The rights of workers under the National Labor Relations Act (“Wagner Act”):
Sec. 7. [§ 157.] Employees shall have the right to self-organization, to form, join, or assist labor organizations, to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing, and to engage in other concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection, and shall also have the right to refrain from any or all of such activities except to the extent that such right may be affected by an agreement requiring membership in a labor organization as a condition of employment as authorized in section 8(a)(3) [section 158(a)(3) of this title].
For more info on unionization rights:
http://www.nlrb.gov/resources/national-labor-relations-act
Calls are out to boycott Hobby Lobby and other businesses that just won the right to refuse to pay for their employees’ contraceptive coverage in mandated health insurance plans. That’s a nice idea, but the best way of protecting workers’ and women’s rights in the workplace is to help them to unionize so that they can protect their own rights.
Here’s my game plan for how to unionize Hobby Lobby:
Every feminist organization in America like NOW, NARAL, or whoever needs to find out if there are Hobby Lobby stores in their area- Recruit politicized feminist/pro-labor students from Women Studies, Black Studies, Chicano Studies and Labor Studies programs at local colleges and universities to try to get summer and/or holiday vacation jobs at Hobby Lobby
- Train them in how to organize and organize them to organize; some who get jobs lay low and wait until they’re off probation
- Some who don’t really need jobs walk in and write on their employment applications that they’re trying to get jobs in order to unionize to demand contraceptive coverage in union negotiations; none of these employees will get hired so they immediately file charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the EEOC and local civil rights agencies like the California Dept of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) alleging they weren’t hired because of discrimination
- After probation, some of the organizers who were hired come out of the closet as organizers; those who get fired or harassed immediately file charges with the NLRB, EEOC, etc.
These kind of tactics have been successful in other industries, such as the Building and Construction Trades. Here’re Hobby Lobby locations to unionize in California:
If you want more information on how to get involved in unionizing Hobby Lobby, use the form below to email me. To comment on this blog, use the subscription form link at the top.
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