WGRZ: Buffalo Area Starbucks Workers Forming a Union
https://tinyurl.com/wmbw3ffc
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To Staff, Friends, and Supporters: Please follow our campaign! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sbworkersunited/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sbworkersunited/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/SBWorkersUnited And share!
Letter from the Manager
Union Brothers and Sisters, Welcome to our first digital newsletter! We want to provide access to our information and our stories in a more practical way, and we feel that distributing this out electronically will do just that. We hope you like the new format. This year, as we all know, was quite possibly the most challenging year of our lifetime. The uniqueness and uncertainty of 2020 forced us at the Joint Board to make internal operational changes quickly and dramatically, while still providing top-notch union representation to our members and retirees, as well as continuing to put resources into our organizing program. Every union shop we represent is different in one way or another, and we saw that during the pandemic. Some workplaces remained open every single day since March. Other workplaces have been closed completely. And there are many that have been somewhere in between, on reduced hours, or a reduced workforce. No matter where you work though, we have fought hard to ensure safe working conditions, minimize risks to our members, and simultaneously still bargain and fight for economic gains. We are not out of the woods yet with this pandemic, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Please stay safe and healthy. I hope you enjoy the holidays, even if they do not look like they normally would. For 2021 and beyond, I promise my dedication and solidarity to our union- each and every one of you. The workers united will never be defeated! In solidarity,Gary Bonadonna Jr.Manager, Rochester Regional Joint BoardWorkers United International VP
Union Staff at Work
The union staff and members are at at work, serving the union community as always. They take masking and social distancing rules seriously and surfaces are wiped down. Thank you for all you do!
From Protest in Rochester, NY
Workers United Upstate’s Gary Bonadonna Jr. and Monika Shelton. #DanielPrude #BlackLivesMatter #WhichSideAreYouOn
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. ##
Barista Magazine Spotlights SPoT Coffee Workers
“Under the new contract, SPoT employees have significant wage increases, paid sick time, fair staffing levels, and protections from unfair discipline and firings. “People are excited to go to work today. Their attitude and outlook towards working has improved dramatically. People are proud to work for SPoT now. We’ve had a lot of people that want to work for SPoT Coffee because they hear we have a union,” Zach says.”
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