Tim Dubnau, Organizing Coordinator, District One, Communication Workers of America and Tsegau Almaz, Walmart Associate, Crenshaw, Los Angeles, Member OUR Walmart Campaign
Walmart Strikers Rally Outside Shareholder Meeting in Arkansas with Tsegau Almaz, Walmart Associate, Crenshaw, Los Angeles, Member OUR Walmart Campaign
Walmart strikers, with assistance from the OUR Walmart campaign, launched the first prolonged strike in the company's history, capping it with a rally on Friday outside the company's shareholder meeting in Bentonville, Ark. Workers began the strike more than a week ago and went on a freedom ride-inspired trek, called the "Ride for Respect," to Walmart headquarters in Bentonville. The strike ended after the shareholder meeting. Workers from more than 30 cities joined in the ride, which was a massive education program meant to educate Walmart workers & communities about the issues of Walmart. Among these are higher wages, more hours, health care, protection against retaliation for raising workers' rights issues and Walmart's failure to provide for the safety of workers in factories overseas that manufacture the products the retail giant sells such as the 1,239 garment workers who died at the Rana Plaza building collapse in Banglasdesh. The strikers were joined by Kalpona Alter, Ex. Dir., Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity, who implored Walmart to take action to insure that the factories where Wal-Mart products are made should be safe for the workers. ****************************** Cablevision Breaks Law, Then Attacks NLRB with Tim Dubnau, Organizing Coordinator, District One, Communication Workers of America
Cablevision, the cable giant is asking the federal court to undermine the authority of the National Labor Relations Board in pursing complaints charging Cablevision with multiple violations of labor law. Since Brooklyn technicians voted to unionize more than a year ago, Cablevision has refused to bargain in good faith. Cablevision actually fired 23 workers in Brooklyn after the workers used management's "open door" policy to talk to a vice president about how the company was stonewalling their first-contract bargaining. Cablevision has illegally intimidated workers, brazenly violated federal law by firing workers for protected activity, while refusing to offer any improvements in wages to the newly unionized technicians in Brooklyn.
produced by Mimi Rosenberg and Ken Nash
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