Rally to Support Nissan Autoworkers Organizing, Jan 26 & 28!


Jan 26 & 28: Tell Nissan: Workers Rights are Civil Rights!
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Activists to Rally Across the South against Nissan’s Civil and Worker Rights Abuses

5,000 workers, 80% of them African American, are organizing a union at the Nissan car plant in Canton, Mississippi.

They experience dangerous working conditions, bullying by management, unfair treatment of temp workers, line speed ups, and long hours. And when workers began organizing their union, Nissan unlawfully interrogated employees, threatened workers with termination for union activity and said the plant would close if the workers unionize.

STAND WITH MISSISSIPPI WORKERS:



Together, let's tell Nissan that workers' rights are civil rights. Now more than ever, we need to demand fairness from Nissan.

On January 26 in Atlanta and Nashville, and on January 28 in cities throughout North Carolina, community leaders and social justice activists will be protesting ongoing violations of civil and workers’ rights at Nissan.


Activists will rally to demand Nissan respect their right to a free and fair process to form a union. Rally organizers say that Nissan is a poster child for multi-national companies locating in the South looking for cheap labor and weak worker protections.

RALLY and Press Conference
THURSDAY, JANUARY 26:

Atlanta, GA:
When: Thursday, January 26 at 1:15pm
Where: Parking lot at 5000 Motors Industrial Way, Atlanta, GA 30360

Nashville, TN:
When: Thursday, January 26 at 1:15pm
Where: Assemble at Coleman Recreation Center at 384 Thompson Lane, Nashville, TN 37211

RALLY
SATURDAY, JANUARY 28:

Charlotte, NC:
When: Saturday, January 28 at 11:00am
Where: 9425 South Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28273

Greensboro, NC:
When: Saturday, January 28 at 11:00am
Where: Crown Nissan, at 3900 W Wendover Ave.

Raleigh, NC:
When: Saturday, January 28 at 10:30am
Where: Fred Anderson Nissan of Raleigh at 9225 Glenwood Ave.

Birmingham, AL
When: Saturday, January 28, 11:00AM
Where: Assemble at 1646 Montgomery Highway, Hoover, AL 35216, then march to Benton Nissan of Hoover

New Orleans, LA,
When: Saturday, January 28, 11:00AM
Where: Assemble at Lafreniere Shopping Plaza, 6601 Veterans Memorial Blvd, Metairie, LA 70003, then march to Premier Nissan of Metairie.

For more info: Matt Painter, [email protected], 646.705.3128


Nissan manufacturing workers continue 13 year battle to build a union in Mississippi




SWA leaders got to meet with Nissan workers in Mississippi at the Dec. 9-11 Southern Human Rights Organizing Conference. They also joined a solidarity rally in front of their plant. They are planning for a national solidarity day of action on Jan 28. If you are interested in organizing a solidarity rally in your city, contact [email protected]

A growing number of workers at the Nissan car manufacturing plant in Canton, Mississippi desire union representation due to poor working conditions, low wages, and widespread safety issues that have lead to the death of two workers in recent years. By some estimates, as many as 40 percent of the 5,000 workers at the Mississippi plant have been hired as temporary employees who work for years earning significantly lower wages and benefits than regular employees. An overwhelming majority of temporary employees are African-American.

Workers at the plant have been organizing their union, including building broad community support for over 13 years — and they aren’t backing down now.

“We have bona fide civil rights concerns when it comes to Renault-Nissan and its poor treatment of workers in Canton,” said Derrick Johnson, state president of the Mississippi NAACP.

When automakers receive large tax incentives from state and local governments to locate their facilities there, like the $363 million Nissan received for its Canton, MS, plant, they should be more engaged in treating workers fairly to create stronger communities for their workforce.

The workers have been traveling the world to put pressure on Nissan to do-the-right thing. Most recently, a few workers traveled to France to meet with the government there, who owns 20% of shares of Renault-Nissan, which in turn is the largest shareholder of Nissan. In June, 35 French and European policymakers signed a letter asking Nissan to adopt a position of neutrality toward union organizing efforts in Canton.

“Workers’ rights are, in fact, human rights. When I return to France, I will be informing the French government and the French President Hollande about the anti-union practices in Canton, ” stated Honorable Christian Hutin, member of the French National Assembly. Renault-Nissan declined to meet with Hutin, who recently visited Mississippi on a fact-finding mission.

UE local 150 members shared our experience with organizing the Carolina Auto Aerospace and Machine Workers Union at the Cummins Rocky Mount Engine plant build a pre-majority union for 20 years. Even if the workers don’t win the upcoming union election, they should continue to maintain their union presence. Workers must always fight to have self-organization!

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PO Box 934
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