Feature Archives

In many states, moms can be denied a job or given less pay for the same work, just because they're mothers. In a country where the government talks about family values, families are not protected. MoveOn is part of a new campaign called Moms Rising, which aims to collect 50,000 signatures and comments supporting mothers and American families by Mother's Day. MomsRising plans to deliver these comments to people in Congress and begin to build an anchor of support for real family issues. They want to protect mothers from discrimination in hiring, promote the work flexibility that all parents need, demand universal health care, and get a living wage for all Americans so they can support their families.

Moms Rising | MoveOn.org | Read more on Indybay's Women's News Page

A march in solidarity with the workers who were fired from Chevy's was held on Saturday, May 20th. People gathered at 10:00am at Dr. Powers Park in Tracy, and marched several miles to the Tri Valley Shopping Mall, the site of the Chevys. Photos

The Chevys Fresh Mex in Tracy, CA terminated eight employees because of their absence from work on Monday, May 1, after the kitchen crew had handed a signed petition to their employer indicating their desire to support the May 1st march for immigrant rights. Four additional employees have walked out of their jobs in solidarity with their fired coworkers, after their protest of the termination measure was ignored.

Other workers at the restaurant were forced to comply in labor on May 1st, regardless of their desire to participate in the May 1st march. "They all wanted to get that day off. The answer they got was, ‘You guys don’t show up, you’re fired’,” kitchen supervisor Fernando Martinez told the Tracy Press.

Gary Rickles, operations director for Calmex, Inc., is reported to have issued the order that workers marching on May 1st be terminated. Calmex, a Modesto company, owns the Chevys in Tracy, Livermore, Fresno, Clovis, and Merced, and Fuzio pasta restaurants in Fresno and Modesto. More

On Wednesday, March 22nd there will be a rally for affordable health care for Oakland School Employees. Oakland Schools Administrator Randall Ward wants school classified employees, who are the lowest employees in the district, to pay for future increases in their health care. These workers have not been given any pay raises in the last few years. The rally will demand a fair contract and respect from the Oakland Unified School District. People will gather from 4:00 to 5:30pm on Wednesday, at 1025 2nd Avenue in Oakland. Flyer

SEIU Local 790

1,800 Santa Cruz County workers have launched a one-day strike against a Board of Supervisors which they say, "so far refuses to provide wages comparable to that of comparable workers in comparable counties." Their struggle is the same struggle facing all working families in our communities -- farm and food processing workers fighting for decent pay and basic human rights, UC workers fighting for pay parity, Ralph's employees fighting the company's scheme to de-unionize their workplace, Natividad workers fighting the privatization of the Monterey County Hospital, hotel workers rising up to fight for a living wage -- and this strike will be an opportunity to build our solidarity across the Central Coast. Read more to support the strike

see also: County Workers Appeal for Equal Treatment || SEIU 415 emergency strike solidarity alert - action requested

strike coverage: Santa Cruz County Workers’ Strike: A Success || SEIU Strike Rally Shakes SC County Building || Why I Didn't Strike On March 14th 2006 || SEIU 415 Workers Strike and Rally at the Santa Cruz County Building || Santa Cruz County Workers Strike Cripples Services for a Day

Law enforcement in Santa Cruz, CA this week, launched a 24-hour, spanish language hotline for day laborers to anonymously report abusive employers. FSRN reporter Vinny Lombardo has more. To leave an anonymous report about abusive employers in Santa Cruz, call (831) 420-5997.

La Policia de Santa Cruz, CA. esta semana, empienza a funcionar una linea telefonica, para denunciar los abusos laborales. Esta linea funciona las 24 horas, es en español, y la llamada es anonima. Tu puedes llamar al (831) 420-5597. FSRN reportero Vinny Lombardo tiene mas informacion.

Audio: Download the mp3

On the night of March 7, custodians of AFSCME 3299 and their families, along with student and worker supporters, marched to the gates of UC Santa Cruz Chancellor Denice Denton's on-campus home. The more than 200-strong crowd demanded the Chancellor support workers' struggles for dignity and justice, including wage parity with other regional colleges where workers make dollars more per hour for the same (or less) work.

The march, organized by AFSCME 3299 in coordination with MEChA de UCSC and the Student and Worker Coalition for Justice (SWCJ) continues the legacy of labor struggle at the UC Santa Cruz campus. On April 14 of last year, over 1,000 students and workers shut down the campus for the day as a part of a state-wide AFSCME strike for justice. Days later, the workers won a significantly better contract.

In the past year, student and worker solidarity and militancy has lead to significant gains for AFSCME, CUE (clericals), and Santa Cruz County bus drivers, represented by UTU. The struggle continues... Read more and view photos

A protest rally will be held at Oakland City Hall on Tuesday, March 7th at 4PM. The rally, which was initiated by the Transport Workers Solidarity Committee and endorsed by ILWU Local 10, the longshore union, will take place while the City Council is meeting to take a final vote on the settlements in the case of the bloody police attack on April 7, 2003 against anti-war demonstrators and longshore workers at terminal gates in the port.

The attack, in which the police used so-called "non-lethal" weapons, was condemned by the UN Human Rights Commission as one of the most violent acts of government repression. The Transport Workers Solidarity Committee says that it is necessary for all organizations that are concerned about civil liberties, civil rights, trade union rights, and police brutality to mobilize their members to protest this police attack and the government cover-up. Speakers at the rally will include some of the survivors of the police attack and their messages of solidarity. The group says that paying financial settlements to victims of police brutality does not solve the problem of the violation of democratic rights.

A press conference was held on February 21st | TWSC Website | Read Jack Heyman's article "When 'Port Security' Targets Workers"