YLO celebrates raises at Bill Miller’s BBQ
Wednesday, July 23rd 2008 – 2:00 PM
Bill Miller Headquarters
430 S Santa Rosa Ave, San Antonio, Texas
Southwest Workers Union- Youth Leadership Organization (SWU-YLO) and members will be congratulating Bill Millers on their pay raises in the last year. One year ago, the YLO launched their campaign for “Equal Pay for Equal Work” after finding out Biller Miller’s was paying Southside, West, and Eastside workers up to $2.50 less an hour than Northside workers.
The restaurant chain has quietly increased wages by .50 to $1.50 at various San Antonio locations after receiving hundreds of postcards and a petition letter with over 1,100 signatures from customers. While the YLO commends Bill Miller’s on raising the pay at their lowest wage locations, we continue to demand that Bill Miller’s respect their workers by adopting a overarching policy of Equal Pay for Equal Work across San Antonio.
“Bill Miller partners continue to refuse to meet with us, the youth of the community. If the food costs the same, why do the workers who make it get less? They’ve never answered that question” said Julian Mendez, Jefferson High School.
“But with the raises we are seeing that our organizing and the public pressure has been working. The power of the people is awesome!” Elisabeth Solis, Edison YLO Vice-President
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Labels: labor justice, protest, youth
Union Leaders face Racial Harassment and Unjust Firings
June 6, 2007@12PM
Driscoll Middle School
17150 Jones Maltsberger
“I feel that I have been treated unfairly and feel it is a form of retaliation in an attempt to terminate my employment, because I am the President of Local #14”-
Marco Velasquez, NEISD employee.
North East Independent School District (NEISD) has been involved in union busting efforts at Driscoll Middle School, and at other campuses, violating worker’s rights to organize by unjustly firing and continually harassing members of the Southwest Workers' Union. Marco Velasquez, President of Local #14 and a custodian in NEISD, has received disparate treatment from the assistant head custodian who labelled him a ‘wetback’, a racist slur for immigrants from Mexico.
Marco Velasquez, who is a U.S. citizen, was also wrongfully accused of stealing in an effort to unfairly terminate him. Former NEISD Local #14 President Ken Kopcinzsky was also unjustly terminated in October 2006 for his participation with the Southwest Workers' Union.
NEISD has also denied the Southwest Workers' Union from reasonable access to its members and employees during their duty-free lunch. SWU organizes in five (5) other school districts in San Antonio, TX and none of these districts deny SWU the right to access members and employees. SWU members’ rights are being violated by denying them the right of freedom of assembly and association.
Southwest Workers' Union demands an immediate stop to the harassment of its members and denial of basic rights of access to members and employees.
Dignity and Justice for NEISD School Workers!!
Labels: labor justice, NEISD, protest, school workers
