthy.

Despite sending out a Media Release to dozens of local news agencies, the only coverage of the solidarity picket came from Indy media sources, GRIID and a citizen journalist with the Rapidian. WZZM 13 did run a story about the planned picket yesterday, but no commercial news agencies showed up today, despite the obvious tie in to Labor Day.

We had a chance to interview IWW member Cole Dorsey after the solidarity picket and asked him about the campaign to support Jimmy John’s workers and related matters.

First in Nation, Jimmy Johns Sandwich Workers Join Union to Increase Minimum Wage Pay

Solidarity picket at Eastown Jimmy Johns Labor Day 2010 12pm-1pm


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Jimmy Johns Workers Union (Industrial Workers of the World)

September 2, 2010

First in Nation, Jimmy Johns Sandwich Workers Join Union to Increase Minimum Wage Pay

Fast Food Chain Rocked by Work Stoppages in Sign of Mounting Economic Frustration among US Workers

Press Conference and Rally: 4pm September 2, Block E Jimmy Johns, Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS- Service was anything but 'freaky fast' at Jimmy Johns today as workers walked off the kitchen floor in an unprecedented move to demand improved wages and working conditions at nine Minneapolis franchise locations. Announcing the formation of the IWW Jimmy Johns Workers Union, the workers are seeking a pay increase to above minimum wage, consistent scheduling and minimum shift lengths, regularly scheduled breaks, sick days, no-nonsense workers compensation for job-related injuries, an end to sexual harassment at work, and basic fairness on the job.

“I have been working at Jimmy Johns for over two years and they still pay me minimum wage and schedule me one-hour shifts,” said Rikki Olsen, a union member at the Block E location. “I'm working my way through school and can barely make ends meet. I'd get another job, but things are just as bad across the service industry. Companies like Jimmy John's are profitable and growing, they need to provide quality jobs for the community.”

The Minneapolis franchise, owned and operated by Miklin Enterprises, Inc., pays the federal minimum wage of $7.25/hr, offers no benefits, and has no full-time positions outside of management. Jimmy Johns corporate website lists $264,270 as the average yearly net profit for operating a franchise. Union members estimate that Rob and Mike Mulligan, owners of Miklin, Inc. made an annual profit of at minimum $2.3 million in the last year alone. The Miklin franchise plans to open four new locations this year at an estimated cost of over $1.2 million.

Jake Foucault, a delivery driver at the Riverside store, said, “ If Mike and Rob Mulligan have the money to open four new stores, then they have the money to pay us more than minimum wage. We hope Rob and Mike do the right thing and come to the negotiating table.”

A negotiating committee of Jimmy Johns workers plans to meet with the Mulligans at the Block E central office of the franchise to begin discussions at 4:00pm today.

The fast food workers' move to unionize is emblematic of mounting frustration amongst US workers with the sluggish pace of recovery from the Recession. With unemployment rates hovering around 9.5%, many workers view low wage service jobs as their only option. Employment in the food service industry is expected to grow 8.4% from 2008 to 2018, higher than the 7.7% rate predicted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for all industries. Wages and working conditions in the fast food industry are widely regarded as substandard; in 2009, 25% of workers in the service industry made less than $7.55 an hour, the highest percentage of any occupational group.

The union campaign at Jimmy Johns could hold deep implications for other companies in the fast food industry, a sector known for the lowest rates of unionization- and lowest wages- in the United States. Only 1.8% of food service workers were represented by a union in 2009, far below the nation-wide figure of 12.3%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The question of unionization of the food and service industries is assuming greater focus as employment in these non-union sectors increases, while manufacturing, the traditional stronghold of unionization, slides further into decline.

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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JimmyJohnsWorkers.org

Join Us in Solidarity with Benton Harbor!

August 10 Demonstration

(The Grand Rapids IWW is organizing a car pool to Benton Harbor August 10. If you want to join us email: griww@iww.org or call: 616-881-5263)

Originally posted on BANCO

Whirlpool continues to steal land from the residents of Benton Harbor. An inhumane culture has been created in the city by Whirlpool, the out-of-control development Harbor Shores, and Rep. Fred Upton. Residents are being driven out of their city.

The greedy corporations will be opening a Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf course for the rich only in the middle of Benton Harbor.

The golf course will open August 10, 2010 at 10am. Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Johnny Miller, and Tom Watson will be in Benton Harbor. So bring your golf clubs and protest not only the golf course, but a massive and destructive example of the corporate power which rules us all.

Benton Harbor needs your help.
MASS DEMONSTRATION AUGUST 10, 2010, 10am
Rally and march begins at City Hall
200 Wall St.
Benton Harbor, Michigan 49022

For more information or to request
speaking time at rally, contact
Rev. Pinkney 269-925-0001

Hear "Pinkney to Pinkney" radio program
blogtalkradio.com
Every Sunday, 5-6pm

Until the Final Victory: Celebrating Six Years of the IWW Starbucks Workers Union

The IWW Starbucks Workers Union is proud to celebrate the sixth anniversary of our campaign for fair wages, consistent scheduling, a healthier and safer workplace, and a voice on the job at the world's largest coffee chain. As we enter our sixth year of struggle, we leave behind us a year marked by the continued rapid deterioration of working conditions at Starbucks: the doubling of our health insurance costs, massive layoffs, reduced staffing, and the continued disregard of greedy company executives for the well-being of hard-working Baristas and their families– even as Starbucks achieves record profits of $760.3 million in the last 12 months. This represents a profit of roughly $5354 from each of Starbucks 142,000 workers. Rather than return the wealth of our labor to hard-working Baristas who are living in poverty, Starbucks executives issued the first-ever dividend to shareholders, further enriching the financial class that has driven our world to ruin in the worst economic crisis since 1929. However, even as conditions continue to worsen in corporate management's greed-fueled race to the bottom, our movement for justice at work continues to gather strength. We now take a moment to celebrate our victories as we prepare for the battles to come.

In the past year, we gained members and took action to win our demands and build power on the job on shopfloors across the world. The Starbucks Workers Union expanded to Canada as Baristas in Quebec City joined the IWW in response to Starbucks new Optimal Scheduling system, which forces students to choose between keeping their jobs and staying in school, and pressures working parents to choose between their children and their careers. In the United States, we have continued to gain ground in our fight to defend our right to organize, with Starbucks cornered into signing its sixth settlement agreement with the National Labor Relations Board pledging to end its anti-union misconduct. We gained valuable public support thanks to our new allies at Brave New Films, who launched a social media campaign to raise awareness of Starbucks' repeated and intentional violation for our right to organize. A YouTube video about the Starbucks Workers Union filmed by Brave New Films was viewed over 80,000 times, forcing a response from Starbucks. In New York, Starbucks was hit by yet another NLRB legal complaint, increasing pressure on company bosses to respect our right to association.

Despite continued illegal interference from management, we have forged ahead with organizing efforts, welcoming scores of new members to the campaign and taking numerous direct actions to win gains on the job. In St. Paul, MN, the Starbucks Workers Union sprang to the defense of wrongfully-fired Barista Azmera Mebrahtu as she was unjustly targeted by Partner & Asset Protection. In Fort Worth, TX, union Baristas took direct action to demand the right to call in sick when they were forced to work with H1N1 symptoms, as well as to highlight Starbucks' decision to line executives pockets by doubling our healthcare costs. In New York City, baristas called on Starbucks executives to end their hypocrisy and honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by offering holiday pay on MLK Day. We stood up for the right of all workers to a workplace free to sexual harassment by standing with barista Kati Moore in her battle with the company over their support for a supervisor who repeatedly coerced her into sex. Unfortunately, we found that tolerance of sexual harassment has its roots high in the corporate hierarchy at Starbucks. Our public stance in support of Kati Moore inspired high-level managers to expose the pattern of sexual harassment and abuse engaged in by Starbucks Regional Vice President Andrew Alfano.

Looking back, we are horrified by the intensifying cycle of exploitation and abuse that corporate management is unleashing on workers at Starbucks. But looking ahead, we are confident that our movement will continue to gain strength. Our struggle for an independent voice on the job will end in triumph for Starbucks workers.

Until the final victory!