Author: NOWG

Click the image to download the paper as PDF.

By Joseph Coco, Louisiana Movement for Workers Councils

People over profits, the people of Louisiana are NO exception to this rule! 

Louisiana has many wonderful components that add to its charm. Food, language, and culture that are informed and maintained by the diverse set of peoples within our region. Louisiana is also home to many types of inclement weather, ranging from hurricanes, flooding, and tornadoes. It is through the navigation of these disasters that we as a people continue to live and create ourselves. Many of us do this as members of the working class who, without us, the magic of our state wouldn’t exist . We know that as working-class people we always have to be looking out for each other, as oftentimes no one else is coming to our protection. 

So, what do you do when a new type of disaster rears its ugly head? One that has destabilized not only our economy, but has rained down death upon our communities and ways of life? A disaster that has allowed our leaders in government to use and abuse our budget as they see fit, handing out millions of dollars to companies and never to the people who not only make our state great, but who have suffered deeply from the economic fallout of this pandemic.

What do we do in the face of Coronavirus, and hard times?

We organize! We choose not to abandon the bonds that keep us strong as a community, since community is oftentimes all we have. The Louisiana Movement for Workers Councils is a manifestation of the resilience we have always shown in the face of adversity. By joining a worker’s council, you are taking the power back into your hands, choosing to advocate for the betterment of not only yourself but YOUR community as well!

Beef Prices Up 25%,
Potatoes Up 13%,
Eggs Up 12%
— Roll ‘Em Back!

Rich politicians in Baton Rouge are passing tax cuts for profitable companies and Congress is allowing the Federal Reserve bank to give TRILLIONs of dollars to banks and giant industries. While nearly 50% of children and seniors lack sufficient food, Wall Street is cheering record profits.

United Nations Says There is Enough Food for the World, We Must Put People Before Profit

Farmworkers, truck drivers, meat packers and grocery clerks labor produce enough food for everyone. The problem is that food is produced for profit, not need and we lack income or a living wage. Around the world 280 million people are on the verge of dying from starvation.

We deserve better! Food is a right, organize to fight for it!

On November 23 New Mexico lawmakers passed a coronavirus relief bill that will deliver a one-time $1,200 check to all workers who had previously qualified for unemployment benefits through state or federal pandemic programs. The bill also provides smaller stimulus checks to undocumented immigrants and dependents, as well as additional funds for food banks, virus testing and contact tracing efforts. Much of the money came from $319 million in unspent federal relief funds.

Workers in Louisiana should demand that money designated for pandemic relief actually go towards bailing out the people. The LA government got $1.8 billion in federal funds as part of the CARES act. The state could easily give emergency aid to workers—including all of our undocumented siblings. We just need to fight for it.

The U.S. wants to overthrow the Chinese government and take over the country. It wants to force China to bow to U.S. corporations. Trump’s racist lies have led to a surge in anti-Asian hate crimes in the U.S. We have more in common with workers in China than racist U.S. bosses and politicians who want to destroy workers here and around the world for profit. Money for war is money that could be used to take care of our needs for housing, food, and healthcare during a global pandemic. We cannot buy into hateful racist lies to distract workers from the fact that the U.S. government is letting 40 million go unemployed, while 30 million face eviction. A war with China would only mean misery and death to the people of both countries—and all for the enrichment of a few billionaires. Say no to U.S. war on China!

On November 26, the people of India carried out the largest organized strike in human history. Over 250 million people participated in the nationwide strike, organized by a coalition of workers and farmers including trade unions, women’s rights groups, and students. Workers are fighting back against the repressive right-wing Modi government, demanding an end to anti-worker, anti-farmer policies, higher wages, food for families, pensions, and an end to privatization in the public sector. The police used batons, teargas, and water cannons on protesters, but the people did not stop. They held sit-ins and marches, shutting down entire transport routes and cities. The US government is carrying out the same anti-worker policies here. Trump has frozen farmworkers’ wages and millions of workers are suffering without food, housing, healthcare, or safe jobs. We should look to the example of our brothers and sisters in India and take to the streets. We will only win our rights through organized struggle.

On October 15, workers of Bombela Operating Company (BOC) ended a 10-day strike after winning a wage hike ranging from 10% for the lowest earner to 4.1% for the highest. The workers are represented by the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) who had been in negotiations with BOC for months. When negotiations came to a standstill, 258 out of the 320 workers at BOC put down their tools. After 10 days of the strike, BOC increased their wages.

The BOC workers’ strike was concurrent with a general strike across South Africa on October 7 called by the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and was joined by other large trade unions. Thousands of workers marched against government corruption, job losses, and the ruling African National Congress’ (ANC) broken promises and anti-worker policies.

The state of Louisiana gives employers the “right” to fire at will, on the spot, for any reason at all. For example, while it’s technically illegal to fire someone out of sheer racism, the boss can claim another reason. Workers can always team up and shut down the bosses down or form a workplace committee to fight back. But getting a union is the most surefire way of opposing these firings.

Workers Voice believes that we should have the right to fire our bosses at will! Certainly we have the right to unionize. Unite, fight back, and win!

Amazon workers have filed a notice to hold a unionization vote at a fulfillment center in Bessemer, Alabama. They’re aiming to form a 1,500 worker strong bargaining unit with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU).

There are 400,000 Amazon warehouse workers in the United States. If the workers succeed in getting a majority vote for the union, they will be the first of many warehouse workers who will finally have a say over safety standards, training, breaks, and pay at their workplace.

The union is focused on improving working conditions which have caused the deaths of 19 workers at Amazon facilities since 2013. RWDSU also aims to put an end to the “fire-at-will” policy currently in place for warehouse workers.

Amazon will no doubt carry out a ruthless campaign against the union. An investigation by Vice News recently revealed that the company has long employed full-time spies to root out and crush organizing on the job. Company CEO Jeff Bezos doesn’t want to share the $70 billion he’s made since March while 20,000 of ‘his’ workers have come down with COVID. But with courage and determination, the workers can carry the day.