Category Archives: workers rights

Invitation to Presentation on “Union Victory Effort at Pomona College” with Christian Torres and Paul Watersmith this Wednesday at 3 PM

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Christian Torres (who led the union drive at Pomona College and was one of the workers fired) and Paul Watersmith (who is now a union organizer but was with the Worker Support Committee when the Pomona union effort developed) will speak in my Rural and Urban Social Movements class this Wednesday at 3 pm.  They will speak to the story of the alliances that developed in the course of the unionization drive at Pomona College, the efforts used by the administration to destroy the union movement (including checking the papers of everyone at the college and the ultimate firing of 17 of the workers), and the resilience of the workers (with the support of students, the UNITE-HERE , and community coalitions) in continuing to protest and organize to eventually win the victory of the union.  After the presentation, a group of students will show some of the videos related to this effort including:  “Pomona Workers Speak” and Pomona Workers for Justice: Dining Hall in the Streets on Cesar Chavez Day.”  Attached is an article written by  by Victor Silverman.  This is the zoom link to connect to for the presentations:    https://pitzer.zoom.us/j/86987777594
Jose Calderon is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: CHLT-153 Rural and Urban Social Movements class
Time: This is a recurring meeting Meet anytime
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Meeting ID: 869 8777 7594
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Jose Zapata Calderon
Emeritus Professor of Sociology and Chicano/a and Latino/a Studies
1050 North Mills Avenue
Claremont, CA 91711-6101
(909) 952-1640
Jose_Calderon@pitzer.edu
Website:  www.josezcalderon.com

Labor union word cloud concept

Request for help by Doubletree Workers

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There may be an outbreak at the hotel. Workers report at least 9 coworkers have had COVID over the last few months. There are only about 30 workers in the hotel.
Workers report management has not been following COVID safety measure. They have not supplied enough PPE to workers.  Workers say that when their coworkers have gotten COVID, management had not told them or asked them to quarantine.  Housekeepers report that Management does not give them the additional time and resources that they need to properly clean and disinfect guest rooms.  Management asks house keepers to clean 15-16 rooms a day-the same number of rooms they told them to clean BEFORE the pandemic. As a result housekeepers frequently skip breaks, including meals, and report being exhausted by all the work.
The outbreak and managements’ alleged failure to protect workers and guests threatens the health of the community.  Until recently, the County was contracting with the hotel to prepare food for home bound seniors.  Several airlines from ONT airport contract with the hotel to house their flight crews.  
Workers feel all these factors have contributed to the outbreak and put their health and the guests’ health at risk.
Workers went to management several time to ask for information about sick coworkers and more time and resources to clean and disinfect guest rooms, but they feel management has not listened.
Workers filed complaints with San Bernardino and CalOSHA.
Ask #1:
Call: (909) 418-4815 ask to speak to Bassam Shahin, General Manager
Demands:
1. The hotel lower the room quota by 3 rooms, equivalent to the 90 additional minutes needed to do additional cleaning required to keep guests and coworkers safe.
2. The hotel bring back additional housekeepers to work to allow for the reduction of the room quota.
Ask #2:
Call: Zulfiquar Merchant, District Manager for Cal/OSHA, 626-239-0369
Share background of the current situation.

Demands: Inspect the COVID safety violations at the Ontario Doubletree and help protect the health of the workers and the community

Rally to Support Grocery Workers August 2

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UFCW 1428 is still in negotiations with Albertsons, Vons and Ralphs.  They are voting on proposals August 8th.  

Time to heat it up a bit.  Put on your sunscreen and walking shoes and join hundreds in a march in support of grocery workers.  

GROCERY WORKERS MARCH AND RALLY

Tuesday, August 2nd 11AM

Vans will be available at Local 1428’s offices, leaving at 9:00AM.  Please reserve your seat ASAP as space is limited.

Flyer Attached.

Together we can #MakeEndsMeet  for grocery workers!!

L. A. Times Article:

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-grocery-authorize-strike-20160621-snap-story.html

GroceryWorkers

United Voices on Waste Transfer Station Issue

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Invitation to Latino and Latina Roundtable

 

Subject: Urgent re: Valley Vista Services Pomona Waste Transfer Station

Attached you’ll find a flyer with date, time, and location of Wednesday’s action against the Waste Transfer Station. 

Please distribute widely. It would be great to have students, and other community activists from intersecting issues show solidarity and stand with us. 

flyerLEAspanishapr2015LONG

flyerLEAapr2015LONG

The wage war for public workers’ union

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The reality is, as we know, that the Supreme Court judges that are appointed — are not neutral — and that they are appointed by larger ideological and capital interests. The larger interests now are turning back the many changes that came out of the labor, civil and human rights movements. The recent decision by the Supreme Court, in a 5 -4 decision, ruled that public-sector unions in Illinois cannot collect dues from health care workers who do not want to be part of a union (although they may benefit from the collective bargaining gains that the unions may win for all workers). This decision is part of an ongoing attack to destroy the bargaining power and membership of unions. It has the capacity to advance similar policies that will affect all unions in the future. Only our collective organizing efforts, alongside labor, can ensure that this does not happen.

See video