Date: Tue, 9 Dec 1997 20:01:28 -0500 (EST) From: "Liam R.Flynn" <trinity-AT-hot-shot.com> Subject: M-G: union-busting > =======================================================> Stop reading the Boss Press! Read the INDUSTRIAL WORKER. > =======================================================> Monthly newspaper of the Industrial Workers of the World > =======================================================> > Online at: http://parsons.iww.org/~iw > > >From the December, 1997 issue of the INDUSTRIAL WORKER: > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > URL: http://parsons.iww.org/~iw/dec1997/stories/friends.html > > Wobs fight Quaker union-busting > > Management of Philadelphia's Friends Center, a Quaker-operated office > building which houses many Quaker and progressive organizations, has begun > a plunge into the depths of union-busting in order to prevent four > part-time front desk staffers from organizing with the IWW. Fortunately, > the unbecoming attack on workers rights has not gone unchallenged - more > supporters linked to the Friends Center come forward every day to encourage > recognition of the union. > > The four workers, who work evenings and weekends, sometimes in shifts of > more than ten hours, decided to join the IWW and seek a binding contract > which would secure their job and improve working conditions. They asked for > voluntary recognition from their supervisor, Peter Rittenhouse, on > September 2nd. Rittenhouse asked the front desk staffers to drop the union, > but passed the final decision on to the Friends Center Board of Directors. > > The Board of Directors met without being able to come up with an answer to > the demand for voluntary recognition. A second meeting was called for > September 25th, and front desk union member Susan Phillips asked permission > to attend. She explained to the Board of Directors that not only had she > and her fellow workers joined a union, but that they are the union and had > no reason to reconsider their position. The front desk staff are organized > and want come to the table as equals with management to negotiate a fair > contract. Many members of the Board of Directors asked Susan questions, and > she left the meeting with the understanding that in a few days they would > decide their course of action. > > Strangely, on October 1st our fellow workers received a letter dated > September 17 (eight days before meeting with Susan) stating, "the Board of > Directors of Friends Center Corporation is saddened by the realization that > some employees feel it necessary to organize themselves as part of a larger > labor organization in order for their concerns to be heard and to obtain > redress for grievances. As a matter of conscience and faith, we believe > that no persons should need an intermediary when discussing concerns, but > rather should be able to gather `in the light' to discuss them... It is in > the spirit of our belief in `continuing revelation' that we respectfully > ask that you reconsider your proposal." This response, one so unfortunately > typical of employers that have turn out to be among the most notorious > union-busters, was somewhat unexpected after Susan's thoughtful > explanations during the September 25th meeting. While citing Quaker > principles of openness and free discussion, the Board totally disregarded > the most fundamental points the union members were communicating to them. > > The Philadelphia IWW filed a petition for an election with the NLRB two > weeks after the Board of Directors issued their decision. At the hearing to > determine an appropriate bargaining unit, management's attorney argued for > including five more workers in the unit. One of the five isn't even an > employee of the Friends Center - he wears a Willard uniform and works for a > private contractor repairing heaters and air conditioning units at the > Center. The Friends Center lawyer took exception to Wobblies' snickering at > his absurd suggestion. Another employee management attempted to include > supervises the front desk staff. > > The Friends Center management, while claiming to be driven by a mission of > conscience, has chosen to take full advantage of American anti-labor laws. > They stubbornly insisted that we include workers into the unit who do > completely different work and have clearly indicated that they have no > desire to join the union. These workers share no community of interest with > the evening and weekend staffers, and should not be forced to choose to > either join the union or stand in the way of their co-workers who want to > organize. > > Having no faith in the NLRB's willingness to help us keep our unit intact, > we tried for many hours to negotiate a settlement. The IWW and management > decided on an unusual compromise: if the union can get five authorization > cards (one more than the number of part-time front desk staffers) by > mid-December, the Center would voluntarily recognize the entire unit > management proposed, minus the private contractor. > > The front desk staffers, joined by other Wobblies, have leafleted > gatherings at the Friends Center to encourage support for voluntary > recognition of their union. More than 700 fliers have been distributed in > the past week generating an overwhelmingly supportive response. The > Philadelphia Monthly Meeting called a "Threshing Session" which called for > their representatives on the Board of Directors to reconsider their > position. Dozens of supporters wearing bright red IWW buttons attended a > celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the American Friends Service > Committee's winning of the Nobel Peace Prize. Quakers and progressives in > Philadelphia and around the country have expressed their solidarity by > calling the Friends Center. > > Your help in our effort to win recognition is appreciated. We're asking > that the Friends Center Corporation voluntarily recognize the union of the > four evening and weekend front desk staffers and that they stop trying to > include workers in the unit who have clearly expressed that they have no > interest in organizing. Contact John Blanchard, Chairman of the Board, and > Peter Rittenhouse, Executive Director of the Friends Center, by writing > Friends Center Corporation 15th & Cherry Streets, Phila. PA 19102, fax: > 215/241-7028, e-mail: fco-AT-afsc.org. For more information on the campaign, > call 215/724-1925 or e-mail phillyiww-AT-iww.org. > > -- Alexis Buss Liam R.Flynn liam-AT-stones.com ICQ*5031073 NEC/EUROPE/INTERNET*WIRELESS SERVICE//// Internet Wireless Broadcast/to=liam-AT-stones.com [information&internet:without a modem] --- from list marxism-general-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
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