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Fifth Campaign a Winner for Immigrant Workers and TNG-CWA
More than 380 newsstand employees in New York City on Sept. 21 chose representation by the New York Newspaper Guild/ TNG-CWA Local 31003, despite an intense anti-union campaign of intimidation and electronic monitoring. It was the fifth attempt by the cashiers, clerks, warehouse workers and others to organize and their second campaign with TNG-CWA. Their 197-121 victory reversed their 113-156 loss of an NLRB election in March 1999.
“Local 31003 worked hard to make sure these workers achieved a victory,” said TNG-CWA President Linda Foley, praising the efforts of local President Barry Lipton, Secretary-Treasurer Bill O’Meara, Business Agents Dona Fowler, Bob Townsend and Steve Zavatski, and Organizer Alex Beauchamp.
The workers, mostly immigrants from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, showed tremendous courage in voting for the union, Lipton said. They went through three organizing campaigns with another union before connecting with the Guild last year. Management used security cameras at each newsstand to try to prevent workers from talking to each other. Straw bosses told some employees they had to swear “on the eyes of their children” not to vote for the union. In the 1999 campaign, some were told to “swear on the Koran” to vote against representation.
“These workers finally won a voice because they stayed strong and hung together,” Lipton said, adding that along with the Guild’s commitment, it was the determination displayed by a strong inside organizing committee of about eight people that made victory possible.
Hudson News operates newsstands at Pennsylvania Station, Grand Central Terminal, the World Trade Center, the Port Authority Bus Terminal and other locations, with about 10 employees working each newsstand.
“It was a ground-up organizing campaign,” Lipton said. “Because we had three groups with cultural differences, it was very important to have the people themselves involved in making the contacts.”
Leaders at each store, like Jacqueline Anthony, a sales clerk, bolstered morale and helped workers stay focused on their goal. Others, like Balal Ahmed, who distributes magazines, had access to several locations and helped with communications.
In addition, Lipton said, groups met at various workers’ homes and organizers visited the homes of others.
Newsstand workers were tired of broken promises management made during the 1999 campaign and vexed by low pay and frequent monitoring. Many were angry at working as many as 70 hours a week and being told to write it up as 40 hours so they were paid no overtime.
Lipton said Guild attorney Eugene Eisner is investigating those allegations.
“We filed charges with the labor board last week because the employer coerced people to become managers,” thereby taking them out of the bargaining unit. “We’re asking for injunctive relief,” Lipton said.
Despite its intensity, it was a quick campaign of about eight weeks, culminating in all-day voting at the National Labor Relations Board in Manhattan.
“Local 31003 worked hard to make sure these workers achieved a victory,” said TNG-CWA President Linda Foley, praising the efforts of local President Barry Lipton, Secretary-Treasurer Bill O’Meara, Business Agents Dona Fowler, Bob Townsend and Steve Zavatski, and Organizer Alex Beauchamp.
The workers, mostly immigrants from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, showed tremendous courage in voting for the union, Lipton said. They went through three organizing campaigns with another union before connecting with the Guild last year. Management used security cameras at each newsstand to try to prevent workers from talking to each other. Straw bosses told some employees they had to swear “on the eyes of their children” not to vote for the union. In the 1999 campaign, some were told to “swear on the Koran” to vote against representation.
“These workers finally won a voice because they stayed strong and hung together,” Lipton said, adding that along with the Guild’s commitment, it was the determination displayed by a strong inside organizing committee of about eight people that made victory possible.
Hudson News operates newsstands at Pennsylvania Station, Grand Central Terminal, the World Trade Center, the Port Authority Bus Terminal and other locations, with about 10 employees working each newsstand.
“It was a ground-up organizing campaign,” Lipton said. “Because we had three groups with cultural differences, it was very important to have the people themselves involved in making the contacts.”
Leaders at each store, like Jacqueline Anthony, a sales clerk, bolstered morale and helped workers stay focused on their goal. Others, like Balal Ahmed, who distributes magazines, had access to several locations and helped with communications.
In addition, Lipton said, groups met at various workers’ homes and organizers visited the homes of others.
Newsstand workers were tired of broken promises management made during the 1999 campaign and vexed by low pay and frequent monitoring. Many were angry at working as many as 70 hours a week and being told to write it up as 40 hours so they were paid no overtime.
Lipton said Guild attorney Eugene Eisner is investigating those allegations.
“We filed charges with the labor board last week because the employer coerced people to become managers,” thereby taking them out of the bargaining unit. “We’re asking for injunctive relief,” Lipton said.
Despite its intensity, it was a quick campaign of about eight weeks, culminating in all-day voting at the National Labor Relations Board in Manhattan.