May Day Maven: May Day in Marin & Support Employee Free Choice Act

April 30, 2009

Stand up, all victims of oppression,
For the tyrants fear your might!
Don’t cling so hard to your possessions,
For you have nothing if you have no rights!
Let racist ignorance be ended,
For respect makes the empires fall!
Freedom is merely privilege extended,
Unless enjoyed by one and all

The public is invited to celebrate International Workers’ Day, May 1, by gathering at 4:30 PM at St. Raphael’s Church, 5th Avenue and A Street and march to Pickleweed Community Center, 50 Canal Street, San Rafael. where we will Rally and where speakers will acquaint participants with up-to-date information on proposed immigration reform legislation, The Dream Act, Youth Concilio’s Recycling and Street Cleaning Program, and current pressing issues affecting immigrants, workers and the local community, such as fair housing, fair wages, and municipal IDs. There will be music, food, and goodwill.

This display of solidarity with workers, students, and unions is an expression of gratitude to members of our immigrant population for their contributions to our community which so often go unrecognized.
The celebration is sponsored by the Marin May First Coalition comprising a number of grassroots, religious, civic, and community organizations. For more information or to volunteer to help with the event, please call 415/532-4712.

Maven wishes you a glorious May Day or, in our household, happy International Workers Day. In celebration of International Workers Day tomorrow, I will formally endorse the Employee Free Choice Act and ask you to call or write Dianne Feinstein to work vigorously to pass the full bill and not to water down the bill because of the economic downturn. It is during the economic bad times that workers need more protections and the right to organize.

The Employee Free Choice Act will “amend the National Labor Relations Act to establish an easier system to enable employees to form, join, or assist labor organizations, to provide for mandatory injunctions for unfair labor practices during organizing efforts, and for other purposes.”

One Christmas awhile back, Maven attended an orientation of a certain department store We were shown a video where they warn that someone may come as ask us to sign a union card. They further warned us that if we signed the card they could visit us at work or at home. We were cautioned that collective bargaining could get us more money, no additional money, or LESS money! In the same breath, they claimed that they were not anti-union, no siree. The narrator points out that over the years union membership has been falling out of favor. (Question, if unions are so unpopular what is with this video?) If you receive a union membership card talk to your manager for advice. It was all pretty surreal.

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