On the picket line

Grocery workers win anti-racist suits

Albertson’s grocery chain will pay $8.9 million to 168 former and current Black and Latino/a workers at its warehouse distribution center in suburban Denver who were subjected to racist taunts and had to use a restroom covered in racist graffiti, including drawings of swastikas and lynchings. Not only did supervisors know about the harassment, they participated in it. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission brought three suits that led to this settlement, which will give about $53,000 to each worker. (New York Times, Dec. 16)

Big win for Fla. tomato workers

The top U.S. food and support services company, Compass Group, signed an agreement with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers this fall that gives a raise to Florida tomato harvesters, mostly Latino/a and Haitian immigrants. Compass will pay an additional 1.5 cents per pound for the 10.5 million pounds of tomatoes it buys annually. One cent will pass directly to the workers. This agreement boosts workers’ wages from 50 cents for a 32-pound bucket to 82 cents per bucket, a 64 percent increase. Compass also agreed to purchase tomatoes only from growers and suppliers willing to meet standards set out in the code of conduct contained in the CIW agreement. Raking in $9 billion in revenue in 2008, Compass has more than 10,000 accounts with schools, corporate offices, hospitals and cultural centers. The agreement applies to all its operating companies, which could have far-reaching impact on the fight for justice in the tomato fields. The deal is already bearing fruit. East Coast Growers and Packers, the third-largest tomato grower in Florida, has already agreed to Compass’ terms. The campaign for justice for tomato workers has been gaining momentum now that Taco Bell and its corporate owner Yum! Brands, McDonald’s, Burger King, Subway, Chipotle and Whole Foods have signed hard-won agreements with CIW. (www.ciw.org)

N.Y. state trans workers gain bias protection

New York Gov. David A. Patterson signed an executive order Dec. 16 extending anti-discrimination protections to transgender state employees. A number of cities in the state — Albany, Buffalo, New York and Rochester — already include trans people in broad anti-bias coverage. Though this will apply only to employees at state agencies, it is a first step toward including gender identity and expression in anti-bias New York state law. Currently 12 states, the District of Columbia, and more than 100 cities and counties have broad laws prohibiting discrimination against trans people. (New York Times, Dec. 16)

Labor college partners with Native college

The National Labor College signed an agreement with the College of Menominee Nation, an Indigenous college with two campuses in Wisconsin, reported www.aflcio.blog on Dec. 13, The agreement makes it easier for students attending the college to transfer up to 90 credits toward one of six labor studies majors at NLC. The NLC currently has more than 25 academic partnerships nationwide with community colleges and four-year college programs.

Transport workers to get raises!

In August an arbitration court ruled that Transport Workers Union Local 100 members, who staged a heroic three-day strike in New York City in 2005, should get 11.3 percent raises in a new three-year contract. Also, a cap was put on the workers’ health benefit contributions worth about 1 percent of wages. But, still wanting to punish the workers, the Metropolitan Transit Authority, with the backing of billionaire Mayor Michael Bloomberg, appealed the arbitration. Over the next three months Local 100 held a number of street actions, including a militant march over the Brooklyn Bridge, demanding the new contract, which was in line with those of other public employees. The week of Dec. 7 the court upheld the contract. Now the money just needs to show up in the workers’ pockets!