http://themilitant.com/2016/8023/802332.html
The Militant (logo)
Vol. 80/No. 23 June 13, 2016
—ON THE PICKET LINE—
Maggie Trowe, Editor
Militant/Bernie Senter
United Airlines flight attendants and supporters demonstrate in Los
Angeles May 19 during day of actions at 14 airports worldwide. They are
paid less than workers at American or Delta.
Help the Militant cover labor struggles around the world!
This column gives a voice to those engaged in battle and building
solidarity today — including unionists striking US Foods, construction
workers demanding safe conditions and workers fighting for $15 an hour
and a union. I invite those involved in workers’ battles to contact me
at 306 W. 37th St., 13th Floor, New York, NY 10018; or (212) 244-4899;
or themilitant@xxxxxxx. We’ll work together to ensure your story is told.
— Maggie Trowe
Minnesota nurses rally to defend their health care, work conditions
MINNEAPOLIS — More than 200 members of the Minnesota Nurses Association
and supporters rallied outside the Allina Commons here May 18. The
informational picket was organized to publicize the fight of 5,000
nurses at five Allina Health hospitals and facilities to defend their
health benefits.
The nurses are currently covered under the union-sponsored insurance
plan. “It is an excellent plan,” MNA Executive Director Rose Roach told
the Militant. “But now Allina wants to dump that and force everyone to
take one of their plans.”
“Everybody in the Twin Cities knows how bad the Allina plans are and how
you get left with the large deductibles,” added Amy Kieffer, a nurse at
Allina’s United Hospital in St. Paul.
Union president Mary Turner said other issues in contract talks include
“nurses having a say in the care of the patients. Allina wants to be
able to determine that only this many minutes can be spent with a
patient, as determined by a computer program.”
— Jacquie Henderson
Food workers strike in England, say ‘enough is enough’ of cuts
SHEFFIELD, England — “Finally we said to the company, ‘You are not going
to treat us like dirt anymore, enough is enough,’” said Aaron Bonsell,
28, during a 48-hour strike by Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union
members at Pennine Foods here May 19-20. It’s the first strike since the
site opened in 1986, added Andrew Harris, another striker.
About 900 people work at the plant, which produces ready meals for Marks
and Spencer stores. “There were 500 union members before the strike, and
50 more joined up and came out on strike with us,” said Carole Duncan
while picketing May 20.
The factory is owned by 2 Sisters Food Group, which has launched a
series of attacks on contract terms, including ending premium pay for
weekend work and time-off days for working on holidays and weekends.
Roughly 80 percent of the workers are now on 12-hour shifts. “They
bullied us to sign the contracts,” said Harris. “But I didn’t. The
company sent out a letter saying that those who don’t sign the new
contract by July 14 will be laid off.” Workers on both “new” and “old”
contract terms were on the picket line.
Union organizer Haroon Rashid said a delegation of workers from
Gunstones Bakery in nearby Dronfield, also owned by 2 Sisters Food,
visited the Pennine picket line. They had a strike last year.
Three further 48-hour strikes are planned, the next on June 5-6.
— Tony Hunt and Dag Tirsén
United Airlines flight attendants march for unified contract
LOS ANGELES — More than 300 United Airlines flight attendants and their
supporters marched through the United terminal at Los Angeles
International Airport May 19, part of a day of action at 14 airports
worldwide.
After Continental Airlines, Continental Micronesia and United Airlines
merged in 2010, the merged company kept the United name. The members of
the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA are negotiating to replace the
three different contracts they have been working under with one unified
agreement. “The proposals we’re seeing continue to try pitting one group
of flight attendants against another instead of working to build a
contract that includes all of us,” states a May 1 update from the union
negotiating committee.
“We want to maintain our health plan. They want to increase costs,
deductibles and co-pays substantially,” said Lynn Statham, vice
president of AFA-CWA Council 12. She had worked at Eastern Airlines for
four years and left before the 1989 strike, but walked the picket line
with the Eastern workers.
The flight attendants are also fighting company demands for fewer fixed
days off and maintaining wage rates below what they are at American and
Delta airlines.
Members of other unions joined the action, including mechanics, members
of Teamsters Local 986, who are in their own contract fight with United.
“We’re here to support as part of the labor movement,” said AT&T worker
Jason James, who came with other members of Communication Workers of
America Local 9400. “We are joining the fight to let them know they’re
not alone.”
— Deborah Liatos
Montreal Old Port workers launch strike for CA$15 an hour
MONTREAL — Unionized workers at Montreal’s Old Port tourist complex
began a three-day strike May 27 demanding a $15 an hour minimum wage.
The members of the Union of Montreal Old Port Workers voted by 80
percent May 19 to reject the employer’s final offer and authorize a strike.
“About 200 of our members are on strike today,” union President Konrad
Lamour told a rally and press conference of strikers and supporters
kicking off the action. “Our fight is not just for ourselves but for all
those who can’t survive on what they are earning.”
The Old Port contract with the union expired in March. Previous
negotiations have always ended with the impoverishment of the workers,
Lamour told the Militant before the strike. More than half are paid less
than CA$15 an hour (about US$11.50). “We are demanding a catch-up,” he
said.
Since they work under the federal labor code, the workers are not
protected by a Quebec law restricting the use of strikebreakers.
Bosses have divided the workers into classes of permanent, regular and
temporary employment. Only the 100 or so permanent workers have any sort
of job security and their working conditions are “a little less bad,”
said Lamour.
— Guillaume Imbeault and John Steele
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