dear mlg, gsc, radical caucus and w-c studies comrades:
i hope you will consider signing on to this--sorry for the length of the explanation. folks have already pointed out that the petition i ask you to consider signing on to is somewhat wimpy--we'll be formulating a tougher version tomorrow and sending it along as soon as its finalized.
i thought this might be esp. timely, given our common interest in questions of unionization and assaults on the right to organize within the academy.
jamie
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dear friends and colleagues,
next week, november 14-15, the university of chicago is hosting a two-day for-profit seminar to teach corporations (including universities) the legal maneuvers they will need to "stay union-free in the 21st century." the seminar, which costs over $2100 per participant for the two days of workshops, is being convened by jackson lewis, a nationally known law firm that specializes in union-busting and in preventing workers from practicing the right to organize.
as you may know, human rights watch has just issued a book-length study called "unfair advantage: workers' freedom of association in the united states under human rights standards." the study documents the disturbing extent to which the right to organize supposedly granted u.s. workers under the national labor relations act in 1935 has been increasingly abused by u.s. corporations, with abuse cases increasing some 400% since 1966. the study points to the extent to which legal delay tactics and what amounts to employer pre-emptive strikes against workers' rights on the job have been even more prevalent among workers working contingent, temporary, and "permatemp" jobs, and those being forced into certain jobs by "welfare to work programs"--i.e., the workers most severely affected are poor women, immigrants, and people of color. the language of the registration materials for the seminar is astonishingly similar to the red-baiting common during the mccarthy era--corporations are warned about "cadres" of union organizers infiltrating the rank and file, and about being vulnerable to "the type of demonstrations and violence we all recently witnessed in Seattle." they sponsor a workshop on 'stopping union authorization cards from being signed" and the need to develop what they call an "issue-free philosophy" at work, i.e., an atmosphere in which none of the terms for wages or working conditions are negotiable.
chicago jobs with justice, the midwest regional afl-cio and a broad coalition of labor, immigrant rights advocates, and community groups is therefore sponsoring a demonstration against jackson lewis on november 14, 4:00-5:30 p.m. at the u of c's gleacher center at 450 north city front plaza drive, the site of the seminar. COME ON DOWN AND HOLLER IF YOU CAN!
but we are also gathering signatures to present to the president of the university of chicago on november 9, in support of a petition asking him to pledge that the u of c will not sponsor such seminars in the future. a draft of the petition letter is attached below.
i ask you to consider two ways to support this action:
first, add your name, title and affiliation to the petition by emailing that info back to me. the affiliation will be listed on the petition for identification purposes only.
second, forward this posting to friends and allies in chicago and around the country who may also be willing to add their names. we would of course be _especially_ happy to be able to include the names of graduates and faculty of the u of c! ask them to email their names, titles, and affiliations to me as well.
i will need this info by 9:00 a.m. thursday morning.
okay, here's the petition draft. i will certainly inform you if the text of the letter changes in any substantial way. thank you in advance for your support, and please get in touch with me if you need further info on how to support this action on behalf of protecting workers' rights to organize.
warmly,
jamie
Jamie Owen Daniel The University of Illinois at Chicago Department of English Member, Executive Committee of Chicago Jobs with Justice
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November 9, 2000
The President of the University of Chicago (we'll fill in his name)
Dear Sir:
As scholars and educators from around the country, we are writing to express our concern that the University of Chicago has chosen to sponsor a symposium organized by the Jackson Lewis law firm, to be convened at the Gleacher Center November 14 and 15. Jackson Lewis makes no secret of the fact that its symposia are intended for one purpose only--to teach corporations how to prevent their employees from exercising their legal rights to free association at the workplace. We are dismayed that the University of Chicago has chosen to compromise its reputation as a respected research institution by profiting from a firm that profits by teaching corporations how to get around, avoid, and otherwise block the legal rights of workers. As a recent Human Rights Watch study of workers rights in the U.S. has shown, the systematic blocking of the right to free association has affected unprecedented numbers of workers in the U.S. in the last decade, especially workers from already vulnerable communities and constituencies.
We therefore urge that the University of Chicago agree to never again sponsor such a symposium.
Sincerely,