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Tioga Downs, Local Leaders Demand State Reopens Casinos

Inside Organizer School – August 14 & 15

Building working-class solidarity The Inside Organizer School is conducted for workers, students, activists and union members committed to these goals. Friday, August 14 from 3-6 PM EST andSaturday, August 15 from 10 – 4:30 PM ESTVia Zoom To get involved, contact: insideorganizerschool@gmail.com or call (703) 928-1597 Download the PDF Poster

Watch our Speakers at the Perks Press Conference

Perks workers demand the right to organize a union and bargain for a fair union contract.

Photos from Perks Cafe Press Conference

Workers from Perks Cafe in Buffalo and union supporters came together in front of their Elmwood location in Buffalo today. They are demanding that Perks owner, Bob Newman, stop his union-busting practices and work with them. Recently, the NLRB found merit in the workers’ grievances.

Perks Cafe Workers Say Owner Refuses to Bargain With Union

News Story from BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) “We tried to cooperate with him and we have tried to create a space that was hospitable and that was respectful to cooperate with and to bargain with and he refused to respect that,” said Sid Roberts, a former Perks Cafe employee. “Many of the workers at Perks are trans workers. Sid and Ace and others here have recognized that–trans rights are labor rights,” said Gary Bonadonna of Workers United.

Workers United Upstate NY: Black Lives Matter

Workers United in Upstate New York stands with Black Lives Matter. We mourn for Rayshard Brooks, Michael Thomas, George Floyd, Dion Johnson, Tony McDade, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and all other Black people murdered by police. We commit to fighting white supremacy and fascism in all their forms. As Angela Davis said, “In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist.” To this end, we reject allyship and call for solidarity. Now is not the time for performative gestures, like the statements so many union-busting companies have released, but for actions that demonstrate the truth that an injury to one is an injury to all. At its proudest moments, the labor movement has united workers of all races and identities in the class struggle. This is what we must work toward. However, it is not an automatic result of organizing. Our history also reveals many times when unions have valued whiteness over class solidarity. In order to fulfill our mission of fighting for our members and for the entire working class, we must recognize and eliminate white supremacy within our own ranks. We further believe that conflating our mission with that of police unions undermines our solidarity, the principle we must hold dearest. Modern police departments evolved from vigilante groups and slave patrols. White supremacy within policing cannot be blamed on individual “bad actors,” but must be understood as central to the institution itself. This origin also exposes the fact that policing was always intended to protect bosses’ “property” — which then meant human beings — and to suppress workers’ rights. Therefore, we urge the labor movement to cut ties with police unions. The AFL-CIO has said it supports Black Lives Matter. We join the Writers Guild of America, East, and their supporters, including Association of Flight Attendants president Sara Nelson, in calling on the AFL-CIO to make good on its word by expelling the International Union of Police Associations. We recognize that the fact that Black people are disproportionately working-class makes failing to be anti-racist and supporting police unions an even greater betrayal of working-class struggle and unity. Finally, as the government attempts to designate anti-fascism as terrorism and as police question protesters about their political beliefs, we want to make it clear: We are Antifa. Fascism seeks to ban unions and prevent workers from organizing. It entrenches white supremacy and class domination. It is the ultimate threat to the working class. We have no other option but to be anti-fascist. We exist to defend workers against bosses, whose “property rights” are backed by the power of the state. The real looters are not poor people; the real looters are the wealthy who steal our labor for pennies. When they try to crush our movements, we fight back. We were Antifa when the bosses’ hired mercenaries and their police and National Guard collaborators murdered union workers and their families in places like Thibodeaux, Butte, Lawrence, Ludlow, and Blair Mountain — and when we resisted. We will continue to resist all efforts to destroy our solidarity, uphold white supremacy, and weaken the power of the working class. In solidarity, Gary Bonadonna Jr Jaz Brisack Rafael Acosta Kari Aldrich Ana Maria Alicea Zach Anderson Joyce Angelo Emily Belle Richard Bensinger Vincent Bertolone Julie Black Dustin Block Taylor Boyer Leona Brown Lamont Bryant Zoe M. Burk Desiree Calloway Al Celli Phoenix Cerny Sabrina Chatman Ross W Clark Kyle Cody Joseph Conway Kathy Costello Kathrine Coward Michelle Croce Richard Crowder Vincent Cruciata Grace Dana Ronnie Daymon Elaine DeForte Andrea Delvecchio Shaylak K. Diaz Judy Doctor Rachael Dollinger Sarah Dugan Courtney Dupre Molly Etzel Bart Feberwee Katrina Fletcher Kim Francis Lucas Fredericks R.J. Gavadin Abby Gilbert Debbie Glinski Michael R Greco Tracy Harris Garrett Hoffman Celinda Holmes Sheree L Hudnell L. Bruce Jackson Cory Johnson Rondayia Johnson Darryl Joye Aidan Kaplan-Wright Kay Kennedy Sonya Kittles Philip Kneitinger Byrne Kolega Kathy Krafft Angel Rose Kuykendall Deion Kuykendall Derrick Kuykendall Barbara Leclair Peter Leipzig April Marie Lewis Verdina Lightfoot Willie J. Lightfoot Anthony Locurto Rolanda Lott Ava Mailloux David Mangan Matthew Martinen Kimmy Martinez Samantha Mason S. Mazur Krista McCabe Michael McGrinder Lauren McLaughlin Aretha Maxwell Mclamore Melinda K Miller Brian Millet Laurýn Tamar Minter, PhD Kristopher Mulvaney Mike Napierski Salina Nesmith Joseph Nicholas Raine Oakley Cassandra OBrien Timothy O’Donnell Yomaira Otero Wanda Parris Kayleigh Patnella Vanessa Patterson Clayton Pitcher Catoria Pittman Julian Pompilio Christopher J. Powderly Rosalind Randolph Charley Rawlings Christina Riccio Randy Ritz Irving Rivera Melissa Rivera Sid Roberts Diana Rodriguez Linda Rodriguez Kristin Ross Paul Schojan Lace Seiders Monika Shelton Mark Sidebotham Colleen Silvernail Tyesha Sisson Robin Solomon Killian Steiner Angie Strasser Ken Strasser Jaby Thomas Robert Thompson Linda Thornton Lillian Tomik Emily Vick Rob Vitello Tywanda Walker Dane R. Weisbeck Lyla White Olivea Wiggins Angela Williams Heather Williams Erin Young

Members of Local 1947 Strike

Union members of Local 1947 on strike and picketing in front of Babbitt Bearings today. Rochester Regional Joint Board Business Agent, Eduaro Jofre, says that this strike is the result of years of deception and unfair treatment by management. “The workers gave-in to concessions to help the company when they were asked. The company is taking advantage of our workers’ cooperative spirit. It was made clear to us that they were not ever planning to pay back the concessions. In the end, the workers voted to strike.”

Optical Department Now Taking Limited Appointments

In a small step to having members enter the building, the Optical Dept will be taking a very limited number of appointments starting today.   The appropriate safety protocals have been addressed to each member, and they have been instructed, and will be guided, to only proceed to Optical.  I will be escorting them out as well. It is a process that will evolve, and I very much appreciate the support. Mark Mark Sidebotham/Licensed Optician/ManagerSidney Hillman Optical585.271.1911    msidebotham@rrjb.org

Deadline for the Chatman Scholarship Extended

The Abraham D. Chatman Scholarship for 2020 has been extended to May 31 from the original date of April 15. The Chatman scholarship is open to dependent children of currently employed union members (including those who are temporarily laid off) who: Are graduating high school seniors entering a two or four-year institution or Are currently enrolled in their freshman, sophomore, or junior year of college and Have a minimum 2.5 GPA (C+ or higher for high school students) The scholarship amount is $2,000 renewable up to 4 years. A total of five awards can be given out per year. For more information on the scholarship and how to apply, go to: www.racf.org/chatman

Union Workers Make Masks for Hospitals and Essential Workers

Recently, Xerox published a story (McCue, Matt, “How Xerox Turned Filters into Face Masks) describing how they worked together with another Rochester company to manufacture face masks aiming to protect health care workers during the COVID-19 outbreak. The story details the whole process from initial inspiration to the final product. What is especially significant is that these two companies were brought together by their connections to Rochester Regional Joint Board (RRJB). In Rochester and around the country, companies were asked to think about ways in which they could contribute to manufacturing much needed supplies such as personal protection equipment and hand-sanitizer. Stern and Stern, a producer of woven industrial fabrics and home to our Local 221, is producing protective medical fabric. A clothing designer from one of our union companies, Hickey Freeman, started to sew face masks to potentially supply local hospitals. Xerox also answered the call. Mark Adiletta, a long-time Xerox engineering manager wondered if they could use printer filters to make medical-grade face masks. They currently produced a printer that used a filter with an N95 rating. The CDC specifies that a mask with an N95 rating helps to prevent the spread of Flu, swine flu and avian flu, as well as COVID-19. With the help of Abu Islam, the head of the Advanced Technology Group who is leading the task force to implement these community-based ideas, Adiletta made a prototype using cloth. With a prototype in hand, they needed someone who could manufacture them quickly – a company who could sew the masks, something that Xerox did not have the ability to do. Gary Bonadonna and Ross Clark of RRJB was able to help bring together the two companies resulting in the manufacturing of 10,000 masks within the first two weeks. Both Xerox and Hickey Freeman have a long history with the union. Xerox (Local 14A) has a charter date 2/28/1952 and Hickey Freeman (Local 14) has a charter date of 6/28/1915 – both affiliation through ACWA at that time. Bonadonna says, “We all felt the pressure to move quickly to do anything that could help our front-line workers. It has been amazing to see how all parties involved have been able to respond and work together towards a common goal. I am especially grateful to our union workers who are at their place of work, making protective devices that will potentially save thousands of lives.” Clark, the business representative for Xerox and Hickey Freeman says, “If helping to bring these two unionized companies together during the COVID 19 Crisis helps create a positive impact during this challenging time, it shows no matter how big or how small, now more than ever, our communities need us working together advancing mutual interests.” There were 12 Hickey Freeman workers who sewed 10,000 masks in three days. Each worker averaged sewing one mask every two minutes. The masks were delivered to Rochester Regional Hospital, as well as to other essential workers. As of April 16, Hickey Freeman Union Workers are producing 6,000 masks per day. In addition, 25 workers have been called in to work. ##