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Brandworkers in the News

Fired Workers Protest, Prepare for NLRB Hearing in Two-Year Union Fight [Forward]

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Flaum Workers Protest

Workers who were fired by a Brooklyn kosher food producer after demanding overtime pay have been protesting outside the owner’s house and a supermarket this summer, and preparing for a return to the National Labor Relations Board this fall.

Flaum Appetizing, Inc., a producer of kosher salads, pickles, and smoked fish, has been embroiled in the dispute since it fired 17 immigrant workers in May 2008. The terminated workers had complained about working conditions and demanded to be paid overtime after working 60 to 80 hours a week. The NLRB ruled that Flaum had violated the workers’ rights, and ordered their reinstatement with back pay. Flaum has not complied, and a NLRB hearing is set for September 21.

Immigrant Workers Rally for Justice at Kosher Food Company

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Flaum Workers Protest

Brooklyn, New York- Immigrant workers fired en masse from leading kosher food processor and wholesaler, Flaum Appetizing Corp., rallied alongside community and labor activists to call on the KRM Kollel supermarket to reassess the sale of Flaum products. Flaum is set to stand trial in federal court after denying workers overtime pay for years and launching a campaign of fierce retaliation when employees stood up for their legal rights. KRM is currently one of the largest retailers of Flaum products including hummus, pickles, and middle eastern salads.

Brandworkers Focus on the Food Chain Files Class Action Lawsuit Against Beverage Distributor

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For Immediate Release:
Brandworkers

Immigrant Workers Take a Stand for Minimum Wage and Overtime Pay

New York, NY- A non-profit workers' rights organization filed a class action lawsuit on Friday alleging that a Queens-based drink distributor, Beverage-Plus, is violating the rights of its immigrant workforce.

After Hard-Fought Campaign, Brandworkers Achieves Victory at Wild Edibles

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For Immediate Release:

Brandworkers

January 20, 2010

Workers Reach Comprehensive Settlement with Prominent Seafood Company

Protracted Grassroots Campaign Saw Over 75 Leading Restaurants Stop Serving Wild Edibles Products Brandworkers Members

New York, NY- Lawyers filed with a federal bankruptcy judge a global settlement agreement totaling over $340,000 and containing strong workplace protections in a high-profile set of litigation brought by workers against one of New York's leading seafood companies, Wild Edibles, Inc.

The comprehensive settlement comes after a bitterly-contested campaign in which some two-dozen recent immigrant workers and their non-profit organization, Brandworkers, used grassroots actions, media advocacy, and community organizing in an effort to win legal accountability at Wild Edibles, which supplies seafood to some of NYC's most famed restaurants in addition to operating retail seafood outlets.

Brandworkers Hails Dismissal of Cintas RICO Lawsuit Against Unions

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For Immediate Release:
Brandworkers International

Contact: press (at) brandworkers.org

Statement of Brandworkers on Dismissal of Cintas RICO Lawsuit Against Labor Unions

"Brandworkers applauds the decision of federal district court Judge William Pauley III to dismiss all of Cintas's anti-speech legal claims against the labor unions UNITE-HERE and International Brotherhood of Teamsters as well as their labor federation, Change to Win.

Brandworkers Calls on McDonald's to Compensate Worker Shot on the Job While Protecting a Customer

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February 25, 2009

"McDonald's must immediately stop shirking its legal obligation to compensate employee Nigel Haskett who was shot multiple times while defending a customer from violent assault. Mr. Haskett narrowly and miraculously survived the hail of bullets but must now contend with over $300,000 in medical bills because of McDonald's shameful evasion.

Brandworkers Denounces Bribe Offers as Wild Edibles' Latest Attempt to Avoid Accountability

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Brandworkers, a non-profit for retail and food employees, announced today that several of its members from Wild Edibles, Inc. have been offered bribes to end a 16-month workplace accountability campaign directed at the company. While refusing to pay what is owed in ongoing federal court and Labor Board litigation, Wild Edibles owner Richard Martin and one of his lieutenants have been offering cash payments to workers if they revoke their membership in Brandworkers and repudiate a worker-led public education campaign regarding rights abuses at the seafood processor and retailer.

Star Chef Marcus Samuelsson's Restaurant Stops Serving Wild Edibles Seafood Over Workers' Rights Concerns

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New York, NY (01/26/09)- Aquavit, a perennial winner of three stars from the New York Times, has stopped serving seafood from accused labor rights violator, Wild Edibles. Workers at Wild Edibles have been campaigning for almost a year and a half to reclaim unlawfully withheld overtime pay and win respect on the job. Aquavit joins over 50 other leading NYC eateries that have decided not to serve Wild Edibles seafood until the workers' human rights are honored there.

Brandworkers Launches Petition for Investigation of Wal-Mart in Black Friday Death

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New York, NY (12/01/08)- An advocacy group for retail and food chain employees has launched an online petition calling for a criminal investigation of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and its senior executives in the trampling death of a store worker on Black Friday. Brandworkers International is urging Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice to assess whether Wal-Mart's recklessness rose to the level of criminality in the killing of worker, Jdimytai Damour.

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