—ON THE PICKET LINE—

Maggie Trowe, Editor

 

L.A. Farmer John meatpackers push back concessions

LOS ANGELES — After conducting protests to press their demands, workers at Farmer John packinghouse in nearby Vernon voted overwhelmingly Aug. 18 to approve a new two-year contract. The members of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 770 pushed back company concession demands, shop steward Pedro Albarran told the Militant. “They wanted to take away one vacation week, two floating days and to double the health insurance premium. We defeated those.”

The unionists scored other gains, including wage increases for all classifications, explicit protection of workers’ right to use the restroom, and improved safety enforcement, the UFCW website reported.

The wage increases, weighted toward the lowest tiers, help close the gap between tiers that have existed since the union lost a two-month strike in 1985, when meat bosses were carrying out a big offensive across the U.S.

Members of the Socialist Workers Party spoke with Farmer John workers at shift change Sept. 9. Fernando Sanchez likes the contract. When he went to the medical department for shoulder pain the day before, he learned that 27 people had been there the previous day. “The line is too fast,” he said.

Rina Chavarria, with three years on the job, said she had been against the contract, but “the majority voted for it, so I’m with them.” The union is key in fighting for safety, she said. “More people should be on the safety committee.”

“The contract is good,” Enrique Casas said. “We got more money and insurance. The union will be stronger.”

“No good,” said Francisco, who has worked at the plant for 38 years, adding that the union “has no power.”

Making the right to go to the restroom explicit in the contract, even though it is already required by law, was important to many workers, who said bosses complain when they ask to go.

— Bill Arth

Tens of millions of workers carry out one-day strike in India

Tens of millions of public union members in India took part in a one-day strike Sept. 2 against the Bharatiya Janata (Indian People’s Party) government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The strike was supported by nearly all major unions and by the Communist Party of India. The unionists call for a $225 monthly minimum wage and universal social security, including a minimum pension of $45 a month. They oppose privatization of government-run industries, contracting out of work and Modi’s plans to allow more foreign direct investment in the railway and defense industries.

Official unemployment is more than 7 percent in this country of 1.2 billion people, and the per capita gross domestic product is $6,200, compared with $55,800 in the U.S.

State banks and power stations were closed, public transport was shut down in some states, and protesters blocked railway tracks and roads in Assam, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha.

— Maggie Trowe