MORE SOLIDARITY APPEALS:

A number of appeals for solidarity from union groups and social activists have crossed Molly's desk in the last few days. Here are a few:

A. The Swedish syndicalist union, the SAC, is planning a campaign against the international furniture company IKEA because their section in the city of Jonkoping is engaged in an industrial dispute with IKEA. If you have an IKEA outlet in your city the SAC would be happy to hear from you at ikea-sektionen.jkpg@sac.se as to what you can do to help. To check if you have such an outlet go to the IKEA website.

B. The online labour solidarity group Labour Start has launched a campaign to protest the murder by Chilean police of forestry worker Rodrigo Alexis Cisternas on May 3rd. More than 7,000 subcontracted forestry workers have been on strike in Concepcion since early May demanding a monthly raise of $38 US. Most of the workers make less than US$100 per month. The shooting of Cisternas took place during a battle between police and striking workers during a road blockade on the night of May 3rd. To learn more and to participate go to http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=247 .

C. The Jobs With Justice organization began a campaign on Mothers' Day in solidarity with workers at flower plantations in the country of Columbia. Mothers' Day, the biggest flower buying day of the year was an appropriate time to begin the campaign, but it is still ongoing. The management of the Dole Company who run the Splendor-El Rosal and Splendor-El Corzo flower plantations refuse to negotiate in good faith with the workers of the independent union Sintrasplendor. The El-Corzo farm was shut down last October, as a company response to unionization, and the workers' demands include salary increases, job security and employment for the 10% of workers who still remain at the El-Corzo farm at the El-Rosal location. To learn more about this campaign and to participate go to http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/dole_mothersday/wukd7sdrhbxbexw?

More appeals later,

Molly