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The International Socialist Organization reports
The Burgerville Workers Union (BVWU) in Portland, Oregon, has become the first federally recognized fast-food workers union in the U.S.
With a vote of 18-4 in a National Labor Relations Board election, workers at Store #41 notched an important victory in the drive to organize the 1,500 workers at all 42 Burgerville sites located in Oregon and southwest Washington. BVWU spokesperson Emmett Schlenz says that six of the company's locations now have publicly active unions. Workers at another store have already filed for an NLRB election.
[...] The union has been pressing for a $5 an hour raise, stable scheduling, affordable health care, paid maternity/paternity leave, free childcare and transportation, and an end to the employer's use of e-verify to exclude undocumented immigrant workers.
Using direct action tactics, including mass picketing with community allies, occupations and a three-day strike at four restaurants, the all-volunteer BVWU has drawn the support of dozens of local unions, many community and faith-based organizations, and some elected officials.
The union called a boycott of Burgerville after a number of union activists were fired.
[...] The union's announcement of its victory stated:
In this moment of victory, we want to celebrate, yes, but we also want to turn our attention to the 4.5 million other fast-food workers in the United States. We want to speak to everyone else who works for poverty wages, who are constantly disrespected on the job, who are told they aren't educated enough, aren't experienced enough, aren't good enough for a decent life. To all of those workers, to everyone like us who works rough jobs for terrible pay, we say this:
Don't listen to that bullshit. Burgerville workers didn't, and look at us now.
(Score: 3, Informative) by qzm on Thursday May 03 2018, @10:37AM (15 children)
It is good and reasonable that private sector employees have the right to collective bargaining when they want to.
As long as people have the right to work there without joining the union, and without penalty, then its great!
Personally I would also like Unions to provide their members with income insurance for a reasonable period in the event that their actions result in the shutting down of the business, but that is a bit too worker focused?
(Score: 2, Flamebait) by The Mighty Buzzard on Thursday May 03 2018, @11:18AM
Naw, everything you mentioned is perfectly reasonable. Especially the creation of a private unemployment insurance; they may very well need it after some of the other demands they're making for jobs that should be going to (and be paid like they're going to) idiot highschool kids.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 03 2018, @11:49AM (7 children)
Stupid is as stupid does:
If successful, union employees will be fired in favor of low paid illegal immigrants with zero bargaining power.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 03 2018, @12:13PM (1 child)
And does the union reimburse the fines if the Feds come down on Burgerville for hiring people ineligible to work in the US?
(Score: 0, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 03 2018, @12:52PM
Nah, the Feds will give them housing, education, healthcare, welfare, and social security.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Sulla on Thursday May 03 2018, @02:57PM
Apparently virtue signaling is more important than their jobs. An end to everify sounds like a great out for the company when faced with increased hourly pay.
Ceterum censeo Sinae esse delendam
(Score: 2) by fritsd on Thursday May 03 2018, @05:20PM (2 children)
What does "e-verify" mean?
Is it another word for "one-time photocopy of my valid passport/driver's license/photo ID card, that my employer must keep in their safe, in order to satisfy the demands of the immigration police that all their employees are citizens and/or legally allowed to work here"?
(Score: 4, Informative) by DeathMonkey on Thursday May 03 2018, @05:53PM
What does "e-verify" mean?
Yeah, that's a weird one. The unions I've worked with (Teamsters, USW) have always been in favor of measures intended to ensure jobs go to citizens/visa holders.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 03 2018, @06:17PM
It's a tool put out by the feds, allowing employers to get a sort of sanity check on the papers provided by their prospective employees.
People whose papers are in order: no problem.
People who flag the system: say hello to ICE.
I see no legitimate union purpose being served here.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 04 2018, @02:18AM
From http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/sns-tns-bc-everify-workers-20180123-story.html [chicagotribune.com]
Sounds like a good way to get easy control over workers. You still hire them, but they know you can turn them over to ICE at a moment's notice. Interesting that in both cases, the word used is "workers" not "applicants."
(Score: 2) by turgid on Thursday May 03 2018, @02:24PM (3 children)
How very British :-)
I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent [wikipedia.org].
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 03 2018, @09:17PM (2 children)
From the parent comment: in the event [of] the shutting down of the business
A key element of the platform of Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn is The right of first refusal.
That is, if a company wants to sell out or move elsewhere or whatever, before any other action is taken, the current workers get the right to buy the assets and continue the operation where it is.
...and ferchrisake, if the business is wavering on a knife's edge such that paying the workers a living wage is a breaking point, it's clear that their existing management totally sucks.
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 03 2018, @10:02PM
At Suma Corporation (a worker-owned cooperative in the UK) the worker-owners voted that ALL worker-owners would receive the SAME compensation. [google.com]
(It was already above market average.)
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 03 2018, @11:20PM
Or that the business is simply not viable. You do know that small business owners are usually the first to forego salary when their business falls on bad times?
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 03 2018, @03:52PM (1 child)
These aren't just private groups of voluntarily associated people; federally recognized unions are legally recognized special-interest groups that are given certain special treatment by the government.
These unionists are celebrating because they've now got Uncle Sam's gun-toting grunts on their side.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 03 2018, @04:48PM
For all you arm chair geniuses who were born knowing everything you ever needed to know....... https://www.history.com/topics/labor [history.com]