Detroit water workers defy judge's order to return to their jobs

[Cal Carpenter]

Source: Detroit Free Press

Detroit Water and Sewerage Department workers risked jail time and the loss of their job Monday evening as they ignored a federal court order to return to work and continued a strike outside the wastewater treatment plant in southwest Detroit.

Members of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 207, who began the strike Sunday, even defied Al Garrett, president of the umbrella AFSCME Council 25, who asked them to return to work.

"I think the workers feel like they are in a fight for their lives," said Shanta Driver, a lawyer for Local 207. "They don't care what Al Garrett says."

---snip----

Contractors, Teamsters and others were honoring the picket line throughout the day, Driver said.

Read more: http://www.freep.com/article/20121002/NEWS05/310020099/Detroit-water-workers-defy-judge-s-order-to-return-to-their-jobs?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

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[Arctic Dave]

1. Good.

Solidarity.

[bemildred]

2. Good. nt

[SoapBox]

3. Ditto to the good.

[socialist_n_TN]

4. Kick and solidarity.......

nm

[valerief]

5. Bravo. Brave people!!! nt

[JRLeft]

6. This is how you reate real change. Union workers need to engage into more

civil disobedience.

[alp227]

10. Wonder why the local union head wanted the strike over?

[socialist_n_TN]

11. I'm sure it was because of the injunction.......

and any penalties attached. All those stupid fucking anti-strike laws. Ignoring an injunction does show a measure of militancy not seen often. I applaud it.

[PETRUS]

7. K&R for the D. nt

[lonestarnot]

8. K & R!

[leftstreet]

9. Good n/t

[Cal Carpenter]

12. Update and more info

There's a fair amount of blame-the-worker angle in this piece but there are also more details and updated info about the situation:

The department announced Tuesday that it had suspended 34 workers who walked off the job. They have until Friday to request a hearing on their suspensions, otherwise, they'll be fired Oct. 10, the department said.

"These were employees who were at work and walked off the job," Alfonso said. "They threatened public safety."

Driver called the suspensions an unfair labor practice and urged the workers to file for unemployment compensation.

"They are trying to escalate it," Driver said. "That's what you do when you don't want to negotiate."

Much more at link:

http://www.freep.com/article/20121003/NEWS05/310030120/Strike-at-wastewater-plant-can-t-drag-on-some-warn?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE