Beast Blog

Balloons at Berkeley Bowl

From Worker's United:
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Sunday, October 26, 2-6pm

Here's the idea: In their last-ditch effort to break the workers' solidarity, the management of the Berkeley Bowl has told the workers that they cannot even talk about the union. Through intimidation and threats, they have attempted to create an environment in which "union" is a four-letter word.

Now the plan: Hundreds of helium balloons, with handwritten messages written on them with markers, given out to all the customers who enter the store. If you were able to make it to the Bowl last Sunday and were able to see all the balloons inside the store, then you know how the environment was shifted to a very pro-union one. With your help, the next two Sundays will be even better than last Sunday.

How you can help: It takes many hands to blow up the balloons, tie string to them, write messages on them, and distribute them to customers. We also have buttons and flyers and other information to get out to the shoppers. It would be great if you could help support the workers with your donation of time these next two Sundays. If you can not be there for the entire four hours, that is fine. Last Sunday there were a lot of people who came to the store to shop and spent about an hour helping with balloons before going inside. Anything you can do to help the workers is very appreciated. Please help spread the word about the struggle the workers are facing at the Berkeley Bowl, and we hope to see you there on Sunday!
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Berkeley Bowl Union Action, Sunday 10/12

Maybe it's just me, but the Berkeley Bowl management's unwillingness to accept their worker's desire to unionize is a little mystifying. Anyway, I just received the following email (and cannot in any way vouch for the accuracy of the claims made in it)

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The Berkeley Bowl workers will be voting on October
30th on whether to unionize or not. Management will
be intensifying their anti-union campaign over the
next couple of weeks. They have already broken
numerous laws: including firing 2 pro-union workers,
spying on workers, threatening to close the store, and
interrogating workers about their stance on the union.
There have also been various attempts to bribe
workers to make them vote against the union, including
changing benefits packages and giving raises. Most
recently Berkeley Bowl has hired a human
resources/business partner with skills in union
avoidance and has told workers that they aren't to
talk to co-workers or customers about the union while
they are on the clock.

Action...

When: This Sunday October 12th from 2pm-6pm
Where: In front of Berkeley Bowl, 2020 Oregon St
Why: Worker's need your support and encouragement

We will be in front of the store from 2pm-6pm with
ballons and flyers to pass out information to
customers and allow them to share their support quite
visibly with Berkeley Bowl workers. Even if you can
only make it for a small amount of time, please stop
by and show your support for the workers in the midst
of their struggle.

For more info feel free to email us at
BerkeleyBowlUnion@yahoo.com
and stay posted to San Farncisco Indymedia for updates
http://www.indybay.org

Solidarity Forever - Berkeley Bowl workers

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If I were in town, I'd agitate for the union. As anyone who shops at the bowl knows, with the crap those workers have to deal with, they deserve collective bargaining rights.