ON THE PICKET LINE
UMass undergrads ratify first contract
On Dec. 11 Resident Assistants at the University of
Massachusetts at Amherst made labor history. The first
undergraduate workers in the United States to unionize, they
ratified their first contract by a vote of 97 to one.
The 365 workers, members of Auto Workers Local 2322, will
receive a 31-percent raise over the course of the two-year
contract. The contract also includes a binding
grievance-and-arbitration procedure, improved parking
privileges and language on working conditions.
Hired for 20 hours a week, the students are paid to live in
the dormitories to enforce rules, counsel students and organize
educational and social events. They decided to organize in
February 2001 because they often work more than 20 hours,
they're constantly on call and are physically at risk during
boisterous dorm parties.
Even when a labor commission determined in January 2002 that
the RAs had the right to organize, the university opposed it.
After the RAs joined Local 2322 in March 2002, the university
refused to bargain. Finally, after a series of demonstrations,
including an April sit-in where 35 were arrested, the
university agreed to negotiate a contract. "Student workers,
just like all workers, have important work-place concerns that
are best addressed through collective bargaining," said Local
2322 President James A.W. Shaw. "This is a great contract that
improves and protects the working conditions of RAs. This
contract proves the value of a union not for just for RAs, but
for all workers." (www.dailycollegian.com)
Borders strikers face off against bosses
When striking Borders workers sat down at the negotiating
table on Dec. 10, they offered to accept the bookstore's
previous contract proposal if the company would agree to
"neutrality" and a card-check agreement. "No way" was the
bosses' response.
By "neutrality" the strikers mean a "free exchange on union
issues" with union members in the stores "without retribution,
captive meetings, coercion, disinformation and other similar
anti-worker tactics." ("Truth about the Strike" Forum on
www.bordersunion.org)
Though it may be tempting during the holidays to put in a
rush order at Ama zon.com, the best way to support the Borders
workers' strike is by boycotting Borders bookstores nationwide,
as well as Waldenbooks and Amazon. Contact Borders at
www.bordersstores.com or call the Ann Arbor store at (734)
668-7652 or the corporate headquarters at (734) 477-1100 to
demand they bargain in good faith. For updates on the strike
visit www.bordersunion.org and sign the online petition.
In whose interests?
Staff attorneys, paralegals and support staff at MFY Legal
Services in New York, members of the Auto Workers Local 2320,
the Legal Services Staff Association, voted unanimously to
strike in mid-autumn. MFY Legal Services, however, has not
budged. It's still demanding health-care givebacks and reduced
leave rights. On top of that, their refusal to negotiate has
had a disastrous effect on MFY's low-income clients. They've
been forced to go without sorely needed services.
Locked-out workers reject job cuts
Even though the 68 workers at Berkshire Gas Co. have been
locked out of their jobs since April 1, on Dec. 10 they refused
to accept the company's latest proposal to cut staffing to 33
jobs. They were scheduled to meet with a federal mediator on
Dec. 12.
Michael E. Ferriter, president of Steel Workers Local 12325,
said the company's latest proposal was worse than what the
workers were offered last spring. Unless the mediation is
successful and they go back, the workers face a difficult 2004.
Their unemployment benefits are due to run out in January.
Union represents NYC music teachers
Part-time music teachers at the Elaine Kaufman Cultural
Center have sounded a new note in New York City's vibrant labor
history. By joining Musicians Union Local 802, they became the
first community arts school to unionize. After a year of
negotiations and a four-day strike in October, the teachers now
have a three-year contract that mandates 2-percent annual
raises for the center's 130 teachers. The school will pay
retirement benefits for those who teach 10 or more hours a week
and a portion of health benefits for those who teach five or
more hours. Though the teachers noted the contract wasn't
ideal, they felt it was an important start. Morrie Sherry, one
of those who initially contacted the union, says: "I have
gotten questions from other teachers at other schools.
Everybody's interested." (New York Times, Dec. 14)
Boycott DKNY
Donna Karan may be on the celebrity "A" list, but the
workers contracted by her posh clothing company DKNY give her
an "F." Socked with lawsuits for various bad labor practices
since 1998, the company recently settled two: a discrimination
case brought by Latina needle workers and a class-action
lawsuit for wage violations.
The Latina workers suffered under 19th-century-style
sweatshop conditions. Forced to work long hours with no
overtime pay, they often couldn't use the padlocked bathrooms.
They were also searched daily before they left the factory.
What excuse did management give the women for paying them
less for sewing by hand? It was because "their eyes were bigger
than the Chinese." (www.nmass.org) This is nothing more than
blatant racism on the part of DKNY.
The workers in these cases received close to $1 million, but
no apology. In the meantime DKNY has moved most of its
manufacturing operations to other countries, into areas like
Toronto, Canada, where worker organizing is relatively
weak.
The boycott against DKNY, begun in 1998, will continue until
all DKNY sewers, no matter where they work, are treated
decently and paid equitably for the high-priced fashions they
create.
Reprinted from the Dec. 25, 2003, issue of
Workers World newspaper
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
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Email: ww@workers.org
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