That day more than 2,000 marched through the streets of Perth and joined the rally outside the federal court where the construction workers appeared. The workers were ordered to appear again in court October 18. Solidarity rallies also took place in Melbourne, Adelaide, Newcastle, and Wollongong.

The 107 workers on the Perth to Mandurah railway, members of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union, walked off the job February 24 over the sacking (firing) of their union delegate. This is the first time rank-and-file workers have been individually targeted under the building industry laws that were introduced last year.

—Linda Harris
and Joanne Kuniansky  
 
Supermarket workers in
New Zealand strike for contract
AUCKLAND, New Zealand—Workers at four Supply Chain distribution centers in Palmerston North, Christchurch, and Auckland began strike action August 25. The 500 workers supply dry goods to 193 supermarkets owned by Progressive Enterprises, one of the two large supermarket chains in the country. Three days later all the workers were locked out.

Chanting, “Who’s got the power? We’ve got the power! What kind of power? Union power!” some 250 workers marched and rallied September 9 through Mangere Town Center in Auckland. Among those attending the rally were nurses, garment workers, firefighters, maritime workers, meat workers and teachers.

“We want one single collective agreement for all the sites, with the same rates,” explained Daniel Patea, a National Distribution Union delegate, at the 24-hour Auckland picket line. The pay gap between different plants can be as much as NZ$2.50 an hour. The union is demanding an 8 percent wage raise.

Workers are setting up flying pickets outside different supermarkets when they hear of trucks arriving to deliver supplies, noted striker Lasitani Misinale.

—Janet Roth  
 
Steelworkers in West Virginia
ratify new contract
WALTON, West Virginia—After a nine-day strike members of United Steelworkers Local 37 voted 231 to 147 to ratify a new contract with Steel of West Virginia September 3. According to local union president Craig Knight, there was no reduction in benefits, though workers now have to pay insurance premiums for the first time—$20 per month for a single person and $40 for family members. More than 400 unionists walked out August 25 after rejecting a proposed contract that included cuts in health-care benefits. During the strike, the union organized a strike assistance committee, food bank, and cooks, and the union hall was open 24 hours a day. Picketers wore T-shirts that proclaimed, “United we bargain, divided we beg.”

—Linda Joyce  
 
Judge rules flight attendants
at Northwest can’t strike
A federal judge on August 25 blocked an impending strike by flight attendants against Northwest Airlines, hours before random walkouts were set to begin. The workers, members of the Association of Flight Attendants, had twice rejected $195 million in concessionary demands Northwest said it would impose. A bankruptcy judge approved putting this contract into effect that cuts pay 21 percent, reduces benefits, and lengthens workhours for the 7,300 attendants employed by Northwest.

—Brian Williams  
 
Unionists in Brazil strike
Volkswagen over layoffs
Members of the metal workers union at Volkswagen’s largest assembly plant in Brazil walked out August 29 after the company announced the layoff of 1,800 workers as of November 21. A week earlier, the company informed the 12,000 workers employed at this plant near São Paulo that they either accept the elimination of 3,600 jobs over the next two years and a 25 percent wage cut, or Volkswagen would shut down the entire plant and fire at least 6,000 workers. In Puebla , Mexico, Volkswagen’s 9,600 workers have been on strike since August 18 over wages.

—Brian Williams  
 
 
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