Support in Brazil expands Nissan workers Travel to March on

Transcription

Nissan
workers
Travel to
March on
Washington
anniversary
Support
in Brazil
expands
Page 12
Page 20
January 2014
A publication for Nissan, Kelly and other temporary workers at Nissan.
OUR VOICE Winter 2014
1
Leaders of Japan Auto Workers union and
Nissan Roren meet with Canton workers
In September 2013, a delegation of leaders from
the Japan Auto Workers (JAW) Union-Nissan Roren,
including President of Nissan Roren and JAW Vice
President Akira Takakura, JAW Assistant General
Secretary Masahiko Ichinowatari, and Executive Director
of the Policy and Planning Department of Nissan Roren
Tsuyoshi Kasuya visited Canton, Miss.
The delegation met with Nissan workers who expressed that
they are striving for the same kind of relationship that their
Japanese Nissan brothers and sisters already enjoy, one based
on mutual respect and cooperation. Mississippi Nissan workers
explained how Nissan management in the U.S. has used threats
of plant closure to scare workers about unionization and why
they are demanding a fair union election.
The JAW delegation pledged their continued support for
U.S. Nissan workers as they fight for a fair union election
and said they would demand that the company respect
workers’ right to organize in the U.S.
Clifford Odoms Travels to Japan to tell global
auto unions about Nissan’s threats
Clifford Odoms addresses IndustriALL’s
Automotive Working Group in Tokyo.
I
n December 2013, Canton Nissan Worker Clifford Odoms
traveled to Tokyo, Japan, to share the struggle for justice
he and the Fair Election Committee have been waging.
While in Japan, Odoms attended the Annual Meeting of
IndustriALL’s Automotive Working Group.
IndustriALL is a global union federation that represents
50 million workers in 140 countries in the mining, energy
and manufacturing sectors. The UAW and the unions that
represent workers at Nissan and its Alliance partner Renault
in Japan, France, Brazil, Australia, the U.K. and South
Africa are members of IndustriALL.
At the Automotive Working Group Annual Meeting,
autoworker unions meet to discuss how to create safer and
more democratic workplaces and how to protect trade union
rights throughout the world. At the 2013 meeting there were
88 delegates from auto unions in 20 countries including
2 OUR VOICE Winter 2014
the U.K., Russia, Thailand, Australia, Argentina, Brazil,
Canada, France, India, Germany, Italy, Finland, Spain,
Sweden, Korea, U.S., Japan, South Africa, Belgium and
IndustriALL staff from Switzerland and Turkey.
Odoms was welcomed very warmly by the delegates, as
a representative of the determination of Nissan workers at
the Canton plant to form their own union with the UAW. He
was literally embraced upon his arrival by top leaders of the
Japan Auto Workers (JAW) and other trade unionists.
He addressed the meeting on December 11, describing
his ten years at Nissan working in the Trim & Final
Department. Clifford has undergone three surgeries as a
result of repetitive motion injuries sustained at Nissan. He
has been subjected to arbitrary shift assignment regardless
of his seniority, frequent changes to his shift and overtime
schedules with little advance notice, and cuts to his
healthcare and retirement benefits, with no input from
him or his fellow workers. And when the workers try to
organize to make positive changes, the company implies
that it will close the plant and deprive the workers of their
livelihood. After Odom’s brief but eloquent summary
he received a standing ovation, the only time during the
meeting that anyone was recognized in that manner.
Shocked and appalled by Nissan’s conduct in the
U.S., delegates from various countries made generous
expressions and commitments of support for the struggle
of Nissan workers in the U.S. Many committed to
publicizing Nissan’s attack on global human rights
standards to working people in their home countries.
On the cover: The UAW passionately fought against
apartheid in South Africa, and when Nelson Mandela toured
the U.S. after his imprisonment, he wanted to celebrate with
the UAW. Mandela and then UAW President Owen Bieber
visited the UAW-represented Ford Rouge Plant where Bieber
presented Mandela with a UAW union membership card.
Labor law expert finds Nissan violates
international labor standards
A
n extensive report by
Mississippi NAACP
President Derrick Johnson and
international labor law expert
Lance Compa was released
in Washington, D.C., Oct. 8,
showing that Nissan in Canton
is in violation of international
labor standards on freedom
of association through its
aggressive interference with
workers trying to exercise their
fundamental right to organize
Lance Compa
a union.
The report concludes that under international law, the
company should respect human rights standards on workers’
freedom of association, including the right to organize and
the right to collective bargaining. But in the Canton plant,
according to the report, Nissan has launched a campaign of
fear and intimidation to nullify these rights.
“Under international law and pursuant to its own stated
commitments, Nissan is supposed to respect human rights
standards on workers’ freedom of association – the right to
organize and the right to collective bargaining. But in the
Canton plant, Nissan has launched an aggressive campaign of
fear and intimidation to nullify these rights,” said Johnson.
The International Labor Organization’s (ILO) 1998
Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work
and ILO Conventions 87 and 98 are the foundation of
international standards on workers’ freedom of association.
They prohibit:
• Imposing pressure, instilling fear and making threats of
any kind that undermine workers’ right to freedom of
association.
• Creating an atmosphere of intimidation and fear with
respect to union organizing.
• Pressuring or threatening retaliatory measures against
workers if they choose union representation.
• Denying reasonable access for workers to hear from
union representatives inside the workplace.
Workers at Nissan’s Canton plant, who are supported by
a growing student movement, community organizations
and trade unions around the world, described in the report
treatment that violates the ILO’s 1998 declaration and
conventions 87 and 98 – standards included as well in the
UN Global Compact, which Nissan joined in 2004.
Worker Jeff Moore, a body shop quality technician hired
in 2001, stated that anti-union intimidation began early
on. “In the first meetings, managers told us that Nissan is
totally non-union and didn’t want any part of unions, that
unions make plants close,” said Moore. “Everything they
said about unions was negative, nothing positive. It’s like
they were drilling it into our heads, stay away from the
union,” said Moore.
Workers also recounted “captive audience” meetings in
which they were forced to watch films and hear speeches
filled with implicit threats of plant closure if they formed
a union, and orchestrated one-on-one meetings with
supervisors warning of dire consequences if they choose
union representation.
Nissan, the report says, also targets their anti-union
behavior at hundreds of “associates” or temporary
workers, known as precarious workers globally, many
of whom do the same work as regular Nissan employees
but are paid lower wages and have less job security.
The report concludes temp workers, because of their
tenuous situation, often feel even more susceptible to the
company’s intimidation and climate of fear if they support
a union.
The report’s authors call on Nissan to change its
practices; specifically:
• Affirm workers’ right to organize in keeping with the
core labor standards of the ILO and ILO Convention
87 on freedom of association.
• Make clear that Nissan will not close the plant or fail
to introduce new product lines because workers choose
union representation.
• Assure workers that if they choose representation,
Nissan will negotiate in good faith with a sincere
desire to reach a collective bargaining agreement; and
• Grant access to UAW representatives so that
employees can receive information from them inside
the workplace.
The report also recommends that socially responsible
investment firms “ … re-evaluate their portfolio
holdings of Nissan stock in light of ILO standards and
the company’s actions at the Canton plant, and engage
with Nissan management to encourage adoption of
the recommendations in this report” and that “ … The
United Nations Global Compact and the OECD …
consider whether the company’s actions in Canton are
consistent with its commitments to, and obligations under,
international labor standards.”
Nissan recognizes and bargains with unions at almost all
of its operations globally, but not in the U.S. It’s time for
Nissan to change how it treats workers, including:
• Stopping the anti-union campaign at its U.S. operations
and treating workers with dignity and respect.
• Allowing union supporters equal time to address
employees on the issue of union representation.
• Apologizing and retracting past statements that imply
the future of the plants would be at stake if workers
choose union representation.
• Providing permanent jobs for all temporary workers
and paying these workers the same as it does its
regular employees.
Continued on page 4
3
Continued from page 3
From Canton to Paris: Compa releases report in France
International labor law expert Lance Compa, MAFFAN
member Cassandra Welchlin and Nissan technician
Shelia Wilson address journalists in Paris, France.
Professor Lance Compa released his report in
France Oct. 22 where Nissan Alliance partner,
Renault, is based. Compa, Nissan technician
Shelia Wilson and MAFFAN member
Cassandra Welchlin traveled to Paris to present
the report to French journalists.
In France and throughout the world, Renault
has a proven track record of constructive
social dialogue with its employees’ collective
bargaining representatives. Renault and Nissan
are linked by cross-shareholding, with Renault
holding a 43.4 percent stake in Nissan, and
Nissan holding a 15 percent stake in Renault.
In France, Nissan partner Renault works in
cooperation with unions and has a strong
culture of corporate social responsibility,
as illustrated by a recently signed Global
Framework Agreement to advance employee
rights in its worldwide operations.
The French unions, CFDT, CGT, CFE-CGC
and Force Ouvrière, are supporting U.S. Nissan
workers and have shown great solidarity. A
number of them have met with workers in
Canton and have sent an open letter to Renault.
“Tell Nissan: Labor Rights are Civil Rights” campaign
Members of Mississippi Alliance for Fairness at Nissan (MAFFAN), along with Mississippi NAACP
President Derrick Johnson, and Nissan workers Rafael Martinez and Chip Wells traveled on
Jan. 13 to the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Mich. There the group
launched the “Tell Nissan: Labor Rights are Civil Rights” campaign at a press conference.
Use of temporary workers
Undercuts foundation of the U.S. economy
One of the most destructive trends in the U.S. economy in
recent years is the growth of a new model of employment in
which companies shift away from hiring regular employees
and instead use temporary worker, or “temp,” agencies to
fulfill their core business functions. People who spend years
working as temps rarely gain the job security or benefits that
traditionally come with regular employment status.
A temp society will never be a middle-class society.
For years, Nissan has turned to Kelly Services or
Yates Minact for production workers. Although Nissan
won’t publicly reveal the number of temps it’s using, the
information that is available shows a substantial portion
of the company’s workforce is contract workers. Nissan
“associates” (temps) and Nissan “technicians” (regular
employees) work side by side, sometimes for years. Yet
associates have no job security and receive lower pay and
benefits while often doing the same work as technicians.
Nissan purports to have a no lay-off policy, but it simply lets
go of temp workers to reduce its workforce.
Nissan’s refusal to embrace a traditional employment
model is one of the primary reasons why workers in
Mississippi and Tennessee want to form a union and have
a voice. Workers believe that all of Nissan’s production
(Left): Canton Nissan technician Tony Wiggins.
(Right): Smyrna Nissan Technician Ed Ensley.
workers should be treated equally – with the respect,
dignity and security of permanent employment that
sustains the middle class
Together, workers and Nissan can do better. Workers
will not be divided and will keep up the struggle
against Nissan’s use of “perma-temps.”
launched at North American International Auto Show
TELL
NISSAN:
Labor Rights
are Civil Rights
PHOTOS: JOSEPH VERMILLION / UAW LOCAL 602
5
Concerned Students for a Better Nissan
Launch study of health and safety
conditions at Smyrna Nissan plant
Smyrna Nissan workers with CSBN activists who
are conducting a survey of health and safety
conditions at Nissan.
By Brett Elder and Mauri Systo,
Concerned Students for a Better Nissan, Health and Safety
Committee
oncerned Students for a Better Nissan (CSBN) in
Tennessee is investigating health and safety practices
and working conditions at the Smyrna, Tenn., Nissan plant.
As students and young activists from the Nashville area,
we have been working closely with the UAW and attending
worker meetings to learn first-hand what it’s like to work at
Nissan.
Reading about why unions matter is one thing. Hearing
why they matter to individuals is quite another. Many
workers have shared with us their personal stories and
why they believe there should be a union at Nissan. Many
C
workers have concerns about workplace health and
safety and believe that a union would allow them to
speak freely about their concerns and give input that
could make their jobs safer.
Given what we learned from Smyrna workers about
workplace accidents, injuries and deaths that have
occurred in the past few years, we wanted to find out
more about health and safety at the plant. However,
other than Nissan’s public relations material, there was
very little public information about working conditions.
It seemed that the only way to really find out about
health and safety conditions was to ask the workers
themselves.
This is how our current research began.
Spread the Word: Injured Workers Have Rights
A comprehensive health and safety survey was released
to Smyrna workers in late July, and by the end of
September large number of surveys had been returned. We
also conducted nearly 30 in-person interviews with current
and former employees and found an overwhelmingly
consistent response: Workers feel that Nissan could do far
more to promote health and safety. When workers report
unsafe conditions and injuries little seems to change in
their workplace. Our survey and interview results paint a
picture of a workplace culture that perpetuates insecurity
and in which workers feel expendable. The phrase “We’re
just a number to Nissan,” is a common refrain among
workers.
PHOTO: BIGSTOCK
On Saturday, September 21, a crowd gathered
at the UAW Justice Center to learn about workers’
compensation. The group of Nissan workers was
joined by Morgan & Morgan attorney Chris Neyland,
an expert on Mississippi’s workers’ compensation
system.
Neyland, who has represented more than 30 Nissan
employees, explained that workers’ compensation is
not a benefit provided by Nissan; rather, it is mandated
by the state. Workers’ compensation benefits should
be provided when a worker is injured or becomes sick
from work. Without the right knowledge, though, the
system can be difficult to navigate. Neyland offered a
thorough explanation of the law, including what to do
if Nissan claims that an injury or illness is non-work
related, and he answered everyone’s questions. He
also encouraged the group to spread the word about
their rights.
Nissan technician Shelia Wilson said the workshop
was empowering. “It was an eye-opener for me. I can’t
wait to talk to my co-workers about this.”
If you need assistance in connection with a potential
workers’ compensation claim, you should seek advice
from an experienced attorney. Neyland can be reached
at (601) 949-3388.
While the survey results tell a striking story, our
interviews with workers have given us even more insight
which we hope will shed light on what it’s really like to
work at Nissan in Smyrna. We hope our report will not
only help educate the public about working conditions
in the plant but also help improve plant conditions for
Nissan workers.
Many people in middle Tennessee think that Nissan is
a great place to work, pays good wages and invests in its
employees. That’s true. But, when it comes to health
and safety, workers feel that Nissan could do a lot better.
We are committed to standing with Nissan workers in
Tennessee and Mississippi and demanding that Nissan do
more to make workers’ health and safety a priority.
7
MILLARD BERRY
Nelson Mandela was a UAW member?
Mandela at the UAW-represented Ford Rouge plant.
A
s far back as the 1970s, the UAW stood with South African workers to end the racist and
undemocratic apartheid system. To demonstrate its intolerance of the oppressive system
of government the UAW withdrew its funds from banks that loaned to South Africa.
The UAW also played a key role in standing with independent unions during the apartheid
struggle. The union led the fight for autoworker leader Moses Mayekiso, who faced death by
hanging for treason. The Mayekiso support effort ended with him winning his freedom and
returning to lead the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA), which won
major bargaining advances. Later, he was elected to parliament during Nelson Mandela’s
presidency.
UAW members also traveled to South Africa many times to run union training sessions,
monitor the election and fight to free workers from prison and torture. Former UAW
President Owen Bieber traveled to South Africa as a member of the U.S. State Department
Advisory Committee, which ultimately recommended sanctions to pressure the South African
government to replace apartheid with a nonracial, democratic system. Bieber and the UAW
passionately fought against discrimination in South Africa, and when Nelson Mandela toured
the U.S. after his imprisonment he wanted to celebrate with UAW Local 600 (Ford Rouge).
When Mandela and Bieber visited the UAW-represented Ford Rouge Plant, Bieber
presented Mandela with a UAW union membership card. On the same visit to the U.S.
Mandela spoke to a crowd of roughly 49,000 at Tiger Stadium in Detroit and thanked the
UAW for their support. “Sisters and brothers, friends and comrades,” Mandela told the
gathering, “the man who is speaking is not a stranger here. The man who is speaking is a
member of the UAW. I am your flesh and blood,” said Mandela.
Today the UAW and NUMSA continue to share a special and close relationship.
13 June 2013
Dear Shiga-san:
I have always believed Nissan to be an outstanding global company producing
high quality products, and the relationship between Nissan and its unions in
South Africa appears to be one of respect and mutual cooperation. However,
I have learned that Nissan’s response to union organizing efforts in the United
States has been designed to suppress human and civil rights of workers in that
country, and therefore I must voice my strong opposition to this conduct.
My understanding is that when Nissan employees in Canton, Miss., began to
form a union, management responded harshly with intensive group and one-onone meetings including anti-union videos. Supervisors implied that if workers
did choose to form a union, there was a strong possibility that the plant would
not survive.
Archbishop Emeritus
Desmond Tutu
These activities create a climate of fear that prevents a free choice about
unionization. This is in conflict with the principle that the right to form a union
is a fundamental human right, as expressed in the United Nations Global Compact and the ILO Declaration of
Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, and enshrined in our South African Bill of Rights.
Nissan has publicly stated that it endorses these principles, but its actions in Mississippi discredit this public
position.
I believe that the United Auto Workers is committed to collaborating with employers and forming positive
partnerships. The Nissan workers have consistently stated that they are both pro-Nissan and pro-UAW. Yet a
Nissan official announced that any worker who is pro-UAW is anti-Nissan. This is unacceptable.
I respectfully request that you intervene with your U.S. management and direct them to:
1. Abide by the Principles for a Fair Union Election, permitting the UAW to have equal time and equal access
to address the workers.
2. Repudiate your previous messages that imply that jobs are in jeopardy if the workers join a union.
3. Deliver the message that if the workers decide to organize a union, the company will work cooperatively
with the union to achieve success.
I look forward to your response to this urgent matter.
God bless you,
Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu
Cape Town
Photo of Archbishop Desmond Tutu by JOSHUA WANYAMA (“Wa-J”)
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/deed.en.
9
CHRIS TODD
Nissan union leaders from South Africa
‘shocked’ by anti-union conduct in U.S.
NUMSA representatives meet with Nissan workers in Canton.
J
acob Mashego is surprised and “shocked.” The
chairman of the Shop Stewards Committee at
Nissan in South Africa and member of NUMSA
(National Union of Metal Workers of South Africa)
said based on his experiences meeting with Nissan
management, “I am surprised and shocked by the fact
that Nissan interferes with U.S. workers seeking to
have a voice in the workplace.”
A delegation of union leaders from South Africa
visited Mississippi and Tennessee where they met
with workers, students, community leaders and public
officials to hear about Nissan’s conduct in the U.S.
when workers launched an effort to organize a union.
The group leafleted outside the Canton plant inviting
the workers to meet them. At the meeting, workers
shared stories of the company’s intimidation tactics
and implied threats.
The South Africans were incredulous when they
heard what U.S. workers have endured from the
company: accusing the union of being a bad thing
and wanting only money, saying that unions force
companies to close and implying that workers will lose
their jobs if they form a union. “Why is Nissan taking
such a negative, hostile attitude towards the workers
and their desire to have a union?” asked Witness
Ndlovu at the meeting. Ndlovu is a union steward
at Nissan’s South Africa plant. “I don’t understand
why U.S. workers are treated differently from Nissan
workers in other countries,” he said.
“You are entitled to representation just like every
other nation’s Nissan workers,” NUMSA President
Cedric Gina told the group. “In the future, when
Nissan corporate leaders invite us to meetings we
will raise the issue of why American employees are
not also represented. We will demand that the next
meeting be held in Mississippi or Tennessee,” said
Gina.
NUMSA National Treasurer Mphumzi Maqungo,
who is employed by GM, explained to the U.S.
Nissan workers how during 2010 negotiations the
union won an abolition of labor brokers, who are
similar to temps used by Nissan in the U.S. Nissan
workers applauded loudly when hearing about this.
Mashego explained how Nissan respects the
union structure in South Africa, which includes 13
shop stewards paid for by Nissan and regular worktime meetings with union leaders, workers and
management.
The big question on the minds of the South
Africans was why does Nissan imply that it will
close factories in the U.S. unless the workers give
up their right to have a union? Certain political
officials repeat this over and over and Nissan
has never contradicted it. The company operates
factories throughout the world with full respect for
their unionized workforces. Why are southern U.S.
workers treated by Nissan as second-class global
citizens?
The South Africans took note of the irony that,
historically, it is the people and the unions of the
United States who stood up for South Africans when
they were suffering under the racist apartheid regime
that denied blacks the right to full citizenship. The
United Auto Workers union was a lead actor in the
CHRIS TODD
CHRIS TODD
(Above): NUMSA representatives
teach Canton Nissan workers a
traditional South African dance.
(Right): Jackson Mayor Chokwe
Lumumba welcomes NUMSA
delegation to Mississippi.
international struggle to free Nelson Mandela and to
end the racist policies. Now, the tables are turned, and
the people of South Africa can freely join unions while
U.S. workers face threats of losing their jobs.
Derrick Johnson, president of the Mississippi
NAACP, explained that the civil rights movement has
always struggled against economic exploitation and
suppression of rights, and that the struggle for union
rights is part of that fight. He told the South African
guests that the U.S. South has a history of exploitation
of labor.
The South African delegation that visited Mississippi
included the president of NUMSA Cedric Gina,
NUMSA National Treasurer Mphumzi Maqungo,
Nissan union stewards Jacob Mashega, Witness
Ndlovu and Nkululeko Beauchamp, and NUMSA
International Affairs Officer Skhumbuzo Phakathi.
The South Africans pledged their support and
solidarity with U.S. Nissan workers. “You will
win this fight,” President Gina told workers at
the meeting. “Forward ever. Backward never. We
promise that we will go back to South Africa and
engage in solidarity actions and do everything we
can to get Nissan to respect your right to have a
union,” said Gina.
Our South African friends have already helped us
enormously, lifting us up with their warmth, their
strength, their beautiful spirits and their commitment
to the dignity of all human beings, forged through a
long, harrowing struggle.
OUR VOICE Winter 2014 11
Brazilian Workers
Step UP
Support for Mississippi Nissan Workers
ore and more Brazilians are hearing about how
Nissan is using fear and intimidation in Mississippi,
and they have begun taking action in cities across
Brazil to let consumers know that Nissan is failing to
live up to global labor standards. The response from
Brazilian consumers has been very positive. They’re
surprised that a company like Nissan that works well
with unions around the world is treating its employees
in the U.S. so differently.
Union members leafleted inside and outside the
dealerships, talking to workers and customers. At
the Nissan dealership, Paulo Pissinini, a Renault
worker who visited Mississippi in 2013, spoke with
the dealership manager, who was supportive of the
efforts of Mississippi workers seeking to form a union.
He told Pissinini that he liked the demonstration and
agreed to communicate with Nissan his concerns
about what is happening in Mississippi.
Employees at the Plant of Nissan’s Alliance
Partner Renault in Curitiba, Brazil,
Leaflet Nissan Dealerships
“We are overwhelmed by the response of our
union members, especially Renault workers,” said
Pissinini. “It has been surprising. Workers ask us
every day about U.S. Nissan workers and want to get
involved. We want the UAW and the Nissan workers
in Mississippi to know that we are 100 percent
committed to a victory in Mississippi,” said Pissinini.
M
Employees who work at the Renault plant in Curitiba,
Brazil, leafleted the largest Nissan dealership and the
largest Renault dealership in Curitiba. Passing out
leaflets that explained how Nissan has interfered when
workers in Mississippi have tried to organize a union,
they asked consumers to contact Nissan and demand
that the company stop these practices.
The action was led by the Curitiba Metalworkers Union,
which is the same union that held a rally outside their
factory when actor/activist Danny Glover and three
Nissan employees were visiting Brazil earlier this year.
The Curitiba workers said they’re planning to do more
dealership actions and are keeping in close touch
with their new friends from Mississippi.
Workers in Brazil’s Third Largest City
Leaflet Nissan Dealership
In Belo Horizonte, Brazil’s third largest city, 150 union
members leafleted the Nissan dealership in support
(Above): Brazilian workers
pass out leaflets at Nissan
dealership in Curitiba.
(Left): Brazilian workers in
front of Nissan dealership
in Sao Paulo.
of the Nissan workers in Mississippi. The action was
covered by the three largest newspapers in the city.
The national president of the Commercial Workers
Union, UGT, Ricardo Patah, led a delegation of his
members to Mississippi in 2013 and spoke at the action.
“Today we are in front of a Nissan dealership in Belo
Horizonte,” said Patah. “Last week we were in Curitiba
and before that in Sao Paulo. Next we are going to Rio
de Janeiro and all over Brazil until we win justice at
Nissan in Mississippi,” he said.
Hundreds of Workers Demonstrate in front of
Nissan Dealership in Brazil’s Largest City
Demonstrating in solidarity with the Nissan workers in
Mississippi, over 300 workers from the largest unions in
Brazil rallied in front of the largest Nissan dealership in
Sao Paulo, Brazil’s largest city.
The demonstration was part of a national Day of Action
for Decent Work. Many of the union leaders who
visited Mississippi participated in the action and shared
their experiences with the consumers and workers at
the rally.
“I was in Mississippi, and I was shocked by the stories
that workers told me. Nissan workers can’t plan
to spend time with their families on the weekends
because they don’t know when they will be called
in to work. This is unacceptable,” said Sergio Leite,
who visited Mississippi in September. “Today’s
action is just the beginning. We are going to be
demonstrating and leafleting in front of Nissan
dealerships across Brazil until workers’ rights are
respected at Nissan,” said Leite.
More Actions Planned
The Brazilian union leaders, members and their
allies are so outraged by what they have learned
about Nissan’s anti-union campaign in Mississippi
that they have vowed to keep leafleting and
demonstrating at Nissan dealerships until the
workers in Mississippi have a free and fair election.
As UGT President Ricardo Patah told the New York
Times, “We’re not going to stop until they have a
union inside the plant in Mississippi.”
New actions are already being planned in Catalao,
in the state of Goias, and in Salvador, in the state
of Bahia, as well as in Curitiba and Sao Paulo as the
campaign for justice at Nissan spreads across Brazil.
Step UP
Brazilian union leaders pledge continued
support after Mississippi visit
The Brazil delegation meets with members of MAFFAN to plan how
they can build support for Mississippi Nissan workers in Brazil.
L
eaders of the Forca Sindical labor federation visited
Canton, Miss., Sept. 11-13, 2013, to meet with
Nissan workers. Forca Sindical is the second largest
labor federation in Brazil and represents 9.5 million
workers. The delegation was led by Miguel Torres, vice
president of Forca Sindical and president of the CNTM
(metal workers union) that represents Renault/Nissan
workers in Brazil. Others in the delegation included
Sergio Luiz Leite, first secretary general, Nilton Souza
da Silva, international relations secretary, Ortelio
Palacio Cuesta, international relations advisor, and
Elida Maria Souza Capitao, advisor to the Puerto
Alegre union. They came to Mississippi to learn more
about the struggle for a fair election and demonstrate
their support for Nissan workers.
They learned about Nissan’s anti-union activities
when Danny Glover and Nissan workers from Canton
visited Brazil this year to tell union leaders about how
Nissan was treating U.S. workers who want to form
a union. After hearing about Nissan’s attack on the
right to organize, Forca Sindical held a huge support
rally in July at the Renault/Nissan plant in Curitiba,
Brazil. There, Canton Nissan workers told their stories
and hundreds of Brazilian workers signed a banner in
solidarity with the Canton workers. That banner is
now hanging in the Worker’s Center in Canton.
To learn more about the situation in Canton, the
Brazilian delegation that visited in September
joined Nissan workers at a large dinner meeting at
the Workers’ Center, heard the workers’ stories and
pledged their support for the campaign. They met
public officials including Jackson Mayor Chowke
Lumumba, State Representative Jim Evans and State
Senator Sollie Norwood. They also had lengthy
discussions with leaders from MAFFAN (Mississippi
Alliance for Fairness at Nissan), the NAACP and MSJA
(Mississippi Student Justice Alliance).
The Brazilian visitors were shocked at the way Nissan
treats employees who want a union. In Brazil the
workers at the Renault/Nissan plant have a strong
union contract and work very well with management.
The union leaders pledged to take the story of the
Nissan’s violation of international labor rights back to
Brazil and to increase their solidarity actions urging
Nissan to change its behavior in Mississippi.
They swiftly made good on their promise. Shortly
after their return to Brazil, CNTM members from the
Renault plant in Curitiba leafleted two dealerships in
Curitiba and have since spread their actions to cities
throughout Brazil.
Step UP
Brazilian Renault worker says though
challenge is huge, victory will be huge
By Rafael Messias Guerra,
UAW representative in Brazil
Rafael Guerra
UAW Brazil Representative
Interview with Paulo Pissinini,
Renault worker in Brazil, 38,
from the city of Curitiba, in
Parana State, Brazil. Renault
is an Alliance partner with
Nissan, which will be opening
its own plant in Brazil in
2014.
How long have you worked at the plant in Brazil?
I have worked for 16 years at the Renault plant in Sao
Jose dos Pinhais, Parana, Brazil. I work in the paint
shop. We have about 7,000 workers in the plant and
we make several Nissan models, including the Frontier
and the X-Terra.
Tell us about the union at the plant.
agreement of R$24,000. (At today’s exchange rate
that’s US$10,021.) And we reduced the work week
to 40 hours so that workers can spend the weekends
with their families. This was a huge victory because
it means that we can plan to spend time off with our
families over the weekend, and return to work wellrested on Monday morning and be more productive.
What are your goals for your next contract
negotiations?
For the next round of negotiations, our main objective
is to win another wage increase on top of inflation,
maintain our benefits and win a profit-sharing
agreement. And we want to win a new benefit for
workers: a monthly grocery allowance, which many
unions have in Brazil. With the grocery allowance,
workers get a card that is pre-loaded with money
by the company. Workers can use the card at
supermarkets and grocery stores to buy food for their
families.
What is the union’s relationship with management?
Our union is very strong and is present in the lives of
all the workers. Workers participate in all decisions
of the union. Of the 7,000 workers in the plant, over
4,000 are dues-paying members of the union.
Right now, we have an excellent relationship with
management. There really aren’t any big problems on
the part of workers or management.
What are some of the major victories of the union?
You visited the Nissan workers in Mississippi. Is
there anything you want to say to them?
The major achievement that the union has managed
to win over the years is an increase in real wages.
We won a wage increase last year of 3.5 percent
on top of inflation. We also won a profit-sharing
I want to say to my fellow workers that I have faith in
your campaign! Even though the challenge is huge,
the victory will also be huge. We are standing with
you everyday!
Step UP
English translation of
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s letter to Nissan
Dear Mr. Ghosn and Mr. Shiga-san,
I consider Nissan to be an outstanding global company producing the
highest quality products, and I am very pleased that Nissan is operating
assembly plants in the United States, and will be doing so in my country
as well.
However, I feel compelled to communicate a serious concern that has
been raised to me regarding Nissan’s response to union organizing efforts
in the United States.
I have received two delegations of workers from the Nissan plant in
Canton, Miss., who have told me about the great difficulties imposed on
union activities at the plant.
I understand that Nissan, and its Alliance partner Renault, have
good relationships with unions in Brazil and other countries. For this,
I am deeply concerned about the anti-union campaign that Nissan
is conducting in the U.S., considering that the right to organize is a
universally recognized human right and a fundamental principle adopted
by the International Labor Organization, an agency of the United Nations,
in its various official conventions.
DON LEHMAN / LOCAL 249
Therefore it is difficult to believe – and it has caused me great outrage
– that Nissan maintains an attitude of intransigence and intolerance at
a North American plant. And it is fitting to ask if this is the result of a
decision by the company or, even worse, if it is the result of unacceptable
intervention by anti-union politicians in the United States.
I, therefore, call on the highest level of Nissan management to
immediately modify this type of anti-union activity, and
bring yourself into compliance with the democratic values
in labor relations that should guide companies of the 21st
century, and abolish the restrictions and barriers that belong
to the 19th century.
I appreciate your attention and I expect remedial action.
Thank you,
Luiz Lula da Silva
Community activist joins MAFFAN after witnessing unreliable
work schedules and childcare challenges for Nissan workers
C
hange agent,
advocate, wife,
and mother are just a
few of the many hats
MAFFAN member
Cassandra OvertonWelchlin wears daily.
Committed to justice
and working to ensure
society’s most vulnerable
are heard, Welchlin has
dedicated her life’s work
to addressing the social,
political, economical
and ecological
Cassandra Overton-Welchlin
injustices in low-income
communities.
Welchlin was drawn to MAFFAN after hearing about how
Nissan workers were having issues with child care because
of irregular work schedules. Welchlin say she understands
the fight for fairness Nissan workers are undertaking. “I
immediately noticed that many of the people I served were
trapped — often through no fault of their own. They were
trapped in a vicious cycle characterized by poverty as well as
other quality-of-life issues.” She understands that workers at
the Canton plant are tirelessly striving to support their loved
ones and deserve the right to be respected by a company
they serve with their energy and time. Her observation has
been that when the backbone of a community, its labor force,
is silenced by big businesses like Nissan then that entire
community is in jeopardy of unjust treatment.
She believes that if Canton workers are given a voice and
the right to a fair union election, then strong families and
stable communities have a better chance at sustainability.
Welchlin traveled to Paris, France, in October 2013 to
discuss a report produced by international labor rights
scholar Lance Compa and Mississippi NAACP President
Derrick Johnson on Nissan’s violation of global labor
standards in Mississippi. Though Nissan is unionized at
many plants around the world they are opposed to unions
at their plants in the United States. The report highlights
Nissan’s intimidation tactics and strong anti-union
opposition which prohibit a fair election process for union
representation.
Welchlin explained to press conference participants in
Paris who the members of MAFFAN are and why they
are dedicated to Nissan workers. “These [workers] are our
neighbors, these are our brothers. These are our sisters.
We also have a history in the U.S. South where our voting
rights were denied, and to have a company say that workers
in the plant can’t have a fair vote to have a simple election
to decide whether they want a union is mindboggling,”
said Welchlin. She shared her insight on workers who are
frustrated with the long, fluctuating works hours which keep
them away from their families and the consequences of their
absence. She believes that Nissan should adopt regulations
that are healthy for families. “We don’t need any more of
our families to be broken apart because of these policies
in place and the insensitivity towards the families inside
that plant. We need our communities healthy and strong,”
Welchlin said.
Working with MAFFAN has helped her champion for
hard working parents who hope to give their families the
best. “I want to change the system in ways that make it
possible for those families and communities to succeed by
dismantling the policies that create and perpetuate barriers
to equal opportunity and to a better quality of life,” she said.
“We are our brother’s keeper, we are our sister’s keeper and
we are going to do whatever is in our power to tell Nissan
that corporations cannot come into the state and exploit
[workers] and not give [workers] the right to have a fair
process to unionize. Our politics cannot trump our people.
People are the most important thing and without them we
don’t have strong business and communities. We want to be
able to partner with Nissan because that’s how community
happens,” said Welchlin. She believes a collaborative effort
between workers and Nissan will improve the quality of life
for Canton residents and Mississippi families.
Welchlin has a Bachelor of Science degree in social
work from Jackson State University and Master of Arts
in Sustainable International Development from Brandeis
University at the Heller School for Social Policy and
Management. “My work grows out of a core set of principles
and values for justice, truth telling, accountability, and
moving communities to action to influence the formation and
implementation of public policy,” said Welchlin. She put
those principles to action by delving into a rather new career
pursuit this spring. Welchlin ran for a state senate seat during
a special election, and though she did not win it strengthened
her commitment to serve the community.
A native of Jackson, Miss., Cassandra is married to
Minnesotan Kass Welchlin, and they are the loving parents to
three children. She is the project manager for the Child Care
Matters campaign for the Mississippi Low Income Child
Care Initiative, an initiative that’s fighting a program that
would force low-income parents to scan their fingerprints to
pick their children up from day care. Fueled by the love for
her family and community, she is quoted by the Jackson Free
Press as having, “passion for improvement and addressing
the root causes of problems.” Welchlin says she understands
the root cause of societal inequities. “I learned that, to tackle
the problems of the poor and working class families in any
community, you have to address the policies that flow down
to them.”
From two college campuses in Mississippi,
a movement is born
By Mike Davis and Robin Raynor,
Concerned Students for a Better
Nissan coalition members.
Concerned Students for a Better
Nissan (CSBN) is a coalition
of students, youth activists,
social justice organizations and
communities. CSBN is not just
a coalition, but a community of
people who are tired of seeing
Nissan workers in Canton, Miss.,
and Smyrna, Tenn., demoralized and
treated unfairly in the workplace.
Student activists heard of Nissan’s
human rights violations and pledged
to stand in solidarity with the
Nissan workers as they fight for fair
treatment, respect on the job and
their human right to organize.
Mississippi students first came
together after taking notice of the
actions and mistreatment of friends
and family members working at
the Nissan plant in nearby Canton.
Their passion and intellect led them to found, model and
charter the Mississippi Student Justice Alliance (MSJA) on
two local HBCU campuses, Tougaloo College and Jackson
State University. From this framework, the CSBN coalition
was created to speak to the struggle of Nissan workers in
the community. In a little over a year, CSBN has expanded
to include groups at 17 colleges and universities and active
students and alumni at dozens of others. With plans to
expand to hundreds of campuses across the U.S. and abroad,
CSBN is actively recruiting students and community
members to support and get involved with the campaign.
As young people, we recognize that Nissan markets
heavily to our age group. We want to send a message to
Nissan that our generation cares very much about what
happens to the workers that build Nissan cars. CSBN won’t
stand by and allow Nissan to perpetuate this injustice. We
are committed to raising the voices of Nissan workers
throughout the world.
Over an exciting few months, CSBN members nationwide
have hosted a variety of events, on and off university
campuses, to highlight the struggles faced by the Nissan
workers. Through its CHOOSE_justice consumer awareness
initiative, CSBN has built support through events including
press conferences, nonviolent direct actions, bannering at
Nissan dealerships in multiple cities, forum discussions,
open mic nights and a multi-campus college tour with actor
Danny Glover in the spring of 2013.
On the national stage, CSBN participated in the
50th anniversary of the March on Washington. The
historic Anniversary March for Jobs and Freedom was a
culmination of 50 years of struggle, combined with a nod
towards the future, as coalition members traveled from
across the country to march with Nissan workers from
Mississippi and Tennessee and other youth activists from
throughout the U.S.
As CSBN continues to build through social media, the
internet and direct outreach across the country, students
are focused on the larger picture. As we work toward
supporting a fair election at Nissan, CSBN realizes the farreaching social and economic impact of our cause and its
implications on the futures of labor and working families
for years to come. Why? Because we are tomorrow’s
workers.
www.CHOOSEjustice.com
choosejusticeSJA@gmail.com
@CHOOSE_Justice on:
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,
YouTube, Tumblr, RSS
Key Advisor to Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba joins MAFFAN
Kali Williams, office coordinator for Jackson Mayor Chokwe
Lumumba, at a MAFFAN meeting with unionized Nissan
workers from South Africa.
Kali Williams, office coordinator for Jackson’s
new mayor Chokwe Lumumba, has joined MAFFAN
(Mississippi Alliance for Fairness at Nissan). Lumumba
was elected mayor in May and took office July 2013.
Hailed by many as “America’s Revolutionary Mayor,”
Lumumba has shown incredible support for Nissan
workers since taking office. In October Kali Williams,
on behalf of the mayor’s office, joined the community
alliance dedicated to challenging and exposing Nissan’s
use of fear and intimidation toward Mississippi Nissan
workers who are trying to exercise their right to form a
union.
Mayor Lumumba has also publicly expressed his deep
respect for the UAW. Born and raised in Detroit, Mich.,
where the UAW got its start and is headquartered, the
mayor has publicly credited the UAW with helping create
an African-American middle class in the United States.
Lumumba has praised the UAW’s commitment to helping
raise the standard of living of Mississippi workers and its
involvement in the campaign for a fair election at Nissan. He
has pledged to do whatever he can to help Nissan workers
achieve justice.
We thank Mayor Lumumba for his support and welcome
Kali Williams to MAFFAN.
A message to Nissan workers
While you may not know
each of us, you should
know that as students, we
attend universities that
have a strong legacy of
protecting our working
class, and we plan to
further that legacy. As
students, we are often
asked why we care about workers’ rights. Some
say the injustices experienced by workers do not
affect us, but they couldn’t be more incorrect. You
see, it is because of the sacrifices and struggles
made by workers in our own families that we are
able to receive an education at some of the premier
Historically Black Colleges and Universities
(HBCUs) in this country.
Because someone acted as an ally to our families
we have been placed in a position to do the same
for others. Know that we see this not as a burden
but as an opportunity, a gift that allows us to show
how thankful we are for the sacrifices those before
us have made. As young people, we are called to
act when workers are denied justice in today’s
society, and that is why we stand with Nissan
workers who are being denied a fair union election.
We say to Nissan, stop using fear to intimidate
workers. Our generation chooses justice. We will
stand beside Nissan workers until they achieve the
justice they deserve.
Chelsea Gaddis, Howard University
CSBN member
CHRIS TODD
From Mississippi to D.C. for the 50th
Anniversary March on Washington
Nissan workers and their supporters board the bus for
the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington for
Freedom and Jobs in Washington, DC.
D
ozens of Nissan workers and
supporters traveled from
Mississippi by bus for 16 hours to
join tens of thousands of people at
the Lincoln Memorial in Washington,
D.C., for the 50th anniversary of the
March on Washington for Freedom
and Jobs. The purpose of the march
was not only to commemorate the
historic moment when Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. delivered his “I have
a dream” speech, but also to recommit
to Dr. King’s legacy of fighting for
civil rights. While much has been
achieved much remains to be done,
including the fight for the right to
freely join a union.
The Mississippi contingent joined
forces with thousands of UAW
members, student supporters and
others who share and support their
mission. “It was amazing to see all the
support from the UAW,” said Tommy
Terrell, a Nissan technician in Canton,
Miss.
“It had a huge impact on me to
experience the magnitude of people
coming together, walking in the
footsteps of people who marched 50
years ago,” said Terrell.
Shelia Dixon-Wilson, another
Nissan technician, described feeling
deeply moved by being part of such
a huge gathering of people. “We
were all trying to move forward.
Everyone had their hearts in the right
place and was on the same page. The
atmosphere was so beautiful with
everybody coming together in one
accord,” she said.
The experience exceeded many
expectations and the Mississippi
delegation returned to Canton filled
with inspiration and commitment to
fulfill the promise of the civil rights
movement.
“It was a privilege and an honor
to be on hallowed ground and
experience something like what
happened in previous years,“ said
Nissan technician Chip Wells. “UAW
President Walter Reuther was a
partner of Dr. King in the previous
march, and it is so important for us to
continue this movement.”
Reuther was one of the ten speakers
at the original event 50 years ago and
he worked closely with Dr. King,
who was a strong believer in labor
rights. In fact, Dr. King worked
on his “I have a dream” speech at
the UAW headquarters in Detroit.
When he was assassinated, Dr. King
was in Memphis to support a union
organizing drive among sanitation
workers.
“I feel more motivated than ever
to keep organizing our union,” said
Terrell. “Too many people gave their
lives fighting for our rights. We have
to stand up together and demand
respect and a voice.”
Taking part in the march was
a reminder that the struggle for a
fair election is part of a broader
movement, something bigger than
the union campaign here in Canton.
It showed us that the struggle for a
union at Nissan is bending the arc of
history towards justice. Together, we
will ring the bell of freedom.
T-Shirts remind all that:
Labor Rights ARE Civil Rights
(Left to right): Shelia Wilson, Chip Wells,
Dionne Monroe wearing their new T-shirts.
A number of Nissan workers have been
sporting black and white T-shirts that read
“Labor Rights are Civil Rights.” The shirt
features a historic image of Martin Luther
King, Jr. and former UAW President Walter
Reuther standing together at the Lincoln
Memorial as they prepared to make historic
addresses to the crowd at the March on
Washington in 1963.
The shirt aims to remind us of Martin
Luther King, Jr.’s dream. While much has
been achieved so much remains to be done,
including the fight for workers’ right to freely
join a union without fear or intimidation.
Nissan workers are leading the way in this
struggle as they demand that Nissan respect
the right to organize.
Students and community leaders call out
Nissan’s anti-union campaign at Jackson Day of Dignity
Dozens of students from the Mississippi
Student Justice Alliance (MSJA) and
community leaders from MAFFAN
(Mississippi Alliance for Fairness
at Nissan) participated in the Day
of Dignity, an Aug. 28 rally at the
Mississippi State Capitol in Jackson
to commemorate the 1963 March on
Washington.
Student activists from Tougaloo
College and Jackson State University
marched with signs that read “Tell
Nissan: Labor Rights are Civil Rights.”
MSJA leader Hayat Mohamed and Jaribu
Hill, MAFFAN member, passionately
spoke to the crowd and encouraged rally
participants to join them as they take on
one of the most important civil rights
struggles of today: the right to organize.
Mohamed and Hill, who also serve
as executive director of the Mississippi
Worker’s Center for Human Rights, explained how
they have been building support for Nissan workers
and demanded that Nissan respect its workers’ right to
organize
Go here to watch a video of Hill speaking:
bit.ly/KKhDkg
(Left to right): Mississippi Student Justice
Alliance (MSJA) members Hayat Mohamed,
Shayna Donald, Kimar Cain (chapter president/
MSJA chair at Tougaloo College) and Doriecia
Washington before rallying in support of Nissan
workers at the Day of Dignity rally in Jackson.
Get Involved!
W
e want everyone to be involved
in the effort to achieve a fair
election at Nissan. Consider joining a
committee.
Media Committee
The Media Committee is made up of
an incredible group of spokespeople
and is looking for more! Members are
focused on sharing their stories with
journalists so the people of Canton,
the state of Mississippi, the larger
United States and the world know
why workers at Nissan want a union
and deserve a fair union election. The
Media Committee provides media
training for new members.
Community Service
Committee
(Left to right): Nissan workers Clifford Odoms and Tawaina Banks
When someone signs up to support
sort items collected in a canned food drive to benefit Nissan
the union, he or she is not doing it
workers on medical leave and in need of assistance.
simply out of self-interest or for their
relationships with one another, the Men’s Committee
own family or even just to make their company better.
gathers for food, fellowship and to watch sporting events
Being part of a union means making a commitment to
each month.
lifting up one’s entire community. Helping one another to
create a better life for all is what the labor movement is all
Fair Election Committee/Organizing
about.
Committee
For that reason, local unions around the country are
The Fair Election Committee is the large and constantly
involved in numerous activities to give back to their
growing group of employee leaders volunteering on the
communities.
campaign to win the right to organize at Nissan. The
The Community Service Committee is working
Fair Election Committee educates fellow Nissan workers
closely with the Boys & Girls Club of Canton. Through
throughout the campaign, attends union meetings and
fundraising and after-school homework and literacy
shares information with other Nissan workers. The Fair
volunteering, we are helping build a better tomorrow for
Election Committee distributes literature and attends
the young people of Canton.
public events.
Women’s Committee
For more information or to join one of the committees,
contact the Nissan Workers’ Center at 601-859-2931.
“Nissan Women United in Social Justice”
The Women’s Committee “Nissan Women United in
Letters to the Editor are welcome
Social Justice” is welcoming new members. The Women’s
•
Have
a
strong opinion on a workplace issue?
Committee meets monthly to discuss issues that affect
women in the workplace and to work on upcoming service
• Have something to say about why workers at Nissan need
projects. The women’s committee is currently holding a
a union or why they don’t?
canned food drive collecting non-perishable food items for
• Feel strongly about an Our Voice article?
Nissan co-workers who are out on medical leave and need
a little help.
• Want to share something important with the Nissan
workforce?
Men’s Committee “Men of Purpose”
The Men’s Committee “Men of Purpose” is focused on
recruiting men at Nissan to become involved in securing
a fair union election. With the goal of building strong
Consider putting your ideas in print and send Our Voice a
Letter to the Editor.
Send your letter to: ourvoiceopinion@gmail.com
Tell Nissan:
Labor Rights
are
Civil Rights
Betty Jones – Nissan Worker
“History is a great teacher. Now everyone knows that the
labor movement did not diminish the strength of the nation
but enlarged it. By raising the living standards of millions,
labor miraculously created a market for industry and lifted
the whole nation to undreamed of levels of production.
Those who attack labor forget these simple truths, but
history remembers them.”
– Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Nissan Workers Center, 276 Nissan Parkway, Bldng. F-300, Canton, Miss., 39046
(601) 859-2931
www.DoBetterNissan.org
For more information, text JUSTICE to 738674.

Support in Brazil expands Nissan workers Travel to March on

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