MILITANT MANHATTAN STRIKE ACTION
SEIU Local 32B-J vows: 'Working people will be heard!'
By Pat
Chin
New York
Striking members of Service Employees/Building Service Local
32B-J and their supporters picketed a building in lower
Manhattan on Aug. 4.
It was the latest in a series of militant actions that have
erupted since February, when union head Gus Bevona was ousted
and the local was placed into trusteeship by the national
Service Employees union.
The Aug. 4 protesters used picket signs, noisemakers and
chants to get their message across. "Union busting is
disgusting," they shouted. "No justice, no peace" got honks of
solidarity from passing motorists. "Good luck," shouted one
pedestrian.
A truck tried to exit the building and drive through the
picket line. But it was immediately stopped by people who
banged on the hood while chanting, "Back it up, back it
up!"
The driver gave in to the angry demand. And the garage doors
were later shut by picketers with a posted sign saying, "Out of
business."
Protesters marched inside and occupied the building's lobby.
During the occupation, they decorated the floor with confetti
made from fliers announcing the picket line.
"We'll be back next time with more people," warned one
speaker. "There won't be any non-union labor in this district,
even if we have to take this building down."
"32B-J, 32B-J," roared the crowd in unanimous approval.
The "lunch line" was called to protest against GVA Williams,
the new leasing agent for the building at 171-175 Varick
Street. Local 32B-J has represented the workers there since
1945. But after buying the building the new owners announced
that they would terminate the current employees even though
this violates a labor contract that doesn't expire until
2001.
And so the union filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge with
the National Labor Relations Board and the workers walked off
the job.
"We realize the strike is not against you, the tenants, but
against the new owner who is seeking to exploit the workers and
pay the cheapest possible wages and benefits," explained a
leaflet.
"Working people will be heard" is one of the new themes of
the Service Employees union. These fighting words have been put
into action for some six months now in New York.
Several lively demonstrations of purple-clad unionists have
targeted unscrupulous bosses like Citibank, which was recently
forced to back down in a dispute with the local. Other actions
included huge marches on City Hall and Wall Street.
The next protest is set for Aug. 13, against the Port
Authority Bus Terminal and Laro Maintenance, the non-union
contractor that cleans the terminal.
Local 32B-J will also join the Dominican Day Parade on Aug.
15.
This article is copyright under a Creative Commons License.
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