VICTORY for New On Sang Workers Campaign!
Tuesday February 10, 2009 | SF Bay Area
*VICTORY for New On Sang Workers and their fight to protect worker's rights!
**Join CPA members and New On Sang workers on Sun, Feb. 22 afternoon, exact time TBA, for Celebration and Press Conference!
On Sunday, Feb. 8, 2009, after over 3 months of struggle, New On Sang workers signed a settlement agreement with the employer for the repayment of their lawfully earned wages, including minimum wage and overtime. *Thanks for all those who waited nearly 2.5 hours in the next room to pressure employers into finally signing the agreement, including youth members of CPA and AIWA, Latina women worker leaders from La Colectiva de Mujeres of La Raza Centro Legal, AFSCME, home-care worker union members, and NELP.
This has been a tough fight of pickets, grueling negotiations, and more. The bosses REALLY felt the heat of community pressure, elected officials and threats of more public protests. When down to the wire, they finally changed their tune!
Thanks to everyone who has supported this campaign with your presence on the picket line, your ideas and your spirit!
*New On Sang worker leader Lin Gan sums it up:* *"Long Live Worker Unity!"*
*Another Step Forward in the Road to Justice*
While we are thrilled with the settlement, we know it's just one step forward in a long road to justice. Enforcing this settlement will rely on community pressure and monitoring. Also, there are other workers who are owed back-wages and may come forward for support.
But this fight isn't just about unpaid wages; it's about standing up against exploitation of immigrant workers in Chinatown and elsewhere. We hope you will continue to support all workers who are struggling against wage theft, and for full respect and dignity as workers. Stay tuned for efforts to push for policies to hold employers accountable for fair treatment of workers, as well as closing legal loopholes that let bad bosses get away with wage theft.
*meanwhile**...Join us to celebrate on Sunday Feb. 22!*
Please join CPA members, staff, New On Sang workers, and other supporters for a victory celebration / press conference on Sunday afternoon, Feb. 22, (save the date, exact time TBA).
*Special thanks to:*
*-Lin Gan*, *Zhuo Jin Zhu*, and *Jun Wei Ma* (New On Sang workers)
-*CPA Worker Committee, CPA Youth members, CPA members, CPA WOC Advisory Committee *
-Supervisor* David Chiu* (D3); Supervisor *Eric Mar *(D1); Supervisor *John Avalos* (D11)
*-All our allies and supporters who marched alongside workers or otherwise supported campaign:*
AFT 2121, AFSCME 3299, AIWA, APEN, Asian Law Caucus, Chinatown Community Development Center, Chinatown Tenants Association, Chinese for Affirmative Action, Day Laborer Program Womens' Collective, KIWA, League of Filipino Students, POWER, SF Labor Council/STEP, St. Peter's Housing Committee, ILPS (International League of People's Struggle), SFSU students, United Healthcare Workers, UNITE HERE Local 2, Young Workers United, and more!
*-All our incredibly important legal support:*
Hillary Ronen (La Raza Centro Legal/Day Laborer Program), Matt Goldberg (Employment Law Center), Melvin Yee (Wage Justice Center), Virginia Villegas (Talamantes Villegas Carrera, LLP), Veena Dubal (Asian Law Caucus); Hina Shah (Women's Employment Rights Clinic (WERC) of Golden Gate University School of Law); Laura Moskowitz (National Employment Law Project); etc.!
*apologies if we missed anybody! thanks again!*
in struggle,
CPA worker organizing center staff