Submitted by x344543 on Fri, 10/01/2010 - 12:58pm
Workers at Birmingham's NHS Blood & Transplant centre in Edgbaston have just successfully organised to get a hot food canteen through a popular campaign.
Earlier this year office staff moved into former lab space left empty following cuts and closures. This influx highlighted and reminded people just how poor the existing catering on site was. Years ago there had been a full canteen serving cooked breakfast and the like, but the contract was operated by a local hospital and when that ended, no-one was willing to take it on, so the canteen was closed. Since then all that staff have had is over-priced vending machines which supply only salty, fatty and sugary junk food, and are frequently half empty. The dry sandwiches are universally hated. Considering the employer is the NHS, it seemed not a lot of thought had gone into how what employees eat effects our health, fitness, well-being, energy and concentration - especially those who work shifts.
This issue was something that absolutely everybody felt strongly about, so it was decided that instead of grumbling, which achieves nothing, a Campaign for a Canteen would be launched. The UNISON branch agreed to give the campaign its full backing. A petition was circulated and was signed by all, even visiting managers from other centres. An open meeting was also held so that ideas could be brainstormed to go into a written case.
Members of UNISON, Unite, IWW and also non-union members all came up with very strong arguments. The case was put together and presented to management along with pages of signatures, and a right earful from some of the most fired-up staff! Then, once we had made our case, many of us helped to keep the pressure up by sending the regional manager regular individual emails.
In the end management felt that our case was quite simply so strong and logical on all fronts that the only choice they had was to concede to our demand. Now we will be getting a full serving hatch which will give us access to hot fresh food and fruit and veg. This will be a good boost to morale and hopefully to people's health as well. Birmingham blood centre has lost a lot in the past few years and it's about time that we got something back! But this wasn't a gift - the truth is we wouldn't have got it if we hadn't organised.
Submitted by x344543 on Wed, 07/22/2009 - 12:23am
Disclaimer: This is not an IWW action; it is being posted in solidarity.
Workers staging a sit-in at the soon-to-close Vestas wind turbine plant on the Isle of Wight are being starved out by police.
The police, many inside the factory and dressed in riot gear, have denied food to the workers who took over the factory offices last night, to protest about the closure of their factory. The police, operating with highly questionable legal authority, have surrounded the offices, preventing supporters from joining the sit-in, and preventing food from being brought to the protestors.
Around 20 workers at the Vestas Plant in Newport, on the Isle of Wight, occupied the top floor of offices in their factory to protest against its closure which will result in over 500 job losses.
Submitted by x344543 on Fri, 09/05/2008 - 12:48pm
Please circulate widely.
On the 21st August Chris Lockwood, union organiser and member of the Industrial Workers of the World was fired from his bar job at the Showroom Cinema in Sheffield (UK). This has been part of a long campaign by management of picking off and isolating workers who have voiced objections to recent changes that have worsened the conditions of all who work there.
The Showroom cinema is a registered charity and claims to be an "investor in people", yet has consistently attacked workers pay and conditions with the sole aim of greater profits. We believe that every worker (no matter what the industry) is entitled to respect and should be organised to defend themselves in the work place. Chris’ firing represents a direct and illegal attack against union organising.
Submitted by x344543 on Fri, 07/11/2008 - 2:47am
Originally posted at anarkismo.net
Dublin Report:
From 12 pm a small group of us decided to leaflet inside some of the
other Dublin Starbucks preliminary to the main demonstration on the one
in Dame Street. We started upstairs in BT2 Grafton Street – some
leaflets were got into the hands of staff behind the bar – but a BT2
security guard is hot on our heels snaffling and crumpling paper as he
goes. No security or management presense at all in Dawson street where
we get a more leisurely stroll and distribute a good number of leaflets
– staff and customers read with interest. Similarly in a fairly
deserted Starbucks in the IFSC.
Finally we get back to Dame Street and do another quick run around
inside. A minute later we are greeted by Irene; district manager of
Starbuck’s Dublin. She is icely and formally polite informing us that
we are welcome to protest peacefully but not to leaflet inside the
premises and to check in any time for refreshments . We decline the
offer. Then she turns paranoid asking us if we are recording her
(though we have neither the equipment or the inclination!)– turns back
in and is not seen again.
The crowd in Dame Street quickly swells to over 30: with WSM members
and many other activists; mostly but not exclusively libertarian. The
atmosphere is cheerful through out and people manage to engage with
workers on several occasions. Encouraged we head back to Dawson Street
and again up to 30 people throng around it; a very strong presense at a
quite small entrance.
Submitted by x344543 on Fri, 07/11/2008 - 1:59am
Originally published at indymedia.org.uk.
On Thursday 24th April, Monica, a barista in the central Seville branch
of Starbucks, was fired without notice for creating problems with her
workmates. She had worked there for a year and a half. She had been
active in organising with the CNT and defending her rights. The store
manager told her on several occasions that she must have nothing to do
with unions. She is a member of the Commerce Union of the CNT, in
Spain. The CNT is demanding her reinstatement.
Barely
a month later, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA, Starbucks fired barista
Cole Dorsey on June 6th. Cole had over 2 years of service and was
active in the IWW Starbucks Workers Union. The National Labor Relations
Board in the US has already made the firm rehire two sacked workers in
2006, and are looking at Starbucks latest violation.
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