In Inland Empire, ‘Temp’ Workers Demand Living Wage (photo of the arrest too)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.inthesetimes.com/working/entry/5109/warehouse_workers/

Thursday October 29 11:55 am


A sheriff's deputy arrests a protester after he fought with a driver that forced his way through a union barricade outside Los Angeles in May 2009. Twelve Warehouse Workers United members and the driver were arrested. (MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images)


By R.M. Arrieta

Blue-collar warehouse workers in the Inland Empire in Southern California once earned a decent living. They weren't getting rich, but they could buy homes, pay their mortgages and take care of their families.

Now many more are forced to accept low wages because of the economic crisis and high unemployment rate. The Inland Empire (San Bernardino and Riverside counties) was once one of the fastest-growing areas of the country, but the area is now in the throes of the economic meltdown and foreclosure crisis.

The warehouse workers’ living-wage warehouse jobs have dwindled as giant companies contract out work through temp agencies. But the use of temp agencies began well before the current crisis.

There are more than 118,000 warehouse workers in the Inland Empire employed at some of the largest warehouses and distribution centers in the country. These facilities store goods for huge retailer supply chains such as WalMart, Target, Lowe’s, Kmart/Sears and Home Depot.

Now a move is underway to organize the workers. Backed by Change to Win —a coalition of five unions with more than six million members—Warehouse Workers United (WWU) is building a public campaign.

Among the group's four main demands, according to Dan Medress of WWU: All warehouse jobs must pay a living wage; the system of “temporary” employment must end; affordable health care coverage must be made available to workers; and warehouse workers should be able to form a union if they wish to.

FULL story at link.

[Laelth]

1. k&r for labor. n/t

:dem:

-Laelth