brandworkers's blog

Thousands of Circuit City workers are set to lose their jobs as the electronics retailer moves to close 150 stores or more. (Reuters)

All of Mervyn's employees are set to lose their jobs as the company liquidates its 149 clothing stores. (AP via the Post-Bulletin)

The almost incomprehensible greed and power of Big Business has been exposed in the current economic crisis. As workers lose their jobs, their homes, and their health care, it's time to escalate our movement to get the multinational corporations off the backs of hard-working families.

UPDATE: Protest was a resounding success! Watch the video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmwHIBsLlqk

Terrance Brennan, Honor Your Word to the Workers of Wild Edibles!

Workers at the Wild Edibles seafood company are striving to win respect for the hard work they put in everyday. Over forty of New York's most prominent restaurants have stopped serving seafood processed by Wild Edibles because of the overwhelming evidence of workers' rights violations there.

Celebrity chef Terrance Brennan's Artisanal Bistro stated in writing that it was no longer using Wild Edibles after being informed of the labor abuses taking place including unlawfully withholding overtime pay and illegal union-busting against workers who support the Industrial Workers of the World labor union. But after being exposed for continuing to serve Wild Edibles, Brennan admitted to the news media that he was still in fact serving seafood from the company.

Now, Terrance Brennan is set to show off with fellow celebrity chefs at the fancy New York City Wine & Food Festival. Come join a spirited protest to show Brennan that New Yorkers respect hard work as well as the contribution of immigrants and all workers to society:

Saturday, October 11 at 4:30pm
874 Washington Street at 14th Street at Diane Von Furstenberg

Sponsored by Brandworkers Focus on the Food Chain and La Union

The corporate elites and their partners in the government sink the U.S. economy with a costly occupation, corporate trade deals, and crimes of mind-boggling proportions in the housing market.

Who bears the burden?

The vast majority of people who don't sit on top of the corporate pyramid but go to work ever day earning wages that are stuck in time while facing increasing costs to get to work and put food on the table. Retail is certainly no exception to the economic pain. The Associated Press is reporting that retail lost almost 20,000 jobs in August. (AP via Forbes)

The release from the victorious union is below. We'll keep you updated on the employer's meritless challenge to the election, a standard union-busting technique:

From: International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 805

Contact: www.teamsterslocal805.org

A Majority of Drivers Vote to Join Teamsters Local 805 at Alle Processing

In a vote of 7-5, a majority of drivers at Alle Processing in Maspeth,
Queens voted to join Teamsters Local 805 for dignity and respect on the
job. The vote took place at 5:30am on August 28, 2008 on the company's premises, and was supervised by the National Labor Relations Board, Region 29 (Brooklyn and Queens).

Workers voted yes after they endured a relentless anti-union campaign led by top company executives and stage-managed by the notorious anti-union law firm Kaufman Dolowich and Voluck, which also represents AgriProcessors, a documented law-breaking anti-union kosher food processing company.

Congratulations to the workers and their union for winning their contract! Predictably, Wal-Mart is already implying it will seek to get out of the government-imposed labor agreement in Quebec. A Wal-Mart human rights official reportedly has threatened to shut down the automotive department. (New York Times)

UPDATE: Wal-Mart has despicably carried through on its threat to close down its newly unionized department in Quebec. The lengths this company will go to in order to maintain its low-wage, absolute control brand of employee relations is mind-boggling. (UFCW Canada)

"The closure drew attention continent-wide because Wal-Mart is the world's largest retailer and the Jonquiere outlet, located about three hours north of Quebec City, was one of the first in North America to be organized." (National Post)

"The retail association's biggest member, Wal-Mart, is agitating against the EFCA, with the Wall Street Journal reporting that the company held mandatory meetings for supervisors and managers warning them that a Democratic victory in November and subsequent passage of the EFCA would lead to unionisation and union fees." (The Guardian)

The Coalition for a Democratic Workplace (...they really took this straight out of Orwell), backed by the Retail Industry Leaders Association, will reportedly spend $20 million against candidates supporting the Employee Free Choice Act, a bill that would cut down on illegal union-busting.

Another anti-worker group, the Employee Freedom Action Committee (...Orwell must be turning in his grave), is planning to spend $30 million on misleading ads against the proposed legislation. The Committee won't admit who it's funders are but we wouldn't be surprised if the fast food and retail chains had a hand in it. (Wall Street Journal)

Watch the video from CNN.

"Nearly everyone who's looked at Wal-Mart's practices as an employer—its union busting, sex discrimination, low wages, and minimal benefits—has concluded that it's America's retail bad guy. By contrast, many who've examined the practices of Wal-Mart's competitor Costco—including New York Times labor reporter Steven Greenhouse in his recent book The Big Squeeze: Tough Times for the American Worker—conclude that it's the good guy. Costco CEO and founder Jim Sinegal repeatedly insists to Greenhouse that treating employees well is "good business."" (Slate)

Further Resources:

- East Cost Teamsters Ratify New Contract at Costco

- Teamsters, Costco Reach Tentative Agreement for California Members

- The Costco Challenge: An Alternative to Wal-Martization? by Moira Herbst for the Labor Research Association

- How Costco Became the Anti-Wal-Mart by Steven Greenhouse for the New York Times