Wage theft occurs when an employer (or ex-employer) keeps some or all of the wages you have earned.  Bosses have all sorts of tricks and excuses when it comes to stealing wages.

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IWW: The Fighting Union For All Workers!

Date: Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Time: 7:00pm – 10:00pm
Location: PSAC building, main floor (wheelchair accessible)
233 Gilmour (at Metcalfe)

We are going through one of the worst economic crises in the history of capitalism and the answers provided by the state and its lackeys are illusory. In addition, faced with this impasse, our leaders are trying to shift the entire burden of the crisis to workers and their communities.

How can we respond differently to this economic crisis? Can we learn from the experiences of struggles that have happened elsewhere in the world?

To consider these issues, the UCL and Common Cause are organizing a Québec and Ontario speaking tour this winter on the response of the Argentine popular classes in the face of a serious economic crisis that shook the country in the late 2001.

From 18 January to 12 February, a militant from the anarchist organization Red Libertaria (Argentina) will travel to different cities in Quebec and Ontario to talk about this subject. He will discuss different forms of resistance developed by the Argentine people to counter the effects of the crisis such as retaking factories and creating self-managed cooperatives. He will also discuss the involvement of anarchists in these different struggles.

Hosted by Common Cause Ottawa
Co-sponsors: OPIRG/GRIPO-Ottawa; Ottawa-Outaouais IWW; Socialist Project. Endorsers: OPIRG-Carleton.

Sat Oct 17 from 10:00am-6:00pm at 440 Albert St.

[En français]

Québec City, July 14, 2009—On Monday morning, the Starbucks Worker’s Union, which is affiliated with the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), submitted a request for union certification to Commision des relations de travail to represent the employees of the Germain-des-Prés Starbucks, in the borough of Ste-Foy, in Québec City. Recent changes to how the work schedule is managed and new requirements regarding employee availability convinced the fifteen baristas—mostly students—to unite and defend their interests before an inflexible and arrogant employer.

“Starbucks is sort of the McDonald’s of the coffee world. They offer low pay and little job security, but until now, at least our work hours were flexible, which was great for students working part-time,” states union member Simon Gosselin, adding “Our union was formed mainly to fight a clause that requires shift supervisors to work a minimum of 24 hours a week and baristas to work at least 16 hours. This is a terrible change. Because of it, the 6 current shift supervisors will be demoted and they’ll take a 10% pay cut and lose their benefits.”

Since 2004, Starbucks has been the target of an organization campaign led by the IWW, an alternative union mainly active in the United States, but also in Canada, Great Britain, and Australia. “Starbucks claims to be a socially responsible employer that respects communities and contributes to economic development,” states IWW spokesman Mathieu Jean. “But with its unsteady and poorly-paid jobs and frequent infringements of workplace safety standards, Starbucks has more of a tendency to impoverish communities and lower working conditions.”

Despite the multinational coffee company’s lofty social claims, it has been found guilty of violating its employee’s union rights 17 times in the city of Minneapolis alone and has been condemned for anti-union activity by the National Labor Relation Board, an American government organization. Last December in New York, the company was found guilty on 30 similar counts. Many other similar cases are pending.

“We have no intention of being intimidated. If Starbucks wants to play hardball, we’re ready for them.” states Jean. “But we believe this is an opportunity for the company to prove that its claims of social responsibility are more than just a lot of talk. The ball’s in their court.”

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Information:
Andrew Fletcher
IWW
819-349-9914
iww_quebec@riseup.net
sitt.wordpress.com
iww.org/en

Denis is still fighting to get his job back, since his questionable dismissal by the University of Ottawa on March 31, 2009. We urge people to help him get reinstated by sending an email to the University of Ottawa president Alan Rock allan.rock@uottawa.ca and please be sure to copy the chair of Denis’ education defense committee claude.cde@gmail.com.

Also, please sign the online petition http://www.petitiononline.com/uOttawa/petition.html.