Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWe’re Not Lovin’ It: Low-Wage Workers Fight to Make Bad Jobs Better
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/09/14-1Low-wage workers marching for justice in Chicago in August. (Photo:Bob Simpson/cc/flickr)
Theres a line in Johnny Paychecks 1977 hit song that goes Id give the shirt right off my back, if I had the guts to say ... Take this job and shove it, I aint working here no more. In the past year, fast-food, retail, and warehouse workers have shown they do have the gutsbut instead of quitting, theyre fighting back. From New York to California theyre taking to the streets. Theyre fighting for a living wage, for respect from their bosses, and in some cases, for the right to form a union.
Back in June 2012, eight immigrant workers peeling crawfish under sweatshop conditions for C.J.s Seafood (then a Walmart supplier) went on strike in Louisiana. They stayed out for weeks, demanding an end to forced labor, wage theft, and other unfair labor practicesand they won. Following up on the C.J.s workers successful action, Walmart warehouse workers in California and Illinois walked out in September, calling for improved workplace safety and a fair wage. A month later, Walmart associates walked out at 28 stores in twelve cities. The strikes marked the first time in history that Walmart retail workers had ever gone on strike, and were quickly followed by more strikes and demonstrations on Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year.
Walmart workers took a breather after the fall strikes, as they battled an NLRB lawsuit brought by the company and strategized their next action. But low-wage workers in other cities quickly picked up the baton. On November 29, hundreds of fast-food workers staged a one-day strike in New York City. The walkout marked the launch of Fast Food Forward, a new coalition of workers, unions, and community and civil-rights groups working to increase the wages of New York City fast-food workers. By April of this year, more workers were ready to join the fight. In a wave of strikes that would last through June, fast-food and retail workers in New York, Chicago, Seattle, Milwaukee, St. Louis, and Detroit walked off the job. Pickets popped up at KFC, Jimmy Johns, Chipotle, Target, McDonalds, Burger King, Popeyes, Long John Silvers, Subway, Sears, Victorias Secret, and dozens of other establishments. On August 29, a day after the fiftieth anniversary of the March on Washington, workers took to the streets again. Thousands of workers in nearly sixty cities participated in work stoppages, demanding $15 an hour, respect from management, safe working conditions, better hours, and the right to unionize.
What has sparked this upsurge? Its hard to say. Unions have been trying to gain a foothold in the low-wage service sector for decadesa task made more difficult by the declining bargaining power of unions like the United Food and Commercial Workers union (UFCW) in the face of grocery-industry restructuring. When unions were strong, their very presence pushed up wages and working conditions across the industry, and helped inspire workers hoping to organize a union, or move into existing union jobs in restaurants and supermarkets.
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
3 replies, 744 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (9)
ReplyReply to this post
3 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
We’re Not Lovin’ It: Low-Wage Workers Fight to Make Bad Jobs Better (Original Post)
xchrom
Sep 2013
OP
Cirque du So-What
(25,907 posts)1. If the RW admonition that hard work is all it takes to succeed
then fast-food workers (along with a host of other low-wage workers) would all be millionaires. Behold the reality.
xchrom
(108,903 posts)2. +1