[Marxism] Emergency Detroit area picket - defend immigrant workers Friday, June 2, 7 am!

["Charles Brown" <cbrown@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

A picket line is planned for Friday morning at the plant, which is located
at 25215 Glendale, Redford, Michigan, 48239. (Between Telegraph and Beech
Daly, south of I-96). This is a cut and sew auto parts supplier.

See you there at 7:00 a.m. Be there or be square; the workers are worried
about the company calling immigration, and if they do, the committees who
support the workers will be meeting to plan the next move.

Please spread the word to your lists ---


*_REPORT FROM CENTRO OBRERO_*

Centro Obrero will beging ESL classes on Thursday, June 1, 2006 at 1920
Scotten and will be from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. They will be held in the
style of Popular Education and taught by students of the University of
Michigan Residential College students. Classes will be free and open to the
first 30 people. They will run from June 1 through August 4.
Para informacion, llame 313 655 9160


The current struggles in our community involve a group of workers at an auto
parts supplier called Hope International. The company is located in Redford
and makes parts for Leer and the auto companies. Several workers were fired
today after the owner was visited by members of the Interfaith Committee for
Worker Justice, which had spoken to several of the workers. The workers
originally visited Latinos Unidos, who asked the Interfaith Committee to
intervene on behalf of the employees of HOPE international. Several of the
workers expressed an interest in joining the Union, but the company claimed
the workers had bad social security numbers and fired them after the visit
from the religious committee.
Issues in the plant are the same issues we are hearing from workers in many
work places: higher production expectation of Mexican workers, overall
discriminatory treatment of workers by managers, in this case who are also
Mexican. Many of the workers have carpal tunnel syndrome and are working
with injuries. Most are wearing braces on their wrists. Many have been fired
for being unable to keep up production levels with injuries.
The Committee visited the plant last Wednesday to ask that the issues raised
by the workers be addressed by management. The management responded by
firing one of its employees on the pretext of having a bad social security
number. Five more were fired today after the Interfaith Committee visited
the plant.
A picket line is planned for Friday morning at the plant, which is located
at 25215 Glendale, Redford, Michigan, 48239. See you there at 7:00 a.m. Be
there or be square; the workers are worried about the company calling
immigration, and if they do, the committees who support the workers will be
meeting to plan the next move.


The Lotus International workers have filed a lawsuit for their backwages and
other unfair labor practices. Centro Obrero and LaSed worked with the group
when they walked off the job after being told that their wages would be
decreased and their work load would increase. As it was, they were getting
paid for forty hours and working 55 per week, according to all the workers
in this plant located in Canton, Michigan. Health and Safety violations are
rampant and many of the workers have sustained injuries associated with
working with chemicals and glass. This company makes plasma tv screens for
SUVs.

It seems that the auto part suppliers have Mexican workers and Mexican
working conditions in the United States, right here in the Motor City. The
struggle is never over; we are fighting the same fight our grandparents
fought to bring decent working conditions and be treated as human beings.
The UAW is working with the HOPE workers; stay tuned. The Interfaith
Committee for Worker Justice and Centro Obrero will assist in their efforts
and the entire community must remain vigilant to protect ourselves from
exploitation and internal vendidos, who surely will have a special place in
hell.
Elena Herrada
Rosendo Delgado por Latinos Unidos



-----Original Message-----




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