Faced with low wages, unsafe working conditions and arbitrary firings, food workers employed by Palermo, a company that makes frozen pizza, have followed the time-honored tradition of the working class: organize and fight back. Since June 1, workers at the Milwaukee factory have been on strike.
This struggle is the climax of a years-long effort to win recognition for their union. Palermo Workers Union organizer Rachel Matteson told Liberation News that the organizing drive began in 2008. Fed up with serious lapses in health and safety standards, employees approached Voces de la Frontera, a community center that provides support for immigrants and low-wage workers, for help. By May 27 of this year, 80 percent of workers at the Palermo factory had signed a petition in favor of forming a union.
When the petition was delivered to the company two days later, Palermo not only refused to recognize the union but fired 89 employees shortly thereafter. The company claimed that ICE, the notoriously racist immigration enforcement agency, had ordered them to verify the status of their employees within 10 days rather than 28, forcing them to lay off the workers. In response, over 150 workers went out on strike.
Although ICE is well known for carrying out terroristic raids to intimidate employees, it soon came to light that this was not the case in this situation. ICE was contacted by the union to see if they had given Palermo a deadline for re-verification, but the agency said they had given Palermo no deadline at all. It was clear that the company was simply using the threat as a tool to bust the union.
After exposing the company’s lie, Palermo employees scored another victory related to ICE. The tenacity of the workers’ struggle forced the Obama administration to order the agency to halt its verification process, a development Matteson termed unprecedented. Although there is a law preventing immigration authorities from interfering during an ongoing labor dispute, it is almost never enforced. The Palermo workers refused to be intimidated and the government backed down.
With the immediate threat of an ICE raid lifted, Palermo employees were able to refocus on the grievances that led to the organizing drive in the first place. Raul de la Torre, one of the striking workers, summarized their demands to Liberation News as being better salaries, better treatment for workers, better safety conditions, paid sick days and an end to discrimination.
Of particular importance for workers are frequent injuries and management’s callous indifference. Flora Anaya, another Palermo worker, had her hand smashed by a piece of machinery. She told Liberation News: ”When I asked the supervisor to let me go see a doctor I was told that the accident was too small. This was four months ago and it still hurts. It is difficult to carry my one and a half year old baby.” Countless other Palermo employees have had similar experiences.
Solidarity with the Palermo workers!
The bosses may have all the money and influence in the world, but they are no match for the strength of the united, organized working class. In the spirit of this basic truth, the Palermo Workers Union is calling on working people across the country to boycott the company’s products until management reinstates the fired employees and comes to the bargaining table.
Palermo sells roughly 60 percent of its pizza through the wholesale giant Costco, which is the main target of the boycott. As part of a national day of action on Aug. 25, demonstrations will be held outside Costco stores nation-wide in support of the Palermo workers. A list of actions can be found at: http://www.facebook.com/boycottpalermos. In addition, supporters are urged to contact Palermo at 414-643-0919 to express your participation in the boycott.
When asked about the importance of a union, de la Torre said, ”The union is the only way for workers to have power in the workplace.” This is true not only at Palermo but in every factory, farm and office in the world. The striking Palermo workers are models of dignity and determination, and we all have a stake in their struggle.
