The first day of the protest yielded results beyond our imagination. It was then that we understood the kind of power we were able to harness. The current contractor took action and terminated one of the administrative people that was also put in question in our protest. Despite this victory, we’ve decided to press on.
Team work came to us naturally. Some of the leaders took the responsibility to contact the media. Some began searching for a union. I took the lead to rally the workers internally and coordinated with dayshift leadership. Although it was a tough and intimidating role, we found ways to communicate without being out in the open. Written materials were copied and distributed to the workers after work hours. When coordination was needed with dayshift, we left them written messages in their credenzas, away from managements’ sight; to get them ready for the next day’s action.
One of the leaders got the chance to speak with Michelle Monroe, a writer for the St. Alban’s Messenger, a local paper. Michelle understood our struggle, since she also followed the events in her locality, where the Vermont Service Center contract workers were also organizing. She commended us by saying we were so organized despite the absence of a union organizer. Hearing that the Vermont folks are being organized by United Electrical Radio and Machine Workers of America, we’ve decided to contact this union.
On November 27, 2007, Los Angeles Times came to us at the protest site. Gil Reza interviewed a couple of the workers and later published our story.
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