Brandworkers in the News

For Immediate Release:
Brandworkers International

March 6, 2008

Brandworkers International Provides a Combination of Legal, Advocacy, and Organizing Support

New York, NY- Prompted by a transforming job market, workers' rights advocates have launched a non-profit organization to protect the rights of the increasing number of workers employed at retail and food chains. Based in New York, Brandworkers International links retail and food employees with concerned individuals to make positive change on the job and in the community. Over three hundred employment attorneys have already joined with Brandworkers to offer legal assistance to workers in need.

"Retail and food workers need an innovative organizational voice to face the variety of challenges posed by a globalized economy," said Brandworkers senior adviser Jennifer Gordon, a professor of labor law at Fordham Law School and a recipient of the MacArthur 'Genius' Fellowship for her leadership on low-wage worker issues. "By connecting under served employees with social change resources including lawyers, labor unions, and community groups, Brandworkers will help ensure that workers' rights are both protected and expanded."

Mermaid Inn stops fishing with Wild Edibles

The Mermaid Inn, which has two locations in the city, said it would stop using the seafood company after 16 employees sued Wild Edibles in a labor dispute.

February 27. 2008

By: Lisa Fickenscher

The Mermaid Inn on Wednesday became the fourth prominent restaurant to drop seafood purveyor Wild Edibles over a labor dispute it has with its workers.

Six months ago, Wild Edibles was sued by 16 employees in its Long Island City warehouse, who allege that the company does not pay overtime and illegally fired some of them for union activities.

Since then, the employees, who belong to an advocacy group called Brandworkers International, have convinced several influential restaurateurs and restaurant groups, including Union Square Hospitality Group and Keith McNally (of Pastis) to stop purchasing seafood from Wild Edibles.

William Weinstein
Principal, Gordon Brothers Group
Chief Executive Officer, CompUSA
101 Huntington Avenue, 10th Floor
Boston, MA 02199
info@gordonbrothers.com

February 4, 2008

Via Fax and E-Mail

Dear Mr. Weinstein,

I write to express the concern of Brandworkers International regarding the fate of CompUSA employees as you oversee the liquidation of the company. Brandworkers is a non-profit organization with the mission of protecting and advancing the rights of retail and food employees.

Since Gordon Brothers Group LLC purchased the national electronics retailer from Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim Helu, you have given public assurances to several CompUSA stakeholders. Specifically, you have promised proper treatment for landlords, creditors, and consumers in the CompUSA liquidation process. You have not however made any public assurances of fair treatment for the thousands of CompUSA workers being laid off.

1/28/08

The foie gras protests outside Union Square Cafe may not have put a dent in anything, but we’ve just received a press release indicating that Union Square Hospitality Group will no longer use embattled Wild Edibles as its seafood provider, joining Keith McNally's and Jean Denoyer's restaurants in the snub. The release nods to the “courage” of ten workers who were let go after they filed a suit claiming they were stiffed on over time pay.

“Guests can rest assured that the Union Square Hospitality Group will not be serving seafood from labor rights violator Wild Edibles,” said Daniel Gross, the founding director of Brandworkers. “We look forward to discussing the workers efforts to achieve fairness on the job with the remaining Wild Edibles customers.”

For Immediate Release:
Brandworkers International

January 28, 2008

Workplace Justice Campaign to ‘Tame Wild Edibles’ Advances

New York, NY- Embattled seafood wholesaler and retailer, Wild Edibles, has suffered another setback with a top-rated restaurant group indicating that it has stopped purchasing seafood from the company and confirming that it will not do so unless workers’ rights are respected. The move by Danny Meyer’s highly regarded Union Square Hospitality Group, which includes perennial Zagat #1 Union Square Café, comes just a week after Jean Denoyer’s La Goulue cut ties with Wild Edibles over concerns regarding workers’ rights violations. Keith McNally’s Pastis and its affiliated restaurants previously disassociated with Wild Edibles.

December 19, 2007

Statement of Brandworkers International on the Preliminary Injunction
Entered by Judge Louis L. Stanton, United States District Judge for
the Southern District of New York Against Wild Edibles:

"The immigrant workers at Zagat #1 rated seafood wholesaler and
retailer, Wild Edibles, have won an important victory in their struggle for overtime pay and for their right to improve working conditions with a labor union.

The court has sent a strong message to Wild Edibles and its owner
Richard Martin that mass firings seriously undermine the workers'
fundamental right to their day in court. Wild Edibles is now enjoined
from engaging in any further retaliation against workers for standing
up for their rights.

More Legal Trouble for Top-Rated Seafood Supplier

November 30, 2007

New York, NY- The National Labor Relations Board issued a complaint yesterday alleging that seafood company Wild Edibles committed multiple violations of federal law in its attempt to undermine the union organizing efforts of its employees. The Labor Board says the company fired two employees for joining the Industrial Workers of the World; threatened other workers with discharge; and engaged in surveillance and interrogation regarding workers’ organizing activity. Brandworkers International, a new non-profit organization for retail and food workers, is providing comprehensive legal and advocacy support to the mostly immigrant workforce as part of its Focus on the Food Chain initiative.

Building a New Global Movement

The Gap and Black Friday

November 24 / 25, 2007

This article originally appeared in Counterpunch

By Daniel Gross- Founding Director, Brandworkers

The Observer's Dan McDougall described their garment shop as, "smeared with filth, corridors flooded with excrement from a flooded toilet." The workers recounted threats and beatings from management to keep their nimble fingers moving. Hours were long and the wages painfully low when they were paid at all.

by amy zimmer / metro new york

OCT 8, 2007

Meatpacking District. The high-end Meatpacking restaurant Pastis and its affiliated restaurants will stop purchasing seafood from Wild Edibles while the company is subject to litigation for alleged labor rights abuses, Brandworkers International, a nonprofit workers’ rights group, announced on Friday.

For Immediate Release:
Brandworkers International

October 5, 2007

Restaurant Pastis Severs Ties with Seafood Company Accused of Labor Violations

Effort to 'Tame Wild Edibles' Scores Major Victory

New York, NY- Brandworkers International, a non-profit organization for retail and food employees, announced today that the renowned Pastis restaurant and its affiliated restaurants have agreed to discontinue purchasing seafood from Wild Edibles, Inc. while Wild Edibles is subject to litigation for alleged labor rights abuses. Employees recently filed a large federal class action lawsuit against Wild Edibles, a major seafood distributor and retailer, alleging systematic denial of overtime pay and a campaign of retaliation from management after employees asserted their right to payment according to the law and to join the IWW labor union.