Volume 1., Issue 242

Workers at Marquez Brothers Vote to Join Teamsters

Despite persistent and aggressive union-busting tactics from the management, more than 200 workers at Hanford-based Marquez Brothers (a dairy production facility and the largest distributor of Mexican consumer products in the United States) voted to join Teamsters local 517 late last month.

But the fight is not over. The management is still going through great lengths to keep the workers from having a union by challenging the election results and trying to coerce the workers into holding another election. They even threatened to call Immigration and Customs Enforcement on its workers (99% of whom are Latino) right after the election. “It’s outrageous that a Latino company appears to be taking advantage of our broken immigration system to deprive their employees of a voice at work,” said Chester Suniga, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 517.

Learn more.
 

Sunday: Candlelight Vigil for Victims of Wisconsin Sikh Temple Shooting

In the wake of the tragic shooting at Sikh temple in Wisconsin that killed six people and wounded four, the Sacramento Labor Council is coordinating with local groups to hold a candlelight vigil for the victims of the shooting this Sunday evening.

The Labor Council has strong ties to the Sikh community; they’ve been working closely with the Northern California Taxi Cab Union, many of whom are Sikh, including Masih Singh (senior vice president and secretary treasurer) and Bahign Singh (general secretary). Masih was a friend of one of the victims in the recent Wisconsin tragedy.

The vigil will begin on Sunday evening at 6pm at the state Capitol (1315 10th St., in Sacramento). Additionally, there are more than a dozen other vigils and events for the victims of the shootings taking place all around the state.

Learn more about the Sacramento vigil and find other vigils around the state.
 

Monday: Join AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler to Raise the Wage in San Jose

The campaign to increase the minimum wage in San Jose is gaining support on a national level. AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler will be coming out to San Jose next week to show her support for the Raise the Wage San Jose campaign. Shuler holds the distinction of being the youngest officer ever to sit on the federation's Executive Council, and is particularly interested in issues that affect young workers, which is why she supports the minimum wage measure.

Join Secretary-Treasurer Shuler and show your support for the Raise the Wage campaign at an exciting fundraiser, which will also feature original raps and spoken word about the need for an increased minimum wage. The event will take place on Monday from 6-8pm at IBEW local 332 (2125 Canoas Garden Ave, San Jose).

Learn more and register.
 

Wednesday: Workshop on California Family Leave Rights in Long Beach

Even though California has some of the strongest family leave policies in the nation, many working Californians are misinformed or unaware of the rights and protections afforded to them if they need to take time off work to bond with a new child or care for a sick loved one.

On Wednesday, the California Work & Family Coalition and community groups will present a training entitled “Understanding California Family Leave Laws” in Long Beach.  All are welcome to join the workshop and gain a better understanding of how our current laws work and what we can do to expand these rights. The training will take place on Wednesday evening from 5-730pm (light dinner included) at Trinity Lutheran Church (759 Linden Ave in Long Beach).

Learn more.
 

Friday: Take Action to Stop Prop 32 in San Diego

Prop 32 is a deceptive measure that claims to be about “campaign finance reform,” but in reality, the measure would give corporate special interests even more power and influence in Sacramento, while completely silencing the voices on working families.

To defeat this deceptive measure, we must start educating voters right away. On Friday, August 17th, come out to A Better San Diego’s “No on 32” breakfast, and find out what you can do to help defeat this measure.  The breakfast will begin at 8am at UFCW local 135 (2001 Camino Del Rio South in San Diego).

Learn more and RSVP.
 

Learn About Labor’s Past, Present and Future at CCSF

City College of San Francisco is once again offering more than a dozen Labor and Community Studies courses this fall, ranging from labor history to present-day organizing fights and the future of the labor movement. Classes start the week of August 15th, and there’s still time to register.

View the full course schedule and register for classes.
 

This Week on “Labor’s Edge”

We shared an exclusive interview with actress and SAG-AFTRA leader Gabrielle Carteris.

David White of the Teamsters announced the organizing victory at Marquez Brothers in Hanford.    

Jackie Tortora of the AFL-CIO promoted the Sacramento Labor Council’s upcoming vigil to honor the victims of the Sikh temple shooting.

Teamsters’ Leslie Miller lambasted the National Federation of Independent Businesses for backing Prop 32.

We exposed the surprising horror story behind Sen. Alex Padilla’s SB 1161.   

LAANE’s Sanjukta Paul detailed what needs to be done to restore rights to workers who have been misclassified as independent contractors.

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