Tag Archives: Palermo

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Palermo Workers Union


This past weekend we hit the three month mark since we began our strike for a safer workplace and voice on the job at Palermo’s Pizza.I’m not going to lie. It has been hard, at times, to keep the strike going over the past three months. But the recent actions outside more than 50 Costco stores all over the country and the thousands of emails and calls that have been generated to Costco have re-energized us.We can win this with your help. To say thank you and to keep your energized for the fight ahead, we wanted to share this new video from one of the Costco actions some of us attended recently.

Watch the video and share it with your friends here.

Your support forced Palermo’s CEO Giacomo Fallucca to meet with AFL-CIO President Richard Trumkalast Friday to finally begin a dialogue to resolve this issue for workers and Palermo’s customers.

But Fallucca is still refusing to meet with us, reinstate fired workers or recognize our union.

Fallucca and Palermo’s representatives claim they create a family atmosphere in the workplace. I’m not sure about you, but firing long-term employees for organizing to improve their workplace and then refusing to meet with them isn’t what I’d call a family atmosphere.

Let’s show Fallucca what people working together for justice can really do. Let’s keep the pressure up.

Click here now to watch and share our new video:

http://go.aflcio.org/palermosvideo

In Solidarity,

Orlando Sosa
Organizing Committee of the Palermo Workers Union

P.S. Can you help us keep the strike going by contributing $3 or more to our strike fund? Click here to donate online now.
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Palermo Workers Union


A lot has happened since we last e-mailed you with an update on our fight for justice at Palermo’s Pizza.

You may have seen in the news recently that after tens of thousands of e-mails and dozens of actions outside Costco stores around the country, Palermo’s CEO Giacomo Fallucca reached out to us about meeting to come to a resolution to reinstate fired workers and recognize our union.

This is a good step and we couldn’t have gotten here without your help. Palermo’s executives are really feeling the pressure, but this doesn’t mean we can let up now.

Over the coming week, thousands of people will particiapte in a national week of action outside Costco stores, including at an event outside of Costco headquarters in Seattle today, to make sure the company keeps the pressure on Palermo’s to follow through with their commitment to resolve this issue in the right way for its workers and customers.

Even though there isn’t an action planned in your area, you still can help.

Call Costco now at 425-313-8100 (dial zero to speak with an operator who will direct your call) and tell the person you speak with you want the company to call on Palermo’s to reinstate fired workers and recognize our union. You may be put on hold for a few minutes while they transfer you but stay on the line.

The bottom line is Palermo’s is scared because you are helping to expose their dirty tactics and motivated Costco, the largest purchaser of its products, to question whether Palermo’s meets the high standards the company sets for its suppliers.

It is more important than ever that we do everything we can to show people are still watching and will not rest until fired workers are reinstated to their jobs and our union is recognized.

Can you help us keep the pressure on Palermo’s by calling Costco now at 425-313-8100 (dial zero to speak with an operator who will direct your call and stay on the line if they transfer you)?

We hope Palermo’s will end its misinformation campaign and sit down with us to find a resolution that will get everyone back to work, provide us with a voice on the job and create a safer workplace so we can continue to provide the best quality pizzas to Palermo’s customers.

But until that happens, we cannot let up. Thank for you for continuing to stand with us.

In Solidarity,

Raul de la Torre
Organizing Committee, Palermo Workers Union

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No Justice , No Pizza


TELL COSTCO: SUPPORT PALERMO’S PIZZA WORKERS

Laura Torres, a single mother of six, has worked at the Palermo’s Pizza plant in Milwaukee for 10 years. After safety issues led to thousands of dollars in fines from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, she and her co-workers began organizing to form a union to secure safe working conditions.[1]

Palermo’s executives could have taken the high road and sat down with Laura and other workers to hear their concerns. Instead, they chose to start an intimidation campaign that has forced the National Labor Relations Board to investigate claims of unlawful threats and firings.[2]

Laura and her co-workers have been on strike for two months now, but with every passing day management is digging in its heels. Workers, though, are not giving up and are joining together with working families across the country to take the next step in the campaign for justice at Palermo’s. And you can help.

As the largest purchaser of Palermo’s products, Costco can put pressure on Palermo’s to stand with workers. Thousands already have sent letters to Costco and held events outside Costco stores in multiple cities asking the company to support Palermo’s workers.

Click here to stand with pizza workers and let Costco know they should, too.

Costco has built a reputation on its commitment to a strong Supplier Code of Conduct. A major part of this code sets forth a “continuing commitment to the protection and improvement of employees’ rights” and allows Costco to audit its suppliers, like Palermo’s, to make sure they are in compliance with the code.

By asking Costco to take a stand and letting Palermo’s know Costco won’t tolerate the company’s lack of workplace safety and unfair treatment of workers, we can put pressure on Palermo’s to finally do the right thing for their workers and customers.

Tell Costco to put pressure on Palermo’s to end its intimidation campaign, improve conditions and let workers have a voice on the job.

Thank you for your support of Palermo’s Pizza workers in their struggle for dignity and justice on the job.

In Solidarity,

Andy Richards
Digital Strategies, AFL-CIO

P.S. Workers have been on strike for two months and have relied on the generous support of donations to the strike fund to keep them going. But the strike fund is dangerously low. Can you make a donation of $5 to support the workers’ strike fund?

[1] www.theuptake.org/2012/06/10/records-show-palermos-strikers-safety-concerns-are-real/
[2] www.milwaukeelabor.org/in_the_news/article.cfm?n_id=00276