[1795] in peace2
flyering at star market tomorrow! please come!
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (sweiwang@MIT.EDU)
Tue Jun 25 22:54:00 2002
From: sweiwang@MIT.EDU
Message-ID: <1025059933.3d192c5d36f60@webmail.mit.edu>
Date: Tue, 25 Jun 2002 22:52:13 -0400
To: peace-announce@mit.edu, utr-announce@mit.edu, greens-announce@mit.edu
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hello,
sorry about this late call to action. please please come. you can head over
there by yourself or meet me in lobby 7 around 4:30-4:45. an organizer named
emily from ufcw (united food and commercial workers) will be at the store with
the flyers.
WHEN: 5-7 pm, wednesday (that's tomorrow)
WHERE: star market at university park
WHAT: hand out leaflets to customers about shaw's/star market's illegal
union-busting activities
WHY: this is a chance to think globally, act locally!
the workers need to have a strong collective voice to bargain for labor
rights and basic living standards. they need our support!
Fact Sheet on Shaw’s/Star Market
Shaw’s Supermarkets are owned by the British multinational J. Sainsbury. In
1998, Shaw’s purchased Star Market stores, making them one of the largest
supermarket chains in Massachusetts, with sales last year of 4.4 billion
dollars.
In Central and Southeastern Massachusetts, Shaw’s workers have been
represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW). Over the past
year, Shaw’s has aggressively attempted to destroy the union and has
renounced its responsibilities to the workers.
Ø In February 2002, Shaw’s management unilaterally declared that
workers had
no right to union representation, shredded its contract with workers in 11
Worcester-area Shaw’s stores.
Ø As part of their scare tactics, Shaw’s falsely claimed that the union
would triple Worcester-area workers’ cost for health insurance, to about
$77/week.
Ø In April 2002, Shaw’s unilaterally implemented changes to Worcester-
area
workers’ holiday, sick, vacation and personal time and made them retroactive
so that workers were charged for last Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
In the Boston area, Shaw’s has waged an intensive campaign to prevent the
6000 Star Market workers from forming a union, showing as many as 3
anti-union videos to new Star employees and forcing workers to attend
anti-union talks during work time. Management has limited workers’ access
to union organizers and attempted to intimidate workers by photographing
organizers and calling the police.
Why is a union important to Star Market workers?
Ø Full Time Work: Nearly 70% of all Shaw’s employees are Part-Time;
this
figure is estimated to be significantly higher at some Star Market stores.
Many workers would like Full-Time hours but Shaw’s refuses to give it to
them. Those who choose to work Part-Time need guaranteed hours.
Ø Affordable Health Insurance: Full-Time Star Market workers currently
pay
about $27/week for family health insurance. At union stores, workers pay
about $7/week for the same coverage.
Ø Living Wages: Many workers currently earn under $8/hour—not enough
to
live on, and not enough to raise a family on!
Ø Democracy at work: Workers want input on decisions that affect their
work
lives and to negotiate the terms of their employment.
Ø Rights on the job: A formal grievance procedure would ensure that
workplace concerns and problems are addressed.
