Solidarity in Action: "99 Pickets" Picking Up Steam as May Day Approaches

Workers across New York City are organizing “99 Picket Lines” building up to May Day, where New Yorkers will join a broad coalition of unions, immigrant rights groups, community- and faith-based organizations, worker centers, and the Occupy Wall Street movement in a mass mobilization against the economic, social, and political injustice wrought by the one percent.

KEY PICKETS (click here for more):

Restaurant Opportunities Center--Wed April 25, 6-7 PM, at Capital Grille (155 42nd Street, b/w 3rd Ave and Lexington)

• Workers are organizing against Darden Corporation, owner of Capital Grille, Red Lobster, Olive Garden, and LongHorn Steakhouse. Employees have documented company-wide practices of wage theft, racial discrimination, overwork, and intimidation.

New York Taxi Workers Alliance--Thurs April 26, 3:30 PM, March from Queens Medallion Leasing (21-03 44th Ave in Long Island City) to SLS Jet then Midtown Garage (just blocks away)

• Taxi drivers are marching to demand an end to rampant lease overcharges and calling for the first fare raise in over eight years to ensure that taxi workers can earn a livable income and create a Health and Wellness Fund.

Teamsters Local 814--Wednesday May 2, 7 PM, at Sotheby’s Auction House (72nd and York)

• Sotheby’s has locked out 43 art handlers to replace them with low-wage temporary workers with no benefits. Sotheby’s is expected to sell Edvard Munch’s iconic painting “The Scream” for $80 million dollars at this auction.

Most of the “99 pickets” will start from a convergence point at Bryant Park at 8am on the morning of May 1 and go to locations in midtown, including: Chase Bank, Standard and Poor’s, ABC, Wells Fargo, Blackrock, Fidelity, and Lazard.

The purpose of the pickets is to draw attention to the common struggles of workers across the city. Moises Cerezo, a line cook at the Capital Grille Chrysler Center says that at his workplace “...there is racial discrimination, wage theft, an abusive environment, retaliation for organizing, and more, and that's why we fight; but we know that many other workers have a similar struggle against their bosses, against the 1%. That is why we not only have our campaign, but we will stand in solidarity with all workers on May Day.”

Mahoma Lopez, a worker at Hot and Crusty Bakery is participating because “…everywhere we look, immigrants and poorly paid people are going through these same struggles everywhere. People are being exploited all over this city, and we have a responsibility to help them organize for a better life and dignity at their jobs.”

For more on the 99 picket lines, see: http://99picketlines.tumblr.com/, http://www.facebook.com/99PicketLines, or email: 99picketlines@gmail.com.

Occupy Wall Street is part of an international people powered movement fighting for economic justice in the face of neoliberal economic practices, the crimes of Wall Street, and a government controlled by monied interests. #OWS is the 99% organizing to end the tyranny of the 1%.
For more info http://www.occupywallst.org and http://www.nycga.net.

Participating Organizations:

UAW 2320
Laundry Workers Center United Taxi Workers Alliance
Immigrant Worker Justice WG SEIU 1199
Restaurant Opportunities Center-NY Immigrant Worker Justice Working Group
Occupy Sunset Park OWS Direct Action
UAW/Pay the Writer Campaign
OWS/Break up BofA
Brandworkers International Writers Guild of America
Community Farmworker Alliance Newspaper Guild of New York (CWA 31003)
Coalition of Immokalee Workers New York Communities for Change (NYCC)
Vocal-NY Taxi Workers Alliance
Teamsters Local 814 (IBT)
NABET-CWA Local 16 Strong Economy for All
Act Up/ Healthcare for the 99%
Laborers 79 OWS Immigrant Worker Justice Group
Local 78 CSEA (AFSCME)
OWS/Break Up BofA Domestic Workers United
Street Vendors Project Musicians Local 802
DC 1707
Transit Workers Union
Families for Freedom
Workers United