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—Brian Williams
Rallies in Toronto oppose
deporting Portuguese workers
TORONTO—More than 200 people joined an April 1 action here at Dufferin Grove Park protesting the detention and deportation of immigrant workers. A smaller action was held here a week later. Organized by the group “No One Is Illegal,” the actions opposed the recent deportations of Portuguese construction workers and their families by the Canadian government.
Paulo Santos, whose father is a bricklayer, has lived in Canada with his family for five years. He said they had received a deportation order for April 23. “The only way we’ll stop fighting is when they put us on the plane,” said Santos. Students from the school that he attends came to the April 1 action with their banner reading, “Let them stay.” Speakers at the rallies included representatives from the Canadian Auto Workers and the Canadian Union of Public Employees.
—Bev Bernardo
Teamster trash haulers strike
in Maryland and D.C.
WASHINGTON—Teamsters here and in Maryland are on strike against Waste Management, Inc. (WMI). Strikers report that of the 88 drivers and mechanics here, 85 walked out April 3. The company has brought in workers from their nonunion operations in surrounding states to operate the trucks, which frequently passed the picket line. The striking unionists are members of Teamsters Local 639.
Theopolis Roberts, who has been a driver for 22 years, expressed concern about safety on the job. He said that part of the workers’ pay is based on how many cans (dumpsters) they empty each day. The more they dump, the more they get paid. “This incentive leads to unsafe driving and accidents,” he said. “We want a straight hourly wage!” Bobby Hill, a driver for 16 years, said that WMI wants to convert the current pension plan into 401(k) investments with no matching contributions from the company.
—Tim Mailhot
1,000 in Ohio rally for
locked-out workers at A.K. Steel
MIDDLETOWN, Ohio—More than 1,000 people rallied here March 31 in support of the 2,600 members of the Armco Employees Independent Federation (AEIF) locked out by A.K. Steel. Before the contract expired A.K. Steel began forcing workers to train replacements, said AEIF president Brian Daley. After the February 28 expiration date the company then locked out all AEIF members. Guards were hired to threaten and intimidate picketers.
In an act of solidarity, United Auto Workers Local 3303 at the A.K. Steel plant in Butler, Pennsylvania, contributed $10,000 to the locked-out workers. Dave Moore, president of UAW Local 4104 at A.K. Steel’s Zanesville, Ohio, plant pointed out that their contract expires on May 20. “It’s a steamroller coming,” he said. “Workers at Zanesville are behind you 100 percent. We hope you can stop this locomotive.”
—Bobbi Sack
Iceland nursing home workers
press for higher wages
REYKJAVIK, Iceland—Around 1,000 nursing home workers here and in neighboring towns, most of them members of the Efling trade union, have been carrying out slowdowns to press for higher wages. On March 29 they showed up for work, but only helped people to bathrooms and served simple food. The action was repeated April 6-7. A meeting of 100 workers on April 10 voted for a weeklong slowdown starting April 21. That action was later postponed until April 27.
The starting monthly wage for these workers is 101,000 ISK ($1,390) and the highest is 138,000 ISK ($1,900). “The workload has increased,” said álfheidur Bjarnadóttir, a spokesperson for the nursing home workers. “Forty hours overtime a month is considered low, and shifts are often understaffed so you are called and asked to work on your days off.”
—Ögmundur Jónsson
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