Baseball's New Era Cap turns Dr. King's Dream into a Field of Nightmares Tell New Era: We Demand Justice Today This month we honored Dr. King's dream for justice and equality in America. We all know there is still a long struggle to achieve it. But Dr. King's dream of a land free of bigotry and discrimination has turned to a nightmare for Mobile workers at New Era Cap, Major League Baseball's exclusive maker of baseball caps. This past spring, in an effort to address poverty wages, racial discrimination and forced overtime, New Era Cap workers in Mobile, Alabama decided to stand up for their rights and fight for justice and equality in their workplace. Workers, the majority of whom are black and female, were being passed over for promotion and were paid less than white workers. New Era was even disciplining single mothers when they took time to bring their children to the doctor. New Era workers courageously stood up for themselves and formed a union to protect their civil rights. In response, the company launched a vicious anti-union campaign of systematic bullying and intimidation. New Era management even threatened workers that they could lose their food stamps if the union was voted in. During the course of the campaign, New Era Cap terminated more than 20 workers. This past holiday season New Era Cap laid off an additional 35 workers, causing great hardship to workers and their families. Over the past several months civil-rights, student, faith-based, and community organizations have come together to support New Era workers and hold New Era accountable for its abuse and discrimination, but New Era Cap refuses to meet workers' simple demands of re-hiring the fired workers, ending all discrimination and allowing all New Era workers to chose union representation without fear of retribution. It is time for a new day at New Era. Tell New Era: We Demand Justice Today!

Sample Letter for Campaign

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

Dear CEO Koch,

This month as we celebrated the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., we remember the dream of justice and equality for all Americans. It is an outrage that New Era Cap, a company that produces caps for Major League Baseball, the university community, and the Hip-Hop community is still stuck in the Jim Crow era.

Black workers in Alabama have been asking for the simple demand to be treated with respect, as equal human beings and to be valued for the work that they do to make New Era the company that it is.

In response to workers standing up for their rights, your company terminated pro-union activists, held mandatory anti-union meetings, and interrogated workers throughout their campaign. This kind of behavior from your company is unacceptable. More recently, you have continued your anti-union activities by sending out letters, holding meetings, and intimidating workers at your Jackson manufacturing facility.

How would you feel if you were trying to feed a family on $6/hour for seven years without a raise?

How would you feel if after working several years at your job you were passed over for promotion while a white worker with less experience was brought in to be your supervisor?

How would you feel if the level of disrespect was so intense that one of your pregnant co-workers was told by her supervisor that if she goes into labor, that he can provide her with a bucket and some towels?

We call on New Era Cap to end all discrimination in its Alabama facilities and treat workers with the respect they deserve, to re-hire all of the terminated workers, and to allow all of its workers to choose a union without having to face harassment and intimidation on the job.

Enough is enough.

Sincerely,




CC:
Major League Baseball
Boston Red Sox
Los Angeles Dodgers
Colorado Rockies
Modell's
Hatworld
Foot Locker

Campaign Launched:
January 18, 2008