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:
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Editor & Manager: Michael Gutwig
Associate editor: Don McIntosh
Office manager: Cheri Rice
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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
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