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John
Sweeney and Doug Dority to challenge Sainsbury's: Will British commerce multinational Sainsbury's have two leading American trade unionists arrested, to stop them from talking to supermarket workers? Doug Dority, president of UNI Commerce affiliate UFCW will be joined by AFL-CIO president John Sweeney when entering stores in Massachusetts. The supermarket operator Shaw's, which is a subsidiary of the British retail giant, has launched a veritable union busting campaign. Last week, local 1445 of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) designated National AFL-CIO President John Sweeney and UFCW International President Doug Dority as representatives to service Shaw's workers. They will be entering supermarkets to communicate with employees as provided for under their UFCW contract. UFCW
representatives arrested The national leaders are directly challenging Shaw's policy of denying workers' job site representation, and the company's use of arrests to prevent workers from talking with union representatives. Two UFCW representatives were recently arrested for attempting to communicate with workers at a Worcester store. The company's police state tactics have already resulted in a federal complaint being issued against Shaw's as well as on-going investigation by the National Labor Relations Board.
"The labor movement and its national leaders are ready to confront the foreign owners of Shaw's to protect the American right to have a voice at work. And we're ready to go to jail for the rights of workers. The right to voice at work is the 21st century civil rights movement," said Doug Dority, UFCW International President. Shaw's launched its attack on workers with an announcement that it would triple the employees' cost for health insurance starting March 1, 2002 - increasing the worker's share of family health insurance from about $25 to $77 a week. The cost increase was effectively a health care cut that would have left hundreds of working families unable to afford any health insurance-Workers in many cases had a stark choice-food for the family or health insurance. Management stated the reason for the increase was a switch from the existing plan to a union health plan; and, well placed rumors let it be known that if employees backed away from the union that insurance costs for workers would remain the same. In reality, the actual cost of health insurance for the company would have been lower under the union plan. There was no reason to raise the workers' cost for insurance, except to bully workers as part of the union-busting campaign. On February 28, Shaw's announced that it would no longer honor the workers' union contract, and that no union representatives would be permitted jobsite contact with workers. Benefits were cut by management Shaw's began implementing unilateral changes in working conditions including a recalculation of paid holiday, sick, vacation and personal time. The changes were made retroactive by Shaw's and workers were immediately charged for past holidays that had been provided under the union contract. On May 28, 2002, the UFCW filed a class action grievance to restore lost time to any of the affected 1,700 Shaw's employees who lost time. "The UFCW is committed to representing Shaw's workers. We will take whatever action necessary to protect their workplace rights," said Dority. Sweeney and Dority will be
designated as UFCW Local 1445 representatives effective at noon today
and will service Shaw's workers over the next several weeks.
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