AMERICAN LABOUR:

SOLIDARITY WITH OAK HARBOR TRUCKERS:

The following from the United Students Against Sweatshops seems to be for students only (see the letter below). If you are one of those gatherers in the vineyards of knowledge help out if you can, and think of the truckers when you sip your next cup of java.

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Tell Concordia Coffee: Too Cold:
Concordia Coffee supplies coffee and espresso machines to numerous major universities including Harvard, Princeton, Purdue, the University of California, and Stanford. They pride themselves in providing the machines and supplies that make warm specialty coffees for college students.

But when the striking truck drivers from Oak Harbor, who carry their merchandise, asked them for support they threw them out in the cold. Oak Harbor truck drivers have been out in the cold for over two months and have had their healthcare benefits cut along with having to deal with intimidation and strike-breaking from the company.

Tell Concordia Coffee: You're coffee company is too cold for college students! Tell me more

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THE LETTER:

Please go to THIS LINK to send the following message to the management of Oak Harbor.

Subject: Concordia Coffee: Too Cold!
Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],
I am writing as a college student to express concern over Oak Harbor truck drivers, who carry Concordia Coffee merchandise through the northwest.

On Monday September 22, 2008 Oak Harbor Freight Lines workers in Oregon, Washington and Idaho were forced to strike in protest of Oak Harbor's violations of America's labor laws, as well as hostile efforts by company representatives to intimidate workers.Rather than correcting these violations by negotiating with its employees in good faith, Oak Harbor's owners have hired a notorious strike breaking consulting firm, imported teams of professional strikebreakers and attempted to permanently replace workers in an effort to coerce and scare loyal long-time employees.

A report done by the International Labor Rights Forum found substantial evidence indicating that Oak Harbor has violated International Labor standards by, among other actions, discriminating against minorities and women in its hiring practices, pursuing a premeditated plan to permanently replace employees engaged in a lawful strike, employing a labor contractor that has behaved in a grossly unethical manner toward replacement workers it has provided to Oak Harbor, and by inflicting significant hardship on retired employees through the termination of health insurance contributions.

Several socially responsible companies, including Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI) and Urban Outfitters, have suspended their relationship with Oak Harbor until the company finds a just and lasting resolution to the ongoing labor dispute.Unfortunately, when Oak Harbor drivers came to Concordia Coffee about the problem, they were told that Concordia Coffee didn't care.

That's cold.I urgently request that that Concordia Coffee join with other socially responsible companies by letting Oak Harbor know that if it wants to carry Concordia Coffee products, it needs to resolve its labor dispute and treat its employees fairly.
Sincerely,