IMPROVING JOB QUALITY

For low-wage workers, the primary means of improving the quality of their jobs, including raising wages, achieving affordable medical care, creating a workplace where health and safety issues are addressed, stabilizing their employment and protecting themselves when other workplace issues arise, is the opportunity to join a union without management interference.

Alejandro Ramirez: Standing up for Better Conditions
Genentech, October 2006

Since I’ve been identified as a pro-union worker, management has been isolating me from everyone else. I’ve been forced to take my first break at 8am, and my lunch later than everyone else, so that I won’t be with the rest of the workers. I’ve been told that I’m forbidden to talk to my co-workers, and forbidden to walk into areas that aren’t dispatched, like the kitchen, so that they can monitor who I’m talking to and what I’m doing. They hired a man to follow me around and take pictures of me for a couple of weeks. I told my manager that I knew they were watching me and taking pictures, but he just denied it. When they found that I was doing a good job, the pictures stopped. I feel like I’m being punished for standing up for better wages, working conditions and affordable health care for myself and my coworkers.

Sonia Zeledon: Wants Respect on the Job
Genentech, May 2006

Since we started talking about wanting a union, the managers have been harassing us. When I wore a union button, they began pressuring me about the union, and trying to provoke me. I’d like to see the managers treat us better. I want to make improvements in our working conditions, I want respect on the job, I don’t want to be yelled at anymore.

Oscar Merino: No Job Security
Magma Design Automation, October 2005

Recently, the company got wind of some of us talking to the union and all of a sudden we were being interviewed by Guckenheimer HR representatives who were asking us about how we like our jobs, if everything is okay, do we have any problems, etc. I told them the truth. I told them we were tired of the mistreatment by our manager and the increased work loads. I also told them that workers had called the headquarters to complain about our bad treatment and that the company did nothing. As a result of my talking to the company representatives I was transferred from Broadcom to a small cafeteria whose contract is going to be terminated in a few months. I feel like they were trying to isolate me. And I don’t know what will happen to my job when this cafeteria closes.