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<span tabindex="0" class=""><span class="">Today</span></span>! Rally at <span tabindex="0" class=""><span class="">6pm</span></span> in Harvard Square!<br>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/insomniaunion" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/insomniaunion</a> <a href="https://iwwboston.org/" target="_blank">https://iwwboston.org</a><br>
<br>
Striking Workers at Insomnia Cookies Demand Higher Wages, Benefits, and a<br>
Union! All strikers have been illegally fired for their pro-union efforts,<br>
and have joined the Industrial Workers of the World. They need your help<br>
to win!<br>
<br>
In this email:<br>
1. Schedule for <span tabindex="0" class=""><span class="">today's</span></span> picket and rally<br>
2. Background of the Strike<br>
3. Insomnia Strike agreement<br>
4. Other ways you can help<br>
<br>
<br>
1. Schedule for <span tabindex="0" class=""><span class="">Today</span></span> (Thursday, August 22)<br>
<span tabindex="0" class=""><span class="">12noon</span></span> - Picket Begins at the Harvard Square location, 65 Mt Auburn St<br>
Cambridge, MA 02138.<br>
<br>
<span tabindex="0" class=""><span class="">2pm</span></span> - Sign and banner making for the evening rally (come to picket to<br>
participate in sign-making.) Bring materials if you can.<br>
<br>
<span tabindex="0" class=""><span class="">6pm</span></span> - Rally! Meet near the main entrance of the Harvard Square T stop. We<br>
will march to Insomnia. Bring everybody you can!<br>
<br>
<br>
2. Background:<br>
At 12:00 am on Sunday, August 18, the night shift at the Harvard Square<br>
Insomnia Cookies voted to initiate a strike for higher wages, healthcare,<br>
and freedom to build a union. Insomnia Cookies, with around 30 locations<br>
in the Northeast and Midwest, caters to college students and runs late<br>
night deliveries of warm cookies and milk to dorm rooms. Still delivering<br>
cookies until <span tabindex="0" class=""><span class="">2:45 am</span></span>, Insomnia workers who double-duty as bakers and<br>
cashiers receive only 9$ an hour, while "drivers," who are expected to<br>
deliver cookies by bicycle within a half hour, receive only 5$ an hour<br>
plus tips. Neither receive healthcare, at a job where turnover is so high,<br>
the typical employee lasts only one month. Insomnia workers have had<br>
enough, and they need your help if they can win their jobs back and<br>
achieve their goals.<br>
<br>
Insomnia strikers have all joined the Industrial Workers of the World, and<br>
the workers and their union have held pickets for the last four days at<br>
the Harvard Square location, 65 Mt Auburn St Cambridge, MA 02138.<br>
<br>
Check the Boston IWW website, or the Insomnia Union facebook for updates:<br>
<a href="http://iwwboston.org/" target="_blank">http://iwwboston.org/</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/insomniaunion" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/insomniaunion</a><br>
<br>
<br>
3. Below is the agreement the night crew wrote then signed before walking<br>
off the job:<br>
<br>
Harvard Insomnia Strike Agreement<br>
The following Employees of Insomnia Cookies hereby vote to go on Strike on<br>
August 18, 2013 at 12:00am.<br>
<br>
Our Demands:<br>
1) Higher Wages.<br>
2.) Benefits to Include Health Care and Dental.<br>
3.) Union Membership.<br>
<br>
We stand in solidarity with all those low wage workers across the country<br>
who are oppressed and exploited.<br>
<br>
Long Live the Workers Movement!<br>
(signed by four workers, a shift leader, 2 bakers, and a driver).<br>
<br>
<br>
4. Other ways you can help:<br>
A. Call/Email the Regional Manager of Insomnia Cookies. (347)366-0991 -<br>
<a href="mailto:chris@insomniacookies.com">chris@insomniacookies.com</a> - <a href="mailto:harvard@insomniacookies.com">harvard@insomniacookies.com</a><br>
<br>
Call up Chris, the regional manager, and tell him to give the fired<br>
workers their jobs back! They did what any of us what do - demanded to be<br>
treated like people!<br>
<br>
The ideal time to call is between <span tabindex="0" class=""><span class="">7PM to 3AM</span></span>. Call every day while this is<br>
going on! We are going to need everyone's help if we are gonna get their<br>
jobs back!<br>
<br>
B. If you live in a city with an Insomnia shop, please print the below<br>
letter and hand-deliver it to the employees.<br>
<br>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/insomniaunion" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/insomniaunion</a><br>
<br>
Fellow Workers at Insomnia Cookies!<br>
The Night Shift at the Harvard Insomnia Cookies went on strike on Sunday<br>
August 18th at 12am, shutting down the store and occupying the premise<br>
demanding increased wages, benefits and union membership. They also<br>
demanded reparations for the gross violations that Insomnia Cookies/Serve<br>
U Brands has perpetrated such as wage theft, no breaks and threats to<br>
break the workers movement.<br>
So far, almost half of the workers have joined the Industrial Workers of<br>
the World and thus formed a union. We are also filing a grievance through<br>
the NLRB.<br>
<br>
WE CALL ON YOU TO JOIN US! Join the strike! You have nothing to lose! We<br>
have a right to demand a fair, living wage and to support ourselves from<br>
one full time income. From one low wage job to another, we must fight, for<br>
no one will fight for us unless we fight for ourselves and each other.<br>
<br>
The time has come to demand the impossible and to win!<br>
In Solidarity,<br>
The Striking Workers of Harvard Insomnia Cookies<br>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/insomniaunion" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/insomniaunion</a><br>
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