Philadelphia IWW Demonstrates at the German Consulate Against Repression of the FAU Union in Berlin

By John Kalwaic, contributions by Walt Weber
Despite freezing cold weather on January 29 members of the Philadelphia General Membership Branch of the Industrial Workers of the World picketed the Philadelphia German Consulate as part of an International day of action in solidarity with the FAU-B or (Free Workers Union) in Berlin, Germany. The FAU Berlin has come under attack from both the employers of the Babylon Cinema where workers are trying to organize and the city government, which is trying to outlaw the FAU. Philadelphia IWW members displayed signs in both English and German expressing solidarity with the FAU outside the building. In addition to distributing flyers, branch members sang labor songs and chanted that workers had the right to organize anywhere in the world.

By John Kalwaic - originally posted to indymedia.org (view the video at this link)

On July 5th , some members of the Philadelphia branch of the Industrial Workers of the World and I organized a small demonstration in front the Starbucks on 9th and South Street at 1:00pm. This action was to protest the firing of Starbucks baristas who had been trying to unionize with the IWW Starbucks Workers Union in the United States. This event was coordinated with the Anarchist CNT Union in Spain where baristas have also been fired for organizing. Friends and family of IWW members also came by to show support for the demonstration. Protestors came with IWW flags and songs condemning the actions of Starbucks against union members in New York City, Grand Rapids Michigan and Seville Spain. We also handed out flyers so people could contact Starbucks in order to voice disapproval to the company for its union busting polices. The pickets sang songs such as Solidarity Forever and chanted “What’s Disgusting!?-Union Busting! What’s Outrages?!-Starbucks Wages!”

When we first set up the manger came to yell at us because she thought for sure we were doing something illegal. We told her that this is a public sidewalk and we could have a demonstration if we wanted. The manager said she was going to call the authorities and tell them what we were doing, However no policeman ever came to bother us since we were not blocking the sidewalk or the entrance to Starbucks. The manager posted an orange sing on the door that said, “We love our jobs.” Despite this typical act of managerial propaganda most people were receptive and took the flyers we were handing out. The Philadelphia IWW is not currently organizing any Starbucks workers; rather we are organizing a solidarity rally with Starbucks workers in other US cities in other parts of the world. The demonstration was successful and we got our message across.

starbucksunion.org

The South Street Workers Union asks for your support to stop the deportation of Omar Lezama de la Rosa

September 19, 2005

Dear friends:

Omar Lezama de la Rosa, a friend to many restaurant workers on South Street, is facing deportation after being wrongly arrested in July. Below is a resolution from the Philadelphia Bar Association explaining the facts of his case.

We are organizing to show the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement office that our brother Omar has strong support. The Immigration office has discretion in which cases it chooses to pursue, so we are trying to stop the proceedings against Omar before they get to court.

Omar has a year-and-a-half-old son and wants to keep living in Philadelphia with his family and friends.

Please sign our petition. If you are in a position to collect more signatures, please call the IWW union office at 215-222-2432. 

Yours in solidarity, Nakiya Heigler and Steve Renzi for the South Street Workers Union

PHILADELPHIA BAR ASSOCIATION RESOLUTION OPPOSING ATTEMPTS TO DEPORT OMAR LEZAMA de la ROSA

By Jon Bekken - Industrial Worker, April 2005.

The IWW-affiliated South Street Workers Union is organizing retail and food service workers along Philadelphia's South Street corridor, implementing a model of solidarity unionism focused on helping workers create their own shop floor and district-wide organizations to confront low wages, poor working conditions, and the lack of workplace rights.

Since the union began organizing in August 2003, the South Street Workers Union has organized health, tax and workers' rights clinics; social events; a district-wide grievance committee that has helped workers claim unpaid wages and develop strategies to improve working conditions; and organized a campaign against proposed mass transit fare increases and service cutbacks.