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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 15, 2017)
PAGE 2 | September 15, 2017 | NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS (International Standard Serial Number 0894-444X) Established in 1900 in Portland, Oregon as a voice of the la- bor movement. Published on a semi-monthly basis on the first and third Fridays of each month by the Oregon Labor Press Publishing Co. Inc., a non-profit mutual benefit corpo- ration owned by 20 unions and councils including the Ore- gon AFL-CIO. Serving more than 120 union organizations in Oregon and Southwest Washington. Office location: 4275 NE Halsey St., Portland, Oregon Mailing address: P.O. Box 13150, Portland, OR 97213 Phone: (503) 288-3311 Web address: http://nwlaborpress.org Editor & Manager: Michael Gutwig Associate editor: Don McIntosh Office manager: Cheri Rice Printed on recycled paper, using soy-based inks, by members of Teamsters Local 747-M. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Individual subscriptions are $14 a year for union members, $22 a year for all others. Pay by credit card online at nwlaborpress.org/subscribe, or send a check to our mailing address (above) along with your name, address and union affiliation, if any. Group rates of $10.08 a year per person are available for 25 or more subscriptions; call 503-288-3311 for details. CORRECTIONS: See an error? Please let us know at editor@nwlaborpress.org or by phone at 503-288-3311. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT PORTLAND, OREGON. CHANGE OF ADDRESS: If you move, let us know at nwlaborpress.org/subscriber-services or by mail at our mailing address (above). Be sure to provide your old and new addresses and the name/number of your local union. Please allow three weeks for the change to take effect. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS P.O. BOX 13150 PORTLAND, OR 97213-0150 WORKERS RIGHTS Burgerville workers wage one-store Labor Day strike By Don McIntosh Six workers at the Burgerville restaurant on Northeast MLK Jr. Boulevard walked off the job at noon on Labor Day in a one-day strike calling for holiday pay. Five of their coworkers re- mained on the job. Several oth- ers who were scheduled later in the day also joined in the strike. The strike is the latest action by the Burgerville Workers Union, which launched in April 2016 and has been campaigning for affordable health benefits and a $5-an-hour raise. Burg- erville, a privately-held 47-store regional restaurant chain, has not recognized the union, and company managers have dis- couraged employees from join- ing, saying it would not be in employees’ best interest. “Labor Day exists because workers went on strike in the 1880s,” said Burgerville striker Chris Merkel in a press state- ment. “The Burgerville Workers Union is taking our fight to the next level, marching with the millions of workers that have fought before us and alongside us.” Unlike union workers at gro- cery and other employers, Burg- This Labor Day, Burgerville employee Skyler Beaulieu did something formerly common and lately rare: She went on strike. Burgerville Workers Union has been campaigning for over a year for affordable health benefits and a $5 an hour raise — but they’ve gotten the cold shoulder from company manage- ment so far. erville employees get no pay premium when they work on holidays like Labor Day. As strikers walked out, drive- thru opener Skyler Beaulieu read a statement to the store manager explaining the strike. “To our managers: This is not personal. This is economic. This is about our livelihoods,” said the statement, in part. Beaulieu, 20, earns the local $11.25-an-hour minimum wage after 14 months at Burgerville, and says she joined the union af- ter she was approached by Merkel, the store’s union repre- sentative. “I like having an avenue to be able to fight for what I believe we deserve,” Beaulieu told the Labor Press. On the sidewalk outside the restaurant, strikers were joined in a picket line by other mem- bers of their union, which is af- filiated with the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). Strikers then made their way to the Northwest Oregon Labor Council (NOLC) Labor Day picnic at Oaks Amusement Park. There they were wel- comed by NOLC president Jeff Anderson to a stage where they received a standing ovation from Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and other assembled Oregon elected leaders. The Burgerville Workers Union campaign has been endorsed by NOLC, the Oregon AFL-CIO and other labor organizations. Back on the job at 5:30 a.m. the following day, Beaulieu and other strikers appeared to face no retaliation from the company. That’s as it should be, under fed- eral law. The National Labor Relations Act recognizes work- ers’ right to strike, and makes it illegal for an employer to retali- ate against workers for striking. ONLINE EXTRA Find out more at the union’s web site, burgervilleworkersunion.org, and keep up with the latest developments by liking their Facebook page — facebook.com/burgervilleworkersunion HURRICANE HARVEY In response to cata- strophic flooding in the Houston area, countless volunteers from the labor movement are assisting at shelters and other locations. The Texas AFL-CIO is asking union members to contribute to the Texas Workers Relief Fund, a charitable fund over- seen by the Texas AFL- CIO that provides direct help to families in need. texasaflcio.org/donate 140
