val's blog

After a long fought battle meat plant workers at the world's largest pork plant in Tar Heel, North Carolina, voted to join the United Food and Commercial Workers Union. This victorious vote will give worker the right to bargain a first time contract. With growing community and political support these workers won against some of the most egregious union busting tactics experienced by migrant and non-migrant workers, including the deportation of union activists to freeze their organizing efforts and illegal firings. To all those workers who organized and fought under such intimidation and fear: you deserve justice and our deepest respect. Congratulations!

Related article from the New York Times:

On Saturday November the 17th, a new campaign in the cleaning sector of the Netherlands has started. It’s an initiative from the trade union, but unlike in other union campaigns, this time the cleaners themselves will take action. It is David against Goliath , only 7% of the cleaners are organised, fighting against some of the biggest cleaning companies in Europe. The cleaners need all the help they can get. We, social organisations involved with the campaign, call out to all people concerned with social justice, to help us make this campaign a success. Join us, participate, come to the campaign launch on Saturday November 17th or subscribe to the newsletter below.

Take Action to Support Striking South African Cleaners!

Hold Multinational Corporations Accountable for Cleaners’ Poverty Wages!

On September 13th, cleaners and supporters in New York, London, Hamburg, Sao Paolo, the Hague, Sydney, Chicago, Boston and other cities will take action to support South African office cleaners who have been on strike for more than one month.

Cleaners will conduct a “Day of Global Action” aimed at convincing wealthy multinational corporations like Bayer, J.P. Morgan and KPMG to take immediate steps to improve the wages of South African janitors who clean their facilities.

We expect our support actions to continue and to grow in more cities until South African cleaners win their struggle. So please pass on the word and help us organize more global support.

Germany to Extend Minimum Pay to Cleaners

By Brian Parkin

Aug. 23 (Bloomberg) -- Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet today agreed to extend minimum-wage rules to industrial cleaners in a step aimed at rooting out unfair competition caused by companies that undercut pay levels agreed with unions.

The BIV cleaning industry group that lobbied for the change said companies caught paying less than the minimum will risk prosecution when the rule becomes law next year. The legislation sets minimum hourly pay rates for cleaners in western Germany at 7.87 euros ($10.09) and 6.36 euros in the eastern states.

The new law ``will help root out the black sheep as tariff busters will face fines,'' said Bonn-based BIV spokeswoman Christine Sudhop in an interview. BIV represents 850,000 cleaners in 2,600 companies.

On the first day of the mobilization to protest the Bush Agenda at the Republican National Convention in New York City, 500 people attended the Speak Out! organized by the Immigrant Solidarity Network. The program was designed to lift the voices of grassroots Immigrant organizations and workers, raising awareness of the many varied issues and struggles being led from within immigrant communities themselves in the U.S.