Warehouse Workers United to stage protest tomorrow

When the world is going through a terrible downturn in the economy, it's time to blame the rich and get arrested while doing it.

Warehouse Workers United has announced a protest for May 14:

5/8/2009 - Warehouse Workers to Stage Large Protest Against Retail Giants in Inland Empire

(Inland Empire) - Warehouse workers, local clergy, community members, and area students will participate in a civil disobedience outside the warehouse of an as-yet named major national retailer on Thursday, May 14th at 2pm. Warehouse workers and their supporters are drawing attention to the Inland Empire (IE), which has the largest concentration of warehouse space on the planet and one of the highest unemployment rates in the country.

The Inland Empire is the central hub of the global economy, with a massive network of distribution centers that move goods from overseas to big-box retail stores across the nation. But a majority of the workers in these warehouses are hired through temp agencies, paid low wages, receive no benefits, and have no job security. Warehouse workers are standing up to our nation’s largest retailers to fight for good jobs and the right to choose to form a union free from fear and intimidation.

Media will meet with organizers at the Fontana Truck Stop and will then be directed to the site of the direct action, nearby. Both English and Spanish-speaking workers will be available for interview.

WHO:

Hundreds of warehouse workers, local clergy, community members, and area students.

WHAT:

Direct action/civil disobedience to block distribution at a major corporate warehouse. Arrests are likely.

WHERE:

Media will meet at Fontana Truck Stop -- 14264 Valley Blvd, Fontana, CA -- and then will be directed to the physical location.

WHEN:
2pm PST, Thursday, May 14th, 2009

# # #

Warehouse Workers United is an organization of warehouse workers in the Inland Empire. We are dedicated to bringing warehouse workers together to fight for good jobs and build a better future for ourselves and our families. We are supported by Change to Win, a coalition of unions representing more than 6 million working Americans.

Submitted to the Inland Empire News by:

--

Daniel I. Medress
Warehouse Workers United
213.814.8663
www.WarehouseWorkersUnited.org

The WWU website also links to Change to Win:

Seven unions and six million workers united in Change to Win in 2005 to build a new movement of working people equipped to meet the challenges of the global economy and restore the American Dream in the 21st century: a paycheck that can support a family, affordable health care, a secure retirement and dignity on the job.

The American Dream is under threat today as never before in our lifetimes. To learn more about this challenge and what working people are doing to meet it, see The American Dream Survey, our ongoing research project on the state of the American Dream.
Affiliated Unions

Change to Win consists of seven affiliated unions. These are:

* International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT)
Website: http://www.teamster.org/
* Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA)
Website: http://www.liuna.org/
* Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
Website: http://www.seiu.org/
* United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (UBC)
Website: http://www.carpenters.org/
* United Farm Workers of America (UFW)
Website: http://www.ufw.org/
* United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW)
Website: http://www.ufcw.org/
* UNITE HERE
Website: http://www.unitehere.org/

You'll note that the United Auto Workers are not part of this group. They have other priorities...like ensuring that they and their employers survive.