support locked out workers at Metro Lighting

Metro has been picketed for the last week by a few of their employees and a large contingent of professional pickets from the IWW (Industrial Workers of the World). However, there isn't the slightest justification.

The workers are making three demands.

First, they walked out last week, complaining of the presence of a chemical that they'd been working around for years. When OSHA investigated, there were NO violations. The complaint was dismissed as having no merit. Metro was also been inspected by the City of Berkeley, Bay Area Air Quality, and a pair of Certified Industrial Hygienists, all of whom said the health and environmental claims were not legitimate.

Secondly, the workers are demanding a $2/hr raise for the retail showroom employees. These entry level workers already receive the following excellent compensation:

- $15 per hour in wages + commissions, plus a generous bonus program,
- 100% health insurance, plus 50% coverage for dependents,
- 8 paid holidays, 3 paid sick days, 8 paid vacation days,
- 3% matching IRA , and $250 dental reimbursable per year.

The third demand pertains to a shop worker who, for the past two years, has worked 15-to-30 hours per week, voluntarily. Despite his part-time status, Metro continued to pay for his 100% health coverage. And yet he filed an age discrimination complaint with the State. Despite the fact that this is a baseless claim, Metro’s owners attempted to mediate on multiple occasions, only to have the negotiations completely called off by the worker himself.

The last straw for the three workers was when they were told that the IWW flag could not be hung in a public space of the workshop. Only 3 of the 7 employees had expressed interest in that organization. One threatened the owner at close range saying, "You don't want to deal with the consequences, if you take down that flag." It was taken down; we can all see the consequences.

The workers are now claiming to have been locked out. They walked on bogus claims of health concerns. Now that they’ve been discredited, they changed their tactic in an attempt to get paid for their strike. They couldn't be locked out; they had the keys! They claim in writing that after they walked out they were told to get back to work or they wouldn't be paid. Clearly not a lock-out. After the first full day of watching the employees slander and defame the business, handing out flyers claiming that Metro had created a public health hazard, the owners finally realized that these people could not be trusted and had the locks changed. But they still invited these thankless workers back to work.

Metro Lighting is a Green Business, certified by the County of Alameda’s Green Business Program. Metro is a 100% solar powered lighting showroom. The owners donate regularly to public schools. They have each served on their children’s school boards and PTAs. They host annual fundraisers. They have been good neighbors and exemplary employers.

Don’t be fooled by a handful of bad actors on the sidewalk. They have merely manipulated the situation to get some press coverage. Their claims are petty and disingenuous.

Please look closely and SEEK THE TRUTH!

Shame on Metro Lighting, for having the temerity to try to peddle their anti-union spin at this, of all sites. Shame, shame, shame.

Free clue: don't talk to us about it. Go talk with those people in front of your store, the ones with the signs and the chants.

PS: Who are these "friends" of Metro? Your investment manager and your business account representative over at the bank? Some union-busting law firm? Do tell.

PPS: Oh, OSHA says it's safe. Well, that just makes it all better, because we can trust representatives of the Bush II regime not to "cook the books" on environmental threats, right? Particularly where a question of profit versus union workers is involved.

Shame on you, Metro Lighting!

This has never been or will never be about being anti-union. I have personally been in a union and know what good can come of it, but only when the truth is being presented!

I am not the owner and quite frankly your comments about investment managers, business account managers, etc. makes it very clear to me how little you know about what you are talking about Spin Doctor.

Metro Lighting is a Mom and Pop business started by (2) people that graduated with a 6 year Architectural degree and were struggling in an economy that was paying them far less then they pay their employees. They chose to take a chance and have built a business in which they should be proud.

The owner's run the business themselves...they are the account and investment managers. They spend countless hours at home dealing with the business, while also raising a family. They are not WalMart or Starbucks..there is no corporate structure...it is them and their employees, which until the last 5 months had been acting as a team to keep things moving smoothly.

With regard to talking with the employees: Metro’s owner's have continually been talking to the employees about the issues on the table. As a matter of fact, just today the shop employees chose to come back to work (clearly exhibiting they were not locked out). and the owner tried to talk to them about the issues and claims. They were not responsive.

As far as OSHA and the Bush regime comment...nice try pinning me as some crazed Republican supporter to distract from the real issue. What about the other 4 people including two independent Certified Industrial Hygienists that concluded the health and environmental claims were not legitimate?

At what point does the public get to know the truth and not the libel that has been spouted on several websites?

Since when does taking a risk and being successful mean you are a doormat for others that have not?

Shame on you Spin Doctor for supporting false acquisitions!

Dear Metro Lighting Boss,

You are so well indoctrinated that you can't even see the propaganda pouring forth in your every sentence. Really-- it's like you're citing an anti-union pamphlet.

Stop preaching the virtues of bootstrap capitalism to us, and go settle affairs with your unionized workforce. When affairs are settled to the satisfaction of said currently-picketing workforce, maybe then we'll come see you about all our lighting needs.

Until such time, however, no sentient being crosses a picket line. That's Activism 101-- nothing personal!

Activism 101 works both ways!

Metro Lighting SUpporter (and Metro Lighting) claim the following:

Metro Lighting is a Green Business, certified by the County of Alameda’s Green Business Program. Metro is a 100% solar powered lighting showroom. The owners donate regularly to public schools. They have each served on their children’s school boards and PTAs. They host annual fundraisers. They have been good neighbors and exemplary employers.

And,

Metro Lighting is a Mom and Pop business started by (2) people that graduated with a 6 year Architectural degree and were struggling in an economy that was paying them far less then they pay their employees. They chose to take a chance and have built a business in which they should be proud.

I'm sorry, but this doesn't give Metro an exemption from labor law. It's also really disgusting that Metro raises this point. So they have solar electric panels on their roof; so what?!? The US military uses solar-electric panels. Does that make them any better? As a card carrying member of ASES and ISES myself, I am thoroughly disgusted (though not surprised) that supposed solar advocates don't get this!

Finally, the point needs to be made: you should never, ever take the employer's claims of fairness seriously during a labor dispute. If their claims were true, there'd be no dispute. Remember that the slave owners claimed that they treated their slaves fairly too. And let us not forget, labor produces all wealth. True fairness would be a collectivized workplace and a society without capitalism, bosses, or differential in pay scale. Anything less can be rightfully considered an injustice (unless those who receive less willfully consent to those conditions).