San Francisco Bay Area GMB

This is the news page for our San Francisco Bay Area General Membership Branch. To get an overview about our contact info, news and events, please visit our home page.

Successful Strike Support Rally By NWA-AMFA Workers At SFO An Important First Step In Building Labor Solidarity

Posted Wed, 09/07/2005 - 2:08am by x344543

Disclaimer - The following article is reposted here because it is an issue with some relevance to the IWW. The views of the author do not necessarily agree with those of the IWW and vice versa.

By Steve Zeltzer - September 5, 2005

NWA-AMFA striking mechanics were joined by hundreds of other other airline workers and other trade unionists at San Francisco International Airport on Labor Day 2005. Strike supporters including ILWU Local 10 president Trent Willis spoke at the rally and was joined with dozens of ILWU member from Local 10 and 34. Airline mechanics from American Airlines, United Airlines as well as flight attendants not only joined the rally but spoke in solidarity. Willis warned the rest of the labor movement that they should not fail to back the NWA mechanics because the same thing could happen to other unions. He also said that the unions had the power to shut the airport down and that might become a necessity.

JoAnne Kazemi, the SFO Base Representative of the Professional Flight Attendants Association PFAA which represents the thousands of NWA flight attendants reported that some strike supporters had been furloughed for supporting the picket line and that NWA was using scab flight attendants www.pfaa.com. She also said that NWA along was seeking to replace US based flight attendants on Asian flights with Asian flight attendents at lower standards and wages. This is already happened with the outsourcing of maintenance for NWA jets that are on routes to China. They will be serviced by non-union mechanics at wages substantially lower than US based wages. The issue of outsourcing was also raised by author and UAW-NWU 1981 Chair Jack Rasmus. Rasmus reported that over 8 million jobs have been outsourced in the last few years and many of these were good paying union jobs.

Cheesecake is Forced into a BIG PAYBACK - Young Workers United Victory!

Posted Wed, 08/31/2005 - 1:31am by x344543

Disclaimer - The following article is reposted here because it is an issue with some relevance to the IWW.  The views of the author and the publisher do not necessarily agree with those of the IWW and vice versa.  (Plus, they gave us a plug, so it's only right to return the favor!)

Originally published on www.indybay.org 

Victory! We are happy to report the Cheesecake Factory has finally settled and workers will finally get their rightful piece of the pie. For three years, workers were denied breaks in the busiest and most profitable restaurant in the City. After two years of actions, worker organizing and public pressure, we won back pay and a new system! Workers across the state will get a $4.5 million settlement.

Through the course of the campaign, they’ve also won increased wages for the breaker position, instead of paying the breaking worker to take a break. We’ve built a solid crew in the kitchen who are standing up to abusive managers. In perhaps unrelated news, former General Manager Jeff Reznick has been transferred to Pensacola, a little town in mid-Florida. We invite you to celebrate with us and tell the press:

Muni fare strike urged by activists - Bus and train riders should refuse to pay Sept 1, 2005

Posted Tue, 08/30/2005 - 2:14pm by x344543

Disclaimer - The following article is reposted here because it is an issue with some relevance to the IWW.  The views of the author and the publisher do not necessarily agree with those of the IWW and vice versa.

Rachel Gordon, San Francisco Chronicle Staff Writer - Tuesday, August 30, 2005 - Original Article.

A coalition of activists involved in left-leaning political causes in San Francisco called on Municipal Railway passengers to refuse to pay their fares starting Thursday, the day the price for a ride is set to go up.

"We refuse to pay more for less service," said Riva Enteen, one of the organizers of the planned strike who publicized their plans at a Mission District rally Monday. "These fare hikes will affect poor people the most."

Starting Thursday, the regular cash fare for bus and train service will go up to $1.50, a 25-cent boost, and the cost of a cable car ride will nearly double to $5. The cash fare for seniors, the disabled and youth will increase 15 cents, to 50 cents.

SF School District Workers Call in Sick

Posted Mon, 08/29/2005 - 1:40pm by x344543

Disclaimer - The following article is reposted here because it is an issue with some relevance to the IWW.  The views of the author and the publisher do not necessarily agree with those of the IWW and vice versa.

Suzanne Herel and Heather Knight, Chronicle Staff Writers - San Francisco Chronicle, Monday, August 29, 2005.

(08-29) 09:47 PDT San Francisco (SF Chronicle) -- A number of custodians, cafeteria workers and secretaries for the San Francisco Unified School District made good on their threat to call in sick this morning, the first day of school, to underscore their dissatisfaction with their union’s stalled contract negotiations.

District spokeswoman Lorna Ho said the absences were not expected to cause a significant disruption. “We planned for the worst when we heard there might be a sick-out,” Ho said.

She said it was too early to tell how widespread the action was. “We clearly do have some people at the central office who are not here,” she said.

All the custodians, secretaries and cafeteria workers at Malcolm X Academy elementary school in the Bayview were absent today, so volunteers were answering phones and serving breakfast in the cafeteria.

September 1, SF: Muni Fare Strike

Posted Thu, 08/25/2005 - 8:16pm by x344543

Disclaimer - The following article is reposted here because it is an issue with some relevance to the IWW.  The views of the author and the publisher do not necessarily agree with those of the IWW and vice versa.

NO MUNI FARE HIKE! NO MUNI SERVICE CUTS!

MUNI plans to raise the adult fare from $1.25 to $1.50 Raise Youth, Senior and Disabled Fares from 35 cents to 50 cents. Lay off 200 drivers and cut runs on 41 lines

While politicians pick the pockets of MUNI riders, they give away millions to downtown corporations, and pay MUNI director Michael Burns $280,000 per year. MUNI wants us to PAY MORE to WAIT LONGER. We say NO WAY!

If MUNI raises the fare on September 1, as now planned, we should respond with a FARE STRIKE. In a fare strike, passengers ride the bus, but do not pay the fare.

Fare strikes work. Last year, a fare strike in Chicago prevented a planned fare hike. In 1998, a fare strike in Los Angeles stopped a fare hike and pressured LA to buy more busses to reduce overcrowding.

Working class people, students, seniors and the disabled depend on MUNI. Together we can stop the fare hike and service cuts.