Local officials rally around Tioga Downs
“The union’s efforts are on safety, and they all agreed that Tioga Downs has a safe opening plan.”
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
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