IKEA lockout of Teamsters drawing international concern

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlR0pxZ7Hekjoqste0q4WQA_AyJ1BLo0BiS8SOkzr6vByuSOX9qDPBvwR4TS0FgLxva59ce1zIhaM9JpEZs0mIdmSrHmCljfivFcHd74VJ0UtPUdBpFq6SJOLa6fKU6j8VtZrpobR3qXs9/s1600/IKEA+teamsters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlR0pxZ7Hekjoqste0q4WQA_AyJ1BLo0BiS8SOkzr6vByuSOX9qDPBvwR4TS0FgLxva59ce1zIhaM9JpEZs0mIdmSrHmCljfivFcHd74VJ0UtPUdBpFq6SJOLa6fKU6j8VtZrpobR3qXs9/s320/IKEA+teamsters.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our locked-out Teamster sisters in front of<br />Richmond IKEA.</td></tr></tbody></table>The world is starting to watch <a href="http://www.ikeahurtsfamilies.org/" rel="nofollow">IKEA</a>'s 6-month lockout of 350 of our <a href="http://teamster.org/" rel="nofollow">Teamster</a> brothers and sisters in Richmond, British Columbia. The Swedish furniture retailer claims to be pro-family and pro-worker. But its brutal treatment of <a href="http://www.teamsters213.org/" rel="nofollow">Teamster Local 213</a> members is raising concerns about IKEA's attacks on workers at stores throughout the world.<br /><br />A new website, <a href="http://www.ikeahurtsfamilies.org/">www.ikeahurtsfamilies.org</a>, tells the story. On May 15, Teamsters rejected a company offer that included the imposition of a tiered wage structure. IKEA locked them out without pay to force them to accept pay and benefit cuts. Three weeks later, Canadian labor officials found IKEA guilty of using scab workers to keep the Richmond store open.<br /><br />The lockout dragged on, and on Nov. 7 an international fact-finding mission visited locked-out IKEA workers in Richmond. What they found concerned them deeply. The international labor leaders proclaimed the ongoing dispute was now under the gaze of the wider labor movement.  <a href="http://thetyee.ca/News/2013/11/08/Global-Labour-Richmond-Ikea/" rel="nofollow">The Tyee</a> reported,<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">The increasingly-fractious, six month labour dispute at IKEA's big box store in Richmond may be on the verge of a dramatic escalation -- all the way to Europe.</blockquote>Today, the <a href="http://teamster.org/" rel="nofollow">International Brotherhood of Teamsters</a> announced the launch of the new website in a <a href="http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1603821" rel="nofollow">statement</a>.<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">"The company I have grown up to love and admire has become one big corporate machine, at least in North America," said IKEA Richmond employee Julia Buczek. "It is upsetting to see that the original Swedish values that we have all looked up to and regarded in such a positive way are just going down the drain."</blockquote><a href="http://leftlaborreporter.wordpress.com/2013/11/21/supporters-of-locked-out-ikea-workers-to-rally-on-nov-23-2/" rel="nofollow">Left Labor Reporter</a> tells us the IKEA in Canada is busting the union -- and it isn't the only bad behavior by IKEA management.<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">The lockout, which has lasted longer than any other labor dispute with IKEA anywhere else in the world, the company’s take it or leave it attitude, and its efforts to coax union members to cross the picket line and return to work all suggest that IKEA in Richmond wants to be union free. </blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">In Turkey, after workers voted to form a union, IKEA went of its way not to recognize the workers’ union. </blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">In France, police are questioning two IKEA executives about illegally spying on IKEA workers and customers. According to rt.com, the former head of risk management at IKEA France has already been charged with bribing police to obtain “car registration numbers and names connected with a list of mobile phone numbers” of union members who work for IKEA in France.</blockquote>You can help locked-out IKEA Teamsters in several ways: <br /><ul><li>Visit www.ikeahurtsfamilies.org website.</li><li>Post a supportive comment on the IKEA workers' <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TeamstersLocal213?fref=ts" rel="nofollow">Facebook page</a>. </li><li>Attend a rally tomorrow. Here are the details: </li></ul><blockquote class="tr_bq">TO BRING PUBLIC AWARENESS TO IKEA’S TREATMENT OF WORKERS<br /><ul></ul>DATE:<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>SATURDAY November 23rd, 2013<br /><ul></ul>TIME: 1PM<br /><ul></ul>PLACE: Very close to the IKEA Coquitlam store,(1000 Lougheed Hwy).<br /><ul></ul>PLEASE BRING YOUR IKEA CATALOGUE TO THE RALLY!<br /><ul></ul>Contact Info: Anita Dawson 604-876-5213<br /><ul></ul>Or anita@teamsters213.org</blockquote><br />

213 Canada IKEA lockout IKEA lockout of Teamsters drawing international concern

Our locked-out Teamster sisters in front of Richmond IKEA. The world is starting to watch IKEA 's 6-month lockout of 350 of our Teamster...

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Locked-out IKEA Teamsters get help from European labor leaders

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3HNx-dZRUTFTBAk1Jwf4bcv24XoE3bjlJGEjIwyphq25ba9pIYFEJWsESoedakfFMsDGOPqRvdxLQboyhAZ42gGjGOsJY7AJyhY41oDSJZPifgdCZon56VqpuwiK41xBkxSp-A2VZHi3/s1600/IMG_6650.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3HNx-dZRUTFTBAk1Jwf4bcv24XoE3bjlJGEjIwyphq25ba9pIYFEJWsESoedakfFMsDGOPqRvdxLQboyhAZ42gGjGOsJY7AJyhY41oDSJZPifgdCZon56VqpuwiK41xBkxSp-A2VZHi3/s320/IMG_6650.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>An international fact-finding coalition of labor leaders pledged to help locked-out IKEA Teamsters in Richmond, British Columbia, after visiting workers and local leaders last Thursday.<br /><br />For over 180 days, more than 350 of our brothers and sisters from <a href="http://www.teamsters213.org/" rel="nofollow">Teamsters Local 213</a> in Richmond, British Colombia, have been locked out by management at their warehouse after they refused to accept draconian wage and benefit cuts.<br /><br />The IKEA workers were locked out after they twice refused to accept the furniture store's wage cuts by over 80 percent and voted for a strike mandate.  Instead of actually negotiating, the store locked workers out.  Local 213 business agent Anita Dawson, a former IKEA employee <a href="http://www.teamsters213.org/2013/08/ikea-richmond-locks-out-teamster-members/" rel="nofollow">says the company just isn't interested in working to a solution</a>:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">The company has showed little interest in dealing with our issues at the bargaining table.  They seem intent on following their agenda, which involve cutbacks.  Our members are not interested  in going backwards.</blockquote>The international panel, headed by Peter Lövkvist of Sweden, visited Vancouver and Richmond to determine whether IKEA's confrontational approach in Canada indicates a change for the entire company. B.C. Federation of Labour President Jim Sinclair <a href="http://an%20international%20panel%2C%20headed%20by%20peter%20l%C3%B6vkvist%20of%20sweden%2C%20will%20visit%20vancouver%20and%20richmond%20this%20week%20on%20a%20fact-finding%20mission%20into%20the%20richmond%20ikea%20labour%20dispute.%20%E2%80%9Cwhether%20legitimate%20or%20not%2C%20ikea%20has%20developed%20and%20nurtured%20a%20reputation%20worldwide%20as%20being%20a%20good%20employer%2C%E2%80%9D%20said%20b.c.%20federation%20of%20labour%20president%20jim%20sinclair.%20%E2%80%9Cthere%20is%20growing%20concern%20globally%2C%20however%2C%20that%20ikea%E2%80%99s%20confrontational%20approach%20to%20labour%20relations%20at%20its%20richmond%20store%20is%20a%20testing%20ground%20for%20the%20entire%20chain.%20this%20is%20what%20the%20panel%20will%20examine.%E2%80%9D/" rel="nofollow">explained</a>:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">Whether legitimate or not, IKEA has developed and nurtured a reputation worldwide as being a good employer. There is growing concern globally, however, that IKEA’s confrontational approach to labour relations at its Richmond store is a testing ground for the entire chain. This is what the panel will examine. </blockquote><a href="http://thetyee.ca/News/2013/11/08/Global-Labour-Richmond-Ikea/" rel="nofollow">The Tyree</a> reported the fact-finders were troubled by what they found:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">The increasingly-fractious, six month labour dispute at IKEA's big box store in Richmond may be on the verge of a dramatic escalation -- all the way to Europe. </blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">After listening to a wealth of emotional testimony from embittered IKEA employees during a hearing in Vancouver, international trade union representatives are pledging overseas action on behalf of the Richmond store workers, if the prolonged conflict continues. </blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">"We will do everything we can that's in our power," declared Peter Lövkvist, secretary of the Nordic Transport Workers' Federation, which represents 400,000 union members across all five Nordic countries, including IKEA's home base of Sweden. "We're not ruling anything out." </blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">Asked for specifics, Lövkvist mentioned measures such as publicizing the dispute in Scandinavia, demanding a "friendly" meeting with the worldwide company's top brass at its Swedish headquarters, and union members refusing to handle IKEA products. "That could include seafarers, dockworkers, longshoremen, truck drivers, warehouse workers," he said in an interview. "It depends. We could do a lot."</blockquote>IKEA <a href="http://teamsternation.blogspot.com/2013/06/ikea-locks-out-350-teamsters-in-canada.html">has been illegally replacing workers</a> and is still trying to cut wages.  Although workers have said that they would reauthorize their current contract with a few small tweaks, IKEA refuses to listen.<br /><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><br /></span><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">Though the fight has dragged on for over six months, the locked-out workers remain strong.  One member of the fact-finding team, Erin Van Der Maas from the </span><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">International Transport Workers’ Federation, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TeamstersLocal213" rel="nofollow">wrote to Local 213 after the visit</a>:</span><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">Y</span><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">our togetherness and support for each other has left a massive impression on me. It was a real honour to meet so many great brothers and sisters facing this lockout together with dignity and respect. I hope you all get the outcome you deserve - and we will be following up on this as soon as we get back to Europe.</span></blockquote>Show some solidarity!  Let Local 213 know you stand with them as well<a href="https://www.facebook.com/TeamstersLocal213" rel="nofollow"> on their Facebook page</a>.

global solidarity IKEA lockout Locked-out IKEA Teamsters get help from European labor leaders

An international fact-finding coalition of labor leaders pledged to help locked-out IKEA Teamsters in Richmond, British Columbia, after visi...

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Locked-out Teamster funeral directors rally against SCI

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container tr_bq" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicesykDY94VxvRPpNuPIpEfr8ZqIPLtLkagloJKOddTZnnGOs78F333Gr8T6Ry9U7RZ7OLnmQ_ssBQmR4gOhwMZJCF7Dn-pCYVyawlP3JqH3HEzDrk6a7ZFHqGZdzuukrqBKF5YrtE6vSm/s1600/SCI+lockout+Teamsters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicesykDY94VxvRPpNuPIpEfr8ZqIPLtLkagloJKOddTZnnGOs78F333Gr8T6Ry9U7RZ7OLnmQ_ssBQmR4gOhwMZJCF7Dn-pCYVyawlP3JqH3HEzDrk6a7ZFHqGZdzuukrqBKF5YrtE6vSm/s400/SCI+lockout+Teamsters.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Funeral home workers rally on 100th day of lockout.</td></tr></tbody></table>Locked-out <a href="http://teamster.org/" rel="nofollow">Teamster</a> funeral home employees marked their 100th day on the picket line with a rally before a Chicago-area funeral home yesterday. The rally was attended by political, religious and labor leaders who support the Teamsters' fight to preserve health care and retirement benefits. Their employer, funeral giant <a href="http://teamsternation.blogspot.com/2013/09/NLRB-rules-against-SCI.html" rel="nofollow">Service Corporation International</a>, wants to strip those away. <br /><br />SCI locked out 59 funeral directors and drivers from 16 of the 59 funeral homes it owns in the Chicago area. As Teamster Angela Anello explained to <a href="http://www.insideonline.com/" rel="nofollow">Inside Booster</a>:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">All we are asking for are salaries and benefits that are commensurate with those at the other funeral homes in the Chicago areas.... </blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">(We) agreed to a pay cut. The next deal, we took a pay freeze for three years. Now, they want to tout a generous pay increase but also decrease our benefits. </blockquote><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlKnZ1wt7Ng27GwFXlF9BY6gB2HJwRgpgnTG0LiSOX2UQAFUILqSzrIlcNiiFHrFYYuS4FubR7rGq2SE2b60DwEbFrTZXH3uo31XC-PZauMiTUDfd2Km02sI5NcwQs3CzwD21_dS-zKk0q/s1600/SCI+Coli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlKnZ1wt7Ng27GwFXlF9BY6gB2HJwRgpgnTG0LiSOX2UQAFUILqSzrIlcNiiFHrFYYuS4FubR7rGq2SE2b60DwEbFrTZXH3uo31XC-PZauMiTUDfd2Km02sI5NcwQs3CzwD21_dS-zKk0q/s320/SCI+Coli.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John T. Coli.</td></tr></tbody></table>The event featured guest speakers, including Teamsters Joint Council 25 President John T. Coli, state Sen. Bill Cunningham, state Rep. Kelly Burke, Chicago Fire Department chaplain Fr. Thomas Mulcrone, state Sen. Tom Cullerton, Teamsters Central Region Vice President Becky Strzechowski and Chicago Alderman Nick Sposato.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.teamsterslocal727.org/news/news_2013/100913_Funeral_SCIRallyMediaAdvisory.html" rel="nofollow">Teamsters Local 727</a>, which represents the workers, explains:<br /><blockquote>With more than 1,400 funeral facilities, SCI is valued at approximately $4 billion and has seen its stock price rise 94 percent in just two years. </blockquote><blockquote>Local 727 urges all Chicago-area residents to support community-owned funeral homes. Recommended funeral home alternatives can be found at www.IntegrityInIllinois.com.</blockquote>Anello said SCI's business model relies on the local funeral directors, who are part of the community:<br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6E4QjGpQgwBMY3MxhvOEllf1d9_H8sM95KnjPffhI4T_NFrKVc13lNiJF3NHHyZpz1pz87Cv-E2ViTM4LJONyRVQPjmGqmT6IhW9eqMHhuXLPsMzuTrSRlxhcU5pDnKdFeVyO6L6ttLCh/s1600/sci+Becky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6E4QjGpQgwBMY3MxhvOEllf1d9_H8sM95KnjPffhI4T_NFrKVc13lNiJF3NHHyZpz1pz87Cv-E2ViTM4LJONyRVQPjmGqmT6IhW9eqMHhuXLPsMzuTrSRlxhcU5pDnKdFeVyO6L6ttLCh/s320/sci+Becky.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Becky Strzechowski</td></tr></tbody></table><blockquote>We know the families. We pride ourselves on following up on all the details for the families we serve. We also have strong relationships with all the area churches and clergy... </blockquote><blockquote>The replacements are not from here. They don't even know the simple things such as how to get from point A to point B.... </blockquote><blockquote>While our work is physically demanding and we work very long hours, it's very rewarding work. We all do it because we want to. Our job is to ease the transition from life to death and to make it easier to bear. There are hundreds of details to get it right. Hiring scabs is like turning this into a factory.</blockquote>

Chicago funeral directors lockout SCI Locked-out Teamster funeral directors rally against SCI

Funeral home workers rally on 100th day of lockout. Locked-out Teamster funeral home employees marked their 100th day on the picket line wi...

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Locked-out union workers rally against government shutdown

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgziL5LFL2ZKFq-fopEhAe6zFGP9pFDTWm6lJ1d0fi86xrfd95L_PBo043shku9twx8qQfsA1XiKtZNcXVGwB7BIdsGqffzNpaZe1a3KYNnRLaJ_kBQr_QBNy8AhXpcBTi6F-bK56mTHdL_/s1600/teamster+rally.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgziL5LFL2ZKFq-fopEhAe6zFGP9pFDTWm6lJ1d0fi86xrfd95L_PBo043shku9twx8qQfsA1XiKtZNcXVGwB7BIdsGqffzNpaZe1a3KYNnRLaJ_kBQr_QBNy8AhXpcBTi6F-bK56mTHdL_/s320/teamster+rally.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today on Capitol Hill. </td></tr></tbody></table>The gloom of the government shutdown and a cold rainy day didn't stop a thousand locked-out federal workers from rallying outside the Capitol in Washington, D.C., this morning. <br /><br />With the shutdown now in its tenth day, the huge crowd of furloughed union workers -- including members of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Federation_of_Government_Employees" rel="nofollow">American Federation of Government Employees</a>, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Treasury_Employees_Union" rel="nofollow">National Treasury Employees Union</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFSCME" rel="nofollow">AFSCME</a> -- gathered to express their outrage and demand that extremist Republicans stop holding the country hostage. Other workers from <a href="http://www.seiu.org/" rel="nofollow">SEIU</a>, the <a href="http://teamster.org/" rel="nofollow">Teamsters</a> and <a href="http://goodjobsnation.org/" rel="nofollow">Good Jobs Nation</a> came out to support their union brothers and sisters.<br /><br />Rain pounded down on a furloughed aviation inspector who spoke to protesters:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">I'm a little damp right now, but that's nothing compared to the way American workers are getting soaked by House Republicans.</blockquote>Rev. Jesse Jackson, union leaders and dozens of members of Congress also rallied the crowd. Like a <a href="http://teamsternation.blogspot.com/2013/10/hundreds-rally-against-shutdown.html">similar protest held last week</a>, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) of the Progressive Caucus led the demonstration, joined by Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) and Nancy Pelosi.<br /><br />Workers chanted "Let us work," holding umbrellas and signs that said "Stop the lockout" and "Stop holding America hostage."<br /><br />One AFGE leader set the record straight on what American workers are willing to negotiate on with anti-worker Republicans:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">Half of our members are out of work and the other half are being forced to work without a paycheck. And despite what John Boehner and tea party extremists are saying, we are willing to negotiate. We want to negotiate an end to sequestration and a fairer tax system so that the rich and corporations pay their fair share. </blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">We have all kinds of ideas to end the plight of the working class and improve federal government. But we don't shut down the government to make a political point.</blockquote>As always, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) called out the extremists in Congress and put their latest attack on the middle class in context:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">This shutdown started with tea party hostage-takers wanting to stop health care reform. But let's be clear: destroying health care is just the tip of the iceberg for right-wing extremists. They want to destroy Social Security and Medicare. They want to end regulations on Wall Street. They want to go after the whole social safety net that keeps millions of Americans from falling into extreme poverty. They want an oligarchic society ruled by the rich.</blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">And they say they are willing to negotiate -- it's time to compromise. We have already compromised! The budget we passed is <em>their</em> budget. We don't like it. And still they want to take more from the American people.</blockquote>Today the shutdown hit <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2013/10/nuclear-regulator-furloughing-staff-a-day-sooner-than-expected-98093.html" rel="nofollow">3,600 employees at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission</a> -- the people who make sure a Fukushima-like nuclear disaster doesn't happen in America. Meanwhile the clock is ticking on the deadline to increase the debt ceiling. <br /><br />The shutdown has hurt hundreds of thousands of workers, families and small businesses, but millions more will face a deep economic crisis if Congress drives the government to default. <br /><br />Some locked-out government workers said they will <a href="http://www.dclabor.org/ht/display/EventDetails/i/111831/pid/538" rel="nofollow">return to the Capitol tomorrow</a> -- rain or shine -- to keep the pressure on politicians and stop Republicans' war on working families.

anti-worker extremists Congress government shutdown government workers lockout Locked-out union workers rally against government shutdown

Today on Capitol Hill.  The gloom of the government shutdown and a cold rainy day didn't stop a thousand locked-out federal workers from...

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Hundreds of union workers protest government shutdown

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-oPdw5m-v-ygb0vRAVXRx1KfXEEm2GS1zg1ZM3gW-uqrzH_P-J6pJAEVmATbR1ioCaOFUdXcbT2vaIflexHPaEa2OfrXe6ObtlkLQ2RX4NJ3ZvjC6XAJx9hibqH3AqSh63mN3Y10DhJkh/s1600/Furloughed_fed_workers_protest_congress_lockout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-oPdw5m-v-ygb0vRAVXRx1KfXEEm2GS1zg1ZM3gW-uqrzH_P-J6pJAEVmATbR1ioCaOFUdXcbT2vaIflexHPaEa2OfrXe6ObtlkLQ2RX4NJ3ZvjC6XAJx9hibqH3AqSh63mN3Y10DhJkh/s400/Furloughed_fed_workers_protest_congress_lockout.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Union workers protest shutdown today.</td></tr></tbody></table>Locked-out federal workers <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/wp/2013/10/04/federal-workers-to-rally-against-shutdown-on-capitol-hill/" rel="nofollow">gathered in front of the Capitol</a> in Washington D.C. this morning to protest Republican extremists in Congress who shut down the government. <br /><br />Members of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Federation_of_Government_Employees" rel="nofollow">American Federation of Government Employees</a>, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Treasury_Employees_Union" rel="nofollow">National Treasury Employees Union</a> and other unions spoke for thousands of union workers employed by the government, calling the shutdown what it is: a lockout.<br /><br />Led by Reps. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and union leaders, the crowd of workers chanted "Let us work" and "Shut down the shutdown." Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said the jobs of dedicated public servants should not be held hostage by tea party fanatics:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">Two weeks ago a shooting took place not too far from here at the Navy Yard. Hundreds of brave federal police officers responded to stop the carnage and restore security. Today those dedicated officers are not being paid. That's outrageous.</blockquote>Sanders noted the budget that Republican extremists refuse to pass is already a very conservative one. He said there's no reason for them to shut down the government over a budget that is more to the right-wing's liking than anyone else's.<br /><br />As the crowd grew, furloughed federal employees talked about the uncertainty and hardship their families are facing during the shutdown. An aviation safety inspector said he can't do his job to make sure planes are safe to fly. And a worker from <a href="http://goodjobsnation.org/" rel="nofollow">Good Jobs Nation</a> who works at a McDonald's at the Smithsonian described how  the shutdown harms low-wage federal contract workers.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxkevrdvH68adkOByYwtb1JyfEOvUlQdxRxATfmprfkzbhmuflhM6s8siwNhUnZGCH-pg0JCI4sE_MVKYnnKQ19nqUkuh7DQvf2Jv7JsqjBy2NF-lNBqnTTOe34O0wNncCiH_Eqfp4YXTN/s1600/Furloughed_fed_workers_protest_lockout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxkevrdvH68adkOByYwtb1JyfEOvUlQdxRxATfmprfkzbhmuflhM6s8siwNhUnZGCH-pg0JCI4sE_MVKYnnKQ19nqUkuh7DQvf2Jv7JsqjBy2NF-lNBqnTTOe34O0wNncCiH_Eqfp4YXTN/s200/Furloughed_fed_workers_protest_lockout.jpg" width="185" /></a></div>Workers at the rally said they should get back pay for the days they are furloughed. Some members of Congress have <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/federal_government/house-and-senate-bills-would-pay-federal-workers-for-shutdown-furloughs/2013/10/03/d2fc8096-2c58-11e3-97a3-ff2758228523_story.html" rel="nofollow">proposed legislation</a> to do just that. <br /><br />The pain from the shutdown is not just being felt by government employees. Speakers railed against right-wing lawmakers who put veterans' families and other vulnerable people at risk, just to score political points and to gut a law they don't like.<br /><br />As for Republicans' proposal to reopen some parts of the government with piecemeal funding, workers at the rally said they want all of their coworkers to get back to work, not just some of them. <br /><br />Rep. Ellison said locked out federal workers were prepared to come back and protest every day for as long as extremists in Congress keep holding the government hostage.

anti-worker extremists Bernie Sanders government shutdown government workers lockout Hundreds of union workers protest government shutdown

Union workers protest shutdown today. Locked-out federal workers gathered in front of the Capitol in Washington D.C. this morning to protes...

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IKEA locks out Teamsters for 8 weeks

Our brothers and sisters in British Columbia are standing strong against IKEA, which locked them out eight weeks ago. The furniture giant made a concessionary contract offer that 84 percent of the workers rejected.<br /><br />David Halme writes in <a href="http://www.thestand.org/2013/07/ikea-lockout-aims-to-bust-union-in-b-c/">The Stand</a> that IKEA now wants to bust the union:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">More than 300 workers at IKEA here have been locked out of their jobs since May 15 when they rejected a company offer that included the imposition of a tiered wage structure. Teamsters Local 213 were thrilled June 5 when the British Columbia Labour Relations Board found IKEA guilty of using scab workers to keep the Richmond store open. </blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">Even though IKEA profits worldwide have consistently increased, they have a lousy reputation beyond Swedish borders. When on North American soil, IKEA treats their “co-workers” in a very different manner than they would dare in Sweden where the workforce is more than 70% unionized.</blockquote>Teamsters local 213 tells us:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">Store manager Janet McGowan set out further hardball tactics earlier in June in a letter stating that employees who didn’t come in to work would see their working conditions cut further by diminishing the already rejected offer in stages; starting June 3 by imposing a wage freeze and eliminating the lump and minor wage increase (1.5%). </span></span></blockquote>Here's a terrific news report about the lockout:<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="236" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/AE3pm1doWTQ" width="420"></iframe><br /><br />A recent youtube video (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKZfnilTlXk">here</a>) with images of the picket line includes this note:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">Thank you for taking the time to watch this video </blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">This is not just about IKEA, this is about the labour movement and what is happening to working people.Using scab labor is the lowest business practice out there.</blockquote>You can post a message of support on their <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TeamstersLocal213">Facebook page</a> here.

IKEA lockout IKEA locks out Teamsters for 8 weeks

Our brothers and sisters in British Columbia are standing strong against IKEA, which locked them out eight weeks ago. The furniture giant ma...

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