workplace

By Hans Bennett

On January 1, 1994, the now-infamous North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) went into effect. That same day, the Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN), rose up and launched a military offensive that occupied towns throughout the state of Chiapas, in Mexico. The EZLN, or “Zapatistas” had been covertly organizing for many years, but they specifically chose the day of NAFTA’s implementation for their public rebellion.

Many components of NAFTA favored US corporate interests at the expense of Mexico’s general population, but the Zapatistas were particularly opposed to NAFTA’s rewriting of the Mexican Constitution, in order to eliminate the population’s biggest victory won during the Mexican Revolution fought 90 years before, at the time of World War One. “The Mexican Revolution wrote into the national constitution the opportunity for a village to hold its land communally, in an ejido, so that no individual could alienate any portion of it,” writes Staughton Lynd, co-author of the new book Wobblies and Zapatistas: Conversations on Anarchism, Marxism and Radical History.

In 1992 security guards at the Philadelphia Museum of Art had their union busted by Mayor Rendell who privatized what were once decent city jobs amidst the Philly budget crisis of the early 90’s.  Art Museum guards made $14/hr back in 1992, in 2009 dollars that would amount to somewhere in between $20-22/hr.

Security guards at the Philadelphia Museum of Art now work not for the city, but for AlliedBarton, a national firm that provides security services to many major institutions in the region and nationwide. Today they are paid a wage of $10.03/ hr, which is hardly enough to scrape by on.  

But for two years guards at the Philadelphia Museum of Art have been doing something and it’s starting to pay off. They’ve been organizing their own union in coalition with the Philadelphia Officers and Workers Rising campaign (POWR), a joint effort of rank and file security officers and Philadelphia Jobs With Justice.

Iraqi Labor Reps Speak in Philadelphia

September 21, 7:00-9:00 pm at Friends Meeting House
Address: 4th & Arch Streets, Philadelphia, PA

CONTACT: Denice Lombard (202) 320-5588, denicez@verizon.net

Aaron Huges (217) 898-9083, aarhughes@gmail.com

Iraqi Labor Reps Speak on East Coast Tour on Their Way to National AFL-CIO Convention

Iraqi Labor leaders hope to make their case about the lack of labor rights in Iraq to audience of U.S. union reps and war veterans in Philadelphia, New York City, and Washington, D.C.

FASINPAT a Step Closer to Permanent Worker Control

by Marie Trigona

reprinted from www.upsidedownworld.org

Wednesday, 27 May 2009

by Scott

The United Workers, a group of low-wage workers dedicated to ending poverty, have been securing living wages and human rights for workers in Baltimore since 2002. This April 18th, the group organized the 'B-More Fair,' a gathering of community organizations, faith groups, and unions from Baltimore and beyond to celebrate human rights values under the slogan 'Our Lives, Our City, Our Way.' Numerous organizations came together to exchange materials and experiences as musical acts performed and a live radio broadcast was conducted.

Echoes of Argentina’s 2001 Worker Uprising

by Benjamin Dangl
Monday, 08 December 2008

 When the 250 workers at the Republic Windows and Doors factory in Chicago were told that the plant was shutting down, they decided to take matters into their own hands. On Friday, December 5, the workers occupied their factory in an act that echoes the sit-down strikes of the 1930s in the US and the occupation of factories during the 2001 crisis in Argentina.

“They want the poor person to stay down. We’re here, and we’re not going anywhere until we get what’s fair and what’s ours,” Silvia Mazon, 47, a formerly apolitical mother and worker at the factory for 13 years told the New York Times. “They thought they would get rid of us easily, but if we have to be here for Christmas, it doesn’t matter.”

by Eduardo Soriano-Castillo

On Saturday May 3rd, a delegation of US labor and community interests were invited to Mexico City to be a part of a delegation of Latino U.S. Labor representatives, comprised of labor activists from throughout the US.

This was the 55th year the Mexican government and the IME hosted this conference, and the first year that U.S.  unions, community based labor interest groups, and worker centers were invited to attend.

U.S.  labor represented a wide variety of trades and community groups including the Philadelphia chapter of Jobs With Justice of which I am a member.

by Justin Vitiello and Nathaniel Miller

The IWW was invited to Haiti by the Confederation of Haitian Workers (CTH) to learn about their fight against “le plan neoliberal” and provide material aid and solidarity from North America.  We were there April 24th- May 5th.  Our four-person delegation spent 2/3 of the time in the capital Port-au-Prince meeting workers in the soon-to-be privatized state infrastructure, and the remaining time in rural areas learning from peasants. 

by John Kalwaic

 On July 5th, members of the Philadelphia branch of the Industrial Workers of the World organized a small demonstration in front the Starbucks on 9th and South Street at 1:00pm.  This action was to protest the firing of Starbucks baristas who had been trying to unionize with the IWW Starbucks Workers Union in the United States.  This event was coordinated with the Anarchist CNT Union in Spain where baristas have also been fired for organizing.  Friends and family of IWW members  came by to show support for the demonstration.  Protesters with IWW flags and songs condemned the actions of Starbucks against union members in New York City, Grand Rapids Michigan and Seville Spain.  We  handed out flyers so people could contact Starbucks to voice disapproval to the company for its union busting polices.  The pickets sang songs such as “Solidarity Forever” and chanted: “What’s Disgusting!?-Union Busting!  What’s Outrageous?!-Starbucks Wages!”

POWR Update!

Approximately 70 people attended the Philadelphia Officers and Workers Rising (POWR) campaign rally and “Blessing of the Hands” Ceremony on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art on Sunday, Sept. 7.

Within hours of our arrival, the museum announced that they were considering starting a new sick-leave policy (up to three days per year for full time workers who have been at the property for three years).