warehouse workers

Two Workers Fired in the Name of Walmart’s Bottom Line

July 27, 2012 by dean

Pictured here: Girshriela Green and Santos Castaneda, two leaders fired in the fight to improve working conditions and jobs in the Walmart supply chain.

Walmart fired Girshriela Green just days after she spoke to thousands at the June 30 Chinatown protest. Castaneda was fired from his job moving Walmart goods after he spoke up about working conditions.

Workers Stand Up to Retaliation and Win

July 26, 2012 by dean

Warehouse workers filed charges to stop a recent wave of retaliation Wednesday and one worker was reinstated after being suspended indefinitely.

Workers have raised serious concerns about high temperatures, broken equipment, constant yelling and pressure from supervisors and frequent injuries inside warehouses that move Walmart goods. They filed an extensive complaint with the state of California July 18 about conditions at the NFI Crossdock, a warehouse in Eastvale, California. Warehouse operators wasted no time punishing those who stood up to improve conditions on the job.

“We are trying to make a difference and improve our jobs,” said Carlos Martinez, a warehouse worker at the NFI Crossdock. “In response our managers are making up reasons to suspend workers who are outspoken, changing up people’s assignment and trying to embarrass us if we speak up. I am not afraid.”

Martinez was suspended late last week after the he and about 20 other workers filed a serious complaint with Cal/OSHA. After workers delivered a copy of the anti-retaliation charges, he was immediately reinstated. He will be back at work Thursday, July 26.

Apolinar Rojas, who was injured while driving a forklift at the Crossdock, was required to work against his doctor’s orders. Immediately after the accident he was made to sit, broom in hand, in front of a managers’ office and mocked about his injuries. He is now on light duty while he recovers.

Workers who help staff the facility 24 hours a day, seven days a week unloading and loading Walmart goods filed charges with federal and state authorities in response to several instances of retaliation against several entities including Walmart, National Distribution Centers of Delaware, Inc., which operates the warehouse, and two staffing agencies, Warestaff, LLC, and Select Staffing, Inc., supply most of the workers on site.

*Update*

David Garcia, a second warehouse worker who was suspended after filing the complaint about health and safety, returned to work July 30. Workers – 2, Warehouse – 0!

Things happen fast in the warehouse.

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PHOTOS: No more #brokenbodies.

July 18, 2012 by dean

View the photos of workers delivering a Cal/OSHA complaint to end dangerous working conditions at critical Walmart-contracted warehouse.

Mira las fotos de los trabajadores de bodega entregando la queja que pusieron con Cal/OSHA para terminar las peligrosas condiciones de trabajo en una de las bodegas mas importantes sub-contratada por Walmart.

Extreme Pressure, Constant Injuries and Retaliation

July 1, 2012 by dean

Workers Bravely Call for Safety on the Job

Mire abajo para Español.

These five warehouse workers routinely work with broken, unsafe equipment, under extreme pressure to work faster and are frequently injured.

June 30 they led a group of 50 workers and supporters to call for a safer workplace and specific resolutions to serious problems they face on the job.

This is no small thing. In the warehouse where they work moving Walmart goods hundreds of workers must lift up to 400 boxes an hour in extreme heat using broken equipment. There is little access to water, they are frequently denied breaks, supervisors yell and the rate of injury is high.

If you complain about these conditions, most likely you will be fired. If you are injured on the job you will likely be told to go home without medical treatment or compensation. If you are hurt for too long, most likely you will be told not to return.

“I’m not just doing this for me and my family,” said Jose Gonzalez. “I am doing this for everyone who works at the warehouse. What we deal with is not fair, it’s not humane. I am not afraid. We have to say something.”

Presión extrema, lesiones constantes y represalias

Trabajadores valientemente demandan seguridad en el trabajo

Estos cinco trabajadores de bodegas, normalmente trabajan con equipo roto e inseguro y bajo presión extrema de trabajar más rápido y frecuentemente se lesionan.

El 30 de Junio ellos encabezaron un grupo de 50 trabajadores para demandar un lugar de trabajo más seguro y resoluciones especificas a problemas graves que enfrentan en el trabajo.

Esto no es algo leve, en la bodega donde trabajan moviendo mercancía de Walmart, cientos de trabajadores deben de levantar hasta 400 cajas por hora, bajo un calor extremo usando equipo roto. Hay poco acceso a agua, frecuentemente se les niegan los descansos, enfrentan gritos de sus supervisores y la cantidad de lesiones es alto.

Si se quejan de esas condiciones, existe una gran posibilidad de ser despedido.

Si se lesionan en el trabajo es probable que les digan que se vayan a casa sin tratamiento médico o compensación.

Si estas lastimado por largo tiempo, es muy probable que se te digan que no regreses a trabajar.

“No estoy haciendo esto solo por mí y mi familia”, dijo Jose Gonzalez. “Estoy haciendo esto por todos los que trabajan en las bodegas. Con lo que lidiamos no es justo, no es humano. No tengo miedo. Tenemos que decir algo.”

“When I was pregnant, they laughed at my concerns.”

June 29, 2012 by dean

By Marta Medina

This weekend I plan to join thousands of people in Chinatown in Los Angeles. We are concerned about working conditions that affect people like me who make sure Walmart’s shelves are stocked.

It means a lot for me to be there Saturday. I want people to know about the hard work warehouse workers do and the intense pressure we face moving Walmart goods.

I am going to speak on stage so that people learn about what it means to work in a warehouse.

I worked in the warehouse for about five years moving Walmart products out of containers that come from Asia. I even worked through my pregnancy with my son Chris. The work is really hard and to do it while pregnant made it even harder. I thought the agency that we work for would respect the fact that I was pregnant and I would be allowed to modify my work, but they didn’t care. I had to do the same work as always even though I was pregnant. A lot of times when women become pregnant they are fired so it was very difficult for me — I needed my job to support my family, but I was also thinking about my baby and hoping that nothing would happen to him.

Walmart is particularly hard because of the high quantities and fast pace. I remember one day we had to move thousands of boxes in just a short time. That was the requirement and I had to do it even though I was pregnant.

Because of the tension I had an emergency caesarean. I had to go back to work almost immediately after my son was born, while I was still recovering, but the managers didn’t care. They laughed at my concerns.

Right now I am injured. We lift heavy boxes, 50-75 pounds or more for eight hours a day. That takes a toll on your body.

This story is hard for me to recount. It makes me sad and it makes me angry, but more than anything I worry that if I don’t tell people they will not know about warehouse workers. We work in huge windowless buildings in San Bernardino and Riverside. Temperatures are high, we are exposed to lots of chemicals and we don’t always get breaks or access to clean water, but with peoples’ attention and support I know we can change our jobs for the better and make sure we work in a safe environment.

Workers Unite to Stop Extreme Pressure

June 27, 2012 by dean

Wearing a t-shirt may seem like a small thing…but it means a lot when you work in a warehouse.

Today , these courageous workers showed they are united in the face of retaliation to stop extreme pressure on the job, unsafe working conditions and disrespect in Walmart-contracted warehouses.

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Usar una camiseta podría verse como algo insignificante…pero significa mucho cuando trabajas en una bodega.

Hoy, estos trabajadores valientes demostraron que están unidos enfrentando represalias para poner un paro a la extrema presión en el trabajo, condiciones de trabajo peligrosas y falta de respeto en bodegas contratadas de Walmart.