NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #16/NN_1992_16.iso/spool/misc/activism/progress/5445

Internet Message Format | 1992-07-29 | 3.5 KB

Path: sparky!uunet!dtix!darwin.sura.net!wupost!mont!pencil.cs.missouri.edu!rich
From: [e-mail] (Rich Winkel)
Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive
Subject: SF Gay Workers Organize
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Date: 30 Jul 92 00:54:10 GMT
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/** pn.announcemen: 50.0 **/
** Topic: SF Gay Workers Organize **
** Written  9:15 pm  Jul 28, 1992 by peacenet in cdp:pn.announcemen **
From: <peacenet>
Subject: SF Gay Workers Organize

>From iww Tue Jul 28 13:28:26 1992
From: Melissa Roberts <iww>
Subject: IWW in S.F.

WORKERS IN SAN FRANCISCO'S GAY COMMUNITY ORGANIZE--
DIRECT ACTION BEGINS AFTER UNION MEMBERS FIRED!
Industrial Workers of the World- I.U. #670

     Janitorial employees at the End-Up bar have been fired after efforts to
organize and present a labor contract for negotiation as members of the
Industrial Workers of the World. Arbitrary firings, a principle concern
addressed in the contract proposal presented to the management on July 20th,
continued through the past week as union members and their representative
attempted to meet with the general manager of the End-Up, a bar that caters to
San Francisco's Lesbian/Gay/Bi/Transgender community.
     The latest firing came after a conversation in which the employee was
told by the maintenance supervisor and day office manager that his work
performance was "excellent" and that he would maintain the full work schedule
he had held prior to the presentation of the contract proposal. Later, while
working his regular shift, the employee was told by general manager Doug
Whitmore that his employment was terminated, effective immediately. When the
employee asked for the cause, he was told that his work performance no longer
met "minimum standards". A salaried employee who witnessed the firing later
told the employee that he did not believe that the firing was a result of
substandard work performance, but was "a political firing".
     Other union maintenance employees have not been contacted by Miracle
Mile Enterprises Corp., owner of the End-Up, since the suspension of the
regular written schedule on July 17th, and new non-union workers have been
utilized to continue maintenance operations.
     An informational picket took place outside the End-Up on Sunday, July
26th, at 10 pm- during one of its most popular clubs. About 15 of us worked
the picket line, handing out flyers and explaining the situation. Patrons
were very interested and supportive, and other bar workers kept coming out
to see and ask what was going on. Even the general manager showed up long
enough to threaten one of the former employee/organizers, but he refused to
speak with us about our demands- that fired union members be rehired, and
Miracle Mile/the End-Up negotiate a contract with the IWW. Due to this
intransigence on the part of management, we will seek to block deliveries
by Teamster drivers of liquors and beer via picket lines. Informational-
picketing activities of the clubs who do business in the End-Up will be
ongoing. Since our grievance is not with the individual clubs, we are not
asking patrons thereof to boycott-- yet.

For more information, contact "Big" Bill Dunham at [phone]
or e-mail:  [e-mail] (or, on Peacenet, simply "iww")



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