On 21 October, the Times reported that British Steel has threatened to cut up to 2000 jobs from its workforce. The paper said the move is a key part of the company’s plans to replace its coal-powered blast furnaces with electric arc furnace technology, which produced “greener” steel.

The switch could unlock new funding for Chinese group Jingye, which has owned British Steel since 2020. That includes up to £300m of taxpayer funding, according to the Times report.

‘Green steel’

A spokesman for British Steel said the firm was committed to:

providing long-term, skilled and well-paid careers for thousands of employees and many more in our supply chains.

However, he added that the company was “continuing to assess our options”, and that:

As part of our journey to net zero, it is prudent to evaluate different operational scenarios to help us achieve our ambitious goals

The Times noted that no final decision had been made over the possible job losses.

GMB, one of the three unions representing steelworkers in the UK, told Agence France-Presse it doesn’t accept that:

mass job losses are the way to decarbonise the steel industry.

There are a myriad of options available and a fair, just transition for workers must be at the centre of any plan

Meanwhile, a representative for Unite told BBC Radio Tees that the demand for ‘green steel’ should provide an opportunity for a “brighter future” with up to 8000 jobs.

Jingye itself declined to comment.

read more: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/2023/10/23/british-steel-cut-2000-jobs-claims-climate/

cross-posted from: https://hexbear.net/post/899460

Unionize, folks.

The coffee company says the union, Starbucks Workers United, is making people think it stands in solidarity with Palestine after the Hamas attack.

Starbucks is suing its union, Starbucks Workers United, after objecting to the group’s social media post in support of Palestine after the Hamas attack on Israel, according to an internal company note circulated Tuesday and obtained by The Intercept.

The company had previously condemned the post but is now upping the ante, planning to take the union to court. In a message from Executive Vice President Sara Kelly, Starbucks argued that the union’s use of the name Starbucks confuses customers, and that some customers took their anger over the SWU statement out on store employees.

The union’s post read “Solidarity with Palestine!” and quote-tweeted an image of a bulldozer breaking through the fence encircling Gaza. More than 9,000 workers at 360 stores have now voted to join SWU, which is affiliated with Workers United and SEIU, according to its website, but they have been met with stiff resistance from the company on a potential contract. The company previously sent SWU a “cease and desist” order threatening legal action and now plans to follow through with that threat. The message reads, with bolding in the original:

Shortly after October 7, Workers United posted a statement with an image of a bulldozer tearing down part of the Israel and Gaza border, reflecting their support for violence perpetrated by Hamas. Unfortunately, as violence against the innocent in the region continues to escalate, some people are mistakenly tying these remarks to us, because Workers United and its affiliates and members continue to use our name, logo and intellectual property. Starbucks unequivocally condemns acts of terrorism, hate and violence committed by Hamas, and we strongly disagree with the views expressed by Workers United, including its local affiliates, union organizers and those who identify as members of “Starbucks Workers United” — none of these groups speak for Starbucks Coffee Company and do not represent our company’s views, positions, or beliefs. Their words and actions belong to them, and them alone.

Starbucks did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did Starbucks Workers United. The full note is below, also with bolding in the original.

Message from Sara Kelly: Affirming Starbucks Position and Addressing Statements from Workers United

Partners,

I hope each of you are finding ways to take care of yourselves and your loved ones in this heavy time. In addition to the heartache we are all feeling during this moment, like many of you, I am also deeply troubled by the spread of misinformation and inflammatory headlines stemming from images used and statements made last week by Workers United.

Shortly after October 7, Workers United posted a statement with an image of a bulldozer tearing down part of the Israel and Gaza border, reflecting their support for violence perpetrated by Hamas. Unfortunately, as violence against the innocent in the region continues to escalate, some people are mistakenly tying these remarks to us, because Workers United and its affiliates and members continue to use our name, logo and intellectual property. Starbucks unequivocally condemns acts of terrorism, hate and violence committed by Hamas, and we strongly disagree with the views expressed by Workers United, including its local affiliates, union organizers and those who identify as members of “Starbucks Workers United” — none of these groups speak for Starbucks Coffee Company and do not represent our company’s views, positions, or beliefs. Their words and actions belong to them, and them alone.

The ongoing confusion from this misinformation has sadly led directly to incidents where angry, hurt customers are confronting partners in our stores and sending graphic and violent messages to partners in our Customer Contact Center (CCC). Our retail leaders and support teams are prioritizing partner care and safety, working to ensure every store and the CCC feels supported in de-escalating these situations.

It is in the best interest and safety of our partners and customers for Workers United to disengage from the dialogue and from misrepresenting Starbucks. Workers United’s actions risk putting partners from all stores, including both non-union and unionized stores, in harm’s way. On Friday, we contacted Workers United demanding they 1) immediately stop using our company name, logo and intellectual property, and 2) issue an immediate correction. This morning, they rejected that request. As a result, Starbucks will file litigation against the union in federal court, and we intend to pursue all legal options in defense of our partners and our company.

We will be in touch as we have more updates. Thank you for continuing to support one another, and for the work you do each day to create environments where everyone is welcome and feels a sense of belonging. Our actions have always been — and will always be — driven through the lens of humanity with our partners at the core.

link: https://theintercept.com/2023/10/17/starbucks-suing-union-israel-palestine/

archive: https://archive.ph/LdkJx

In an acknowledgment that an effort to boycott Starbucks is having an impact, the giant coffee chain has issued a cease-and-desist letter to a union representing about 9,000 of its baristas and other workers who have publicly sided with Palestinians after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7.

The sternly worded letter addressed to Lynne Fox, the international president of Workers United, threatens to sue the group should it not immediately stop using the Starbucks name and logo, and it demands the union issue a statement saying that its support of Palestinians over Israel does not reflect the position of Starbucks, which is not affiliated with the union.

"Anger against Starbucks persists because your organization's actions have fueled the inaccurate perception that Starbuck's supports violence against civilians," read the letter signed by Rocky Tsai, legal counsel to Starbucks.

On October 7, Hamas led the deadliest Palestinian militant attack on Israel in history. Israel subsequently launched its heaviest ever airstrikes on Gaza. As of Monday, at least 4,000 people had been killed in Israel and Gaza, the Associated Press reported. Almost 200 Israelis, including children, were taken hostage.

The letter, which was obtained by Newsweek, said Republican Senator Rick Scott of Florida "amplified the public outrage against Starbucks resulting from your organization's statements by calling for a nationwide boycott of Starbucks."

The attorney said the union's political position on the conflict between Hamas and Israel has "directly led to enraged and volatile consumers confronting baristas and making over 1,000 complaints to the company."

The letter was prompted by a social media post from Starbucks Workers United that expressed "Solidarity with Palestine!" that has since been removed. Union chapters in Iowa, Chicago and Boston promoted rallies in support of Palestinians after some 5,000 Hamas rockets rained down on Israel.

While the letter indicated that the union's actions have had a negative impact on the safety of employees and the reputation of Starbucks, it did not indicate the boycott effort has had an impact on sales.

Starbucks Workers United represents workers at 340 of the more than 34,000 stores worldwide, though its actions have had an outsized impact on the company's reputation, according the cease-and-desist letter.

The letter said that baristas worldwide have been put in a position in which they "must de-escalate, calm down and in some cases engage security for their own safety" due to irate customers who believe that Starbucks "supports attacks on civilians."

Starbucks Workers United is a subset of Workers United, which calls itself a progressive labor organization that promotes justice, education, equity, compassion and civility, and is a subset of the powerful Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

Newsweek reached out to Workers United and to the SEIU for comment.

Prior to the cease-and-desist letter, Starbucks denounced the union's position and called the attacks initiated by Hamas heinous acts of terror.

The letter, though, acknowledged that its previous statements were not enough to counter the perception that a union unaffiliated with Starbucks and representing only a small portion of its workers is supportive of the Hamas attacks.

"By fomenting this anger, your organization has recklessly endangered the safety and well-being of hundreds of thousands of baristas around the world, including its own members and those who fled conflicts or have friends and family living in conflict," the letter read.

link: https://www.newsweek.com/starbucks-threatens-sue-union-that-expressed-support-palestine-over-israel-1835104

The premier U.S. journalists’ union wants my emails.

Specifically, in response to a critic’s defamation lawsuit, The NewsGuild filed a motion seeking a critic’s correspondence with The New York Times — in this case, with me. They’re also seeking the correspondence of a woman who sought to tip that reporter to sexual misconduct inside the union.

The legal motion represents a strange coda to a story that revealed how both the union and newsroom management have been slow to respond to complaints of a union leader’s sexual misconduct.

The motion came in the course of a 2021 lawsuit filed by Mike Elk, the founder of Payday Report and a vocal critic of the union’s leadership, against NewsGuild’s parent union, the Communications Workers of America, and two of the Guild’s top officers. Elk claims in Pennsylvania court filings that the defendants defamed him as he tried to report the Pittsburgh NewsGuild president, Mike Fuoco, for sexual misconduct.

The Pittsburgh official was ousted from the union in December 2020, after I investigated Elk’s allegations as a reporter for the Times.

Lawyers for the Guild and its top officers demanded last fall that Elk “identify every individual associated with the New York Times that you have communicated with regarding the lawsuit and the allegations … and state the contents of each communication.”

Elk argued in response that his communications with Times reporters are protected by the First Amendment. In a response on Sept. 1, lawyers for the journalists’ union wrote that Elk “may not use the First Amendment simultaneously as a sword and shield.”

They’ve also demanded that Elk hand over his full correspondence with his own sources on the allegations against Fuoco, including a former Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter (now a NewsGuild member at another publication) who alleged that Fuoco had acted inappropriately toward her, as well as two other women slightly connected to the story.

“We are always troubled when litigants use discovery to seek communications between sources and journalists, and it is especially concerning coming from a union that represents journalists,” Times spokeswoman Danielle Rhoades Ha said in an email to me, adding that the Times would “assess” intervening in the case as it progresses.

The Guild, for its part, makes no apologies for requisitioning the communications between a reporter and source: “We have a right and a duty to defend our members against frivolous lawsuits,” the union president, Jon Schleuss, told me in an email through a spokeswoman. (Schleuss and the former president of the Washington-Baltimore NewsGuild are named in the suit.)

“Mike Elk made his communications to Ben Smith a relevant component of his lawsuit against our members. As a result, we have asked Mike Elk in discovery for his communications. We will continue to fight to protect journalists and all of our members against any attempts to undermine our growing power and solidarity.”

Elk noted that a judge has rejected the union’s attempt to dismiss the lawsuit as frivolous. “This is a dangerous precedent for the NewsGuild to set. If we lose in court, every right-wing billionaire will cite Elk vs. NewsGuild to get people to give up sources,” he said. “At a time when NewsGuild is under attack throughout the industry, the union is spending money getting reporters to give up sources.”

read more: https://www.semafor.com/article/10/15/2023/journalists-union-seeks-reporters-sources-emails-in-lawsuit

archive link: https://archive.ph/8jtzC

I work a relatively safe, but still potentially dangerous, job as a zipline guide making $10/hr. All of the guides here take our jobs very seriously, and I'd even venture to say it's a pretty specialized position, requiring us to have pretty decent knowledge of climbing equipment and monitor weather conditions (wind direction, temperature, and rain all affect the zipline in different ways.) consistently to keep all customers safe. As great of a job as it is, I still think that $10/hr is a bit low no? Of course pay isn't the only reason I'm considering it. Our whole zipline course was built out of wood some 10 years ago, and most of it was never weatherproofed. Meaning that most of the course is made from old and near-rotted wood in some spots. It's not uncommon for us to have to go out and replace a board or two because they're rotted through. This is really my biggest concern. The entire course was built by an external contractor, so we don't really get regular inspections (at least not regular enough) since technically the company had nothing to do with its construction, and all course repairs have to be done by either us or our manager. Were we to unionize, we could demand to have the course professionally inspected and repaired, and a pay raise would be nice as well, but I've been doing some reading on the potential dangers of unionization to the business overall. Like in the case of Buzzfeed, (yes I know journalism is a lot different from ziplining) where workers fighting for unionization actually contribute to the overall downfall of the company since workers demand things that are in their best interests despite what the business' best interests may be. I'm not entirely sure if the two situations are comparable, but that's why I'm asking here.

cross-posted from: https://sh.itjust.works/post/7090069

Even when workers are well-informed about what they deserve from employers, they don’t have the power to do much more than resign and look for another job. What gives AB 800 teeth is that it specifically requires K-12 students to be educated, “on their right to join or organize a union at their workplace.”

An excellent video from Adam Conover of "Adam Ruins Everything", both about the history of unions in the US and current events.

cross-posted from: https://hexbear.net/post/799324

From the articl (about three fourths, to be exact):

ATLANTA—On Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023, members of the Union for Southern Service Workers (USSW) gathered in a downtown Atlanta parking lot on a brisk early fall morning. As union members rubbed their hands together and joked about being underdressed, many held protest signs, megaphones, or carts carrying water bottles.

Their mission?

To march on a Georgia State University (GSU) Waffle House location and raise the demand for a guaranteed $25/hour pay rate for all workers. They aren’t alone in their struggle. Across the South, in cities such as Durham, N.C., and Orangeburg, S.C., USSW members and allies would soon be marching on other Waffle House locations to raise the same demands. The Atlanta USSW rally was just the kick-off for a day of regional action.

On Sept. 9, USSW members and GSU Waffle House workers delivered a letter to the location management calling for better pay and workplace safety. Their request fell on deaf ears, however, and union members knew it was time for action.

As GSU students held out their phones to film the action, the USSW marched towards the Waffle House in a tight formation to the tune of various union songs and chants. Upon arriving at the location, supporters cheered on the marchers as they packed inside the restaurant waving a banner reading: “Our Dedication Deserves Dignity, PAY US $25!”

Supporters gathered around USSW member Mo Haskins as he read a list of demands: a guaranteed wage of $25/hour for all employees, 24-hour security at all Waffle House locations, and an end to the meal deductions that are taken off each employee’s paycheck, regardless of whether they eat shift meals or not.

The rally finished off with several USSW members, including GSU Waffle House workers, delivering remarks to the crowd and their co-workers about why they deserve higher wages and safer working conditions.

Speakers also addressed the fact that Waffle House executives sit on the board of the Atlanta Police Foundation, and are using company profits to fund a militarized police training facility known as “Cop City.” If Cop City is built, close to 300 acres of forest will be torn down in metro Atlanta to build a $90 million dollar police training complex where police would practice raids on fake schools, homes, and barber shops.

As the speakers wrapped up, the crowd erupted into more union tunes, each of which called for the pay raises and other demands. As the USSW members filed outside, members spoke to the crowd about the unsafe working conditions and unfair wage practices Waffle House employees endure.

One worker reported that Waffle House failed to cover replacement costs when a customer stole her phone; other employees reported having to deal with customer assaults with little accountability or protection by Waffle House.

Red, a GSU Waffle House server, expounded on the meal deductions and low wages that come with every paycheck. Red said Waffle House “nickel and dimes us for everything, but they don’t want to give the nickels and dimes back.” According to her, “Even if you eat or not” while working, “they’re gonna charge you ten dollars” per paycheck.

---

The rest of it you can read in the link.

cross-posted from: https://hexbear.net/post/799046

More from the article:

RECIFE, Pernambuco (Brazil) — Last week, newspapers here reported that the Regional Labor Court of the 6th Region had sentenced the former mayor of Tamandaré, Sérgio Hacker Corte Real, and his wife, Sari Mariana Costa Gaspar Corte Real, to pay R$2.01 million (approx. US $400,000) in damages to the family of Miguel Otávio, who died after falling from the 9th floor of the luxury building where the couple lived, and the child’s mother worked as their maid. The verdict, which will still be appealed by the couple, came more than three years after the child’s death. I wrote about this case, yet another crime against Black people in Brazil, three years ago (Vermelho, June 5, 2020), as follows. Sadly the echoes of this case can be found not only all over Brazil but everywhere touched by the history of slavery and exploitation.

The case of little Miguel, the son of domestic worker Mirtes, reveals the horror of class injustice in Brazil—and in this crime, the current custom of killing Black people among Brazilians.

cross-posted from: https://hexbear.net/post/743571

I do think that elections should be held either way.