Labor Is Protesting Circuit City's Wholesale Firings To Pay Workers Less

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Workers Independent News

Labor Is Protesting Circuit City's Wholesale Firings To Pay Workers Less

By Jesse Russell

Organized labor continues to keep pressure on Circuit City after the electronics chain fired thousands of high paid employees in order to hire others at a lower pay scale. Jesse Russell has more.

Unionized workers held a rally Monday in front of a Circuit City store in Roseville, Minnesota. The workers were calling the United States Senate to pass the Employee Free Choice Act and also to protest the firing 3,400 store employees because they were being paid hourly wages above the national retail average. The company then hired workers at a lower pay rate. The AFL-CIO is protesting in front of Circuit City because the organization believes it symbolizes the type of actions from which the Employee Free Choice Act will protect workers. The top executives at Circuit City each earn more than $3 million per year. A similar protest was held last by the Industrial Workers of the World at a Circuit City in Albany, New York. The IWW is not affiliated with the AFL-CIO.

AUDIO story here: http://www.laborradio.org/files/lo/winsheadlines.ram

Read more: http://www.laborradio.org/node/5867

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This story is not copyrighted.

[truthisfreedom]

1. Only $3M? Where are their double-digit millions? I guess Circuit City isn't as profitable

as one would think. They seriously screwed the pooch this time... recent numbers show they lost a huge amount as a result of losing their most knowledgable sales staff. Idiots.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

2. Yep. Terrible 1Q numbers.

You see, our "Captains of Business" exist with one thought at the forefront of their minds: no one on the face of the planet is more clever then they. But you see, there is someone more clever then they: The American Worker, who also just happens to be The American Consumer. The American Worker is fed up, too.

Recently, it dawned on me that a hell of a lot of people around here, from all walks of life, aren't shopping at Walmart. Refuse to do so. Won't go near the place. A lot of them ain't rich, but some are doing well.

Something's up.

[happygoluckytoyou]

3. GOP = Cheap Labor

For decades the GOP has viewed any workforce as cheap labor-- why else do they have their "mixed feelings" over illegals?
They are brown (BAD) but work cheap (GOOD) but want medical and education (BAD)
The GOP solution... they can come in on special programs where they work but get no benefits.... GOTTA LOVE THAT CHEAP LABOR

Abortion? (BAD) because it would cut back on cheap labor
Education? (BAD) why educate the masses, just get them job skills
Unions? (BAD)
Minimum Wage (BAD)


The JOKE however is on the fat middle usa white ex-farmer.... they bought up his farm... and gave him a low-paying job on it. His kids can't get a working wage, so they are FORCED into military service (cheap labor) to get ahead. The biggest victory the DEVIL won was convincing people he did not exist!!! The biggest victory the GOP ever won was convincing people that THEY would benefit from the big GOP BBQ.

I cannot tell you the number of friends (sadly right-wingers) who thought the $300 tax rebate was "yeehah"
Now their kids have poor education, their parents are screwed by medicare, the park and recreation costs have skyrocketed, gas is UP, ----- guess you gotta be happy THINKING you are wealthy.

[happygoluckytoyou]

4. OH YES.... I FORGOT TO SAY

i will NEVER shop at a WALMART... even if they fix their practices
i will NOW never shop at a CIRCUIT CITY either

i would rather pay the extra dollar and know that working americans are being taken care of

[kaygore]

8. I agree

[silverojo]

10. We just paid off our Circuit City charge account

NO more buying sh*t there, and NO more paying the bastards interest on a credit card balance. Screw you, Circuit City! :mad:

[MethuenProgressive]

5. The fired workers weren't union members, were they?

I was (CWA 1365) and was fired so my job could go to lower pay workers.
Not even the CWA came to picket in front of our plant.
I wish I had every dollar I paid in dues over 23 years back, because the CWA never did anything to earn a dime of it.

[Doremus]

6. What is CWA? (just curious)

If they weren't doing the job, why didn't you lead the charge to change things instead of living with status quo for 23 years?

Just asking.

[MethuenProgressive]

12. Communication Workers of America. And "lead the charge"? The nail that stands out...

...gets pounded down. Go against our local and you'd never get a better job or overtime. The back-roon good ol' boys ran the union, and if you weren't 'family' you weren't nothing. Lead the charge? No way, I wanted to stay employed.

[Doremus]

14. Oh. So to give it a perspective we can all relate to ....

If you were a civil servant in the DOJ or FDA or FEMA (or any of our other broken government agencies), keeping your job would have taken precedence over dangerous stuff like whistleblowing. Gotcha.

Sorry, I have little sympathy for folks who carp about their situation but lack the cajones to try to fix it.

Besides, something tells me it wasn't very bad or you would've sought other employment at some point during your 20+ year tenure.

[MethuenProgressive]

15. You have every right to think the way you do.

You're passing judgement on people and circumstances you lack knowledge of, but you can do that if you want. Have a great afternoon!

[Omaha Steve]

11. I can't speak to your situation

My wife was CWA 18 years. My sister had close to 30 when she retired. The Communications Workers of American provided above average wages, vacation pay, good health insurance, and a lot more. Did you talk to your local when this happened to you?

[MethuenProgressive]

13. "Did you talk to your local when this happened to you?" That's funny...

The local only cared about protecting the light-work high paying jobs of long time union insiders.

[datadiva]

7. Circuit City is now on my Walmart list.

No shopping the store anymore.

[Sherman A1]

9. Be sure to email CC and tell them that

The more negative feedback they get along with bad sales numbers, the better. I did so about a month ago and got an email reply which of course took someone time to respond. Locally Frito Lay, Coke, a Dairy and Kraft (Nabisco) have all done the same thing.