On the picket line

Contract victory at Syracuse University 

At Syracuse University, 800 library, food service, facilities and maintenance employees exercised their might to secure a four-year contract. They are represented by Service Employees Union (SEIU) Local 200.

During contract negotiations that began in June, the workers balked when the school administration offered a measly 2.5 % raise. Some of them are holding down two jobs to make ends meet, and a 2.5% salary bump would not put a dent in cost-of-living increases. On Aug. 26, they held a rally on campus to protest the administration’s disregard for these essential workers who keep the campus functioning.

The rally was held outside a fraternity house that the university had recently purchased for $3 million. The location was picked to call attention to the university’s priorities when it comes to how resources are spent. After the rally, when Local 200 went back to the bargaining table, the university was much more amenable to meeting workers’ demands. On Sept. 7, the workers voted overwhelmingly to ratify the new contract, which gives them a 10% raise, effective immediately!

Apple workers protest in Oklahoma

Apple Retail Union-Communication Workers of America members in Oklahoma City succeeded in making their store the second unionized Apple location to secure a contract with Apple. Workers at the first unionized Apple store in Maryland ratified a contract in July.

Apple is notorious for union-busting tactics. Getting a contract took two years! According to CWA Local 6016 President Antonio Flores: “Two years I feel is completely ridiculous. It shouldn’t take two years to negotiate a contract.” (oklahoman.com, Sept. 4)

Union workers held an informational picket on Sept. 3, holding signs comparing average workers’ salaries to the exorbitant compensation the bosses receive. After a strike authorization vote passed, that put pressure on the Apple executives to return to the bargaining table and settle on a contract the workers could accept.

The highlights of the three-year agreement include wage increases up to 11.5%, guaranteed paid time off, health benefits, worker involvement in scheduling and the establishment of health and safety standards. The contract also provides job protection in the event of the store closing or relocating, providing severance or relocation pay for workers.

“Today my 80 coworkers and I have just secured a tentative agreement with the world’s most profitable corporation,” said Kirsten Matson, member of the Apple union. “For more than a year, we stood strong at the bargaining table, because we knew that by standing together we could secure the pay raises, protections and benefits we deserve.” (cwa-union.org)

Sanitation workers strike in Maryland county

The sanitation worker strike in Maryland’s Anne Arundel County outside Baltimore, which began Sept. 4, is in its fourth week. Teamsters Local 570 represents about 70 workers employed by Ecology Services, who are demanding higher wages and better safety conditions.

Union representatives report that the company’s trucks are “dangerously ill-equipped,” lacking air conditioning, proper seating and seat belts. Sanitation workers have raised concerns about nonfunctional cameras on trucks and an absence of personal protective equipment. One worker suffered a severe head injury in the summer after falling from a truck due to heat exhaustion and dehydration. (thebaltimorepost.com, Sept. 17)

Workers are picketing outside the Ecology Services yard and reaching out to community members to educate them about the unsafe conditions and inadequate wages.