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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: 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."