Where trade unionists start their day on the net.
In this week's mailing:
* Online campaigns work: Chiquita backs down
* Iran: Five year sentence for union leader
* What union activists should be reading
ONLINE CAMPAIGNS WORK: CHIQUITA BACKS DOWN
On 18 May we wrote to tell you about Chiquita sacking union members in Costa Rica who had complained about being sprayed by pesticides while harvesting bananas. You responded with 3,437 messages to the company. And as a result, many of you received an email in the last few days from Chiquita's Senior Vice President, Manuel Rodriguez, replying to the issues we raised. As Rodriguez pointed out in his email, the company has been discussing this with the IUF (the global union federation responsible for agricultural workers) and has agreed to work toward re-hiring the workers and resolving the issues raised by the union. Pressure from the IUF, other food workers unions around the world, and thousands of individuals like you have had an effect, and workers' lives are being saved as a result.
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IRAN: FIVE YEAR SENTENCE FOR UNION LEADER
In Tehran, a court has imposed a five year prison sentence on Mansour Osanloo, head of the bus workers union, on the charge of "acting against national security" and making "propaganda against the system". Osanloo has 20 days to appeal the verdict. Meanwhile, Mahmoud Salehi -- another leading figure in the embattled Iranian unions, currently in jail -- reported that his kidney problems have worsened and his blood pressure has fallen dramatically. The authorities are doing nothing to help him and his life now appears to be in danger.
You've seen what your emails did to help compell Chiquita to act in Costa Rica -- we now need to intensify our efforts in support of Mahmoud Salehi, Mansour Osanloo and the other brave Iranian trade unionists who have taken on one of the world's most repressive regimes. Please make sure to send off your message to the Iranian authorities today -- and spread the word:
http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=231
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WHAT UNION ACTIVISTS SHOULD BE READING
The IUF has just published a 36-page brochure entitled "A Workers' Guide to Private Equity" which can purchase or download from their website. It's essential reading for trade unionists facing the new challenges of a new kind of capitalism:
http://tinyurl.com/3bar69
A new 230 paperback entitled "Immigrants, Unions and the New U.S. Labor Market" has just come out. Though it focusses on the USA, it will also be relevant to any country where there is a large immigrant work force. This book, by Immanuel Ness, tells the story of these workers' struggles for living wages, humane working conditions, and respect. Larry Cohen, president of the Communication Workers of America, says that "Manny Ness has chronicled some inspiring and recent accounts of great organizing by immigrant workers in the U.S. This type of organizing and mobilizing existing members provides our best hope for the future."
Please buy this book and help support LabourStart:
http://tinyurl.com/2vxaqt
Thanks very much.
Eric Lee
Texts appearing here are often press releases sent to us by unions and other organizations which do not appear elsewhere on the web. LabourStart takes no responsibility for their content.