the

THIS ISSUEMAPP Benefits 2

APWU Withdraws Lawsuit 3 At The Rail 4

Chrysler Starts Work Schedule 6

VOL. 93 ISSUE 30 April 2013A Voice for Working Kansans Since 1919plaindealer

The PlainDealer (316) 529-8513 3830 S. Meridian Ave. Wichita, KS 67217–3704

HB 2022 Bill Affects Workers’ PaychecksPress Release from www.workingkansans.com, March

SEE HB 2022 pg 3

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SPEEA Moves To Fight Spirit For Wrongful TerminationsPress Release from SPEEA Communications Director Bill Dugovich, March

Outgoing Spirit AeroSystems CEO Jeff Turner continued a pattern of surprise terminations Wednesday (March 13) by firing more than three dozen employees without cause in violation of their union contracts, Spirit’s own policies, procedures and possibly federal law.

Turner’s reign as CEO is coming to an ignoble end as a combination of poor management and bad luck continues to hamper company performance. Will Turner be fired for performance before he retires?

“Mr. Turner made some bad decisions and those bad decisions were compounded by the impacts of the Great Recession,” said Ray Goforth, SPEEA executive director. “Rather than take responsibility for his own failures, he’s choosing to end his tenure by lashing out at the employees who gave their blood, sweat and tears to this company.”

The impacted employees are all being terminated for “performance” despite the fact that most have no documented performance problems, and Spirit can’t, or won’t, explain what the performance issues supposedly are. Spirit Human Resources representatives refused to sign our information requests for anything that may justify these terminations.

When asked why are you creating this war: “The company said it was ‘trying to send a message,’ to employees,” said Bob Brewer, SPEEA Midwest director. “We have a message for Spirit: We intend to fight these actions with everything we have.”

SPEEA is geared up to fight the terminations for impacted employees. Council Reps are meeting this week to receive additional information for assisting these employees. Group and individual meetings are being scheduled for these terminated employees in the Wichita Engineering Unit (WEU) and the Wichita Technical & Professional Unit (WTPU).

SPEEA-represented employees are encouraged to invoke their Weingarten Rights to have a SPEEA representative present if the meeting could possibly lead to discipline.

http://www.facebook.com/SPEEA.IFPTE2001

https://twitter.com/speea

Kansas Senate President Susan Wagle is after workers paychecks once again. This morning the Senate Committee on Commerce took action on HB 2022, a bill that would allow an employer to withhold portions of an employees paycheck for numerous reasons and without any limits,

and amended in Hb 2023, the infamous paycheck deception bill that would forbid employees from choosing to have portions of their paycheck withheld to go to their unions PAC fund.

So to break it down the new HB 2022 now says that an employer can take any portion of a workers’ paycheck for a multitude of reasons, but the employee can no longer make a decision on how they would like to spend their own paycheck. The new HB 2022 is hypocrisy at its worst and very telling of how Susan Wagle and her buddies at the Kansas Chamber of Commerce really feel about Kansas workers.

Here’s a little more about the two bills that they combined this morning.

HB 2022:

HB 2022 as written would allow an employer to make addition deductions from an employee’s wages for overpayment or loan repayment with only a written notice and without any limits. Essentially this grants an employer the rights to garnish a substantial portion of an employee’s paycheck. For workers and their families who live paycheck to paycheck this could have a dramatic impact on their ability to make ends meet. Without some requirements that the employer and the employee must have an agreed upon method for repayment HB 2022 is completely without balance in the employer-employee relationship.

HB 2023:

The deceptively-named ‘Paycheck protection’ is public employee union busting in its purest form. The ‘Paycheck deception’ as it should rightfully be called, seeks to deprive public workers of their right to a union voice in the workplace by

stripping them of the ability to have dues deducted from their paycheck.

By law, Kansas is a right to work state and all union membership is completely voluntary, public and private. No employee can pay union dues without proactively approaching the union and signing a card expressing their will to join the union.

The bill is a one-sided attack on the ability of workers to stand together to obtain middle-class dignity and benefits in the workplace. It would deny unions, and only unions, the right to speak out on issues that concern working families without jumping through contrived hoops aimed at weakening their voice. All while corporate PACs and other special interest groups are allowed to go without any restrictions.

Earth Day April 22

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April 2013

Machinists Advantage Partnership Program: MAPP

We recently sent out a survey to the membership in hopes that we can get some good feedback on how the MAPP program is benefiting our members. Once we collect the surveys, they will be sent to headquarters to be tabulated. The final data will be gone over in detail here at District 70 and then given to all Local Lodges for review. We very much appreciate you taking the time to fill out the survey

These partnerships we are developing with local businesses through the MAPP program are helping to build community support for our membership. The support and spending power of our members is something area businesses do not take lightly. The relationship we have with these businesses will give us an advantage as we go through future negotiations, knowing we have their help to garner support throughout the rest of the community.

There are over 100 different locations that you, as a member can receive discounts from. Log onto the website www.d70mapp.org and check out all the different ways you can save money today!

Begin talking with the non-members in your plant and let them know that the Machinist Union is moving forward!

It is a true benefit to be a Machinist Union member!

Ask your steward for an update and keep your eyes on the website.

These benefits and discounts are for Union members only!!

WWW.d70mapp.org

Together with our local business partners we will keep Kansas growing!!

Think – Shop –Buy Local

If you need more information on the MAPP program, please feel free to contact Shaun Junkins at sjunkins@d70iam.org 316-491-2142 or Juan Eldridge at jeldridge@d70iam.org 316-522-1591.

In Solidarity,

Shaun Junkins and Juan Eldridge, IAM Liaison

We would appreciate you patronizing this business.

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April 2013 3 — The PlainDealer

The Plaindealer (ISSN 0898-4360)Periodicals Postage Paid at Wichita, KS POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Plaindealer 3830 S. Meridian Ave. Wichita, KS 67217–3704 (316) 529-8513

Vanessa Whiteside, Editor editor@plaindealerlabornews.com

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Judy Pierce, President, Labor Federation Terry Haskins, Vice Pres (IAM LL 639) Tim Franta, Sec./ Treas (IAM LL 733) Kathy Petersen (IAM Local 839) Dan Rutherford (Local 834) Brian Alexander (IAM Local 774)Jarrod Lehman (IAM Local 839)

Founded in 1919 by Tom Tilma, the Plaindealer is the official publication of the Wichita/Hutchinson Labor Fed-eration, AFL-CIO, and covers news of interest to working people.Advertising and stories are due by the 15th of each month. Subscription rates are $15 per year. Special rates available to union members and locals subscribing as a body.Story suggestions and letters to the editor should be sent to: The Plaindealer, 3830 S. Meridian Ave., Wichita, KS 67217–3704; editor@plaindealerlabornews.com or call (316) 529–8513. To be considered for publication, letters to the editor must be signed, include the author’s telephone number and less than 500 words. Views expressed in letters to the editor are not necessarily the views of The Plaindealer, its board of direc-tors or affiliated unions.

Published monthly by Plaindealer Publishing, Inc.

at 3830 S. Meridian Ave. Wichita, KS, 67217

Rights Of Working Families Under Attack In Kansas LegislatureReposted with permission from Jake Lowen, Working Kansas Alliance, www.workingkansas.com

The 2013 Kansas Legislative session has reached it’s halfway point, but the attacks on working families

are just heating up. Three bills in particular should make you fume:

HB 2022 - An attack on your first amendment rights.

Senate Sub for HB 2022 is a gross attempt to strip the hard working Kansas public employees of their first amendment rights. The bill is a one-sided attack on the ability of workers to stand together to obtain middle-class dignity and benefits in the workplace. It would deny unions, and only unions, the right to speak out on issues that concern working families without jumping through contrived hoops aimed at weakening their voice. All while corporate PACs and other special interest groups are allowed to go without any restrictions. The bill does nothing more than

single out our most trusted public employees, such as teachers, nurses, and firefighters, and denies them the freedom and their right to use payroll deductions to make voluntary political donations.

HB2384 - Political cronyism at its worst.

HB 2384 will negatively impact our state in a whole host of unsettling ways ranging from the ability to attract, train and maintain the best possible professional public work force, to taxpayers suffering inefficient public services, to political cronyism influencing hiring decisions. If enacted into law, HB 2384 will roll back a system that has ensured a professional workforce free of political influence for decades. Gov. Sam Brownback has already rewarded his political contributors with large income tax cuts. Don’t let him now make a mockery of our public

workforce with his latest power grab, hiring decisions should be based on merit, not political patronage.

Attacks on Kansas Public School Funding

In a 27-13 vote, Senate passed SCR1608 an attempt to remove court oversight of Kansas Education funding and give the legislature sole discretion. It is now headed to the House.

Senator Hensley said it best:

“The commitment to education being a fundamental right was placed in the Kansas constitution at the beginning of our statehood. It was amended in 1966 by the people of Kansas to read, “The legislature shall make suitable provision for finance of the education interest of the state.”

Since 1966, the Kansas system has worked extremely well. Measures

of educational attainment have steadily increased. Kansas ranks among the top states in education not just in our region, but nationally. While the cost of providing this system has increased, the level of funding from the state has fallen behind.

The legislature is certainly able to make decisions about whether to fully fund the current school finance formula each year. However, when the Legislature fails to provide for a suitable education for Kansas children, the people of Kansas must have an avenue for relief. That relief is the Kansas court system.”

There are many more attacks on working families and we need your help to stop them. To find out who represents you in Topeka visit www.OpenKansas.org. Call your Legislators today about the above bills and tell them to stop the attacks on working families.

“Paycheck Deception” is unclear, unfair, and unnecessary. Unions and corporations spend money on political activity. Existing law already bans the use of union dues or corporate funds to make contributions to candidates. Contributions by union members to union political action committees are voluntary and made separately from dues payments.

The bill does nothing more than single out our most trusted public employees, such as teachers, nurses, and firefighters, and denies them the freedom and their right to use payroll deductions to make voluntary political donations.

Call your state senators and tell them to end these outrageous attacks on the hard working men and women of Kansas and to vote against the new HB 2022.

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HB 2022 continued from pg 1

Jerry Moran, R. 354 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510Pat Roberts, R. 109 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

APWU Withdraws Subcontracting LawsuitNews Article from apwu.org, March 18

The APWU has withdrawn a lawsuit aimed at stopping the Postal Service from subcontracting all Postal Vehicle Service routes in California until after the union’s grievance on the matter could be heard in arbitration. In response to the suit, the USPS agreed

to postpone the subcontracting until after arbitration, which the union won.

On March 4, 2013, Arbitrator Stephen B. Goldberg ruled that the Postal Service’s decision to contract out was made in violation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. In accordance with Arbitrator Goldberg’s award, if the Postal Service wants to contract out California PVS or engage in any other contracting that would have a significant impact on bargaining unit work, management must comply with Article 32.1.B of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The union’s October 2012 lawsuit, which focused on California PVS jobs, was later amended to challenge the Postal Service’s plans to contract out driving jobs at more than 40 other locations. In light of Arbitrator Goldberg’s ruling, those plans are invalid as well. If the Postal Service wishes to consider contracting out these other sites, that decision, too, must be made after compliance with the procedures outlined in the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Commenting on these developments, President Cliff Guffey said, “The lawsuit protected the arbitration process as we intended. We are now fighting to protect our jobs in arbitration.”

View the 2010-2015 Collective Bargaining Agreement www.apwu.org

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April 2013

Direct PipelinePLUMBERS & PIPEFITTERS LU441

Richard L. Taylor, Business Manager and Financial Secretary-Treasurer

LOCALLYAfter calculating hours worked in 2012 for Local 441, it showed that 2012 was the second best year for total hours worked since 2003, which was when Local 441 was chartered. The only year that surpassed last year was 2008 with approximately 60,000 more hours worked.

There are several large projects around the state that have started or are in the process of starting that have the potential to make 2013 our best year. The new terminal at Mid-Continent Airport in Wichita, Mars/M&M Plant in Topeka, NBAF Central Power Plant in Manhattan, several hospital projects around the state, projects at the Universities, outages at many of the industrial plants . . . just to name a few. In addition there are new projects coming out for bid weekly. Kansas is not alone in this with similar reports coming from several Locals throughout the country.

Enjoy the spring weather and by all indications we should also be able to enjoy a prosperous year.NEW ITEM…. Take time to visit the new Local 441 website. The new website is easy to navigate with added information and uses for the membership. The address is www.ua441.org. New t-shirts with new design and logo are in. Designer sunglasses with UA Local 441 engraved above the lens. We also have golf shirts and camp shirts and stainless steel pocket knives with Kansas Local 441 engraved on them. And as always, don’t forget Local 441 golf balls, t-shirts (long sleeve and short sleeve), and hats are available for the membership to purchase. Come by and get outfitted with Local 441 apparel.

DEATHS We are sorry to report the deaths of Brother James C. Wilbert, 90, retired Steam Fitter, residing in Wichita, KS, passed away on February 28, 2013, Brother Jack R. Morris, 75, retired Plumber, residing in Garden City, KS, passed away on February 28, 2013, and Brother Louis A. Wolken, 79, retired Pipefitter, residing in Garnett, KS, passed away on March 8, 2013. Our thoughts and prayers are with their family and friends.

POLITICALSeveral Bills have been submitted in various committees designed to attach labor and the middle class. Please contact your Legislator and let them know you do not appreciate all the negative labor bills that are being pushed through the House and Senate this session. Direct contact with your legislator is the best way to relay concern or a voice of support and does have an impact.

MEETINGSLocal Union 441 meetings are being conducted on the second Monday of each month at 7:00 PM at the Union Hall located at 1330 East First Street in Wichita. If other meetings are scheduled, you will be duly notified.NOTE: Please take the opportunity to attend Union meetings in your area. The teleconference system is working well and has much better sound and video quality than in the past. The good news is that it is be-ing provided for no additional cost to Local 441.Richard L. TaylorBusiness Manager/Financial Secretary-Treasurer Local Union # 441

Retirees ClubThe next Retirees meetings will be on April 3rd, May 1st and June 5th at 10 a.m. at the Hall. Please come and join us! Breakfast is the second Wednesday at 9 a.m., at Village Inn, 7020 W Central from January through November. All retired members and their families are invited to join us. Come enjoy the fellow-ship!James Wilbert722-6859

Richard Taylor

At the Rail Column by Martin Hawver March 18, 2013The Legislature often does special things for veterans to show respect and thanks for their service, whether it’s a break on hunting

licenses or whatever, but every now and again, the Legislature doesn’t do something for them that is even better.

Early in this session, a bill surfaced that would let veterans have put on their drivers’ licenses a hologram—not visible to the naked eye—notation that they were veterans.

Sorta cool, we guess, and it was a voluntary deal that if for some reason you wanted a near-invisible notation on your DL that you were a veteran, well, you could get it.

Luckily, that idea was scrapped.

While it’s probably worth mentioning that putting that secret designation on a driver’s license or non-driver’s license state-issued identification card would cost the state about $95,000 in computer programming costs, that secret notation was killed for a better reason—one not often discussed.

The key was what happens when law enforcement has reason to ask a person to show a driver’s license.

With the card-reading gear in most cop cars, that veteran notation would be visible to the law enforcement officers after they returned to their vehicle with the veteran’s driver’s license in hand to run whatever checks they run.

The veteran’s notation: Does it become a reason for an officer to offer a friendly “thank you for your service” or does the notation tell a cop that the person he/she has stopped might have been in an active war zone and might possibly be traumatized by interaction with law enforcement?

That notation changes things when it’s learned in a situation where the driver faces some sort of sanction from law enforcement.

It’s not quite profiling of the potential reaction to law enforcement by drivers based on their exposure to violence in a war zone, but it would have been close.

That’s a good reason that the bill is now history, stricken from the debate calendar. The voluntary decision by veterans that their basic piece of identification—their driver’s license or nondriver’s identification card—notes their service shouldn’t be the reason that they are treated any differently than, say, an organ donor, who also has that noted on his/her license.

No, there wasn’t any fuss about it, just a ruling from the Speaker of the House that a bill hadn’t been acted upon by the deadline, and was stricken from the calendar—essentially killed.

Every now and again, something right happens…not easily explained, not anything that people want to discuss openly—potentially profiling veterans as possibly dangerous.

But what could have been a mistake was avoided.

Syndicated by Hawver News Company LLC of Topeka; Martin Hawver is publisher of Hawver’s Capitol Report—to learn more about this nonpartisan statewide political news service, visit the website atwww.hawvernews.com.

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Local Union Bulletin Board 10th Annual Highlander Reunion & Car Show - April 20http://www.gowichita.com

Memory Lane

When: Sat. April 20, Car Show 1:00-4:00 p.m., Dinner 6:30 p.m.Where: Wichita Marriott Hotel, 9100 Corporate Hills Dr. Wichita, KS 67207 Cost: FREE car show, $35 dinner

Remember Wichita’s Highlander drive-in? Enjoy this spring time car show and dinner held to reminisce the good ol’ days.

Civil War Day - April 20www.oldcowtown.org

Wichita Annual Art & Book Fair - May 10-12http://wichitaartmuseum.org/artBookFair.html

Artful Treasure

When: Fri. May 10 - Sun. May 12, Fri. 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Sat. 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.Where: Century II Performing Arts & Convention Center 225 W. Douglas Ave., Wichita, KS 67202Cost: FREE

The annual art and book fair is sponsored by the Friends of the Wichita Art Museum.

Ice Cream Social - May 11http://wichitahistory.org/

Role Play

When: Sat. April 20, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.Where: Old Cowtown Museum, 1865 W. Museum Blvd. Wichita, KS 67203Cost: Adults $7.75, Senior Citizens $6.50, Youth $6.00, Children $5.50, Children under 4 FREE

See a glimpse into the past of the Union and Confederate soldiers’ lives and their families by attending this battle re-enactment.

Thursday, April 4Operating Engineers LU101— Regular Meeting, 7 p.m., 3830 S. Meridian, WichitaFriday, April 5District 70— E-Board, 6:30 p.m. Regular Meeting 7:30 p.m. 3830 S. Meridian, WichitaSaturday, April 6Machinists Local 639— E-Board, 8 a.m., Regular Meeting, 9 a.m., WichitaLL733— E-Board, 8:30 a.m., Regular Meeting, 10 a.m., WichitaMonday, April 8Plumbers & Pipefitters LU441– Regular Meeting, 7 p.m., 1330 E. 1st, WichitaTuesday, April 9Machinists Local 708— Regular Meeting, 7 p.m., 3830 S. Meridian, WichitaWednesday, April 10Machinists Local 1989— E-Board, 3:40 p.m., Regular Meeting, 3:50 p.m. 2005 Kansas Ave., Great Bend, 67530Thursday, April 11Wichita Area Union Label— E-Board, 5:30 p.m.; Regular Meeting, 6:30 p.m.Friday, April 12APWU Local 735— Regular Meeting, 8:00 a.m., 6920 W. Pueblo, WichitaSaturday, April 13 Machinists Local 834 — Regular Meeting, 10 a.m., 3830 S. Meridian, WichitaMachinists Local 839— Regular Meeting, 10 a.m., 3830 S. Meridian, WichitaMonday, April 15 NALC Branch 201— 7:30 p.m., NALC Br 201 Union Office 227 S. Pattie, Wichita USW Local 01350— Regular Meeting, 7:30 p.m., Union Hall 427 N. Main, Hutchinson, 67501 SPEEA/IFPTE Local 2001— Membership Recruitment / Organizing Committee 973 S. Glendale, WichitaCWA Local 6402— E-Board, 5:30 p.m., 530 E. Harry, Wichita Stewards, 7 p.m., 530 E. Harry, WichitaThursday, April 18SPEEA— Midwest Council Meeting, 973 S. Glendale, WichitaSaturday, April 20 Machinists LL2799— E-Board meeting 9:30 a.m., 3830 S. Meridian, Wichita Regular Meeting, 10:30 a.m. Machinists Local 774— 10 a.m. Regular Meeting, 3830 S. Meridian, WichitaThursday, April 25Wichita/Hutch Labor Fed— E-Board, 5:30 p.m.; Regular Meeting, 6:30 p.m.District 70 Retirees— Luncheon, 11:45 a.m., 3830 S. Meridian, Wichita

Yummy Fun

When: Sat. May 11, 1:00-5:00 p.m.Where: Wichita-Sedgwick Co. Historical Museum 204 S. Main, Wichita, KS 67202 Cost: FREE. Donations accepted.

Besides an ice cream social there will also be a cake walk, kid’s games, and face painting.

Local 441 Kansas Golf Tournament 2013

What: Four Person ScrambleWhen: Sat. May 4, 8:00 a.m. shotgun startWhere: Sand Creek Station Golf Course 920 Meadowbrook Dr, Newton, KSCost: $70 per player (includes lunch/2 drink tickets/prizes)

Please join us at this fun socializing event.Money and registration of your team needs to be reserved by Friday, April 26, 2013. Contact Local 441 to register at (316) 265-4291 or email: email@ua441.org. Download your registration form at www.ua441.org.

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April 2013

Chrysler started what workers at its Warren Stamping Plant are calling the “Awful Work Schedule” Monday—minus one of the local union’s chief agitators against the new plan.

Skilled tradesman Alex Wassell, a 20-year employee with an unblemished record, was suspended two days after

workers held a spirited picket in front of the plant a mile north of Detroit. A few days later he was fired.

Wassell had been a leader in organizing to stop implementation of the Alternative Work Schedule (AWS), which entails four 10-hour days at straight time, with two-thirds of the production workforce scheduled every Saturday. Half of those workers must switch back and forth between day and evening shifts each week.

Chrysler claims it needs the “Flexible Operating Pattern” to wring more auto stampings from the workforce, but workers say the plant could run just as many hours with three eight-hour shifts per day. The FOP makes the work cheaper by cutting break and lunch times and eliminating overtime pay for Saturdays.

Members of United Auto Workers Local 869 had signed petitions, turned out by the hundreds for union meetings, texted international union and company leaders, and worn “Drop the FOP” stickers in the plant. At the picket line, one sign called the AWS “All Workers Screwed” and depicted two men with shovels—Chrysler and its parent Fiat—burying a third man, the UAW.

Wassell, seen as a leader of the effort, had written articles for Labor Notes’ magazine and websiteabout the hardships the schedule would cause.

The company claimed Wassell had violated one of its “standards of conduct”: “engaging in, participating in, aiding or approving conduct constituting or appearing to constitute a conflict with the interests of the Company.” The National Labor Relations Board is increasingly finding that such vague injunctions violate workers’ rights and cannot be enforced.

Of course, many unionists would argue that the interests of the company and the interests of workers are automatically in conflict—and that there is no better illustration than Chrysler’s willingness to turn workers’ lives upside down to increase its profits.

UAW reps hint that the decision to fire Wassell came from above the plant level, apparently to send a message that opposition to the new work schedule will not be tolerated.

Management had to reach for a pretext: A Detroit News article about quality issues at a different Chrysler factory—a truck assembly plant—quoted Wassell as saying, “They already had some problems with the quality. The morale is terrible, so it’s not going to get any better.” That article came about when some whistleblowers at the truck plant leaked documents to the News. Later, though Wassell had nothing to do with the whistleblowing, Chrysler said he was suspended because of “the comments he made in the paper regarding the status of production at Warren Truck.”

Both the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Lawyers Guild are supporting Wassell’s right to protest—as clearly outlined in the National Labor Relations Act. The Detroit News has runsympathetic coverage, with one article titled “Chrysler moves to silence workers.”

In the plant, as workers scramble to adjust to their new hours, plans are under discussion for a petition and a collection—but not another picket outside the plant.

Fellow skilled tradesman Jerry Miller says Wassell’s co-workers are “very upset” and feel the quality issue was “just something the company came up with.” Miller noted that Wassell was also one of the workers who opposed the skilled trades portion of the 2011 national contract, and its subsequent ratification by the International though workers had voted it down.

Another worker, Bob Glassman, reports, “There are people who never met Alex who come up to me and ask me, ‘What are we going to do to get this guy’s job back?’”

Supporters are calling Chrysler at 800-334-9200 and the UAW International at 313-926-5000 to urge that Wassell be reinstated with full back pay.

Chrysler Starts “Awful Work Schedule”By Jane Slaughter, labornotes.org, March 13

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Progress For Striking McDonalds’ WorkersBy Kenneth Quinnell, aflcio.org.blog, March 15

Just minutes after yesterday’s protest in New York by striking workers, McDonald’s announced that the franchise owner

accused of exploiting temporary workers in the country on J-1 visas will be selling his three stores and will no longer be associated with the company, the Nation’s Josh Eidelson reports. The workers from Latin America and Asia who worked at the Pennsylvania fast-food restaurants allege that store owner Andy Cheung provided them with sub-standard employer-owned housing to live in, forced them to work shifts of up to 25 consecutive hours and threatened them with retaliation if they complained or refused to work.

Additionally, McDonald’s says it is trying to connect with the workers on an individual basis to address the alleged abuse and it would provide franchisees with information on the legal requirements related to the J-1 visa program. The workers say that while this was an important first step, it wasn’t sufficient

to end their planned rally in front of the company’s Chicago headquarters on March 26. Eidelson reports:

In an e-mailed statement, striking students called the McDonald’s announcement ‘an important admission of labor abuse at its stores,’ but said that ‘a change of management at three stores will not protect the [temporary] workers and U.S. workers at McDonald’s 14,000 other stores in the U.S.’ The strikers reiterated their call for a meeting with the company’s CEO ‘to come to an agreement on how to protect all McDonald’s workers.’

McDonald’s Response

The franchisee of this restaurant has told us that the individual involved no longer works for her organization.We strive to ensure that our McDonald’s restaurants are safe and welcoming for our customers. Our franchisee is fully cooperating with authorities in the investigation.

McDonald’s USA