Why would a company that has work for 100 wage slaves at 40 hours a week hire 200 part-time workers at 20 hours a week? One is to stay away from them getting full-time status. Another reason is to have another trained work force in case half of their workers go on strike for higher wages and benefits. In the days of the 1920s and ‘30s there were companies which provided replacement or strike breaking workers at a price and some of these companies’ owners become very rich and famous, think Papa John’s Pizza. Today this is harder to do so the next best thing is for the Walmarts and low wage fast food companies to have another work force already in house either part time or temporary workers.
Wage slaves must keep this in mind when there is the same amount of work and the companies are cutting your hours and if this happening then they are preparing for a strike. So when you see this happening workers should make their move before the replacement workers are trained, which the present workers will probably be training.
Maybe there is some opportunity at this time to get the new workers support. Low wage workers must keep the pressure on for better wages. Remember you have to get the wages up to $15 to $16 an hour. Then get the government to make it a minimum wage law. This way you protect the good companies that are paying a living wage against the companies that will try to take advantage of the companies who are paying the living wage.
Now is the season to push for improved wages as the holidays are when labor is needed the most. This is when the wage slaves have the advantage. This is the time to have your work stoppage, walk outs, and slow downs. This is when you have the power and if, by chance, you lose your job there are others at this time for it is the start of the holiday. You are winning this fight. California is already raising its minimum wage to $10 an hour. Some fast food workers are already paying this amount and some manufacturing are also looking hard at this, but remember they will slow walk this $1 to $2 at a time.
Do not let down your guard or efforts, and don’t settle for less than you deserve – the $15 to $16 an hour.
Yes, they are coming for us. Workers need to have one another’s backs because no one else will. Neither the broader labor movement nor the Democratic party are prepared to meet the urgency of this moment. So it’s going to fall upon the rest of us to mount a real resistance against Trump’s authoritarian takeover. We’re going to have to get our hands dirty. I don’t care if you have a good, well-paying union job and you are in the middle class now—if you see a worker being dragged out of his workplace regardless of how skilled the job and potentially taken to another country, you should be ready to be there for that worker. When I.C.E. shows up, gather around and shame them into leaving. It has worked in other places. America is sleep walking into authoritarianism, and if there’s anyone out there who is a member of a labor union that is safe—at this point— and doesn’t think this applies to them. Understand that they just haven’t gotten to you yet. They’re coming for all of us. There are ...
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