Los Angeles Indymedia : Activist News

Sept 20th 2003 Los Angeles CA
In an action reminiscent of the 60’s civil rights era, immigrants will set out from nine cities to converge on Washington and New York City. The Big Apple is expecting a 100,000-person turn out.
The IMMIGRANT WORKERS FREEDOM RIDE bus caravans will make stops along the way to demand:
--- Legalization and a “road to citizenship” --- Family reunification and ending the backlog of application --- Protecting the rights of immigrants in the workplace --- Protecting the civil rights and civil liberties of all.
The city of Los Angeles and 150 organizations have endorsed the Freedom Ride.
Newswire coverage: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Get Updates dc.indymedia report , NYC Report

For the first time in 25 years, supermarket workers have gone on strike. Workers started picketing Vons and Pavillions (part of the Safeway empire) on Saturday night; in response, Ralphs and Albertsons locked their workers out and brought in scabs to keep the stores open.

• Alternative places to shop.
• A radical perspective about union busting, UCFW complacency, and Teamster solidarity.
• A call for support.
• Delivery semi crosses picket line (video).
• Photos from the first night.

An unrelated story of abuse at Albertsons.

On Thusday morning, Aug. 1st, '02, sixty Assi Market workers were indefinitely suspended from their workplace for exercising their right to organize the Immigrant Workers Union. The IWU is a new trilingual Korean and Latino working class alliance forming under intense pressure from management at the Assi Market in Koreatown,3525 W. 8th St. (at Oxford, just east of Western). Owner Daniel Rhee (cell 213-494-9758) and management (213-388-0900) think that by harassing and suspending sixty workers without pay they can bust this union, but immigrant workers together with their children and families, KIWA (Korean Immigrant Workers Advocates), and other community members intend to see to it that Mr. Rhee and Assi managers cannot prevent these workers from resisting poverty and establishing their organization for the benefit of their fellow workers. In early December 2001, Assi, under Rhee Bros. Inc. (410-381-9000) hired a union busting law firm, Littler & Mendelson, and is now using the pretext of the Social Security No Match letter to suspend these workers. THIS IS AN ATTACK ON THE WHOLE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY! We cannot have employers exploit workers for years and years and then when they organize or stand up for their rights, use the social security no match letter as a tactic to bust the union!

PICKETS CONTINUE DAILY FROM NOON TO 8PM. Please call KIWA for details 213-738-9050. On September 14, there will be a BIG Community Meeting at Carecen from 3 to 5 pm with the IWU, Forever 21 Campaign, the Garment Workers Center, and KIWA. TEMPORARY WORK FOR ASSI WORKERS: If you or your organization has any temporary jobs or leads, please call KIWA.

A strike fund has been set up; any donation would help cover the workers' rent and other emergency expenses for the next month and allow them to continue on with their struggle for justice. For more information, call Cindy Cho at 213-738-9050 ext. 100.

STOP BY & ENERGIZE THE ASSI WORKERS THAT ARE OUT THERE 8 HRS. A DAY ! "NO UNION?! - NO PEACE!"
"QUE QUEREMOS? - JUSTICIA!"