This local private equity group recently purchased a paper pulp mill in Oregon that employs 100 workers.  After they bought the mill, Wayzata Investment Partners fired workers and informed them that they could reapply for their old jobs if they were willing to take pay cuts of 12%-28%. But it gets worse…

The private equity group also eliminated pensions and health insurance for retirees and are working to implement a health care plan that would require workers to pay a $3000 deductible and up to $10,000 in out of pocket expenses.

Workers are willing to work for the same wages and benefits they had under previous ownership. We hope that Patrick Halloran of Wayzata Investment Partners will partner with workers and negotiate in good faith, but there are reasons to be concerned. Private equity firms often deeply cut wages and benefits as a means of “reducing costs” and then sell the companies for large profits.

If you want to carpool, join us at 312 Central Ave. SE in Minneapolis at 11.

At their best, unions are a concrete tool for developing democracy and power among workers. They have allowed many workers to move from poverty to the middle class. They protect many workers from unsafe and inhumane work environments. And they give workers a chance to share their expertise and wisdom in creating a better workplace.

Unfortunately, too many employers make it too difficult for workers to form a union. An employer can voluntarily begin negotiating with workers when they come forward to say they want a union. Few if any employers take that path, though. Instead, they call for an “election” supervised by the National Labor Relations Board.

Unfortunately, these “elections” are unlike anything we would tolerate in our democracy. Over 90% of employers hire outside consulting firms to advise them when workers decide to come together to make things better at work. These firms often encourage employers to use unethical and sometimes illegal tactics to keep workers from organizing. Workers who support organizing are sometimes fired, even though it’s illegal. Some workers have their work hours changed. Employers call captive audience meetings and require workers to listen to anti-union speakers. Some workers are called into private meetings with multiple managers who use fear and misinformation to persuade workers to vote against forming a union.

In the meantime, employers frequently ban anyone working for a union from speaking to workers about the advantages available to workers who come together to organize. Imagine a political campaign where one party could run commercials all day and all night for no cost while the opposing party was banned from even mailing out a postcard!

EFCA would allow workers to decide how they would make the decision to form a union. Workers who want to use the existing NLRB election process could still do so. Other workers could choose to use a “card check” process that prevents employers from using strongarm tactics and involves asking workers to sign cards indicating that they want to form a union. When a simple majority of workers fill out cards, employers would have to begin negotiation with workers over wages, benefits, and working conditions.

WIN will be developing materials for you to use in your congregation to help make the Employee Free Choice Act a reality. If you want to use these resources to make life easier for workers in our community, email matt@workersinterfaith.org or caitlin@workersinterfaith.org

Veronica Mendez, Worker Center Organizer

Teresa Ortiz, Worker Center Organizer

Danielle Pryor, Worker Center Organizer

Brian Payne, Worker Center Organizer

Caitlin Schwartz, Congregational Organizer

Mark Bergen, Apprentice Congregational Organizer

The agreement came two days before officers were slated to start an open-ended strike, and on the heels of an intensive campaign among officers, religious leaders, people of faith, and other community leaders. (See “Building Justice for Building Workers in Minnesota” on p. 9 in the Winter Faith Works, the newsletter of our national affiliate Interfaith Worker Justice.)

In the weeks leading up to the agreement, 10 leaders from WIN offered themselves up for arrest in two civil disobedience actions that also included a significant number of clergy and people of faith who belong to WIN. In the second action, clergy jointed security officers, who were the first in the nation to put themselves forward for arrest, in an effort to protect and defend the community’s health care standards.

The contract delivers real improvements in the lives of security officers. Specifically, officers won:

• Better pay: Wages for officers will increase by 50 cents an hour every year for the next five years. Officers currently earning the minimum wage in the industry ($10 an hour) will earn $13.20 an hour by the end of the contract.
• A minimum wage that’s a living wage: The industry’s minimum wage was $10 an hour. That will increase to $12.50 an hour under the new contract.
• Affordable health care coverage: Individuals who previously paid up to $150 a month for health insurance will pay $60 a month for health care in 2008 and $20 a month by the end of the contract. Also, officers will pay $260 a month for family health insurance beginning this year. Previously, officers paid $800 a month in premiums with the employer covering only 20 percent of the cost. Under this agreement, the employer will cover 65 percent of those costs.
• Training and equipment that will keep officers safe: Officers are already being fitted for bullet proof vests!

“The religious community played a key role in this campaign to improve officers’ lives and to defend community standards,” said Matt Gladue, executive director of the Workers Interfaith Network. “In the end, so many clergy and people of faith got involved and showed real leadership because they saw the officers’ struggle as their struggle, too.”

LA ESQUINA DE LA VICTORIA

DESDE JUNIO UN TOTAL DE $70,624 RECIBIDOS DE SUELDOS NO PAGADOS!!!

Ermalindo –Great Moon Buffet - $10,000 – en sueldo recobrados

Teresa - $600 – en sueldos recobrados

Jaime – Schmitt Timber Corporation - $321 – en sueldos recobrados

   $767 – en compensación laboral

Victor – 7Up Plant - $736 – en días de vacación (junto con Teamsters)

Alejandro y Noe – trabajo del campo - $600 en sueldos recobrados

Nicolas – Outdoor Escapes - $8,051 – en sueldos recobrados

Ivan – Outdoor Escapes - $5,000 – en sueldos recobrados

Isidro – California Building Company - $1,900

Regino – California Building Company - $76.50 – en sueldos recobrados

Alfredo – California Building Company - $690 – en sueldos recobrados

Todos Trabajadores– California Building Company – Ahora se les paga tiempo extra

Chehui - Solarex Kiosk Ridgedale Mall - $66.50 – en sueldos recobrados

Vicente - Construcción - Excel Drywall - $1,293 en sueldos recobrados

Octavio – Construcción – Individual Homeowner - $3,060 en sueldos recobrados

Maria y Olivia – Limpieza – Jani King - $1,240 - en sueldos recobrados

Ezequiel – Limpieza – Lucky Clover - $2,000 - en sueldos recobrados

Francisco - Construcción - $1,300 - en sueldos recobrados

Rebecca – Kohl’s - $300 - en pago de vacación

6 Trabajadores – Supervalu – regresados a trabajar (junto con Teamsters)

Trabajadores – Outdoor Escapes - ~$25,000 – en sueldos recobrados

Raymundo & Gabriel – All Purpose Cleaning - $128 – en total y un libro de empleo

Vicente – Brad Taylor Enteprises - $1,200

Maria – Clean of the King - $1,400 – en sueldos recobrados

Jorge – Clean of the King - $1,093 – en sueldos recobrados

Umberto – Paquette Maintenance - $570 – en sueldos recobrados

Gustavo – Paquette Maintenance - $1,020 – en sueldos recobrados

Jose – Best Brands - $1,316 – en vacaciones pagados y regreso a trabajo

Fermin – Paquette Maintenance - $896 – en sueldos recobrados

Trabajadores siguen unidos dentro de sus lugares de trabajo y atreves de Minneapolis y St. Paul para ganar victorias! Y sus esfuerzos no paran allí. En los últimos meses, trabajadores líderes se han reunido para desarrollar estrategias para hacer cambios sistémicos que beneficiarían a todos los trabajadores en Minneapolis y St. Paul. El 23 de Febrero este grupo de trabajadores organizó y dirijió un evento comunitario para celebrar las victorias del centro laboral y para presentar una nueva dirección para nuestro trabajo. Con un grupo de más de 100 personas reunidas, trabajadores compartieron su visión de crear una campañia para eliminar las raíces de las injusticias que gente enfrenta en el trabajo. Los trabajadores están comprometidos a crear este movimiento. Cada día más y mas personas se están haciendo miembros del centro. ¡Todos juntos nos están llevando en el camino hacia justicia!

Victory Corner

AS OF JUNE, A TOTAL OF $70,624 ROCOVERED IN UNPAID WAGES!!!

Ermalindo –Great Moon Buffet - $10,000 – recovered wages

Teresa - $600 – recovered wages

Jaime – Schmitt Timber Corporation - $321 – recovered wages

      $767 – in worker compensation

Victor – 7Up Plant - $736 – vacation time (In conjunction with Teamsters)

Alejandro y Noe – farming - $600 recovered wages

Nicolas – Outdoor Escapes - $8,051 – recovered wages

Ivan – Outdoor Escapes - $5,000 – recovered wages

Isidro – California Building Company - $1,900

Regino – California Building Company - $76.50 – recovered wages

Alfredo – California Building Company - $690 – recovered wages

All workers – California Building Company – Now all workers are paid over time

Chehui - Solarex Kiosk Ridgedale Mall - $66.50 – recovered wages

Vicente - Construcción - Excel Drywall - $1,293 - recovered wages

Octavio – Construcción – Individual Homeowner - $3,060 - recovered wages

Maria y Olivia – Limpieza – Jani King - $1,240 - recovered wages

Ezequiel – Limpieza – Lucky Clover - $2,000 - recovered wages

Francisco - Construcción - $1,300 - recovered wages

Rebecca – Kohl’s - $300 – vacation time

6 Workers – Supervalu – Returned to work (In conjunction with Teamsters)

Workers – Outdoor Escapes - ~$25,000 – recovered wages

Raymundo & Gabriel – All Purpose Cleaning - $128 – recover wages & employee handbook

Vicente – Brad Taylor Enteprises - $1,200

Maria – Clean of the King - $1,400 – recovered wages

Jorge – Clean of the King - $1,093 – recovered wages

Umberto – Paquette Maintenance - $570 – recovered wages

Gustavo – Paquette Maintenance - $1,020 – recovered wages

Jose – Best Brands - $1,316 – vacation time & returned to work

Fermin – Paquette Maintenance - $896 – recovered wages

Workers continue to stand together within and across workplaces to win victories throughout the Twin Cities! And workers have not stopped there. Over the past few months, worker leaders have met to discuss strategies for creating systemic change that benefit all workers in Minneapolis and St. Paul. On February 23^rd this group of workers organized and led a community event to celebrate worker center victories and introduce a new direction for our work. With a group of over 100 people gathered, workers put forth their vision to build a campaign targeting the root causes of injustices that people face at work. Workers are committed to building this movement. They are becoming members of the center in greater and greater numbers. And they are leading all of us down the path toward justice!

Usted quiere aprender inglés? Ven a aprender con nosotros!!!

El Centro Interfe para Justicia Laboral ofrece clases de inglés que enfocan en los derechos laborales y justicia de los trabajadores! Son gratuitas! Y son para todos niveles!

Empiezan el sabado el 14 de junio a las 10 de la manana
y
el martes el 17 de junio a las 6 de la tarde.

El horario regular para los clases es:
sabado, 10 de la manana a 12 de la tarde
martes, 6 a 8 de la tarde
Los clases duran para 8 semanas

Vengase al 2511 Franklin Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55406

Para mas información, llama a Teresa Ortiz al 612-332-0663

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE FOR WORKERS

Do you want to learn English? Come and learn with us!!!

The Interfaith center for Worker Justice is offering Enlgish clases that focus on labor rights and justice for workers. Clases are free! And are for all levels.

Classes begin Saturday, June 14 at 10:00 AM
&
Tuesday, June 17 at 6:00 PM

The regular class schedule is:
Saturday’s, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Tuesday’s, 6:00 - 8:00 PM
Classes last for 8 weeks.

Come to 2511 E. Franklin Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55406

For more information, call Teresa Ortiz at: (612) 332-0663

I believe concern for justice flows naturally from Scripture and our faith. As a pastor, it’s easy for me to use the word “justice” in preaching and writing. But it’s far more challenging to take action steps that actually work toward justice. As someone who has not considered himself an “activist”, WIN has provided a way for me to put flesh on my words.
– Rev. Bruce Arnevik, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Mpls.

Para mí, fue un momento de inspiración el caminar la linea de piquete en mi collar de clérigo, junto con los oficiales de seguridad y otros líderes laborales y religiosos, en la huelga de un día para el cuidado de salud para oficiales de seguridad locales Al participar, yo ejercité un papel de liderazgo público que nosotros, como clérigos, deberíamos representar en una Iglesia comprometida con la justicia.

Yo creo que el compromiso con la justicia sigue naturalmente de las Escrituras hasta nuestra fe. Pero es un reto mucho más fuerte el tomar pasos hacia una acción que realmente trabaja por la justicia. Como alguien que no se considera a sí mismo como “activista,” WIN me ha dado un camino para darle cuerpo a mis propias palabras.
-Rev. Bruce Arnevik, Iglesia Luterana Santísima Trinidad, Minneapolis.