Strikers, Supporters sit-in for justice

Campaign escalates with sit-in

(12/17/2004) -- Chants of “put kids first” echoed through the upscale entry of the ODS Tower as nearly 200 Parry Center strikers and supporters sat down and declared that their would be “no business as usual” for those preventing a just settlement of the strike.

Sit-in marks escalation

Marking an escalation in the campaign for a decent contract for the Parry Center workers, the demonstrators targeted Parry Center board member, corporate attorney Curt Gleaves who works in the building. According to union members, Gleaves refused to meet with them and continues to support the union busting tactics of management.

County Board support

Earlier, those engaged in the sit-in rallied at noon in the south Park blocks where they heard words of support from County Board Commissioners Serena Cruz and Diane Linn. County Board members are active in the effort to achieve a just settlement. Recently, board members cited Parry Center management for violating county resolutions on the right to organize and the right to a living wage and have called for binding arbitration, which the Parry Center continues to resist.

Police prevent entry

Following the rally, marchers snaked their way to 2nd Avenue and continued to the ODS Tower. Met by police and security personnel, the crowd formed a long picket line in front of the building. After a few minutes, marchers crowded into the large entry. Police and building security personnel prevented the crowd from entering the building, so the crowd massed in front of the revolving door and two side doors and sat down. The sit-in was spirited and emotions ran high as the crowd chanted continuously, “No more revolving door, the kids can’t take it anymore!” Police took no action to clear the demonstrators even though the main entry was blocked.

As the Parry Center workers and supporters left, they chanted “We’ll be back!”. Determination and high spirits were evident throughout the action, and it’s clear the struggle has entered a new phase.

Joining the sit-in were members of the clergy, the community and unions that included the Carpenters, ILWU, Teamsters, UFCW, SEIU, AFSCME and ONA.

Low pay for workers, big bucks for management

Parry Center workers have been on strike since November 29th. Management is demanding a three year wage freeze, which follows a one year freeze, and an end to a union shop. The current wage scale is $8.86-$9.28/hr for a job requiring a bachelors degree. In contrast, pay for the top five Parry Center managers averages $123,000. Robert Roy, the chief executive officer, received a raise of $24,800, which is more than a Parry Center worker makes in a year.