Workers Independent News - UNITE-HERE

SEIU, UNITE-HERE Say Secret Deals With Companies Benefit Workers - 05/13/08

Mon, 12 May 2008 14:56:08 -0700

By Doug Cunningham

Are secret agreements on union organizing between union leaders and companies good or bad for workers? That’s a central question being raised by SEIU and UNITE-HERE’s secret deals with employers that designate which workers in a company can be organized while giving up the union right to strike. UNITE-HERE President, Bruce Raynor told the Wall Street Journal that these deals are a major advancement for the labor movement that have brought tens of thousands of workers into unions. But dissidents within organized labor say they are top-down deals that exclude rank and file workers and that too much often can be sacrificed in return for simply increasing union member numbers. SEIU and UNITE-HERE have such secret deals with Sodhexo and Compass and possibly other companies. The Wall Street Journal says the agreements give these companies the right to pick which of their facilities can be organized and which can’t. SEIU’s Andy Stern says these deals were crafted because the old ways of organizing weren’t working and under these deals workers are guaranteed a union voice.

Workers Win Court Battle For Union Representation After Ten Years - 04/30/08

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:03:40 -0700

A court has ordered Goya Foods to negotiate with a union that won representation of workers back in 1998. Jesse Russell reports:

The battle between UNITE and the Goya Foods factory in Miami has waged since 1998 when the union, which has since merged with another union to form UNITE-HERE, won the right to represent workers. Over the next decade, Goya incurred multiple charges of unfair labor practices and even fired workers as it sought to break the union’s attempt to represent the workers. In 1999, the company stopped negotiation with the union and it wasn’t until August of 2006, after a great deal of back and forth between the National Labor Relations Board and Goya, that the board finally ruled that the company had unlawfully "withdrawn union recognition" and the Board ordered Goya to resume collective bargaining. Goya appealed and in a court decision on April 24 it was recognized that the National Labor Relations Board taking a decade to determine a ruling "is of considerable concern." But the court supported the Board's order. In a statement, UNITE-HERE President Bruce Raynor said 10 years is "far too long to wait when bills need to be paid and meals need to be put on tables."

Workers Call For Boycott of Four Seasons Hotel Near LA Airport - 03/12/08

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 17:43:03 -0700

Workers at the Four Points Sheraton located near the Los Angeles Airport are calling for a boycott against the hotel. Jesse Russell reports:

Represented by UNITE-HERE, the workers are alleging that the hotel is refusing to negotiate in good faith and has actively sought to stop the newly established union from improving working conditions. In September of 2007, the workers officially became unionized and for the past five months have been seeking to establish a new contract. The hotel representatives, according to the union, have only attended four negotiation sessions. Currently, the workers at Four Points have no retirement plans and little access to affordable healthcare.

UNITE-HERE Organizes Cintas In Canada - 02/13/08

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 16:42:05 -0800

Unions in the United States have long sought to organize North American laundry giant, Cintas. This month a Candian union did just that. Jesse Russell reports.

UNITE-HERE has been trying to organize workers at North America laundry giant, Cintas for years. Between 2004 and 2007, the company chose to settle more than 70 allegations of interfering with a workers' right to organize. In the past, the National Labor Relations Board has called the company's violations "intensive."

But this month UNITE-HERE Canada won a fight to organize Cintas workers in Montreal. The Quebec Labor Board certified a petition filed by the Cintas workers last week. Canada has different labor laws than the United States which make it easier for workers to organize in that country. While labor has been unable to organize Wal-mart stores in the United States, Canada has watched at least three Wal-Mart Store become unionize over the past two years.

UNITE-HERE Steps Up Organizing Effort At Company Where Two Workers Died - 02/07/08

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 18:19:00 -0800

By Jesse Russell

Two workers at a New Jersey industrial dry cleaning plant died in December. UNITE-HERE says those unfortunate deaths could have been avoided and since those deaths, they have been stepping up moves to organize the plant while also supplying workers with information on occupational safety. The company, North East Linen, has held meetings recently, aimed at discouraging workers from organizing. The men died while cleaning toxic chemicals out of a storage tank. According to reports, they had not been outfitted with proper safety clothing or gear. The union has faulted the comp

UNITE-HERE Urges Consumers Not To Invest In Countrywide - 12/06/07

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 16:05:51 -0800

By Doug Cunningham

As the sub-prime mortgage crisis and record home foreclosures continue to reverberate through the U.S. economy, UNITE-HERE has launched a multi-state effort encouraging people not to invest in Countrywide Financial Corporation. The union representing hotel and textile workers says Countrywide is a lead player in the sub-prime lending practices that resulted in the current crisis and needs to do more to grant serious relief to many borrowers at risk of foreclosure. Countrywide is both the largest mortgage lender in the U.S. and the biggest sub-prime lender.

Ten Thousand Las Vegas Workers Take A Strike Vote - 09/13/07

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 15:44:02 -0700

Nearly 10,000 workers took part in a strike vote in Las Vegas Wednesday. Jesse Russell reports.

Workers represented by the Culinary Workers Union Local 226 and the Bartenders Union Local 165 took part in the strike authorization vote targeting properties in downtown Las Vegas and on the infamous Vegas Strip.

[Weiss1]: We’re looking for fair contracts in Las Vegas, we call it the Las Vegas Dream – just our version of the American Dream.

That was Pilar Weiss, spokesperson for the Culinary Workers Union. She said they have reached agreements with a number of hotels and casinos, but the union refuses to leave any workers behind.

UNITE-HERE, Danny Glover Promoting Pension Fund Investments In South Africa - 07/05/07

Wed, 04 Jul 2007 14:31:17 -0700

By Doug Cunningham

Bruce Raynor, UNITE-HERE President and also president of the union-owned Amalgamated Bank, is joining actor/activist Danny Glover in urging U.S. pension funds to invest in South Africa. UNITE-HERE has billions of dollars invested in pension funds, with some being invested in South Africa.

Wisconsin Superior Health Linen Workers Struggling To Form Union - 06/28/07

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 20:06:00 -0700

By Doug Cunningham

UNITE-HERE is helping Latino workers in their effort to organize at Superior Health Linens in Wisconsin’s capital city. Workers like Carlos Torres make about ten dollars an hour with no health insurance or sick leave. Torres, speaking here through an interpretor at a public hearing in Madison, says the company is using fear and intimidation to prevent workers from organizing.

[Torres]: "It's been really difficult because there's been a lot of fear for people, for people being fired or something being done to them."

UNITE-HERE Continues American Eagle Campaign - 06/14/07

Wed, 13 Jun 2007 17:00:00 -0700

American Eagle is the target of Unite Here who represents textile workers at a Toronto-area distributor. The union alleges that the contractor has harassed and intimidated workers. The Ontario Labor Relations Board is reviewing the case.

California Casino Labor Dispute Tests Dem Presidential Candidates - 06/01/07

Thu, 31 May 2007 18:03:56 -0700

An invitation to an American Indian forum in California is causing some Democratic Presidential candidates to make some tough decisions. Jesse Russell reports.

Presidential contender Hillary Clinton has turned down an invitation to speak at a forum at the Morongo Casino Resort and Spa in California. The former first wife cited a on going labor dispute between the Morongo Band of Mission Indians who run the casino and Unite-HERE. That union represents service workers who oppose a deal that would expand the number of casinos in California because it would make it more difficult to organize workers and the casino owners are already against unionization. Currently only New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel have accepted the invitation that would bring tribal leaders from across the country to California. Event organizers say that who attends and who doesn’t will determine who receives the support of the deep pocketed casino tribes.

UNITE-HERE Launches American Eagle Outfitters Campaign - 06/01/07

Thu, 31 May 2007 18:00:19 -0700

By Doug Cunningham

UNITE-HERE Canada Director Alex Dagg says a distribution center serving American Eagle Outfitters is violating Canadian labor law in an organizing campaign at the facility in Ontario. So UNITE-HERE is launching a public campaign targeting American Eagle Outfitters in an effort to stop the anti-union actions of National Logistics Services, which bought the distribution center from American Eagle Outfitters.

[Dagg]: “We have gone to almost every single store here in the province of Ontario. There are almost 40 stores here. And we're launching a North American-wide campaign where we will be doing days of action against the AMerican Eagle stores in the next four to five days in more than 20 North American cities."

UNITE-HERE NYC Rally Promotes Immigrant Garment Workers Rights - 05/01/07

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 18:15:34 -0700

By Doug Cunningham

[Petra Velez]: “May Day is international labor day. That's why we celebrating the contribution of the working people. We're asking the politicians, you know, to support the immigrant workers."

Petra Velez is a New York City garment worker and heads the Executive Board of the New York metro area Joint Board of UNITE-HERE. In New York City UNITE-HERE is rallying today for immigrant worker rights.

[Velez 2]: “Some of the immigrants, you know, are here illegally and some of the immigrants are legal here. But sometimes they have no rights. They don't want to give them rights. And that's why we are fighting for them."

Change To Win: Labor Will Make Sure Politicians Work To Restore American Dream - 11/07/06

Wed, 08 Nov 2006 14:33:43 -0800

By Doug Cunningham

The Change To Win labor federation’s Chair, Anna Burger, says the very hard work that union volunteers put in for months has paid off to elect leaders who say they will fight to make work pay. But she says the work for change is far from over. Change To Win activists, Burger says, will be watching these new leaders to make sure they do their part to restore the American Dream - a paycheck that supports a family, affordable health care, a secure retirement and most of all, a better life for our kids."

Labor fielded the biggest voter mobilization it’s ever done and was the single largest organized election effort nationwide. The AFL-CIO spent $40 million and other big unions spent tens of millions each on their own to produce this elections victory for Democrats. The focus now will be on advancing the working family agenda.

Labor's Working 'Til Polls Close To Change America - 11/07/06

Mon, 06 Nov 2006 19:58:28 -0800

By Doug Cunningham

“People are talking and people are fed up. And people want a change. And you’re gonna see a change.”

That’s Jim, a union campaign volunteer who’s becoming famous on You Tube for the plain speaking “Two Guys” videos.

Labor continues to work feverishly through Election Day until the polls close in a mammoth get out the vote effort to win a working family friendly Congress. The AFL-CIO says today alone it will field 75,000 volunteers, knock on 1.5 million doors, make 5.4 million phone calls and reach another 1.8 million voters at work sites. In key states like Ohio and Pennsylvania the AFL-CIO says it expects 35-40 percent of the overall vote will be union household voters.