IWW News and Events

Zielona Góra: Nie było naruszenia prawa

Inicjatywa Pracownicza - Wed, 03/17/2010 - 10:49am

Dziś sąd wydał wyrok w rozprawie przeciwko jednemu z działaczy Inicjatywy Pracowniczej, który protestował przed centrum handlowym w Zielonej Górze w grudniu 2008 r. Pozewy do sądu złożyła policja zarzucając związkowcom zakłócanie porządku i umieszczenie transparentu bez zgody zarządzającego terenem. Piotr Krzyżaniak został uniewinniony od tych zarzutów. Wyrok nie jest prawomocny.

Poznań: Akcja informacyjna IP w Cegielskim

Inicjatywa Pracownicza - Wed, 03/17/2010 - 10:31am

W związku z podpisaniem przez niektóre związki zawodowe w Cegielskim Porozumień z pracodawcą, Inicjatywa Pracownicza rozpoczęła akcję informacyjną. Porozumienia faktycznie obniżają wynagrodzenia pracowników o ponad 30 proc.  wprowadzają w to miejsce premię regulaminową. W przyjętym w dniu 15 marca stanowisku Komisji Międzyzakładowej przy HCP czytamy:

Zielona Góra: Spotkanie w sprawie bezrobotnych

Inicjatywa Pracownicza - Sun, 03/14/2010 - 1:19pm

12 marca grupa działaczy Inicjatywy Pracowniczej spotkała się z zastępcą prezydenta Zielonej Góry. Rozmawiano na temat bezrobocia i tragicznej sytuacji z tym związanej w mieście. Lubuskie jest jednym z najbardziej zagrozonych strukturalnym bezrobocie województw. Była to to kolejna akcja związku wywierania nacisku na władze samorządowe z powodu pogarszającej  się dramatycznie sytuacji na rynku pracy.

Poznań: Porozumienia w Cegielskim nielegalne

Inicjatywa Pracownicza - Fri, 03/12/2010 - 11:22am

Dziś część związków zawodowych działających przy HCP S.A. podpisała porozumienia w sprawie nowych zasad wynagradzania i premiowania pracowników Cegielskiego, co w praktyce oznacza zgodę na obniżenie wynagrodzeń. Porozumień nie sygnowały Inicjatywa Pracownicza i Związek Zawodowy Inżynierów i Techników. Pró ba wprowadzenia ich w życie będzie niezgodna z prawem.

Grecja: Kolejny strajk generalny

Inicjatywa Pracownicza - Thu, 03/11/2010 - 3:06pm

Dziś rano rozpoczął się w Grecji kolejny strajk generalny, w którym bierze udział ok. jednego miliona pracowników. W miastach zamknięto większość instytucji i nie działa transport publiczny, co utrudnia ludziom dotarcie na protesty. O północy wstrzymano też cały transport lotniczy i morski. Niepokoje społeczne, będące wynikiem głębokiego kryzysu ekonomicznego i politycznego, trwają nieprzerwanie w Grecji od końca 2008 roku.

Zielona Góra: Sprawy za pikietę trwają

Inicjatywa Pracownicza - Thu, 03/11/2010 - 10:13am

Odbyły się kolejne rozprawy przeciwko działaczom Inicjatywy Pracowniczej, którzy protestowali przed jednym z centrum handlowych w Zielonej Górze w grudniu 2008 r. Wczoraj przed sądem stanął Jacek Rosołowski, dziś Piotr Krzyżaniak. Ani w jednym, ani w drugim przypadku nie wydano wyroku.

Coffee Traceability System Up and Running

Just Coffee - Tue, 03/09/2010 - 5:50pm

Ever buy a bag of Just Coffee's beans and wonder what that little four digit number is on the bottom?

Well friend, wonder no more!

On the right hand side of our site we now feature a "Trace Your Coffee" field. Type the number from your bag into the field and you will find out:

-What cooperative it came from

-What farm lot the coffee came from

-When the coffee was roasted

-Who the roaster was

-What temperature the coffee was roasted to

and more!

Hit the lot number and you will see exactly what the cooperative was paid between the Cooperative Coffees contract price and the Just Coffee differential price.

This is another installment in the Just Coffee Co-op "Transparency Project". We will continue to try to make our operations clearer and all information as user friendly as possible. Please use the comment section to make suggestions on how we can continue to improve.

We do it all for you, people!!!

 

 

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Fair Trade and Fair Politics in Guatemala

Just Coffee - Tue, 03/09/2010 - 11:03am

If you are in or around the Madison area, please come to this event!

The Guatemalan Dream: Fair Trade and Fair Politics
DESGUA Speaker in Madison
Monday, March 15th
5:30-7:30pm
Speaker presentation, follow up conversation, and potluck dinner
Centro Hispano of Dane County
810 W. Badger Road

Speaker Omar Mejia will discuss DESGUA's work to create economic development and alternatives to immigration for rural Guatemalan communities through fair trade. A conversation will follow to exchange information and ideas.

This event is part of a nation-wide speaking tour organized by DESGUA (Economic Development for a Sustainable Guatemala/ Desarrollo Económico por una Guatemala Sustentable) to strengthen a network of solidarity among Guatemalan migrant communities, community coops in Guatemala, and supporters in the United States.

DESGUA is working to cultivate a relationship between Guatemala's producer community and U.S. markets to generate a sustainable and dignified way of life so that immigration in exchange for food is not the only option.

Event Speaker: DESGUA member Omar Mejia is an agronomist who has worked for more than 4 years providing technical support in various organic farming projects such as organic coffee and livestock. He has worked with Café Conciencia to market products with organic and Fair-trade principles within a network of fair-trade conferences and educational workshops.
DESGUA: is composed of Cafe Conciencia(Guate), Santa Anita La Union(Guate), Grupo Maya K'iche(U.S./Guate), Grupo Cajola(U.S), and the Canary Institute(U.S)

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JC Snags Silver Medal from League of American Bicyclists

Just Coffee - Mon, 03/08/2010 - 6:02pm

This just in...

 

Washington, DC - March 9, 2010 The League of American Bicyclists is proud to announce Just Coffee Cooperative as a Silver Medal Bicycle Friendly Business (BFB), in an impressive group of 51 new BFBs. The official announcement was made at the 10th Anniversary National Bike Summit in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, March 9. The announcement, the fourth time BFB winners have been named since the program's inception in 2008, marks the ongoing success of the program and continued momentum amongst businesses to provide a more bike-friendly environment. "The League is especially excited to recognize Just Coffee Co-op 

as a 2010 winter BFB winner at the 10th Anniversary National Bike Summit. "Just Coffee is setting a community-wide example,” said Andy Clarke.

 

Just Coffee serves as an example for best practices and innovations in bicycle friendliness at the workplaceand makes bicycling an easy option for transportation. “This Bicycle Friendly Business is making a difference for employees, customers, and communities,” said Bill Nesper, Director of the Bicycle Friendly America Program. “Just Coffee Co-op promotes bicycling as a viable form of transportation and gives their employees choices and options that make biking to work easy and fun.” 

 

The Bicycle Friendly Community and Bicycle Friendly Business programs are generously supported by program partners Bikes Belong and Trek Bicycle’s One World, Two Wheels Campaign.

 

 The League of American Bicyclists promotes bicycling for fun, fitness and transportation, and works through advocacy and education for a bicycle-friendly America. The League represents the interests of America's 57 million bicyclists, including its 300,000 members and affiliates. For more information or to support the League, visit www.bikeleague.org.


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Tragic Landslides in Uganda

Just Coffee - Mon, 03/08/2010 - 12:54pm

Mudslides last week in Uganda's Mt Elgon region have displaced hundreds and killed at least 80 people with scores more feared dead. At least one village associated with the Gumutindo Cooperative-- our partners in Uganda-- was wiped out.

Below is a letter from Willington Wamayeye from Gumutindo to Colleen Coy who will lead our upcoming delegation to Uganda, Ethiopia, and Tanzania:

Dear Colleen,

We very much your sypathies and I will definitely pass them over to the affected farmers.

I sent my team to assess the situation, they are back assembling the report. The situation is a state of flux, although the humatarian part of the disaster is more or less addressed, ie the sentlement of people in camps, provision of food and temperary shelter. The government and the Red Cross and some other orhanizations have provided some of the immediate needs of the survivours.

We have chosen to look at the long term needs of the survivours, the more reason we went for a more comprehensive report, detailing the individual survivours who belong to our cooperative and their neighbours. After we have assessed the medium to long term needs of the survivours, only then can we then ask some of trading partners like you with specific proposals. I believe this is better than for us to saturate the disaster area with relief food and forget the long term needs of the survisors, which i do believe are not being considered by government and others.
 
As for yours, please keep us updated on the itinerary so we prepare for you.

Thanks

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Re-post from Dispatch 101

Chicago Couriers Union - Sat, 03/06/2010 - 7:41pm
I was reading Julio's blog, Dispatch 101 and ran across the following post:
i got on the board late in the day...around 1600. i get word that one of our bikers was involved in a hit-n-run and is on his way in. wtf?! are you serious?! is he ok? i call him...he sounds shaken up but alright. i ask if he took down the other peoples information...nope! he arrives to the base...

6678...im ok. im a bit sore but i think im fine. my bars are bent and my front wheel is out of true but...im fine?

dispatch...wait, you didn't fill out a police report? you didn't get the other peoples info?

6678...the lady hit me and just jumped into her car. she took a picture of me as she drove away. i got the license plate.

...see, the lady took a pic to show that the messenger was fine as she was leaving. im assuming to show that he was fine and has no case. this really p*ssed me off...there's a more humane way to find out if he's ok...ask him!!! i asked the messenger if there were any witnesses but he didn't take that info also. i advised him to head to the police station to make a report. i know what the police is going to say..."not much we can do" but he should still make the report. he should have done everything in his power to make sure they didn't leave. he might be ok but his bike wasn't...he needs it for WORK! if he can't work then he's not ok.

there's another way this could have played out. a friend of a family member was involved in a collision while playing a sport. she was fine for about an hour and then her memory started fading. soon...she was losing the ability to speak. they rushed her to the hospital and all was fine. all head scans came back...ok. she did suffer a concussion and would spend the next 48 hours vomiting until she gets better. why do i share this story? cause the messenger was doored...he might have been ok at the moment but an hour later? who knows? the lady took the pic but what if he would have suffered a concussion? would she be there to snap a pic of him then?

moral of the story? do everything you can to make sure you have witnesses...make sure you take down every ones information...make sure you fill our a police report. the lady should have paid for the messengers bars and front wheel. unfortunately the messenger is no longer with us but he is fine. i wish him the best of luck in whatever else he will do. ride safe kids...peace.

I always get upset when I hear stories like this, even though I have been in the same position as the biker. Whenever I have been in a crash with a car, the first thing I want to do is just get the hell out of there. But you really need to resist that urge, settle down, and take the time to handle the situation correctly. We have covered what to do in an accident pretty extensively in the past on this blog, so I won't go over it again, but like Julio said; ride safe out there.

Brak zapisów antydyskryminacyjnych w polskim prawie pracy

Inicjatywa Pracownicza - Fri, 03/05/2010 - 5:43pm

Z początkiem tego roku Komisja Europejska rozpoczęła drugi etap procedury w sprawie naruszenia prawa wspólnotowego poprzez nieprawidłowe wdrożenie przez Polskę przepisów antydyskryminacyjnych w dziedzinie zatrudnienia.  Wydanie przez Europejski Trybunał Sprawiedliwości nieprzychylnego dla Polski orzeczenia będzie jednoznaczne z wysokimi karami finansowymi.

Poznań: Akcja związku pod Goplaną

Inicjatywa Pracownicza - Fri, 03/05/2010 - 4:12am

Wczoraj Poznańska Komisja Międzyzakładowa Inicjatywy Pracowniczej, do której przystąpiło 25 byłych pracownic Jutrzenki/Goplany, zorganizowała rozdawanie ulotek informacyjnych pod zakładami Jutrzenka Colian w Poznaniu (Goplana). Domagano się wypłaty dla całej załogi zaległych za 2007 rok premii.

It's Tax Time...

Chicago Couriers Union - Wed, 03/03/2010 - 6:14pm
It happens every year. The only bright side to tax season is work picks up for a few weeks and there is more money in the streets for commission messengers. Doing your own taxes can be pretty daunting if you are a messenger. The companies tend to play a lot of games with your employment status. Messengers also tend to move from company to company frequently, so there is a real possibility that you may receive both a 10-99 and a W-2 in the same year, sometimes from the same company. The CCU hosted it's yearly tax workshop a couple weeks ago, with expert advice from veteran messenger, master bicycle mechanic, tax wizard, and the dirtiest old man you will ever have the misfortune of meeting, Chicago's very own Swampy Waters. The tax workshop was well attended, and Swampy gave out some solid advice, demonstrating how to use the IRS website to file your taxes online for free. He also showed his innovative method of maximizing your deductions, whether you are classified as an employee of an IC by your company. If you missed the workshop, Swampy is still happy to help messengers with their taxes, although it won't be free like the CCU tax workshop was, but it is still a bargain compared with overpaying to the government.Another project that the CCU is working on this year is trying to help messengers who are misclassified by their companies as independent contractors, and as a result are forced to overpay on their taxes. If you are misclassified as an IC, you won't get anything put into your social-security account for the period of time that you are collecting wages under a 1099 form. You are also missing out on your employers contribution to this account. The CCU plans to help messengers correct this wrong by using resources available through the IRS. The first is by helping messengers to fill out IRS form SS-8. Form SS-8 is an IRS form which is used to determine worker status, basically whether you are an employee or an IC. We are particularly focused on messengers who work at Chicago Messenger Service and also at Standard Courier. Both of these companies misclassify their employees as IC's, and we are confident that when messengers fill out IRS form SS-8, they will be determined to be employees. Here are some key parts of the form to look at, and since I have worked at one of these companies I answered the questions as I would fill out the form:
  • Part1, question 2: Explain your reason(s) for filing this form (for example, you received a bill from the IRS, you believe you erroneously received a Form 1099 or Form W-2, you are unable to get worker’s compensation benefits, or you were audited or are being audited by the IRS). You believe you erroneously received a form 10-99
  • Part1, question 5: Attach copies of all supporting documentation (contracts, invoices, memos, Forms W-2 or Forms 1099-MISC issued or received, IRS closing agreements, IRS rulings, etc.). In addition, please inform us of any current or past litigation concerning the worker’s status. If no income reporting forms (Form 1099-MISC or W-2) were furnished to the worker, enter the amount of income earned for the year(s) at issue If you are employed at CMS, you can site IL case #05WC45117, in which an employee was
determined to be an employee and not a contractor. If you work at Standard, this question
is a little bit trickier. People have challenged their employment status at Standard in the
past, but to the CCU's knowledge they have always settled before the case went to court.
  • If both Form W-2 and Form 1099-MISC were issued or received, explain why. If this is the case at your company, just answer that you have no idea why your company does this.
  • Part1, question 6: Describe the firm’s business It is a messenger service which provides same day delivery services.
  • Part1, question 7: Describe the work done by the worker and provide the worker’s job title. I (the worker) am dispatched by a company employee to pick up and deliver packages for the company's customers.
  • Part1, question 8: Explain why you believe the worker is an employee or an independent contractor. This is the most important question on the form. If you work at CMS, the first point is easy: you are required to wear a company uniform. At all messenger companies in Chicago, you receive your work over company equipment, either a radio or pager that you lease from the company. Your dispatcher determines the way in which your work is performed. You are not free to decide how and when to make your deliveries. The company tells you when to report to work, and when you can go home. The primary business of the company is providing delivery service, and your job at the company is to do deliveries for the company.
  • Part2, question 1: What specific training and/or instruction is the worker given by the firm? If you work at Standard, you are required to watch a training video in the company office, and then follow another worker in the field for additional training.
  • Part2, question 2: How does the worker receive work assignments? You receive work assignments from your dispatcher who is a company employee. The dispatcher instructs you where to go to pick up packages and also tells you when you should deliver them.
  • Part2, question 3: Who determines the methods by which the assignments are performed? Your dispatcher, who is your direct supervisor at the company determines how and when your deliveries are made.
  • Part2, question 4: Who is the worker required to contact if problems or complaints arise and who is responsible for their resolution? If problems arise, you contact your dispatcher (supervisor), and they resolve the issue.
  • Part2, question 5: What types of reports are required from the worker? Attach examples. A daily manifest, provided by the company, with the company logo and phone number, is used to track each delivery and signature.
  • Part2, question 6: Describe the worker’s daily routine such as, schedule, hours, etc. You are given a start time, and are expected to start each day at that time. You begin your day by going to the office to pick up manifest forms and the equipment with which you will be dispatched your work. You then continue on with your day, being dispatched every job by your dispatcher (supervisor). If you want to take a break or get lunch, you have to ask your dispatcher for permission. You also have to ask your dispatcher what time you have to work until every day. The dispatcher tells you when it is ok to go home. You then have to go back to the company office to return your equipment and turn in your paperwork before going home.
These are really the key points on form SS-8. The rest of the questions are pretty simple to answer. Once you have filled out form SS-8 and sent it in, you are ready for the next step. This would be form 8919, uncollected social security and medicare tax on wages. This form is pretty straight-forward and easy to fill out. Once a determination is made, and we are confident that you will be found to be an employee, your employer will be held responsible for their matching contribution to your Social Security and Medicaid fund. Once one employee is found at these companies, we will begin pursuing all employees to fill out these forms and get the compensation they deserve from their employers.This will also open the door for couriers to go after these companies for not providing workers compensation insurance to their employees. There will be more information about this in the near future, but the bottom line is that as an employee, your company will not be able to charge you $100.00 per month to provide your own workers comp. insurance.

Fair Trade vs. Direct Trade

Just Coffee - Wed, 03/03/2010 - 12:16pm

Over the years we have seen the genesis and growth of many coffee marketing systems that, on some level, seek to put a different spin on the old school exploitative coffee industry. There are systems and certifications that focus on bird habitats, tree canopies, production practices, and social conditions. There are many varying opinions in the coffee world about which of these systems brings the most benefits to growers, the environment, and to coffee drinkers themselves. Within this discussion, there is a growing debate about the merits and deficiencies of two of the most popular systems: Direct Trade and Fair Trade.

While these systems have some things in common, they also have some stark differences. "Direct Trade" roasters market their coffee as the best-tasting coffee out there and take this idea as the final measurement of their product. Roasters using the "Fair Trade" philosophy use the relationship with the coffee grower as a starting point and work forward towards the end product from that point. Both argue that their system benefits growers and end consumers more than the other.

Instead of dissecting how DT operates or extolling the virtues of FT, this little article will instead implore you, the brave coffee drinker, to make up your own mind using one simple tenet as a baseline measurement for what you buy. I am talking about transparency.

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Kostrzyn: IP naciska na władze lokalne

Inicjatywa Pracownicza - Mon, 03/01/2010 - 3:13pm

Dziś grupa członków i sympatyków Inicjatywy Pracowniczej spotkała się z burmistrzem miasta Kostrzyna nad Odrą Andrzejem Kuntem. Tematem rozmowy był problem braku ofert pracy. To kolejna tego typu akcja nacisków związku na lokalne władze w sprawach dotyczących sytuacji na rynku pracy i przestrzegania praw pracowniczych.

Guatemalan Human Rights Activists Slain

Just Coffee - Mon, 03/01/2010 - 1:36pm

From our friends at DESGUA...

Four Guatemalan Human Rights Defenders Murdered in January and February 2010

2009 was the most violent year in the past decade for Guatemalan human rights defenders, with 15 defenders murdered; 2010 is proving to be even worse, with 17 attacks on defenders, among them 4 dead.

Take action now to investigate these murders.

The Guatemala Human Rights Commission respects and promotes the work of Guatemalan human rights defenders and their right to continue their work without threats, attacks, or assassination.

We condemn the murders and demand the immediate and thorough investigation of the crimes, and prosecution of those responsible. We insist on protection for the families and other threatened defenders in accordance with their wishes.

Evelinda Ramírez Reyes was attacked and killed while driving home to San Marcos from Guatemala City on the evening of January 13, 2010. Evelinda was a community leader and member of FRENA (Resistance in Defense of Natural Resources and People's Rights) and the CUC/Farmer's Union. She had just attended a series of meetings with government officials on public access to electricity; she and other FRENA members filed complaints about the excessive rates charged by service provider DEOCSA-Unión Fenosa and also advocated for the public management of electrical energy distribution. She leaves behind a four year old son.

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Blue City Announces CCU discount

Chicago Couriers Union - Mon, 03/01/2010 - 1:26pm
We received some good news via the CCU email account the other day, in the form of a guest post from one of the mechanics at Blue City Cycles in Bridgeport:

At the bike shop (Blue City Cycles), there are no underpaid security guards taking their bad day out on me and no one trying to run me off the road; it's just me and the bikes. Going to the shop is something I look forward to all week. The owners are genuine and the the neighborhood is great.
Bridgeport, "The neighborhood of the future", has got all the best personalities: from the little old Chinese guy who doesn't speak English, but will spend an hour trying to get his point across, to the guy with the war stories who just wants to buy a patch kit and always has a beer for ya. Then there's the CEO, Vanya Von Tickles. Everyone asks if she's pregnant, but no. He's just a fat boy that will keep you warm as he purrs on your lap.
But here's the best part: Clare and Owen at Blue City Cycles have decided to give the CCU a sweet discount. And as far as I know they,like Yojimbo's Garage, are one of the few shops in Chicago to have an OFFICIAL messenger discount. But you do have to be a member of the Chicago Couriers Union to apply (and to my knowledge this is the only Wobbly discount in Chicago.
Also, for messengers in need, on Sundays there is usually someone available to help out after hours at the shop.
If anyone is interested, you can set up a workshop for messengers to get to know their bikes better. Grease ain't free! So be ready to throw down some dollars or bring some beer/whiskey for the monkey ;-).

Warszawa: W obronie pracowników czasowych

Inicjatywa Pracownicza - Mon, 03/01/2010 - 11:39am

W sobotę 27 lutego odbyło się spotkanie robocze zorganizowane przez Lewicową Alternatywę i Inicjatywę Pracowniczą w sprawie kampanii na rzecz pracowników zatrudnianych na tzw. „śmieciowe umowy o pracę”, która ma ruszyć jeszcze w tym półroczu. Obecnie są przygotowywane jej założenia i harmonogram.