Do We Need Unions?
Is it Worth the Fight?

MARCH 12, 1997--In a smashing victory, workers at Rubber Stampede, an Oakland-Emeryville rubber stamp manufacturer, defeated a union-busting employer and forced him to meet all their demands.

Sam Katzen, Rubber Stampede's owner, had bragged that he would never allow a union inside the plant. But after a bitter four-month strike, the 140 factory workers have won union representation by Warehouse Union Local 6, ILWU, which spearheaded their fight for justice.

Strikers voted yesterday to approve a four-year labor contract that provides the workers with full union recognition, guaranteed seniority rights, substantial wage increases, and health and welfare benefits. Workers who participated in this historic struggle--almost all Latina women--shouted for joy as they counted the ballots from the contract vote. The workers unanimously approved the agreement.

Highlights of the new union contract include:

* Hiring Hall Agreement. All newly-hired workers will be union members sent from the offices of ILWU Local 6. From now on, the boss will have to share control of the hiring process with the workers' own representatives. This is perhaps the most important gain of the new contract.

* Grievance Procedure. From now on, unfair practices and contract violations by the boss can be challenged by the workers. Elected union representatives will defend workers on the shopfloor and hold the employer accountable to a step-by-step process for settling grievances. No worker can be written up, disciplined or fired, except for good reason. Abuses won't be tolerated.

* Seniority Rights. Many issues at work will now be determined fairly by the length of time a worker has spent on the job. Favoritism by the boss is now outlawed. Workers will be offered overtime work, for example, only on the basis of their seniority.

* Personal Time Off. Workers with one or more years' seniority at the plant will get 112 hours of PTO per year (vacation, sick leave and personal time). In each successive year of the contract, those workers' PTO benefit will increase.

* Health and Welfare Benefits. Prior to the walkout, workers had to pay for 100% of their own health insurance. Under the new contract, the company will pay for 100% of the worker's own healthcare coverage, plus 50% of her family members' coverage.

* Automatic Pay Raises. All strikers returning to work will get an immediate 45 cents-per-hour raise. On July 1, 1997, they'll get an additional 25 cents per hour, followed by additional 40-cent-per-hour raises on July 1 of each of the three successive years of the contract, until its expiration in March 2001.

* Bereavement Leave. When a worker's close family member (a parent, child, brother, sister, grandparent, etc.) dies, she will be entitled to three days of paid leave. If the deceased family member lived outside of California, the worker will get five days of paid leave.

These are only a few of the rights and benefits the strikers won through their struggle. All workers will be union members and have contract protection, regardless of how they initially voted.

The union was only able to gain these demands because of the strikers' unity and courage, their determination to be treated with dignity by the company. The Rubber Stampede workers will never forget that they have rights. And they'll always remember that ILWU Local 6 is behind them, backing them up every step of the way.

The Officers and Organizing Committee of Local 6 salute the brave Rubber Stampede strikers on their resounding victory. All workers everywhere should look to their example with pride and determination. Together, in solidarity, we can defeat all employers' efforts to violate the most basic right of their employees--the right to form a union.

This is why all unorganized workers should look with renewed hope and confidence to the union. This is why you should vote--but also live and breathe--the slogans:

"Union Yes!" and "Yes, We Can!"

WAREHOUSE UNION LOCAL 6

Affiliated With The INTERNATIONAL LONGSHOREMEN'S AND WAREHOUSEMEN'S UNION

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

ALFREDO FLOTTE, ILWU LOCAL 6 ORGANIZER, AT (510) 638-5605.