Organizing justice for warehouse workers

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/2152950,4_1_JO12_WAREHOUSE2_S1-100412.article

April 12, 2010
By CINDY WOJDYLA CAIN [e-mail]

Editor's note: This is the second in a series on warehouse operations in the Will County area.

Two men who helped organize the December 2008 employee sit-in at Republic Windows and Doors in Chicago have come to Will County to help warehouse workers here fight for better working conditions.

After collaborating on the Republic Windows fight, Mark Meinster, an Electrical Workers Union organizer, and Abraham Mwaura, an Electrical Workers Union field organizer, decided to take the spark that formed during the sit-in and use it to ignite a new workers battle somewhere else.

"It (the sit-in) really inspired a lot of people," Mwaura said. "It was led by the workers and it was very democratic."

Republic workers organized the sit-in after their company closed suddenly. Workers feared they wouldn't receive severance and vacation pay.

After the workers received a settlement from the company, Meinster and Mwaura looked around the area to see where else workers needed help. They said they quickly realized warehouse workers in Will County were the most in need of help, and so they formed Warehouse Workers for Justice.

Poor conditions

Research on the warehouse industry showed "extremely poor" working conditions for employees, Mwaura said. That's why the group decided to target logistics.

FULL story and photo at link.

[Donnachaidh]

1. how do you contact the WWJ? And do they plan to expand?

Georgia has lots of warehouses, and lots of abused warehouse workers.