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Asian
American Studies 197A
Winter Quarter 2002
Market
Workers Justice Campaign
Jessica
Kim, T. J. Lee, Hyun-Ja Pak
On
the evening of March 9 tense workers, organizers, community
supporters, students, and activists marched towards Assi Supermarket
in Los Angeles’ Koreatown. We hurried, nervously anticipating
the culmination of a year long struggle for union recognition
at this profitable grocery store. Our nervousness reflected
the personal investment each of us had in the campaign. We
all understood that Assi workers, the Korean and Latino workers
who dedicated their time, poured in their energy, and risked
their jobs to organize a union had the most to gain tonight.
But the rest of us, the students and organizers and activists
that waited anxiously outside the market also knew that the
triumph of Assi workers symbolized the triumph of exploited
workers everywhere. We knew that when they won, workers everywhere
won, immigrants won, people of color won, the disenfranchised
and disempowered won. When we arrived at the market, we cheered
the workers on loudly, shouting "Si se puede!" at
the top of our lungs as they descended into the store basement
to witness the vote count and the official birth of their
union. Tension mounted as we waited for them to reemerge and
announce the campaign victorious. Victory meant tangible gains
for Assi workers, a contract, a living wage, benefits, and
job security. However, as every worker we befriended passionately
emphasized, victory also guaranteed intangible triumphs: dignity
and respect at their workplace. Victory also meant expanded
rights for immigrant workers throughout Koreatown and Los
Angeles. Victory meant expanding the campaign to other markets
and other industries. Victory symbolized a step towards dignity
and respect for underpaid, mistreated, and exploited immigrant
workers universally. A victory at Assi represented part of
a worker-driven global campaign for both the tangible and
intangible: for economic equalization as well as empowerment
and respect.
The
Assi campaign for unionization is significant for a very specific
reason: it is a worker initiated, worker led campaign. Just
over a year ago, frustrated and agitated Assi workers approached
the Korean Immigrant Worker Advocates (KIWA) to assist them
in organizing a completely independent union, the Immigrant
Workers Union (IWU). While KIWA has assisted in the organizing
campaign, providing resources and support staff, all of the
union’s decisions are made by worker leaders. Workers
planned the campaign strategy, organized their co-workers,
planned press conferences and actions, and oversaw all the
components of their struggle. In this process, KIWA staff,
community supporters, students, and activists relinquished
their traditional positions of power as those with the privilege
of English language skills, citizenship, and higher levels
of education. Instead of a top-down, authoritarian decision-making
process (like the one the workers encounter at the workplace)
this campaign subverted traditional hierarchies by deferring
to the decisions of the worker committee. The movement in
support of Assi workers sought to respect the decision-making
abilities of immigrant workers as they took the lead in this
dynamic campaign.
The
campaign is also significant because one hundred percent of
the workers at Assi Supermarket are immigrant workers. Immigrant
workers are an indispensable part of the local and national
economy. As they labor for minimum wage or lower, however,
their exploitation is ignored and their individual voices
of protest silenced. In particular, immigrant workers play
a crucial role in the economy of this ethnic enclave. They
work as butchers, stockers, box boys, janitors, waiters, bus
boys, parking attendants, gardeners, cooks, etc. Their work
is key in creating profitable businesses. However, due to
their disenfranchised position as immigrants and people of
color, they are forced to provide these essential services
for poverty-level wages. The immigrant workers at Assi Supermarket
are fighting this system by empowering themselves, standing
up to their management, and agitating for fair wages and a
dignified work environment.
The
immigrant workers at Assi also represent a diverse, multiracial,
multiethnic workforce. In their unionization drive, they developed
a dynamic and unprecedented campaign that transcends ethnic
and racial differences in a struggle based on common experiences
of economic exploitation. While many Asian American scholars
and community leaders highlight the racial tensions that separate
ethnic communities within Los Angeles, the efforts of the
IWU demonstrate the ability of workers to bridge cultural
divides in a united, working-class effort. The IWU campaign
is extremely significant because it exemplifies the power
of a diverse, immigrant movement united by common experiences
as working class laborers.
The
campaign is also significant because workers chose to form
an independent union, unaffiliated with larger, more institutionalized
labor organizations. The IWU consists only of workers employed
at Assi Supermarket and all of the offices of this union are
held by the workers who spearheaded its organization. As noted
by Doug Brugge and Lydia Lowe, "a growing phenomenon
is the development of community-based workers’ centers,
particularly in minority and immigrant communities in which
workers are often concentrated in marginal sectors of the
economy. . . Community-based workers’ centers are leaders
in the development of popular education about workers’
rights and organizing immigrant workers at a grassroots level."
Within this context, the IWU members are creating a wholly
new type of organization: a community-based labor union. Instead
of affiliating with a large, international institution, Assi
workers chose to build a local, community-based union with
close alliances to community organizations including KIWA,
the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles,
and the Association of Communities Organized for Reform Now,
and the Garment Workers’ Center. Their local grassroots
union sets a new and exciting precedent for organizing immigrant
workers everywhere.
Finally,
the Assi workers’ campaign for unionization represents
a national and international people’s movement for political,
social, and economic justice. Their campaign is part of a
struggle for immigrant and workers’ rights in Los Angeles,
and will soon spread to other markets and businesses where
immigrant workers are employed and too often abused and exploited.
The workers of the IWU exemplify the importance and strength
of worker empowerment and leadership, a model that will be
utilized and emulated in other industries and geographic areas.
Their campaign for justice is integrally related to the struggles
of other workers in Los Angeles and linked to the larger national
and international movements for justice.
The
History of the Campaign
The
Market Workers Justice Campaign has been a long journey that
began almost one year ago as Latino workers began voicing
their complaints to KIWA (Korean Immigrant Workers Advocates).
Some of their grievances included racial discrimination from
the Korean managers and hours that kept being cut from their
shifts. In the summer of 2001, 20 Latino workers from the
produce department at Assi decided to walk off the job demanding
full eight-hour shifts. Together with Danny Park of KIWA,
the workers returned and asked that their demands be met.
Promised with increased hours, the management of Assi gave
the workers their jobs back. That promise, however, remains
to be fulfilled. Nevertheless, with this small victory, the
workers gained confidence in their power and eventually formed
the Immigrant Workers Union and filed with the National Labor
Relations Board. The union had been born.
The
core group of workers, aided by KIWA, began talking to workers,
trying to convince them to support the union. In the end,
almost all of the 80+ Latino workers came to support the union.
The focus was then turned to the 80+ Korean workers. But they
experienced more resistance on that front due to lack of trust
and personal connections with the management.
On
the public side, the IWU filed for an election with the NLRB
to gain recognition of the union by Assi on November 15, 2001.
On that same day, the workers presented Daniel Lee, the owner
of Assi Market, with their demands and asked that he recognize
the union. In response, Lee hired Littler and Mendelson, a
notorious union-busting law firm, who began holding captive
audience meetings with the workers to try and persuade them
to oppose the union. In addition, Assi filed an unfair labor
practice (ULP) against KIWA claiming "employer domination"
and hoping to delay the election. Their claim, however, is
thrown out by the NLRB in mid January of 2002. Finally, on
January 24, IWU representatives and Assi Market agree on a
NLRB election for March 9, 2002 at Assi.
While
the IWU committee members continue to meet every Friday to
strategize and plan, the first community supporters meeting
is held on February 1 at KIWA. There, members of different
organizations and members of the community met to plan ways
to support the workers and the election. Besides flyering
customers at Assi every Friday night, the community supporters
staged a Valentine’s Day action on February 14. About
20 supporters passed out candy bags with cards of support
and encouragement to the workers.
With
the election drawing closer, on March 4, Mr. Lee, a Korean
worker at Assi, sent a bold letter to Daniel Lee and the other
Korean workers, urging them to support the union. In support
of his boldness, KIWA staff took turns watching Mr. Lee at
work to ensure that he is not harmed nor harassed. The community
supporters then threw a fiesta on March 7 to rally the workers
and ease the tension and stress.
The
election finally arrived on March 9. KIWA staff, community
supporters, and Assi workers met before the election began.
They finalized their strategies and gave a last minute chant
of support. The election then began in Assi’s basement
at 1 pm. The law requires that no one tell the workers to
vote yes or no within 24 hours of the election. Word arrived,
however, to community supporters camped out at KIWA that members
of Littler and Mendelson were harassing workers, telling them
to vote no. In response, community supporters went in teams
to Assi to make their presence known, and to keep their eyes
on the "consultants." Finally, the election ended
at 7 pm and community supporters were forced off Assi’s
premises as the voters are counted. The NLRB declared the
election too close to be decided either way. An impromptu
rally was held back at KIWA where IWU leaders and KIWA staff
decided to file with the NLRB for the election to be thrown
out, thus taking the battle "to the streets" to
force Daniel Lee to recognize the IWU. That is where the campaign
stands today.
Despite
a disappointing and possibly destroying turn of events, the
workers and community supporters rallied together and are
gearing up for more intensity, more strength, and more action
in the future. The battle is far from over for the workers,
but they are optimistic and re-energized. Justice will come
in due time.
Timeline
- workers
go to KIWA to complain that their hours were getting cut
- [Summer
2001] 20 workers from the produce department walk out demanding
8 hour shifts
- Immigrant
Workers Union is formed and filed with the National Labor
Relations Board
- [November
15, 2001] The IWU files for an election at Assi and hold
a press conference to announce their demands
- Daniel
Lee hires Littler and Mendelson to hold captive audience
meetings
- [November
29, 2001] Assi files an Unfair Labor Practice against KIWA
charging "employer domination" to try and delay
the election
- [December
14, 2001] Community supporters raise thousands of dollars
for the IWU Legal Defense fund
- Assi
workers present a petition for full 8 hour shifts to Daniel
Lee
- [January
12, 2002] Workers file discrimination claims with the Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission against Assi Market
- ULP
against KIWA is thrown out
- [January
18, 2002] Vigil is held in support of the workers
- [January
24, 2002] IWU and Assi agree on a NLRB election date
- [February
1, 2002] Community supporters meet to plan their strategies
in helping the workers
- [February
14, 2002] Valentine’s Day action is executed by the
community supporters
- [March
4, 2002] Letter from Mr. Lee, a worker at Assi, is sent
to Daniel Lee and all of the other Korean workers
- [March
7, 2002] Fiesta is held by the community supporters to encourage
the workers
- [March
9, 2002] Election is held with the NLRB unable to declare
a winner due to a close race
Importance
of Immigrant Workers
Immigrant workers, predominantly from Asia, Mexico, and South
and Central America, labor at the bottom of the economic ladder
in jobs and industries many of us consider unpleasant and
distasteful. According to MIWON, the Multi-ethnic Workers
Organizing Network, "many immigrants find themselves
working in an underground economy where they contribute the
most to the state’s economy, but receive virtually nothing
in terms of living wages and health care benefits." While
immigrant workers provide the essential labor that creates
successful businesses and a strong economy, they are paid
almost nothing. This is particularly true in Koreatown, a
thriving ethnic enclave that caters to Korean American and
Latino customers. The Korean and Latino workers in this ethnic
economy, however, are constantly struggling to support themselves
and their families with poverty wages. Immigrant workers provide
essential services and make our local and state economies
strong but cannot make a living wage.
In
Korean supermarkets, immigrant workers comprise one hundred
percent of the workforce. At Assi, workers immigrated from
Korea, Mexico, and South and Central America. Their hard work
has helped make this market one of the most profitable in
the area. Their labor has been essential in the development
of a profitable business. Daniel Sung Chul Lee, CEO of Assi
market, owes the success of his corporation to the efforts
of a diverse, immigrant work force. Like most of the business
in Koreatown, Assi and all Korean supermarkets depend on their
reliable immigrant employees. Despite the essential work of
Assi employees and the profits they help the market earn,
they are paid only minimum wage ($6.75/hour).
Unconventional
Way of Campaigning
The
Immigrant Workers Union is the first of grass-roots unions
to be a worker-based
union. The Union’s president is Assi’s worker, Maximiliano
Mariscal. He was elected by his co-workers to be the representative
for the union. Max and other Assi workers have genuinely established
and carried the union to where it is today. Elizabeth Sunwoo,
a community organizer from KIWA, expressed that she is always
motivated to make this union succeed because the intensity
of the workers increases. She says that they are self-motivated
and willing to make the union work. The workers initiated
the first step of action and because of it they are the ones
who are founding fathers of this union.
Many
major trade unions are closely watching this campaign to see
where it will go. Seeing that it is a worker-based union supported
by non-profit organizations, ideas that low funding and mass
networking is being questioned. The efforts of this union
are making large-scale impacts. They go against the common
strategies of unions coming in to help workers rather than
workers coming in to establish the union.
Executive
Director of KIWA, Danny Park comments to the La Opinion newspaper
that their work would not be necessary if larger unions would
assist. The newspaper quotes, "If some affiliated trade
unions (Central Labor) AFL-CIO were here, we would not have
to be supporting these workers." The fact is that larger
trade unions are not participating. Ms. Sunwoo elaborates
that their very union goes contradictory to what traditional
unions are made on. Though Sunwoo supports all types of unions,
she recognizes that if this union succeeds it will pose a
controversy to more typical unions.
The
leadership of this union is a more grass-roots approach. Based
on the idea of Philip Vera Cruz, these workers and community
organizers have become a coalition of leaders who are working
towards a fairer working condition. Though Max does serve
as the president of the union, he does not make the decisions.
All of the workers are equal and depend upon each other to
lead the union. Even the workers at KIWA are but supporting
voices to help the union move. This style of leadership has
created a great influx of support as well as finding many
outlets to campaign.
Worker
Empowerment
Maximiliano
Mariscal does not look like a union president. He is slightly
built, almost thin, and young. He is also a recent immigrant
from a southern region of Mexico, where he left all of his
family and friends. His quiet charisma and humility hide his
central role in the formation of the IWU. He never emphasizes
his own essential organizing work, his important role in the
union, or the risks he has taken and sacrifices he has made
on behalf of his coworkers. He never mentions how he was fired
for confronting his supervisor. In fact, he often fails to
mention his position as union president. Instead he tells
the stories of his friends and comrades who struggled with
him. He never considers what he can gain personally from his
position as a leader, but simply asks, "What can we gain
together?" Max’s quiet leadership style and the
collective decision-making process he and his coworkers utilized
symbolize the IWU’s approach to worker empowerment.
The
IWU campaign demonstrates two important concepts in leadership
development: individual and collective empowerment. While
individual leaders emerged in the course of the campaign,
they worked collectively and congruently towards a common
goal. Max’s story exemplifies this concept. He discovered
his leadership skills as an individual while working toward
a collective goal. Worker meetings also demonstrate this egalitarian
leadership model. Workers gathered every week to strategize
and plan their campaign, in consultation with KIWA staff.
As they formed their union and developed a plan for recognition,
all major decisions were discussed by worker committees and
ultimately decided by the workers. Instead of an institutionalized
union or union officials dictating the campaign, IWU members
collectively planned and implemented their fight for union
recognition.
In
addition to creating an equal and grassroots organization,
collective leadership within the IWU also empowered all of
the workers involved. Instead of developing the leadership
skills of a few individual workers, the egalitarian structure
of the IWU involved and simultaneously empowered all of the
individuals that participated in the collective decision-making
process. As every worker became involved in the campaign,
they discovered their own abilities as leaders and contributed
their individual skills in a common struggle.
Workers’
involvement in the campaign also empowered them in their workplace
and community. Workers involved in the union found the strength
and support to stand up to their abusive managers. Knowing
that their coworkers would support them gave workers the force
to confront the exploitative circumstances they faced every
time they went to work. Camaraderie and solidarity gave workers
a very real sense of power while they worked and dealt with
an unfair employer. Within the campaign, Assi workers also
discovered the confidence to publicly reveal the conditions
in which they worked, condemn the unjust practices of Assi
management, and call for community support. In a public press
conference, Max announced "We are tired of being mistreated,
tired of being overworked and underpaid, and tired of being
insulted. We deserve better work conditions, better salaries,
and benefits. But the most important thing is that we deserve
to be treated respectfully, because we are human beings, not
slaves." His powerful words, eloquently stated in front
of coworkers, community supporters, reporters, and management,
embody the strength and courage workers discovered as they
acted collectively to form a union.
Community
Involvement
The community has played a significant role in the Market
Workers Campaign. Organizations such as KIWA (Korean Immigrant
Workers Advocates), CHIRLA (Coalition for Humane Immigrant
Rights of Los Angeles), along with over 70 other community
organizations have shown their support towards unionizing
the market workers at Assi. KIWA is conveniently located right
around the corner from Assi market and as result has become
a headquarters for the Immigrant Workers Union.
Community
organizers like Danny Park and other KIWA members help workers
in need to find a voice and also learn their rights. The efforts
of community organizations consist of translating, legal representation,
raising funds, moral support, and gathering other members
of community to become aware and participants. Community supporters
come together to strategize actions to help encourage unionization.
KIWA and other organizations go out every Friday night to
flyer the customers and get them educated about what issues
are going on.
On Valentine’s Day the community members delivered valentines
to the workers reminding them to stay strong support the union.
Two UCLA students came and dressed up as cupids, delivering
an enormous heart shaped card to the CEO Daniel Lee. In addition
to these small actions, KIWA hosts a weekly worker’s
meeting place where Latinos and Koreans can come together
and share about the progression of the campaign. Community
organizers meet often to also lend support and organize any
resources they can provide for the union.
At
a meeting at KIWA, community organizers, students, and other
community members gathered to educate the public as well as
gather ideas to mobilize the community. A strong emphasis
at this meeting was the voice of the workers. After hours
of meeting together the facilitators commented on how with
the approval of the workers they would proceed. Tomas, an
Assi Latino worker, came in to share his story and gratitude.
His representation gave strong witness as to why the people
needed to be involved. During the meeting, some activists
began to voice out concerns of socialist censorship in media.
It was impressing to see how the facilitators did not stray
from their focus on the workers and encouraged them to discuss
it at another time. Community organizations really do care
about the needs of the workers and it is evident that there
is a determination that they want justice for them.
Community
participants unaffiliated with organizations have also come
out. Their interest was simply by the word of mouth. When
speaking to Sung Park, an unaffiliated supporter, he stated
that it did not require much of him. Being a Korean American
he felt that it was important to be engaged in present day
labor issues. Immigration is not so far back in Asian history
that community members cannot relate to these workers. That
sense of identification seems to spark an interest that lies
deeply within them.
The
area of support in this campaign even covers elementary school
students. At Wilton Place Elementary School, teacher, Otani
Miller mobilizes his students to become involved in the campaign.
For Valentine’s Day these students made hand-made cards
to send messages to the workers that they cared. Just a few
days before the Union election, students created banners to
show workers that they were supporting the Union. The variety
of support has covered a large spectrum of people.
Supporters
feel that it is necessary to offer support and inform other
community members to become aware. UCLA interns working at
KIWA have shared how working on this campaign has made significant
impact on their lives. They agree that social injustice and
labor exploitation is still an issue of today and not something
just learned through history books. Each supporter is working
towards helping the Union, but could probably contest that
they are being so rewarded for such little effort. Every worker
has expressed such deep gratitude for the support they are
receiving. At every function and every interview, their hearts
humbly speaks words of thank you.
Interethnic
Relationships
Assi
Market has a 50/50 ratio of Latinos and Koreans workers. Similar
to its surroundings, Koreatown also has an interesting composition
of Latinos and Immigrant Koreans. The existence of two cultures
in such a concentrated area can often bring up many issues
between Latinos and Koreans. Within markets like Assi, a customer
will often find a conglomerate of many cultural adaptations.
The ability to communicate to one another has been a pressing
issue for many workers at Assi. Monolithic speakers in both
Korean and Spanish often find it frustrating and inhibiting
for working conditions. Though each side cannot fluently communicate
with the other, workers are able to articulate to one another
through gestures and some familiar words. The language barrier
is an important issue but is not addressed by the management.
In fact, language is often a dividing factor that supervision
uses to their advantage. By separating the two groups according
to their language misconceived notions arise on both side
that are never voiced. As a result, tension between Latino
workers and Korean workers is not uncommonly found.
Community
organizer, Elizabeth Sunwoo explained that a common misconceived
idea is that because Korean workers speak the same language
that the management does and they look similar to Korean owners,
Latino workers feel that they are at a disadvantage. Because
they do not understand what is being said a mistrust between
the two groups is built. In retrospect, the Korean workers
feel greater mistreatment because they are Korean. They are
often asked to live by Korean cultural values and take direct
verbal abuse by fellow Koreans. The find themselves unshielded
by the manipulation of words, unlike the Spanish-speaking
workers who can’t understand. This again leads to disorganizing
the workers and causing division.
It
wasn’t until the development of a union that Korean and
Latino workers began to come together. Through the efforts
of KIWA and other community organizations the barriers between
cultures have been broken and the two sides are able to share
with each other their stories. By giving the workers a safe
place to converse and translators to share, workers found
themselves having more in common than believed. Ms. Sunwoo
states that, "It is no longer a division by culture,
but a one based on class.
The
response of shared stories helped the workers see that they
weren’t so far apart after all. For those who were willing
to hear, they recognized that they were not fighting each
other but needed to work together to raise a voice against
the management. The success of bringing together these two
ethnic groups is a monumental accomplishment. It is one of
the first of many Latino/Korean workplaces that has been able
to bring co-existing cultures together. Though very pertinent
to the Assi campaign, its influence pours over to the community
surrounding it. Koreatown is unusual because it is a Korean
ethnic enclave with a dominant Latino population. This has
not been a focused issue but instead the two groups have learned
to live amongst one another separately. This campaign has
given this community a starting place to come together.
As
the push to organize and unionize Assi workers continues,
workers have found that management is still using culture
to divide them. As the efforts increased, Korean management
have separated many of the Latino workers from the Korean
workers. The major activists in this campaign have been the
large number of Latino workers. Since the bond between Koreans
and Latinos has also increase, the management attempts to
segregate the workers from one another. This tactic is to
control the efforts of destructing the works toward unionization.
By separation, they are able to monitor and devise specific
strategies to threaten each side. In addition, segregating
workers also allows for the management to manipulate miscommunication
amongst the group and cause greater damage between Korean/Latino
relationships.
Maximiliano
Mariscal, the acting president of the Immigrant Worker Union,
has found that his supervision has confined him to a more
menial job away from all workers. He comments in his interview
that they scrutinize his work to search for a means of firing
him. He discloses that he must work with immense pressure.
The continual reminder that someone is watching him creates
stress and paranoia that renders an initiative to quit. He
works hard to stay strong and keeps his perspective focused
on the better tomorrow for him and his fellow workers.
Unfortunately,
the Korean workers support is not as strong as the Latino
workers. They are bound by cultural values and understanding
that go against grass root organization. Koreans are known
to be non-conflicting, hierarchical abiding citizens. The
interest to create solidarity between Koreans often generates
a resistance amongst the Korean workers. The support for union
has been a harder battle for Korean workers. Though Assi market
is only a few blocks away from KIWA, Koreans are slower to
open up to the idea of organizing. In fact, it wasn’t
until recent events that Korean workers began to truly speak
out against the management.
Mr.
Lee, a sashimi cutter in the fish department, took a major
step towards organizing Korean workers. On March 4, 2002 Mr.
Lee wrote and signed a documents advocating his support towards
union. Being a respected older Korean worker, he shared and
encouraged other Koreans to take matters into their hands
and begin to work towards a fairer union. In a community support
meeting March 7, 2002, Mr. Lee approached his fellow Latino
workers. At the KIWA meeting Mr. Lee introduced himself to
his fellow workers and explained to him what he had done.
He spoke of supporting the efforts of the union and rallying
other Koreans to also do the same. Mr. Lee’s impressive
contribution was when he bowed and apologized for the harsh
treatment of the Korean people to the Latino workers. He conveyed
a sincere concern and empathy towards his fellow co-workers.
The event of this statement was a trilingual moment, capturing
the emotion and heart of three languages coming together.
Much
advancement between interethnic relations has been made through
the Immigrant Workers Union. The Latino and Korean community
are now more unified than before and Assi workers are finding
more support amongst one another. In fact, workers have discovered
that many of their fellow co-workers are bilingual in their
ethnic tongue. Many more Latinos actually understand and can
speak much more Korean than thought to. In addition, Koreans
have come to learn Spanish as well. The morning after Mr.
Lee wrote his letter to the management and other workers he
felt very intimidate and scared to enter his work place. Fellow
co-worker, Miguel approached Mr. Lee to bring him words of
support. Miguel said to Mr. Lee, "Ah jah shi, it’s
going to be okay because we are united." To Mr. Lee’s
surprise Miguel spoke to him in complete Korean reminding
him that he was there to support. Mr. Lee was so deeply moved
by his co-worker that tears welled up in his eyes and he began
to cry. Miguel and Mr. Lee share one of the greatest triumphs
of this campaign. The friendship expressed through their interaction
showed that Latinos and Koreans could be united.
Actually,
the workers feel that they now work on a more equal playing
field and have greater trust in one another. The result of
campaign efforts has given both sides greater knowledge of
their worker rights and an ability to help stand up for each
other. Although, this is not to say that the management has
made union development easy. The owners have sent in litigators
to cause legal intimations and threats. Workers share that
they call in weekly meetings to try to scare and pressure
the workers into contracting against Union. Borderline supporters
of the union were given a surprising increase in pay and threats
of being fired increase. As a result, the campaign continues
to harbor many issues, but the rate towards interethnic unity
increases.
Revelations
Our
experiences in research have often intrigued us, but none
has had such a lasting effect as this one. Through the Market
Workers Justice Campaign our committee was allowed to build
relationships with strong community organizers, brave immigrant
workers, and other interested supporters who share a concern
for the cause. Our original understanding was that we would
monitor the process of the campaign and try to capture the
essence of why unionizing is significant. This campaign taught
us that social injustice and unfair labor exploitation is
not an un-foreign thing to immigrant communities like Koreatown.
Through
community meetings, we were able to learn the process of unionization.
They educated us on where the process of this campaign was
going and how we could directly become involved. There are
many different factors and steps to take before a union can
be formed and recognized. Some steps are difficult, while
others are easy; some are public, while many others are unseen.
But each move forward requires the conscious effort of all
involved to face the current and walk against the water. Because
of this need for support, our group easily found ourselves
integrated into the actions regardless of our preconceived
position. Members of our committee participated in the actions
and were able to interact with the workers themselves. Having
interviews with many of the workers and supporters we were
able to give a venue for the stories to be heard. The empowerment
of words came through the strong accounts of many of the Latino
and Korean workers.
A
strong value we learned was about how important it is to know
your workers rights. Labor issues are still such a huge struggle
in our society, that the knowledge of what privileges even
undocumented workers have is so imperative. As students we
were given the opportunity to see hands on what the experience
of organizing requires of people and what it can do for workers
like our friends at Assi market. It has become an incredible
reality how much one willing person can do.
Through
researching this campaign, we have also learned that nothing
in society occurs in a vacuum. Our initial thoughts about
the campaign were that it would help the workers at Assi Market.
The scope then broadened and we saw its importance to workers
at all Koreatown markets. From there, we were educated of
the campaign’s effect on immigrant workers, residents
and community members of Koreatown. And even from there, we
saw that the MWJC could have an effect upon the city, the
nation, and even the world. It may sound a bit naïve
and idealistic, but from the response the campaign has been
receiving, it is clear that many eyes are turned to that market
in LA’s Koreatown.
Our
eyes have been opened as a result of this project. We have
met great men and women who have struggled and worked both
inside and outside of the market. Beyond this campaign, they
may not receive any recognition or awards, but that means
little to them anyway. They are simply doing what needs to
be done to gain justice and dignity for themselves and their
co-laborers. These are the true leaders people should be willing
to follow because of their humility and strength. We have
also learned of great greed and stubbornness that blinds people
from recognizing their wrongdoing and sharing the blessings
that they have received. And because of that greed, our project
is far from over. While this quarter comes to a close, our
group is not finished with supporting the market workers.
We will continue to educate, organize, and support the campaign
until the workers have received the dignity and respect they
deserve. In more ways than one, the workers have done much
more for us than we could ever do for them. But hopefully,
because of the resources we have as privileged university
students, we can help them bring victory and justice a little
quicker.
Works
Cited
Brugge,
Doug and Lydia Lowe, "Asian American Workers in the New
Economy," Asian American Revolutionary Movement Ezine,
www.aamovement.net.
MIWON,
www.miwon.org
Tamara,
E. J. "Alianza latinocoreana buca formar sindicato."
La Opinion 16 Nov. 2001
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