Stericycle talks about their efficiency but fails to realize that their workers are the reason for that.

Shortly following a victorious union election, Stericycle fired two workers in Oakland, California, for exposing the company’s anti-union tactics. Juan Vasquez and Carlos Reyes were fired soon after testifying before the Oakland Office of the National Labor Relations Board regarding the company’s anti-worker actions.

In spite of numerous occasions where Stericycle supervisors harassed workers for organizing, the workers voted 2 to 1 for union representation. The workers hoped that their rights would be respected after winning the election by such a large margin. But instead the instances of harassment, coercion and intimidation increased. Just as alarming is that the company continues putting the workers’ health, safety and well-being at risk.

They’ll keep on suppressing organizing drives until it is no longer effective. If you are using their services or buying their products I’d suggest stopping.

A friend of mine recently recruited me to join a Facebook group called “Support Workers in Newburgh Fired for Organizing!” Naturally this made me curious to find out why this happened and so I went to the Times-Herald Record’s account to learn more.

Teamsters Local 445 says it will ask a federal court to force Concept Packaging owner Jeffrey Fanning to give back pay to workers he allegedly fired for supporting the union and to post conspicuous notices of the workers’ rights to unionize.

The factory, which employs 62, most of whom are Latino women, is the country’s second-largest bottler of nail polish.

Local 445 filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board on Oct. 8, claiming Fanning harassed, threatened and ultimately fired at least 10 workers for signing a petition to join the Teamsters.

Ah, so there you have it this is a case of your typical nasty boss worker harassment. The owner claims he laid people off because of lack of work and seniority which are proven false in the article.

But, “I know for a fact he did not lay off in order of seniority,” said Local 445 officer Adrian Huff. “There were workers who were there four years who were fired, and others with less than six months who remained at work.”

Of course the owner’s attorney failed to give a comment to the Times-Herald Record. There also appears to be two OSHA inspections ongoing at this factory.

In a separate action, the Workers Rights Law Center recently filed complaints with the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration citing unsafe conditions at Concept Packaging, where employees describe poor ventilation, noxious fumes, broken toilets and dead rodents.

In August, one worker collapsed, suffering respiratory arrest and partial paralysis of his arm and face, according to Phoebe Schell of the WRLC. She said when the employee tried to return to work, he was fired.

I’ve blogged about Oak Harbor Freight and it’s gang of thugs before. Now Jeff the Trucker is taking them on.

On Monday September 22, 2008, Jeff the Trucker and his fellow workers at one of the largest regional trucking company on the West Coast – Oak Harbor Freight Lines – were forced to strike in protest of Oak Harbor’s violations of America’s labor laws.

Rather than correcting these violations by negotiating with its employees in good faith, Oak Harbor’s owners have hired a notorious strike breaking firm and imported teams of professional strikebreakers to coerce and scare loyal long-time employees.

You can take action and bombard Oak Harbor Freight and it’s goons here.

They have sucessfully organized bus drivers in New Hampshire.

First Student school bus drivers and monitors in Swanzey, New Hampshire voted to join Teamsters Local 633 in Manchester, marking a major milestone in the Teamsters’ nationwide campaign to drive up standards for workers in the school bus and transit industry. With their nearly 2 to 1 vote in favor of Teamster representation, these workers are now among the 10,000 bus and transit workers who have chosen to become Teamsters since 2006.

We obviously know how hard it is now a days to organize unions. Which is why any victory such as this needs to be promoted. This is why the Employee Free Choice Act must become law.

I got this email alert from the Teamsters this morning.

We need your help! Today the U.S. House of Representatives will consider H.R. 6630, a bill that would prohibit the Secretary of Transportation from allowing unsafe Mexican trucks to cross beyond the borders of the currently permitted commercial zone unless Congress authorizes it. This important piece of legislation would put a stop to the dangerous Mexican truck pilot program that the Department of Transportation (DOT) has been operating despite Congress already passing a law last year that made it illegal to do so.

A clear message needs to be sent to the DOT that they are not above the law and that allowing Mexican trucks and drivers onto our nation’s highways that are not held to the same safety standards as our own trucks and drivers is completely unacceptable. The passage of H.R. 6630 will send that message. Please take the time to send an e-mail to your representative today and urge him or her to vote for H.R. 6630.

You can take action and send a message to your representative by going here. It’s a shame that one has to fight against its own government—a government that is supposed to be protecting its citizens not making it more dangerous for them.