Here’s a reminder of the courage it takes low-wage workers in industries like fast food and retail to strike and protest for higher wages and better working conditions. Cafeteria workers in federal government buildings have engaged in such activism, and although you’d think that they’d be protected from illegal retaliation by the fact that they work for a government contractor in Washington, where labor laws are enforced … it didn’t work out that way.
The National Labor Relations Board is taking action against one such government contractor for retaliating against worker activists exercising their legal rights, Alan Pyke reports:
Some of the striking Pentagon workers were later reprimanded for missing work, had their schedules cut by managers, and faced discipline for telling customers about having their hours cut. Managers also stifled the workers’ organizing activity by threatening to fire people who joined the strikes or wore stickers in support of the actions. At least two workers were ultimately fired for striking, according to the agency.
The labor agency wants to force Seven Hills, Inc., to hold a meeting with staff at Department of Defense (DOD) headquarters to spell out the workers’ rights to collective action without reprisals. The company, which did not respond to a call for comment, will have a chance to argue its case to an administrative law judge before the charges are finalized.
These kind of threats and reprisals are all too common when workers speak up, and companies face minimal punishments—if they get caught and punished at all.
What’s more, such retaliation doesn’t affect only the workers who took action. It’s intended to scare other workers away from activism, effectively saying, "Look what happened to your coworker who fought for improvements. Do you want that to happen to you?” Yet despite this very real reason for fear, workers have spent the past several years fighting for change. All we have to do is look at state and local minimum wage laws to know that, in many places, they’re winning.