[act-ma] FRI 8 PM: STOP INSOMNIA'S UNION-BUSTING, HOMOPHOBIA, SEXUAL HARASSMENT!

[Geoff Carens]

Dear All,

IWW's and our allies will demonstrate against Insomnia Cookies' recent
termination of a union organizer who fought back against gay-bashing,
sexual harassment and illegal denial of breaks. You're invited to our picket
<https://www.facebook.com/events/1565234910366148/?source=1>! We'll gather
at Insomnia's Boston location, 708 Commonwealth Ave
<https://maps.google.com/maps?q=708+Commonwealth+Avenue,+Boston,+MA&hl=en&sll=42.37839,-71.11291&sspn=0.084581,0.209255&oq=708+C&hnear=708+Commonwealth+Ave,+Boston,+Massachusetts+02215&t=m&z=16>
(steps from the Boston University East stop on the MBTA's Green Line B
train), this Friday October 17, starting at 8 pm.

*BACKGROUND*: Since August 2013, Insomnia Cookies has fired six IWW
activists. The latest, Colin, a trained union organizer, was terminated
after protesting disgusting homophobic slurs by a manager. Colin alerted
upper management that the boss was making sick "jokes" about LGBTQ people,
and had even told a young worker that she should flirt with customers!
Colin was working to build the union in his store, fighting the company's
practice of denying workers legally-mandated breaks, and insisting on an
environment free from verbal abuse. His reward was termination. Please help
us send the message that union-busting, sexual harassment and homophobia in
the workplace are intolerable.

Three days after Colin's protest, which he told company officials he wished
to make confidentially, the sexist, homophobic manager confronted Colin and
grilled him about his complaint, asking, "So you find it offensive when I
use the word f**got?" and encouraging him to "Quit if you don't like it."
The company took no action against the boss in response to Colin's
complaint. The same manager also interrogated Colin about his IWW
affiliation, demanding to know if he was a "mole" for the union. Insomnia
even stole Colin's last week's pay,* not the first time the company has
been hit with charges of wage theft
<http://badgerherald.com/artsetc/2010/11/17/woes-of-the-late-ins/#.VD2XSVM0-Fk>.
The atmosphere of discrimination Colin opposed would likely be no surprise
to another former employee who reported Insomnia's owner is a racist
<http://insomniacookiessucks.blogspot.com/>.

To help Colin pay rent & survive, please donate here: http://igg.me/at/
StandWithColin.

In Solidarity,

Geoff for the Industrial Workers of the World

*Charges have been filed by the union with the Department of Labor.
Insomnia also faces charges at the National Labor Relations Board for
terminating Colin in retaliation for his union activity. Charges at the MA
Commission for Discrimination (MCAD) are pending.