Industrial Workers of the World, IU 670
c/o The Red & Black Caf�, 2138 SE Division, Portland, OR 97202
 503-231-3899
Statement to the Media
March 17, 2001
Contact: Jordana Sardo
503-255-5776
503-240-3279
Or
Bill Bradley
(Day) 503-231-3899
(Evening) 503-236-6948
For release: Immediately
IWW ORGANIZERS CHEER UNION LEADER�S JOB REINSTATEMENT AT JANUS YOUTH
PROGRAMS
�Thank you to the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) and everyone who
stood together with us and protested,� said Jordana Sardo, after winning
reinstatement on March 16 at Harry's Mother, a division of Janus Youth
Programs. The IWW International Union (IU) 670 is the bargaining agent for
workers at Harry�s Mother. On February 16, Sardo, an IU 670 leader and
member of the bargaining team, was illegally laid off from her position at
Harry�s Mother by Janus Youth Programs. In response, the IWW filed an
Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) complaint with the National Labor Relations
Board. It is a labor law violation to dismiss a member of the contract
negotiating team during negotiations because it interferes with the Union�s
legally recognized right to collective bargaining. Sardo�s reinstatement
resulted in the Union withdrawing the ULP charges.
In January, after eight months of contract negotiations, Janus Youth
Programs announced that, due to budget cuts, they planned to lay-off
bargaining unit members Tera Couchman, Michele Markowitz and Jordana Sardo,
and eliminate the Student Alliance of Garden Entrepreneurs (S.A.G.E.)
program. When filing an ULP complaint with the NLRB failed to convince
Janus to rescind the lay-offs, the union organized community support for
their rights.
The public campaign of phone calls, petitions, letters and demonstrations,
during which it was revealed that Janus possessed over 2 million dollars in
unrestricted assets, received national and international attention and
participation. On February 16, Couchman and Markowitz' layoffs were
rescinded and the S.A.G.E. program was continued; however, Sardo�s lay-off
went into effect that day. �Public support made all the difference in
winning Jordana�s job back,� remarked Bill Bradley, IU 670 delegate. Among
the organizations providing solidarity with IU 670 were other Industrial
Unions of the IWW, Teamsters locals, Carpenters, Municipal Employees,
Radical Women, Jobs with Justice, Freedom Socialist Party and the Urban
Workers Union.
Now that all bargaining unit members have been reinstated, the Union�s focus
is to win a living wage contract from Janus and to convince County
Commissioners to fully fund Janus� program, Harry�s Mother. The Multnomah
County Commission is threatening budget cuts that could eliminate the
shelter and counseling services provided by Harry�s Mother.
Sardo is a longtime advocate for social services and has been the
administrative backbone of Harry�s Mother for over nine years. Says Sardo,
�Janus� reinstatement of my position is a significant step in good faith
bargaining and it allows us both to work to keep the doors of Harry�s Mother
open. Shutting down this program will be catastrophic for the clients we
serve, who are homeless and at-risk youth with dwindling resources to
address their needs and crises.�
Sardo and Bradley encouraged concerned members of the community to contact
Multnomah County Commissioners to ask that they continue full funding for
Harry�s Mother.
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