I say it should be posted to both the blog and a more public forum. This is bullshit! I'm not even in IWW and it makes me angry.<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Feb 21, 2011 at 4:41 PM, Nathan Stickel <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:incoherentnickle@gmail.com">incoherentnickle@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">Hey Flying Brickers! You are currently receiving messages in a Non-Digest Form. If you'd like to receive messages compacted into one e-mail a day, just visit your listserv homepage and change your settings to the Digest Version. Questions? Just ask!<br>
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<br>Hey y'all, sorry for the spam, I try not to make a habit of this, but this has been sent to me in urgency by the Richmond IWW. Since several of their members volunteer here, including myself, and Ellwood Thompson's is a well known, and frequented store by some folks who do a lot of work with the Brick, I thought this was important to send out. What do y'all think of posting it to our blog or some other more public forum?<br>
<br><div class="gmail_quote">---------- Forwarded message ----------<br>From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Kenneth Yates</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:causticcastle@gmail.com" target="_blank">causticcastle@gmail.com</a>></span><br>
Date: Mon, Feb 21, 2011 at 8:56 AM<br>Subject: URGENT! Solidarity Phone Blast! Demand Dignity & Respect!<br>To: IWW List <<a href="mailto:iww-list@lists.iww.org" target="_blank">iww-list@lists.iww.org</a>>, IWW GHQ <<a href="mailto:ghq@iww.org" target="_blank">ghq@iww.org</a>>, <a href="mailto:rtru@googlegroups.com" target="_blank">rtru@googlegroups.com</a>, <a href="mailto:rephrame@googlegroups.com" target="_blank">rephrame@googlegroups.com</a>, <a href="mailto:richmond-food-not-bombs@googlegroups.com" target="_blank">richmond-food-not-bombs@googlegroups.com</a>, <a href="mailto:allthesaintstheatercompany@gmail.com" target="_blank">allthesaintstheatercompany@gmail.com</a>, <a href="mailto:maydayrva@googlegroups.com" target="_blank">maydayrva@googlegroups.com</a><br>
<br><br><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 36pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Demand Dignity & Respect!</span><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Demand A Competitive Living Wage and Substantial & Consistent Pay Raises For Workers at </span><a href="http://ellwoodthompsons.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(106, 168, 79); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ellwood Thompson’s Local Market!</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(106, 168, 79); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></p>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(106, 168, 79); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br>
<br><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">One of our fellow worker’s, Kenneth Yates was wrongfully terminated from Richmond, Virginia's</span><a href="http://ellwoodthompsons.com/our-promise" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 153); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Ellwood Thompson's Local Market</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> after 5 ½ years of committed service on Tuesday February 15th. </span><br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br><div style="text-align: left; margin-left: 40px;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“When you go to work you ordinarily leave your constitutional rights as a citizen in the glove compartment of your car...” </span><font size="1"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">-Staughton Lynd & Daniel Gross</span><span style="font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></font><br>
</div><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Kenneth
was well aware of this and as a committed member of the community in
which he lives and works, did not allow that to come between him and the
injustices he found in the workplace.</span><br><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In
December, after being courted by management to become a part of their
team, then respectfully refusing the offer, he was threatened with a
statement that he should reconsider and either</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> “move up, or move out”.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Fast-forward
to January 30th & 31st, 2011. Kenneth, in a concerted effort with
his fellow workers, challenged a new and unwarranted decision by
management to force workers in their department who regularly work early
morning shifts to close one shift a week and take a mandatory following
day off, and for those who close to do the same. The schedules were not
changed. However, we feel that after refusing to submit to the schedule
changes that would bring undue stress on our minds and bodies, Kenneth
was singled out as a problem, a wrench in the machine, the organizer.</span><br><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Present Day:</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">
After volunteering on his day off, going above and beyond the
specifications of his job, to clean the refuse wells of the dairy
cooler, his employment was terminated for what management defined as
'gross negligence'. A fan had become dislodged in a section of the
cooler Kenneth was not able to reach in his cleaning due to time
constraints. Management accused him of not plugging the fan back in,
which resulted in the shrink of several hundred dollars of product.
Management refusing to hear his side of the story, dismissed his claims
that he did not unplug any of the fans and that the cooler showed no
signs of problems when he left. They added that he 'neglected' to inform
anyone that the job wasn't finished, further refusing to accept that
there wasn't any apparent reason for Kenneth to alert anyone, however he
immediately on his next scheduled work day, upon arrival told his
department manager that he was unable to finish the job, but planned to
finish at a later time that week.</span><br><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After
5 ½ years of excellent customer service and product knowledge, and the
willingness to take on extra responsibilities, and do what ever it took
to get the job done, what management calls 'gross negligence', in
actuality seems to be more of an unfortunate accident. </span><br><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We
feel that Kenneth is a victim of discrimination based on the belief
that Ellwood Thompson’s, as a business who states in their mission
statement that they want to help “...strengthen our community, once
[sic] choice at a time...” has made many terrible choices in the form of
poor labor practices that have weakened our community. </span><br><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We
demand that Rick Hood & Ellwood Thompson’s fulfill their commitment
to a sustainable community by providing a place of employment where
workers can retain their </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">dignity </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">and feel their labor is </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">valued </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">respected</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. We demand that Ellwood Thompson's, as a first step towards that goal, provide a </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Competitive Living Wage & Substantial & Consistent Pay Raises.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(204, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We're requesting that you call management at the store, </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">(804)359-7525</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(204, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> and/or fax: (804)359-8529 as well as the owner Rick Hood who can be reached at his other company Hood Properties at </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">(804)355-9161</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(204, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> and demand a respectable and dignified workplace at Ellwood Thompsons' for all current and future workers. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ellwood Thompson’s hours are 7am - 9:00pm EST, seven days a week. </span><br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Email any and all the management at the following addresses as well! </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br>
</span></p><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Just <b>Ctrl-C</b> then <b>Ctrl-V!</b></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="mailto:TTaylor@ellwoodthompsons.com" target="_blank">TTaylor@ellwoodthompsons.com</a>;
<a href="mailto:tlangford@ellwoodthompsons.com" target="_blank">tlangford@ellwoodthompsons.com</a>; <a href="mailto:RickHood@ellwoodthompsons.com" target="_blank">RickHood@ellwoodthompsons.com</a>;
<a href="mailto:jstaten@ellwoodthompsons.com" target="_blank">jstaten@ellwoodthompsons.com</a>; <a href="mailto:GCarson@ellwoodthompsons.com" target="_blank">GCarson@ellwoodthompsons.com</a>;
<a href="mailto:sbutler@ellwoodthompsons.com" target="_blank">sbutler@ellwoodthompsons.com</a></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(204, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></p>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br>
Please feel free to use the sample message below:</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br><div style="margin-left: 40px;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Hello my name is _____________ and I demand that Rick Hood & Ellwood Thompson’s</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">fulfill
their commitment to a sustainable community by providing a place of
employment where workers can retain their dignity and feel their labor
is valued and respected. We demand that Ellwood Thompson's provide a </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Competitive Living Wage & Substantial & Consistent Pay Raises.</span><br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br>
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(136, 136, 136); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br>
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><font size="6"><b><span style="font-family: Arial; color: rgb(136, 136, 136); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span>An Injury to One, Is An Injury To All!</b></font><br>
</div>
<br>-- <br><div style="text-align: center;"><br><br><b>Richmond Industrial Workers of the World</b> • P.O. Box 7055 • Richmond, Virginia 23221-0055<br>(e) <a href="mailto:richmondiww@gmail.com" target="_blank">richmondiww@gmail.com</a> • (w) <a href="http://www.richmondiww.org/" target="_blank">www.richmondiww.org</a> • (p) 804-496-1568 <br>
</div><br><br>
<br>
</div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Always with Solidarity<br><br>Nathan<br>
<br>_______________________________________________<br>
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<br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Megan Osborn<br>
<div><i></i> </div>
<div><i>"When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained." -Mark Twain<br></i></div><br>