200 Jimmy John's workers to vote in union election today

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=878448&catid=391

Updated: 10/22/2010 2:25:38 PM



MINNEAPOLIS -- Two hundred workers at 10 Minneapolis-area Jimmy John's will vote on unionization today, a historic first in the nation's almost entirely non-union fast food industry.

The secret ballot union election could hold profound implications for millions of Americans employed in low-wage service sector jobs.

"We are standing up for quality jobs for working families, for a future for young workers, and for dignity and respect for all working people. Business as usual has been a disaster for poor and working people in America. We are going to take the power back," said Ayo Collins, a Jimmy John's employee and union member.

The unprecedented fast food union campaign at Jimmy John's comes at a time of deepening economic misery for US workers. According to the US Census Bureau, a record-breaking 43.6 million Americans - 1 in 7 people - are living in poverty.

As higher-paying jobs get harder to find due to outsourcing, layoffs, and the recession, many workers are forced to seek work in one of the economic areas adding the most jobs: the food service sector. Employment in the food service industry is expected to grow 15 percent from 2008 to 2018, significantly higher that the 10.1 percent average rate predicted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for all industries.

While millions of workers can expect to find employment in food service in the next decade, wages and working conditions in the industry are widely regarded as substandard; in 2009, the median wage in the fast food industry was only $8.28/hr.

FULL story at link.