Daily Kos: A Worker's Story: Why Rally for Employee Free Choice?

[Omaha Steve]

by 4workers
Wed Feb 04, 2009 at 09:03:58 AM PST

James Satler worked as a grocery employee in Huntington Beach, CA. He went to Fresh & Easy from Trader Joe’s, excited by Fresh & Easy’s promises of competitive pay, affordable healthcare and promotional opportunities.

But the Fresh & Easy never lived up to the promises they made. James couldn't afford the health care, made less than he was told he'd make--and somehow those promotional opportunities never came up for him.

So James did what millions of workers do every year when conditions at their workplace are unsatisfactory--he decided to try to organize a union at Fresh & Easy. He signed a union card and talked to his co-workers about the benefits of forming a union, becoming more active the more convinced he became that a union was the right way to go. You know where this is going, right?

* 4workers's diary :: ::
*

When James and his co-workers asked Fresh & Easy to allow a neutral party to compare the cards signed against a list of employees provided by the company, so that they could see a majority of workers signed cards saying they wanted to join the union--James and his co-workers' proposal was rejected and management insisted that they, not employees, be allowed to dictate the terms under which employees could choose to form a union.

Fresh & Easy then refused to recognize their employees' decision to form a union.

Then, Fresh & Easy starting treating James differently, disciplining him for things that other employees were allowed to do, and finally firing James for what he believes were trumped up reasons to cover the REAL cause--his vocal support of a union.

James worked hard and wanted to move up in his grocery career and support his family. As he says:

I might still have a job at Fresh & Easy if management had been forced to respect our decision to form a union. Instead, I lost my job and now I have to try to pursue justice through the National Labor Relations Board, which could take years. The system just doesn't work.


FULL story at link.

[bananas]

1. link here

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/2/4/115133/7694/610/692978