Angelica Textile Plant Workers Strike for Increased Wages Pension & Health Benefits

Somerville MA - More than 400 mostly immigrant factory workers of Angelica Textile Services initiated a strike on December 10 after contract negotiations between the workers' union UFCW Local 1445 and the company stalled. The workers who had been without a contract since December 1 formed a picket line outside the plant on the morning of December 11 and were joined by local members and officers of other unions and community organizations who spoke at a midday rally with more than 100 supporters. Plant workers and supporters stood in the freezing cold and wind outside Angelica's factory on Innerbelt Road in East Somerville holding signs that read "Respect our hard work!" and "Angelica queremos un contracto!" Just across the street immigrant community organization Centro Presente kept its doors open to those on the picket line while staff and members of the organization joined in support. Photos by Jesse Kirdahy-Scalia Jeffrey Bollen Secretary Treasurer of UFCW Local 1445 told Open Media Boston that despite making some progress in contract negotiations an agreement had not yet been reached on wages pensions or health insurance. "We're far apart on wages. The company's offered half of what they offered three years ago and they haven't suffered because of the economy. They have not had layoffs they have not suffered lack of orders they have not dropped in profits. They're a very profitable company. […] These people have been paying almost one third of their salary to get into the health and welfare program that the company offers. Although we've made some improvements on that we're not there yet. We've gotta get it where it's affordable for these workers." According to Ramona Dias a worker at Angelica managers have expected workers to increase output with the recent addition of monitoring cameras and computer control systems but without a commensurate increase in wages. "We want at least a dollar more. If they want us to put out the work they should be able to pay us because they got plenty of places plenty of companies and stuff that they could afford to give us something. I'm tired of this." Fernando Lemus the UFCW Local 1445 Union Representative for Angelica employees explained further. "[Angelica] have about 28 plants around the country thousands and thousands of workers and unfortunately in the south part of the country you know unemployment is much much lower than it is here. […] Unfortunately the cost of living in Boston is so high that what the company is putting on the table is not acceptable for these workers." According to Lemus the minimum wage starting salary combined with high health insurance costs has led 153 of the plants 450 workers — approximately 25% — to enroll in the available health care plans. "It's impossible for our community of people that work here to be able to afford the health insurance that they offer. […] We need the company to make a change. We need them to do better. And we're asking our communities to help us to call this company. This company operates out of Atlanta Georgia. They're not from Boston they're not from Massachusetts and they came into town in 2005 thinking they can operate here in Boston the same way they operate in the South. It's impossible and they need to understand that." George Slicis Business Agent for Angelica drivers who are members of the Teamsters Local 25 told plant workers the drivers support them. "The drivers made many phone calls to me the last few weeks letting me know there are some hard times going on with your contract. And I want to say they all want to back you and they kept asking me 'What are we gonna do?' Well you saw what we did. We pulled them all out yesterday. We've got a couple stragglers in there today but we'll deal with them. And the stragglers that you guys have we'll deal with them." Several Angelica truck drivers crossed the picked line throughout the afternoon as the picketers jeered and taunted them yelling "Scab!" At one point two Teamsters members approached a truck driver who they had recognized as a fellow union member before enter Angelica's driveway. "We don't cross picket lines " one of the Local 25 members said. The driver indicated he had heard nothing about the plant workers' strike and said "I've gotta feed my family " before proceeding through the line. Bob Bauer Political Director of Massachusetts AFL-CIO told the crowd "The labor movement is proud of each and every one of you for this battle. We're proud of your union we're proud of the teamsters. Your fight is our fight. We're here to stick with you every step of the way." The long list of speakers at Friday's rally included Emily Hardt the Director of WILD Steve Grossman candidate for State Treasurer John Laughlin the Director of Political & Political Relations for the International Union of Painters & Allied Trades District Council 35 Patricia Montes Executive Director of Centro Presente Dick Monks an organizer for the International Brotherhood Operating Engineers Local 877 Area Trades Council Rand Wilson the Communications Coordinator for IBEW Local 2222 and Joe Renzi the Director of Organizers for UFCW Local 328. Representatives from the American Federation of Government Employees Unite Here and Jobs with Justice also spoke to the crowd. When asked to comment on the recent impasse in contract negotiations and resulting strike Vice President for Angelica Textile Services in New England John Joyce told Open Media Boston "I think we pay a very competitive wage for the jobs that are being performed. We're pretty please and proud of the benefits that we're able to give the employees. […] We have been discussing this for quite a while with them and we bargained in good faith." Joyce would not discuss specifics about the current negotiations but indicated that during this recession as Angelica's customers bargain for lower prices "we were happy that we were able to offer increases in wages we were able to offer improvements in the benefit package at a time when a lot of companies are asking for givebacks from a lot of employees. We were happy that we were able to put improvements on the table." Update: According to a media release by Massachusetts AFL-CIO the afternoon of December 15 UFCW Local 1445 members working at Angelica "overwhelmingly ratified a fair contract" earlier that morning and have since ended their strike. A rally originally planned for December 18 has been cancelled. 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