Build 513

Be there today!

Stand with local workers this Thursday!

From our friends at UFCW:

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Please join us for a Rally for Justice as we protest Pierre Foods' Violations of Workers Rights!!!

When: Next Thursday, July 16th from 3-5pm

Where: The plant is located at 9990 Princeton Glendale Rd (747N), Cincinnati OH 45246 (best place to park is 9920 Princeton Glendale Rd, West Chester Township, OH 45246)

Background:
Many of you may or may not have heard about the comprehensive campaign UFCW kicked off this year called, Food Workers Rising (FWR). FWR is a region wide movement dedicated to helping food workers improve their working conditions and quality of life at our local food processing plants. There are over 85 food processing plants in Hamilton, Butler, and Warren county with over 8000 workers and average sales of $50 million per year per plant. Thus, these employers are big players in our local economy.

As a part of this campaign, since the Spring, Local 75 has been working with a group of workers at one of the largest food processing plants in the region, AdvancePierre Foods in West Chester. Pierre produces beef, chicken and pork convenience sandwiches for schools, supermarkets, and other food service providers. They have over 8 locations around the country and its headquarters is here in Blue Ash. Advanced Pierre is currently owned by a hedge fund, Oaktree Capital, but since last summer Oaktree has been trying to sell the company and has been cutting benefits from the workers to increase their margin and make the company appear more enticing to potential buyers.

In response to low wages, increased work-load, unfair treatment by managers and uncertainty about the consequences of a sale, workers at Pierre have started organizing actions in their plant and in retaliation the company has held numerous captive audience anti-union meetings and illegally threatened and disciplined workers. Now the company is making racially discriminatory threats against leaders in the plant and using immigration status to attempt to divide and frighten workers...including trying to fire one of our leaders.

Workers have filed Unfair Labor Practice charges with the NLRB over these issues, but they also need your support. Please join us for a Rally for Justice as we protest the Company's violations of workers rights:

When: Next Thursday, July 16th from 3-5pm

Where: The plant is located at 9990 Princeton Glendale Rd (747N), Cincinnati OH 45246 (best place to park is 9920 Princeton Glendale Rd, West Chester Township, OH 45246)

Please join our movement to help Food packing and processing workers in southwest Ohio stand up to create a new generation of good jobs for our communities and our future. Thank you for all your support and please pass this on to any and all supporters of workers rights.

In Solidarity,

Ellen Vera
Lead Organizer
Food Workers Rising Campaign
UFCW Local 75
513.807.3898

Demand is high for skilled construction workers across the country. Union training and apprenticeship programs provide employers with a skilled workforce and equip local residents with the skills they need to build a career in the industry. That is why Build 513 supports the Responsible Bidder Ordinance for Water Works and MSD projects. Responsible Bidder requires that contractors operate a legitimate apprenticeship program and regularly graduate apprentices. So why did the MSD County Commissioners, Allied Construction Industries, and the Ohio Valley Associated Builders and Contractors all fight to derail Responsible Bidder?

Where Did All the Construction Workers Go? Construction industry employment is about 1.3 million below its peak, yet construction companies are struggling to find skilled workers. Where did all the construction workers go?

“Mayor Slay is committed to raising the issue with the Board of Aldermen this summer,” Mary Ellen Ponder, Slay’s chief of staff, told the St Louis Post-Dispatch. “He believes, and he thinks most residents agree, that a higher minimum wage would be a good thing.”

Would you support raising the minimum wage in Cincinnati?

St Louis eyes $15 minimum wage: 'If we can win here, we can win anywhere' Missouri city’s mayor confirms he is ‘committed to raising the issue’ this summer as St Louis looks to join Los Angeles and Seattle is raising city’s wages

Mark your calendars!