[Via... http://www.egroups.com/group/Communist-Internet ] . . ----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, May 19, 2001 12:04 PM Subject: [mobilize-globally] UNITE!--VICTORY at Los Angeles Hollander Strike!!!!!! UNITE!--VICTORY at Hollander!!!!!! Date: 5/18/01 3:41:29 PM Pacific Daylight Time From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Bill Neal) SI SE PUEDE! YES WE CAN! STRIKING GARMENT WORKERS WALK AWAY WITH "TOTAL VICTORY"! May 18, 2001 by Bill Neal, ISO LOS ANGELES After 10 hard weeks 450 Los Angeles garment workers have scored what they call a total victory in their strike. The company, Hollander Home Fashions, finally caved on attempts to hold down wages and granted $0.30 to $0.90 raises per hour. The workers, represented by UNITE!, voted overwhelmingly to approve the new contract. More importantly to the workers, Hollander agreed to provide a 401K retirement plan. Many of the workers have been there 20 - 30 years and still make only $7 - 8.00/hour--hardly enough to save for retirement. The company once told the union they would rather fold than grant them a retirement plan. Not only did they give in, but they agreed to make co-payments on the plan--an indication of how badly they were beaten. Union officials say that the victory was largely because Hollander couldn't get out quality or quantity product with scab labor. Two South Central Los Angeles factories make pillows and comforters for JC Penney's, IKEA, WalMart and other retail stores. Almost no workers crossed the picket line, so the company turned to the union busting temp agency Labor Ready Inc to provide bus loads of replacement workers. The number of trucks leaving the factory was dramatically lower than pre-strike levels, and the union suspects than many were part full or loaded with empty boxes. Crucial to the victory were work stoppages at two other location owned by the company. Workers at a Pennsylvania plant walked out over similar issues on May 1. At a Hollander factory in Georgia an all African American workforce honored the strike by refusing to go to work. In a fantastic show of solidarity, Black workers resisted the companies attempts to divide them from their mostly immigrant counterparts in LA. That unity was key to the victory. The news was reported to students from 5 different campuses at a demonstration early Friday morning. The students had gathered for rally at the offices of Labor Ready scab agency at 4:30am. Dozens of students greeted the news with cheers. Angry scabs started a fight, but the the ruckus couldn't dampen the pride and enthusiasm felt by all. Students plan to show up Monday morning to support the workers at a planned "victory march" back into the factories. This strike shows that, despite the hardships faced by low wage immigrant workers, if you fight back, and stay united, you can win. And that is a victory, not just for the Hollander workers, but for thousands garment workers and low wage immigrant laborers throughout the Los Angeles area. Anti-globalization activists also learned a lot from the workers. The strikers came to speak out on campuses and at the big "Stop the FTAA" demonstration at the US-Mexico border on April 21. Through their example, students discovered the power of linking the struggle against corporate greed in general, to the struggle of workers in their own communities. The win for the union was also a win for this movement. ### To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
