food and retail workers united

Workers everywhere, union and non-union, in retail and in other fields, owe a debt of gratitude to the courageous Walmart workers who exercised their right to strike to force America’s largest employer to change for the better, and the Southern Maine Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) stand in solidarity with them. We stand ready to support their fight to improve their workplace conditions, to be treated with respect, to raise their economic standing, and if they so choose, to empower themselves through collective bargaining and direct action.

We recognize that workers everywhere have a moral and legal right to have a voice in the workplace, and when Wal-mart workers recognize and exercise their power to improve their lives, all retail workers, and workers everywhere, will see their living standards improve.

***Southern Maine workers, do you need a union at your workplace? Contact the Southern Maine IWW.***

Domino's Workers' Solidarity

Please contact the Southern Maine IWW if you would like to participate in solidarity actions this Saturday, September 15th (all day — by phone, e-mail, or in person) for the Aussie Domino’s drivers, who just got hit with a 19% pay cut. Below is more info on the struggle from GTWA.org.au:

“The ASF is calling on all sections of the International Workers Association (IWA), their friends and supporters to take protest action around the world on September 15 in support of the campaign for wage justice for delivery drivers who have had their wages cut 19% arbitrarily by Domino’s Pizza Enterprises management.”

Some suggestions for taking action:

“Raise awareness of the GTWA with not only your local Domino’s pizza drivers, but with others in the general transport industry and encourage them to join our effort. It could be any one of us next.

Tell everyone you know that the SDA called for an adjournment of the termination of a 2001 agreement, with no fixed date for an agreement to be made required of Domino’s. This effectively sold out the drivers. Terminating the 2001 agreement would have hopefully had the drivers on a wage at least equivalent to the national safety net minimum wage * (see Key Point 1)

On the 15th of September, attend or organise a protest outside a Domino’s store. Let the franchisees and Domino’s know that the business practices of Domino’s Pizza Enterprises are not something that will be forgotten, and there are workers fighting back.

On the 15th of September, visit Domino’s on Facebook or contact form and let them know you are not happy with how they operate their business and why.

Let the drivers know we are there to protest the company and not them if attending a protest. You are standing alongside them because when these practices are not confronted, anyone in any industry could be next.

Please don’t ‘out’ drivers on social media or at demonstrations without their permission, only in collective action can we be protected in casual labour.

This is not a boycott as that takes work away from the drivers.

Get in touch with us if you plan on running an event, we would love to know!

KEY POINTS FOR NEGOTIATION & DISCUSSION

The basic rate of pay must always be at least equivalent to the national safety net minimum wage prescribed by FWA which will include casual loading to casual employees. For an adult driver of 21 years & over this would currently be basic rate of $15.96 per hour + casual loading of 23 % = $3.67 giving a minimum wage of $19.63 per hour.

That notwithstanding anything else in any agreement, under no circumstances whatsoever will the minimum wage payable by Domino’s ever fall below the national prescribed minimum wage by FWA and that all employees engaged on a casual basis shall have the casual loading prescribed by FWA in the minimum wage safety net included in the minimum wage payable to any casual employee.

Payment of wages at the normal rate of pay (which will include casual loading to casual employees) shall be paid to all employees required to complete any training or attend any meeting whether that training or meeting is held in-store, via the Domino’s training website DOTTI or by any other means. Payment of wages will be made for the period of time taken by the employee to complete the training specified by Domino’s.

All tips received by drivers shall remain the sole property of the driver to whom they are given. At no time and under no circumstance will Domino’s ever be entitled to any tip money received by any driver.

All hours worked by any employee regardless of what employment status the employee may hold will be paid for by the employer Domino’s at the appropriate rate of pay. This will include all hours worked before, during and after any trading hours of any store.

That Domino’s agrees to make good faith progress with workers towards including all casual staff to public holiday rates equivalent in ratio to those entitlements currently received by full-time, and part-time employees to the extent that by 2014, all casual workers including drivers be paid at the rate of double-time for all hours of work performed on public holidays.”

UPDATE 8 OCTOBER 2012:

Check this link for a great story from an IWW picket of a Domino’s in Berkeley, California from S15:

http://www.frwu.net/2012/thedominosfall/