Support illegally fired IWW worker!
Submitted on Wed, 02/20/2008 - 5:57pm
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19,
2008
CONTACT:
Matthew Andrews
IWW Organizer
cell:
617-633-1857
email: [email protected]
web:
www.harvestmembers..
This Saturday, February 23rd, fired worker Deon
Furtick will be protesting to get his job back along with concerned Harvest
Co-op members, and supporters from the Industrial Workers of the World. The
picket will be outside a meeting of the Harvest Co-op's board of directors, at
the Paulist Center, 5 Park Street, from 8:00am to 4:00pm. Harvest board members
are having a day long "retreat" to develop "long term objectives and hopes for
the board's work and Harvest"
(http://www.harvest.coop/board/agenda01_08.pdf).
Three weeks ago, eight
community members went to the Harvest's board of directors to express concern
over the termination of Deon Furtick. Two supporters of Deon, a co-worker and
long time co-op member, spoke on his behalf during a five minute public comment
period. The group asked the board of directors for Deon to be reinstated with
back pay, that management use progressive discipline before firing employees,
and that the right to organize be respected. Since then community members have
passed out hundreds of flyers outside the co-op's two locations in Cambridge and
Jamaica Plain, and dozens of phone calls have been made to management on Deon's
behalf. Yet so far the Harvest has refused to discuss the issue.
Deon
Furtick, 31, of Roxbury, and a father of three, had worked in the deli at the
Jamaica Plain store, 57 South St., for four years. He was fired for not punching
out on the store time-clock for his meal break on Tuesday, January 8th. Deon had
never punched out for his meal breaks, and did not realize not doing so was
putting his employment in jeopardy. In fact, Marc Cutler, Manager of Operations,
used to be the store manager in Jamaica Plain and personally signed off on
Deon’s hours every week. The policy of not paying for meal breaks was not
consistently enforced, and depended largely on which department the employee
worked. Other employees in this situation are simply spoken to by a supervisor,
or given a written warning. Deon was terminated without warning.
Deon
Furtick had been talking with co-workers about organizing a union with the
Industrial Workers of the World, IU 460. In late October, Deon, and three other
employees approached Marc Cutler about Deon not being given an interview for
promotion to deli supervisor. Marc Cutler refused to discuss the situation, and
did not return subsequent phone calls by Deon to set up a meeting. In December,
Deon complained about racism in the workplace, and requested a meeting with
Sandra Andrew of Human Resources. Deon was told he would have to visit the
Cambridge offices on his own time. As a father working two jobs, Deon could not
promptly make the time to pursue his complaint. Then Sandra Andrew went on
vacation. A month after Deon had complained about racism, and two months after
engaging in legally protected collective activity, Deon, an employee of over
four years, was fired on the shaky pretext of misrepresenting hours
worked.
The picket this Saturday will ask that Deon be returned to his
job, that fair and legal disciplinary policies are followed, and that the board
be accountable to the concerns of co-op members. The IWW is continuing to ask
community members and friends of labor to call Marc Cutler, Manager of
Operations, at his office number 617-661-1580 to demand that Deon be reinstated
with back pay for loss of wages.