#strikebreaking

[fuckyeahmarxismleninism]

By Stephen Millies

Instead of BNSF being owned by Warren Buffett with his $100 billion-plus fortune, it should be run by the people. To guarantee jobs, service, and safety, we need a people’s takeover of the railroads.

#railroad workers #railstrike #strikebreaking #BNSF #Joe Biden #Congress #capitalism #class struggle #Warren Buffett #workers #protest #solidarity #expropriation #Struggle La Lucha

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"In many ways, the Canadian Farmworkers Union (CFU) and its predecessor, the Farmworkers Organizing Committee (FWOC), operated like a trade union. The CFU executive chose three related areas on which to focus its organizing efforts: (1) improving working and living conditions, (2) eliminating the contractor system that further exploited already vulnerable workers, and (3) fighting to include farmworkers in the BC labour code, affording farmworkers rights to minimum wage and health benefits.

Working and living conditions constituted one of the main pillars that organizers rallied around to push their efforts. One story was often used in CFU documents as a rallying cry:

On July 16, 1980, little Sukhdeep Madhar lay sleeping in a cow stall converted into sleeping quarters when, unknown to her parents working in the fields close by, she rolled off her cot. The seven month-old baby drowned in a bucket of drinking water before being discovered. Ruling the tragedy as an accidental death, Dr. Bill Macarthur, Coroner, said that working conditions on the farm were like those found in Nazi concentration camps.

Further, while out in the field, workers found that many farms did not have running water or washroom facilities. Other farms did not have places for children who had to attend work with their parents (or for workers on breaks) to sit in the shade on hot days. In addition to unsafe working conditions in the field, workers who did not have enough money for housing would have to live in converted barn stalls on the farm where they worked. These stalls would often have simple hay and straw as flooring with small cots for sleeping. Some living quarters did not have running water, heating, or washroom facilities. Finally, it was not uncommon for farm owners and operators, or even for the contractors who acted as intermediaries, to withhold wages from workers until the end of the season (should they be paid at all).

Despite its small size, the CFU was relatively successful in improving working conditions, especially with regard to securing stolen wages. The first test for the FWOC was a dispute between Mukhiter Singh and the contractor that he had hired to provide a labour force. On 17 July 1979, workers contacted the FWOC to help set up a picket line after they discovered that Mukhiter was withholding $100,000 owed for six weeks of labour because he was unsatisfied with the pickers’ work. The FWOC immediately sent out “several dozen Committee members” and “joined two hundred workers on the picket lines.” After a tense standoff, Mukhiter offered to pay $40,000 in wages, but the farmworkers refused the offer. After roughly two hours of negotiations with Chouhan, Mukhiter paid the workers $80,000 and the dispute was settled. This incident was the first major victory for the FWOC.

The following year, a larger battle took place with a much larger grower: Jensen Mushroom Farms in Langley. On 18 July 1980, despite the grower’s assertion that “if they don’t like it [working conditions], they can quit,” Jensen Mushroom Farms became the first agricultural work site to be certified by the Labour Relations Board (LRB). While this did not mean the workers had a contract, the LRB ruling did mean that the union could negotiate on behalf of the workers. This was the first ruling of its kind in BC labour history. The first signed contract would come from a different farm, Bell Farms. The owner, Jack Bell, was relatively sympathetic to unions and did not offer any resistance to workers who organized for union representation. That LRB certification would come on 3 September 1980, and the first contract would be ratified on 18 November. While getting a certification was the first step, the process to signing a contract could be extremely drawn out. After nine months of negotiations at Jensen Farms with little progress, the CFU voted to strike on 14 April 1981. Here, Jensen demonstrated his resolve to prevent a union from entering his workplace. On the first day of picketing, an altercation between Chouhan and some of Jensen’s family members left Chouhan with a cut on his forehead, and each side pointed to the other as the instigator. A CFU organizer at the picket line, Sandi Roy, describes in a police report how Annie Hall, Jensen’s daughter, struck Chouhan in the head with keys, “causing him to bleed profusely.” Immediately after the altercation, Murray Munroe, Jensen’s son-in-law, “and at least three of the passengers of both trucks [that had transported Jensen’s family to the picket line] exited from the trucks and began running towards Mr. Chouhan and pushed him into a roadside ditch.” No legal action was taken by either party.

As the strike wore on, the CFU described “various forms of violence from name calling, to car pounding, to a physical scuffle, to telephone wires being cut, to trucks being chased at high speeds, to an attempt to burn down a trailer while a picketer was sleeping inside.” Despite ten workers scabbing (union strikebreaking) and extreme tension on the picket line, the line held strong until September 1981, when it was finally lifted. Formal contract negotiations would not recommence until May 1982, and on 30 July 1982, more than a year after the certification, a formal contract was signed. Getting a contract after a long strike was one matter, but managing to maintain certification with a stubborn owner was also a difficult task. According to the CFU, the fourteen remaining workers who returned to work at Jensen’s were evenly split on the issue of the union. In June 1983, ten months after the strike’s conclusion, the number of people who worked at Jensen’s had increased to forty seven, and the turnover rate was high. This meant that many of those who supported the union had left and that those who remained were now outnumbered in the workplace. Jensen also began to hire his immediate family members as employees to reduce the strength of the union. The family members intimidated workers who were worried about being identified to the employer as pro-union. When shop stewards were elected, Jean Hall – whose relation to the aforementioned Annie Hall is unclear – was elected for labourers and Rajinder Gill was elected for pickers. The CFU claimed that “the election of Jean Hall was orchestrated by Tove Nesbitt and Jens Jensen (Jensen’s daughter and brother).”

Clearly, Jensen was determined to break the union by inserting his family members into the union’s structure. Union meetings became difficult places to be and were reported by workers to be dominated by Jensen’s family members. According to the CFU, “at one time Jensen had nine family members working at the farm and on average there were seven.” Workers felt intimidated at meetings because they feared that their concerns would be passed back to Jensen and that they could be disciplined or fired. On 1 April 1983, Jensen’s employees applied to the LRB for decertification, and, despite the CFU’s confidence that the decertification vote would fail, on 8 July it passed by a count of 23 to 22. The CFU, understandably disheartened, put some blame on recent immigrants, who were “in awe of ‘authority’ figures” and did not want to appear pro-union to new employers.

During an investigation of Jensen Farms by the provincial government’s Ministry of Labour, R.F. Bone noted some troubling practices on the part of the employer. First, at the time of the strike, it was estimated that 90 percent of the workforce was South Asian and that most supported the union. During the strike, many of these workers left for other jobs because they needed to support themselves. After the strike, Bone noted: “all employees hired (approx. 17) have been non-East Indian, except for four young ladies, all related to the only two East Indians (Gurmit Kaur and Sukhbir Kaur) employed before the strike who then and still are strongly anti-union.” These hires were Euro-Canadians and Laotians. Since the mushroom farm had different greenhouses, Jensen had the Laotians working in areas away from the pro-union employees and had scheduled the pro-union employees to work during union meetings. This tactic allowed the anti-union workers who still attended meetings to elect Jean Hall and Gurmit Kaur, workers who scabbed during the strike, to be delegates for the CFU National Convention in April 1984. Both delegates were expelled from the convention after this revelation and were deemed members “not in good standing.” Finally, Jensen attempted to have the CFU barred from any certifications for one calendar year – an attempt that was denied by the LRB.

This battle had an underlying racist tone. As demonstrated by Jensen’s practices after the strike, Jensen was actively avoiding South Asians. Other anti-union employees also hinted at an ethnic divide. Fred Forman, a white worker hired after the strike, suggested: “if I had a grievance, I don’t think it would work because I’m the wrong colour.” Farmers, including Jensen, used the idea that the CFU was an exclusively South Asian union to discourage membership among newly hired Laotians and whites as well as to discredit the union among its current members."

- Nicholas Fast, ““WE WERE A SOCIAL MOVEMENT AS WELL”: The Canadian Farmworkers Union in British Columbia, 1979–1983,” BC Studies. no. 217, Spring 2023. p. 41-44.

#canadian farmworkers union #participatory democracy #union organizing #farm workers #agricultural workers #indian immigration to canada #immigrant workers #racialized workers #farming in canada #working class struggle #academic quote #strike #union politics #scabs #strikebreaking #reading 2024

[allthecanadianpolitics]

The struggle of '46 was an 81-day strike held by Stelco workers in 1946, which led to the demolition of Woodlands Park as it once was — a Victorian park at the centre of the Landsdale and Gibson neighbourhoods with plenty of trees.

The union members were gathered for the unveiling of Ghost Landscape, a photo and audio installation in Hamilton's somewhat forgotten, historic Woodlands Park, as part of the city's placemaking grant program.

The purpose of the placemaking program is to enhance public spaces with projects that highlight the unique histories and qualities of Hamilton's neighbourhoods.

Ghost Landscape is a lesson in the city's labour history.

#submission #Canadian labour history #strikebreaking #Hamont #steel workers #usw local 1005

[monsterfactoryfanfic]

i know conventional wisdom is to not put pages of lore in your RPG

however

#i am trying to make it interesting and useful to players!!! #but sometimes i just wanna talk about the strikebreaker assassins with gardening tools

[thesmegalodon]

i’m best friends with my eye floaters but recently i’ve been hearing whispers of unionization

#time to call in the strikebreakers #maybe the blinkertons

[mityenka]

me in any conversation with my coworkers today

#too many people in my office who are fine with strikebreaking!!! i was talking with my one coworker who is the only one in the office #who is unionized and we were just complaining together for like half an hour about how bad this place is at striking lmaoo like he is #50 or 60 and makes half of what my younger colleagues make so even if they don't care for strikes they could at least think about going #out of solidarity

[marlynnofmany]

The icons are back!!!

#WOOHOO! #it's almost midnight and I'm off to bed #that is a NICE thing to see on my last check of the internet #hopefully the evil strikebreaking clownpirateskull will be gone in the morning too #tumblr failr

[letmebegaytodd]

You know, I've come to the stunning conclusion that despite claims to the contrary, Benny IS in fact, a fink. Dig?

If we're going strictly off the definitions then technically no, he still isn't a fink!

(unless you want to argue he's unpleasant or contemptible but come on he's just a little guyyy and it's his birthdayy he's a birthday boyy)

#neither a strikebreaker nor someone who goes back on commitments - unless you count undermining house i GUESS #anon asks #benny #fnv #fallout

[fuckyeahmarxismleninism]

By Struggle-La Lucha Baltimore bureau

A rush-hour protest in downtown Baltimore Dec. 8 showed support for railroad workers under attack. The newly formed Ad Hoc Committee To Support Railroad Workers called the action. Sharon Black, a local Amazon warehouse worker who came straight from work, proclaimed, “We need a union at our warehouse, and I am here today to show support for the railroad workers.”

#Baltimore #railroad workers #railstrike #solidarity #protest #Joe Biden #strikebreaking #union busting #labor #class struggle #Amazon workers #PPA #Sharon Black #UWU #Struggle La Lucha

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"166 IN JAIL AS SARNIA STRIKE TROUBLE EBBS," Kingston Whig-Standard. March 4, 1937. Page 1. ---- Are to Face Court on Friday on Charges of Trespassing ---- TWO BADLY HURT ==== Sarnia Quiet After Riot 1,000 Panes of Glass Were Shattered -- SARNIA, March 4 - (CP) - With only two out of seven men, still in general hospital, reported in a serious condition and production resumed at the Holmes Foundry Company, scene of a clash between non-strikers and "sit-down" strikers yesterday, Sarnia today was getting back to normal routine. The outcome of the fight in and around the foundry was the eviction of the "sit-downers" by the men who desired to continue work. Badly Hurt Condition of Mike Pipliki and Peter Tomko, two participants in the struggle, was causing concern. Tomko has a fractured spine, pelvis, ankle and wrat. "As good as can be ex ported was the word of attending physicians, Pipliki, with a skull frac tam, is in "fair condition." Perey Archer, reported to be seriously injured yesterday, today was officially said to be suffering from cuts about the body and legs. He has no fracture of the leg as at first reported. 66 In Jail In the meantime to men who took part in the fight and were turned over to the police by non-strikers, repose in the county jail and city police lockup awaiting arraignment Friday morning on charges of trespassing on the company property March 1. Forty-seven are crowded into the county jail and 19 remain in police cell. No pleas were made and no bail granted after their arrest. At the plan all non-strikers with out handicapping injuries were back at work and 100 new men have been employed. It has been indicated none of the strikers will be re-empanged. The factory escaped serious damage although about 1,000 panes of glass will have to be replaced. No additional charges have been laid, and there was no intimation of further steps to ascertain the identity of any of the men who may have indicated injuries.

Tomko was said to have suffered Injuries when he jumped from the roof of the structure. Pipliki, it was reported, was injured in a free-for-all and it would be difficult to ascertain the identity of his assailant. Score Injured in Sarnia Foundry Strike Riot Seven men were rushed to hospital, three suffering serious injury, while a score were less badly hurt when four hundred men, armed with clubs and crowbars rushed the strike bound Holmes Foundry Co. plant at Sarnia. and engaged in a terrific hand-to-hat encounter with strikers inside the factory. In full view of hundreds of citizens, the battle raged on the root the plant as non-strikers sought to cast the striking workers who took possession of the plant and flouted police orders to evacuate. Here is one of the casualties being carried from the scene of action as the battle raged. Thirty-one strikers were booked at police headquarters following the fray. There was a possibility that three the injured might die.

#sarnia #strike #sit down strike #factory occupation #foundry workers #metal workers #strike violence #scabs #strikebreakers #strikebreaking #working class struggle #great depression in canada #crime and punishment in canada #history of crime and punishment in canada #county jail #held without bail

[allthecanadianpolitics]

Raine Wright yells into his megaphone as men in neon yellow jackets circle around a chain-link gate outside an East Vancouver industrial yard. They’re members of United Steelworkers Local 1944, some of the roughly 300 technicians who have been locked out by telecom giant Rogers after contract talks broke down and the union announced it would launch rotating strikes. But his workplace is still running, as Rogers has hired dozens of replacement workers to keep up with the work. The union’s response? Forming human walls to hold up the trucks.

Continue Reading.

Tagging @politicsofcanada

#cdnpoli #canada #canadian politics #canadian news #worker's rights #unions #british columbia #strikebreaker ban

[pilferingapples]

there should be an industry award for Worst Social Media Presence By A Musical

#Les Mis supporting strikebreaking is SOMETHING #but so Six's comment about Western Global Dominance #wow. wow.

[they-call-me-hippie]

I hope Biden kills himself and if not that I hope he kills every one of his liberal voters so I can stop hearing their vote blue no matter who cult chanting

#Yes like I said I've run out of 1000% of my patience. #You value nothing more than optics and the pretense of caring rather than actual change #Imagine thinking it was good to strikebreak because it would impact the econony. Which a strike is meant to do. To the detriment of owners. #Imagine thinking two minimal changes matter when destroying the world at large and refusing to improve it or release #the death grip they have over international economy and affairs. #Imagine thinking you can roleplay revolutionary socialist politics with empty slogans like 'death to the US' without sharing any of the #actual values in anti-imperialist socialist politics. #Lol. Lmao even. #Call yourself a neoliberal from the start so we know who to line up against the wall together with Pinochet straight away #That Chilean woman who made a post about the US deserving to be nuked was right actually I hope we make more posts like that

[newyorkthegoldenage]

Strikebreakers in the eating quarters set up by Interborough Rapid Transit (IRT) officials, July 25, 1927. They are poised to deal with a threatened walkout by members of the Amalgamated Association of Street and Electric Railway Employees.

Photo: Underwood Archives via Fine Art America

#New York #NYC #vintage New York #1920s #IRT #subway #strike #scabs #strikebreakers #unions #July 25 #cafeteria #union busting

[dopehorsesposts]

rdr2 doobles because i have been playing it a lot!!!!

#my art #art #digital art #fanart #sketch #rdr2 #red dead redemption 2 #arthur morgan #oc #rdr2 oc #selfship #self insert #basically she is a super cool dude who fucks bitches and kills strikebreakers #she has major beef w the pinkertons before she ever runs across the gang #the bitch who gave agent milton all those pockmark scars on his face #can an outlaw really be in love with a militant labor organizer? #i’ll take yes for 500 #painting #there was an attempt

[disincentivized]

r/196 is so fucking back

#196 #reddit #reddit protest #still fuck reddit but all it did was show how concieted mods are. fucking strikebreakers #i havent fully weaned off of reddit but #tryin to be on tumblr lemmy more #(and also touch grass)