Victory for Locked-out Workers at Interafce Solutions!

src="http://rochester.indymedia.org/usermedia/image/7/crowdedit.jpg" alt="STRIKE" border="1" align="Left" HSPACE=3 VSPACE=1>[permalink] "VICTORY AT INTERFACE!!!!" were the first words I read in a forwarded email sent to me on Oct. 8th by Jason Crane, a local organizer for UNITE-HERE.



The email continues, "The workers at Interface Solutions - represented by UNITE-HERE Local 701T - have agreed to a new contract that puts them back to work. The agreement is a big improvement over management's 'last, best and final' offer back in July."



Workers at Interface Solutions in Fulton, NY had been working without a contract since July 1. On August 13, workers were effectively and forcefully locked out, thrown on the street against their will. Workers on shift were removed by security guards; those not on shift were given a simple phone call and told not to come in to work. Scabs were sent in from out of town to continue with production.



Workers' grievances stemmed from a long history top-down abuse from management headed by Deborah Morris. Morris and company had been working on gutting retiree benefits, incentive bonuses, health coverage for workers and their families and cutting salaries among other things. All of these abusive and anti-worker actions were embedded in the management-created contract (before the contract was canned in August). Not one worker voted in favor of this contract.



It did not take long for the workers, all of them members of Local 701T- UNITE-HERE, to organize. Alan Bryant, a union representative based out of NYC, was called in to offer help and lend a hand. Legal actions were eventually taken – charges have been filed on behalf of the UNITE-HERE union workers and their families that the lockout is in fact illegal. As of this writing, the status of the lawsuit is unknown.



The workers demanded their jobs back, accompanied with a fair contract and won both. The future will tell if the perpetrators of crimes against workers will recieve their comeupance. To honor the victory, a rally will be held in front of the factory outside of Fulton on Route 481, Monday Oct. 10th at 6:45 AM.



The email concludes, "This lockout has lasted seven weeks - and these workers won this fight because of their solidarity and the solidarity of people like YOU! We raised over $8000 for the workers, sent many messages to the company to end the lockout, and gave support on the picket line and at rallies. Everyone
should take heart in this victory! This victory shows what labor can
accomplish when we support each other." Read the full article here.



Additional Information:

UNITE-HERE! | Lock-out of Interface Solutions workers enters fifth week - 09/12/05