Freedom of speech in the workplace is not just a Socialist problem. It is everyone's problem, said Michael Italie, the Socialist Workers candidate for Mayor of Miami, in a speech sponsored by the Ball State Young Socialists yesterday at the Student Center.

"Regardless of what you think of my views, we should all be able to speak our minds without fear of intimidation, or fear of losing our jobs or being jailed," Italie said to an audience of about 30 students.

Italie was fired from his job as a sewing-machine operator at Goodwill Industries after he spoke against the war in Afghanistan and in support of the Cuban revolution. Italie's controversial speech took place on Oct. 18, 2001, at a forum for mayoral candidates at Miami-Dade Community College.

In the days following his speech, Italie said he was repeatedly questioned by supervisors about his Socialist campaign.

"For the first time ever, supervisors started asking about my views on politics," he said. "That's a bad sign when the boss starts asking about your political opinions."

Goodwill fired Italie four days after the speech. He said Goodwill did not deny the company fired him because of his political opinions.

Italie said he worried such firing practices might lead to an attack on the rights of minorities. If workers can be fired for supporting minority rights, he said, it will not be much longer until they can be fired for being a minority.

Italie also spoke out against the business practices of his former employer, calling Goodwill hypocritical. He said Goodwill employs many disabled workers because disabled workers can legally be paid less than minimum wage.

"You would think that if you were disabled then you would deserve a little extra help," he said.

According to Italie, some disabled workers he knew were being paid $75 for 80 hours of work.

"I was lucky to be making $5.15," he said.

Italie said he supported raising the minimum wage for everyone, although he did not know how much of a raise would be required to impact workers' standard of living.

John Segner, a junior at the Indiana Academy, attended the speech and said he agreed it is horrible when workers cannot express their opinions about minimum wage. Segner did not agree, however, that raising the minimum wage would solve any problems.

"I'm all for workers' rights, but I don't think doubling minimum wage will solve any problems," Segner said. "It will increase foreign exports and move labor out of the country."

Nicole Protolipac, a Ball State junior, said she thought the speech was very informative and enjoyed hearing information about the war in Afghanistan from someone other than the president.

Italie has spoken about the war in Afghanistan and workers' rights at colleges in Florida, California, New York and Washington.

Despite his problems with Goodwill, Italie said he wants his job back and might take legal action to get it. He said that by firing him, Goodwill participated in campaigning against a political candidate, which is illegal for nonprofit organizations.

"I want to be able to walk back in that factory, look the boss in the eye and go back to my machine."
 
 
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