By Jerry "Clapso" Avissato
EN-197 Creative Writing
Professor Leslie Goerner
As the Green Party Contact Person for Utica, New York and chairperson for the Chia Pet� farmers of America I was privileged to attend the State Green Party Assembly the weekend of January 13th and 14th. Saturday was devoted to the business end of the assembly such as electing officers. Sunday was devoted to seminars on Green Party issues. One seminar, which I attended, was about the strike at a Domino sugar plant in Brooklyn. This strike has been on going since June 1998. The last contract expired in October 1998.
The owner of this, and many other sugar refineries in the United States, is the British corporation called Tate & Lyle. This company is infamous for it's vicious union-busting tactics. Such tactics were used at the A. E. Staley plant in Decatur, Illinois during a strike that ran from 1992 thru 1995. I am expecting videotape of events recorded at the Staley strike any day now. I would be happy to screen it for anyone interested in seeing the ugly, violent face of strike breaking in action.
At the seminar, I met three wonderful people: Carrie Ann Daniels, Charley Malan, and Joe Crimi. All spoke eloquently about their lives in the plant and how the now almost 2-year-old strike has effected themselves and their families. Mr. Malan explained how Tate & Lyle management has hired replacement workers and "paramilitary" agitators to break the strike. Mrs. Daniels spoke of the issues that led to the strike in the first place. Such issues included the reduction of sick days from eleven to two, the loss of seniority and the reduction of paid holidays by three. "The last straw" according to Mr. Crimi, who is a former plant worker and is now the vice-president of the sugar division at local 1814, was the loss of Veterans Day in the company's contract offer. Mr. Crimi served his country in Vietnam and expressed outrage at the company's disregard for the memory of those that fell in service to their country. Mr. Crimi added that many of the other workers at the plant are also veterans and have expressed similar outrage at this affront. Mr. Crimi also pointed out that due to the relative strength of British labor law, as compared to the weak laws here in the USA, Tate & Lyle would not be able to do to workers in it's home country what it is doing to workers here.
All three of these proud and strong people said that the major dispute, which led to the strike in the first place, is over the issue of job security. The primary tactic used by corporations to erode job security is a scam called "outsourcing" or subcontracting. The implementation of this strategy revolves around the fact that the company moves portions of the work done at a union plant to non-union plants. This reduces the amount of work and thereby the number of required workers at the unionized plant. This ultimately lowers the union's number of members and therefore undermines its bargaining power come time for contract negotiations.
What upset me most about all I heard at the seminar was the fact that the AFL-CIO leadership has refused to use the many assets at their disposal to aid local 1814 in it's fight against this criminal corporation. I expect better from the "new" AFL-CIO under President John Sweeny. Although I personally support the renewed organizing efforts of the AFL-CIO evidenced under Mr. Sweeny's leadership, I think the AFL-CIO should show more concern for AFL-CIO members that are already organized. It would have been nice if the AFL-CIO could have seen clear to set aside some of the millions they spent trying to elect Al Gore for the rank and file members of ILA 1814. The 1814 members have been paying dues to the AFL-CIO for decades. It would be only fair for the AFL-CIO to give some of the hard earned dues money they received from their brothers and sisters in local 1814 back to these strike weary works in their time of need. A call by Mr. Sweeny to other AFL-CIO affiliated unions to set up a national strike fund for local 1814 is now long over due. Given that Tate & Lyle has proven itself to be the kind of company that employs violence and underhanded tactics when faced with job action, it would be appropriate for the AFL-CIO to call a national boycott of the Domino brand. Just why the national office of the AFL-CIO hasn't as yet taken these steps is a mystery to me.
Just as upsetting is the refusal of other unions in the NYC area to support the striking members of local 1814. Mr. Crimi mentioned attempts by local 1814 to gain the support of the UFCW local in NYC. This came as a great surprise to me. I have seen several actions by the UFCW local here in Utica and consider the UFCW to be one of the most active voices raised in support of working people in Utica. It's a shame that the NYC UFCW local isn't quite as proactive as the fine UFCW local here.
Now on to how I'm connected to the members of ILA local 1814. My father, who is now retired, worked for over 20 years as a longshoreman on the Brooklyn piers. He is a proud member of the same ILA local (1814) that represents the Domino workers. In the '60's and 70's my family suffered just as the families on strike are now suffering. The Union went on strike then for the same reasons that they are on strike now. Many of the things Tate & Lyle are trying to take away from the Domino workers now are things that workers like my father struck to gain in past strikes. I have personally suffered through those earlier strikes and can tell you it's no small thing that the Domino workers are now experiencing. It would be a personal loss for me should Tate & Lyle prevail and break the Union.
This essay is the beginning of my personal direct action. I'll be sending copies to Tate & Lyle, Domino Sugar, the UFCW local here in Utica and everyone on my email list. I'll also be sending a copy to John Sweeny asking that the AFL-CIO support their members in local 1814. If this small paper has convinced you how connected to the Domino workers and their families YOU are please send letters to those addressed to those same people. Please also send a copy to ILA Local 1814 70, 20th ST. Brooklyn, NY 11232. I'm sure Carrie Ann, Charley, Joe and their families would appreciate your support! I have attached an address list on a separate page should you want to take direct action youself. Thanks for your support on this matter!
Addresses:
Tate & Lyle
Sugar Quay
London EC3R 6DQ
Attention: CEO Larry Pillard (boo, hiss!)
Domino Sugar
1100 Key Highway East
Baltimore, MD 21230-5123
Attention: Clive Rutherford
At the writing of this essay, I still haven't found the address of John Sweeny the President of the AFL-CIO. Should anyone reading this have that address, please email to me at [email protected] so I can include it here. My Chia pet� wants the address too!
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