Folks,
Greetings from the Burgh, where we are getting ready to announce some exciting news. (More on this later in the week.)
$710 Short of Monthly Goal
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5,000 Texas GM Workers Join “Stand Up” Strike
On Tuesday, more than 5,000 UAW members at GM’s Arlington Assembly plant went on strike, shutting down production at GM’s largest and most profitable plant.
“The workers who make some of GM’s most profitable vehicles, the Chevy Tahoe, Chevy Suburban, GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade, are joining the unprecedented Stand Up Strike against all three of the Big Three automakers,” the UAW said in a statement. “The move comes just hours after GM reported third-quarter earnings of $3.5 billion”.
For a gallery of photos from the picket line, check out the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Car Repairs Taking Longer Due to UAW Strike
According to the consulting firm Anderson Economic Group, LLC, the UAW “Stand Up” Strike has already cost the economy more than $9 billion. Now, some dealerships report having trouble getting parts because of the ongoing strike.
“It was strange for a car to be in our shop longer than five or six weeks,” Dominica Medine, owner of Medine’s Collision Center, told WAFB. “It was really strange. Now, that’s not strange. They’re here a lot longer than that.”
Detroit Artists Upset Over “Detroit Be the Change Murals” Paid at Below Market Rates
In Detroit, artists are upset over the city selecting international artists from Europe to pay murals primarily of Black Detroit residents at rates lower than what Detroit artists would be paid. From Metro Times:
Driving in downtown Detroit, passing Cass Avenue at I-75, a towering mural of Bakpak Durden catches our eye. On social media, people have been asking who painted this glorious depiction of the Detroit artist now gracing downtown Detroit’s skyline, and even wondering if it had been painted by Durden. Another nearby mural depicting a girl singing into a microphone with birds finding newfound freedom from their cages declares, “The sound of change has many voices.”
We thought they may have been part of the City Walls program, where local artists are selected to “beautify” Detroit neighborhoods with art approved by residents, but we soon realized they were painted by international artists (who are mostly European). That’s when Detroit muralist Sydney James called us.
“All of these white artists painted Black people,” she says. “There was no vetting process or anything. They said, ‘Hey we can come in and paint these walls,’ and the city said OK, but they make Detroit artists go through the wringer and do all these community activations before they can put something up. These European artists weren’t asked to do all of that.”
The artists hope the city agrees to a community benefits agreement for any new projects. For more, check out Metro Times.
Inside Tough Battle to Unionize a Korean Grocery
Finally, The LAist has an indepth look at the tough campaign to unionize a Korean Grocery:
Sim, who has worked at the store for four and a half years, said she realized workers needed a union during the pandemic when they were not given help with protective equipment or social distancing. As more co-workers caught COVID, Sim had a panic attack and called in sick. She said upon her return, a manager chastised her for missing work.
The message from management, Sim said, was “we have to protect the company. So you have to be here.”
Another employee, Antonia Gonzalez, said that over more than five years of working at Hannam, she would complain of sanitation problems such as a cockroach infestation in the kitchen where she worked. Management, she said, threatened to shut down the kitchen and eliminate jobs if health inspectors ever learned about the bugs.
Instead, the kitchen jobs were outsourced, and Hernandez said she was made a cashier six months ago.
For more, check out the LAist.
Strikes & News Happening Elsewhere
- 500 South African Gold Miners continue to occupy a mine in protest of low wages
- St. Lawrence Seaway strike shut down international commerce access for Duluth.
- Longshoremen Strike at Connecticut Pier
- An Open Letter for open contract negotiations for the Letter Carrier’s union
- Louisville restaurant is fined by DOL for employing 55 children at 9 locations.
- Iceland’s Prime Minister joins a women’s strike over gender inequality.
- Finally, the Guardian has an in-depth look at big contract gains being won by unions this year.
Alright, yinz, that’s all for today. Keep sending tips, story ideas, comments, and complaints to [email protected]
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Love & Solidarity,
Melk
