Eric Lee: Support striking workers at Oak Harbor & more

[Omaha Steve]

In this week's mailing:

* USA: Support striking workers at Oak Harbor
* South Africa: Dispute ends at Woolworths
* Philippines: Demand release for jailed labour lawyer
* Labour Photo of the Year: Voting ends on 31.10
* Your dollars go further at LabourStart - here's why

***

USA: SUPPORT STRIKING WORKERS AT OAK HARBOR

Oak Harbor Freight Lines workers in Oregon, Washington and Idaho went on strike
more than a month ago and the response of the company has been brutal.

They've employed scabs, cut off health care to retirees, and bullied and
intimidated striking workers.

A number of responsible companies have decided not to work with Oak Harbor
until the dispute is resolved.

But not The Gap. They're continuing to use a company which is breaking U.S.
labour laws.

We've been asked by the strikers to launch a global campaign to put pressure on
The Gap and on Oak Harbor. Please take a minute to send off your message:

http://www.labourstart.org/oakharbor

If you're on Facebook, please sign up to the Oak Harbor strikers' cause, here:

http://apps.facebook.com/causes/135663

Thanks -- and now spread the word!

***

SOUTH AFRICA: DISPUTE ENDS AT WOOLWORTHS

A couple of weeks ago we asked for your support -- and you responded with over
1,000 messages to the company. Woolworths proved to be acutely sensitive to
this pressure and sent out email messages to many of you explaining their side
of the story. The result has been that the company agreed to a joint
membership verification exercise beginning on Monday, 27 October, and the
workers returned to work on Friday. Thanks for your support!

***

PHILIPPINES: DEMAND RELEASE FOR JAILED LABOUR LAWYER

On Wednesday last week, Remigio Saladero, the chief legal counsel for the KMU
(an independent labor federation in the Philippines) and the union representing
Dole Philippines's workers, was illegally arrested by the Philippine
government. The International Labor Rights Forum has launched a campaign to
call for his release:

http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/saladero

***

LABOUR PHOTO OF THE YEAR: VOTING ENDS ON 31.10

Over 2,000 of you have cast your votes for this year's Labour Photo of the Year
competition -- and the race is tight. We have five outstanding photos to
choose from and the deadline for voting is Friday, 31 October. Please make
sure you've voted (once!) and spread the word:

http://www.labourstart.org/lpoty/

***

YOUR DOLLARS GO FURTHER AT LABOURSTART - HERE'S WHY

The one good thing to have come out of the global economic crisis is that your
donations in US dollars to LabourStart are now worth a lot more money to us. A
$100 donation used to be worth only £50; today that's worth almost £63. As
we're based in London and pay for services in pounds, we're very grateful for
every dollar donation we receive these days. Please give generously to support
LabourStart's campaigns:

http://www.labourstart.org/docs/en/000002.html

Thanks!

Eric Lee