Greetings from the International Solidarity Commission (ISC) of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) and welcome to the fourth digest of our monthly international news letter.

The purpose of this newsletter is to keep our allies around the world informed of our activities, solidarity campaigns, and relevant international labour struggles. It is our hope that this newsletter will contribute to building worker-to-worker solidarity through strengthened communications and exchanges of information.

If you would like to contribute story ideas or news for the bulletin, or wish to contact the ISC, you can email solidarity@iww.org.

Saludos de la Comisión de Solidaridad Internacional (ISC) de los Trabajadores Industriales del Mundo (IWW) y bienvenidos a nuestro boletín internacional mensual.

El propósito de este boletín es mantener a nuestros aliados alrededor del mundo informados de nuestras actividades, campañas de solidaridad, y luchas obreras relevantes. Esperamos que este boletín contribuya a construir solidaridad entre trabajadores reforzando las comunicaciones e intercambios de información.

• 400 Truckers in Stockton, California strike the industry
• Spain: 'What's going on in Starbucks?' CNT member fired
• Forum on industrial organizing with the IWW in Chile
• Barrick Gold in Pascua Lama, Chile

PDF File

From The Providence Journal

By David Scharfenberg

Journal Staff Writer

PROVIDENCE — A year after a confrontation with police officers in North Providence left her with severe leg injuries, union organizer Alexandra Svoboda arrived at a rally yesterday with a cane, a knee brace and a message of defiance.

“This is the true spirit of resistance,” she said. “This is people saying, ‘no.’ ”

Svoboda, secretary of the Providence branch of the Industrial Workers of the World, was among a group of protesters who clashed with the police Aug. 11, 2007, while marching on Jacky’s Galaxie, a pan-Asian restaurant on Mineral Spring Avenue.

Union members were targeting Jacky’s because the eatery purchased rice and takeout containers from Dragon Land Trading, a restaurant supply company in Queens, N.Y., with a reputation for treating its employees poorly.

For Immediate Release:
Brandworkers International
press (at) brandworkers.org

Tavern on the Green Stops Serving Wild Edibles Seafood Over Workers' Rights Concerns

Legendary Central Park restaurant is the latest to drop Wild Edibles until it settles a year-long dispute with workers

August 11, 2008

New York, NY- Tavern on the Green, one of the nation's highest-grossing restaurants, has stopped serving seafood from wholesaler and retailer, Wild Edibles, Inc. over concern for employee rights. Wild Edibles workers and their allies have been campaigning for almost a year to reclaim stolen overtime pay; to compel compliance with workplace laws including the right to support a labor union; and to win a more livable wage as well as a health care and retirement plan.

Tacoma GMB has created an "Organizing Wiki," a place where fellow workers can post organizing tips they've learned through personal experience or been taught about by elders or friends.

The organizing tips are meant to be broad enough to apply to general organizing strategy and techniques but can use examples from specific drives or industries. Tips can range from topics such as "Honesty with Other Workers at Your Job" to "Using Internet Resources."

You can visit the wiki at tacomaiww.pbwiki.com

Eventually the plan is to compile this wiki into a large zine or book of organizing tips to add to our library, to share and to sell.

The wiki is hosted at pbwiki.com, a free wiki hosting site. Anyone can visit the site to check out the tips and to comment on them.

If you are interested in contributing organizing tips or creating your own wiki and would like more information, please email Tacoma Branch Secretary Leah Coakley at leah.coakley [at] gmail.com. Toward the OBU, Leah

The workers and management at Stonemountain & Daughter, a Berkley California based Fabric Store, have signed a new contract. Tentative agreement on the contract was reached in the final bargaining session on the night of June 26th, the shop vote was unanimous in favor of the contract, and the contract was officially ratified on July 22nd.

The gains for all the workers in the shop are huge: a raise in the starting wage from $9.25 per hour to $10.60 per hour, employer funded health care for employees working over 24 hours per week, a 35% raise in paid time off, new holidays, and even an easy chair in the break room. In a win for the campaign to retain the eight hour day, all overtime is now guaranteed to be voluntary, meaning that anyone who chooses to work only eight hours cannot be disciplined for refusing overtime.

Headlines:

• IWW shop scores 3-year contract, raises, healthcare
• Restaurant joins Wild Edibles boycott
• Bermuda public servants, police fight government

Featured Articles:

• Japan IWW delegation at the G8 protests
• Mexican teachers struggle for union democracy
• Utah Phillips interview

Download a free PDF copy of this issue.

IWW Delivers Cake to Mall Of America Starbucks Workers

Saturday June 26 was like any other busy Saturday at the Mall of America 1 Starbucks. A barista had called in sick during the morning shift, another had walked out in disgust the weekend prior. A Manager from another store was covering the shift of a barista who had been fired for union activity two weeks before. The store was shortstaffed, and the lines of customers were long.

But this Saturday was different. By 3:00, the grinding cacaphony of the frappuccino blenders died down, as a chorus of Solidarity Forever echoed through the Mall.

“When the union’s inspiration through the workers’ blood shall run…”

Workers stepped back from their tasks to crowd around the front counter. Managers looked on in silence. About two dozen Wobblies streamed into the Mall of America 1 Starbucks to welcome the workers to the union… with a cake.