UE Local 1110 Resistance and Recovery Tours stops in Cleveland
Cleveland Jobs with Justice asks Walmart - Do you really believe in democracy in the workplace?
Once again, the weather cooperated - the rain stopped long enough while 45 activists from several of our
sister unions and organizations joined us at Walmart to challenge them about their role in the Coalition for a
Democratic Workplace. We wanted to know if they really believe in democracy in the workplace. We wanted
to know if they would allow their workers to vote in a secret ballot election. We provided the voting booth,
ballots and the ballot box. All Walmart management had to do was allow their workers the chance to vote, on
their breaks, without the fear of being fired. But, it came as no surprise, Walmart management would not
allow the ballots to be distributed and told our leaders that no voting would take place in any Walmart store!

So, Walmart, it looks as if you really do not believe in democracy in the workplace afterall. It seems you just
use this as a way to try to convince elected officials and the public that you really are not the "Beast of
Bentonville" like we know you really are. The "Beast" never seems to change. You just want to continue to
fool the public by making some of us think you have. Well Walmart, we are not fooled! You are the perfect
example of why we need the Employee Free Choice Act.
Close to 70 Cleveland Jobs with Justice union members and community activists attended the Cleveland stop of the Resistance and Recovery tour
to hear the incredible story of UE Local 1110. Union President Armando Robles told about the union take over of Republic Windows and Doors at
the end of 2008. Company officials, at the urging of Bank of America - (yes, the same Bank of America who received
$25 Billion in TARP money as
part of the financial bail out) violated the Warn Act by closing down the factory without giving the employees proper notice and could not pay
earned vacation pay because. Bank of America cut off the company's line of credit. Union members and officials occupied Republic Windows and
Doors until they were able to negotiate a $7000 package for each of the workers. The real happy ending of this story is they are currently in
negotiations with a California company who is looking to buy the factory, hire back all the employees and produce energy efficient windows!! UE
Local 1110 is a true inspiration to all and a perfect example off why we need the Employee Free Choice Act! For more photos click here.
The weather was horrible earlier in the day but the clouds broke and the sun was shining brightly as we rallied for the Employee Free Choice Act in
Cleveland. Many of our partners from labor, faith and community organizations joined us at the Free Speech Quad on Public Square. In fact many put the
crowd count at a respectable 150. There was even a special appearance by the Obama puppet who made his debut during the 2008 election season.

Speakers included Ohio Secretary of State, Jennifer Brunner; Harriet Applegate, North Shore AFL-CIO Federation of Labor, Executive Secretary; Linda
Kurtzman, an employee at the AT&T Call Center who joined the Communications Workers of America through majority sign-up; Stanley Miller, Executive
Director, Cleveland Branch NAACP; business owner Dave Kondik, Kondik Advertising and Printing and his son Aidan; and MacKenzie Bailey, Associate
Regional Representative, Blue Green Alliance, Sierra Club. Mike Martino, UFCW Local 880 narrated the special production of the live street theater - R-Guy.
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All photos copyrighted by Debbie Kline 2007-2010 (c)
Executive Committee
Steering Committee
Form Object
Video by Caleb Maupin
NO HUGO Don't Go!!

300 workers will lose their jobs if the Hugo Boss factory on Tiedemann Rd in
Brooklyn, OH closes. Members of Cleveland Jobs with Justice rallied in solidarity
with Workers United in hopes of saving these jobs. If these jobs move overseas
to Turkey or Bulgaria our workers will lose over $9.5 million which equates to a
$21 million hit to the local economy.

We were rallying to save jobs while Hugo Boss sponsored the prestigious Davis
Cup, mens tennis tournament in Barcelona, Spain. Now this story gets even
better.... or worse. Management has offered a one year trial to stay at the
Cleveland plant but the workers have to take a 35% pay cut from $12.80 to
$8.30 an hour. So they can sponsor a tennis tournament, which surely cost
hundreds of millions of dollars, but they cannot pay their workers a living wage?

Has someone somewhere taken all of these corporate hacks, put them in a room
and brainwashed them all to believe we would not notice or do they think we are
just really the dumb public? I am afraid they know many of us will just walk away
shaking our heads, while saying, "Isn't that just too bad." Well guess what Hugo
Boss? Not here. Not in Cleveland. You have our attention and we say -
HELL
NO HUGO!! DON'T GO!!! DO THE RIGHT THING - NO PAY CUTS!!
Cleveland Rallies for the Employee Free Choice Act!!
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