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Oak Harbor: Do the Right Thing!
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON: SUPPORT JEFF THE TRUCKER AND STRIKING WORKERS
On Monday September 22, 2008, Jeff the Trucker and his fellow workers at one of the largest regional trucking company on the West Coast – Oak Harbor Freight Lines - were forced to strike in protest of Oak Harbor's violations of America's labor laws.
Rather than correcting these violations by negotiating with its employees in good faith, Oak Harbor's owners have hired a notorious strike breaking firm and imported teams of professional strikebreakers to coerce and scare loyal long-time employees.
Oak Harbor workers have now been on strike for more than 8 weeks.
Several faith-based, student and community organizations along with global union federations have called on Oak Harbor to end its war on workers, but Oak Harbor still refuses to work with its employees to find a just and lasting solution to the conflict.
Read the article on Jeff the Trucker by Peter Dreier in the Huffington Post and ask Oak Harbor management to stop harboring worker abuses.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-dreier/truck-the-gap_b_139862.html
| Sample Letter for Campaign |
Subject: Tell Oak Harbor To Stop Violating Workers' Rights
Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,
As a human rights activist, I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the labor violations at Oak Harbor Freight Lines and ask you to urge owners Ed and David Vander Pol to work with their striking employees to find a fair and just solution to the ongoing conflict.
Oak Harbor workers have now been on strike for more than 8 weeks, and, according to reports from employees, Oak Harbor may be forced to shut down its California operations in the coming weeks
A report by the International Labor Rights Forum on the situation at Oak Harbor found substantial evidence that Oak Harbor has violated workers' rights by pursuing a premeditated plan to permanently replace employees engaged in a lawful strike, by employing a labor contractor that has behaved in a grossly unethical manner toward replacement workers it has provided to Oak Harbor, discriminating based on race and gender in hiring and job assignment, and by inflicting significant hardship on retired employees through the termination of health insurance contributions.
Oak Harbor Freight Lines workers in Oregon, Washington and Idaho were forced to strike in protest of Oak Harbor's violations of America's labor laws, as well as hostile efforts by company representatives to intimidate workers. Rather than correcting these violations by negotiating with its employees in good faith, Ed and David Vander Pol hired a notorious strike breaking firm and imported teams of professional strikebreakers to coerce and scare loyal long-time employees.
I believe that Oak Harbor's owners can and should act from the moral imperative that people should be able to work in an atmosphere free of bullying, and that employee ideas for operating more effectively should be encouraged. I also believe that labor relations between employees and management can be a win/win proposition. We are all strengthened as a community when respect for employees is upheld as the priority.
Join us in the fight to ensure that all Oak Harbor employees get dignity, respect and fair pay for a job well done. Please urge Oak Harbor's owners to end their war on workers.
Sincerely,
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