Press Release: Local Call Center Goes Wobbly

For Immediate Release:

Industrial Workers of the World - Grand Rapids

January 23, 2013

Contact:

Deirdre Cunningham – Client Services Representative

Evelyn Stone – Call Center Representative

Local Call Center Goes Union

Employees of Large Ticket Distributor Join Together and Demand Recognition

Grand Rapids, MI - Employees of Star Tickets have "walked on the boss" today demanding a reduction in workload, an employee grievance procedure, and recognition of their union. The employees have formed the IWW Star Tickets Workers Union for mutual support and respect on the job. Their intentions are to begin collective bargaining with owner, Jack Krasula, over a work environment that they say has become untenable.

“We are just exercising our legal right to form a union for our mutual benefit” said Deirdre Cunningham, a Client Services Representative. “We have been meeting, assisting one another, and acting as a union for some time so today we made it official to our boss."

Star Tickets, which is located at 620 Century Avenue Southwest #300, becomes the second Grand Rapids establishment whose workers have joined the Industrial Workers of the World labor union in just over a year. Workers at Bartertown Diner, 6 Jefferson St., all joined the IWW in 2011.

“During my time here Mr. Krasula has routinely sent us his insights and anecdotes for success. We hope that he will respect our choice and work with us in affecting the context of our daily lives ” said Alisa Stone.

The Industrial Workers of the World is a rank-and-file labor union open to all workers. Gaining notoriety with the Starbucks Workers Union and the Jimmy Johns Workers Union the IWW has become the "go-to" union for workers not interested in the bureaucracy of "traditional" unions.