Union Leaders face Racial Harassment and Unjust Firings

June 6, 2007@12PM
Driscoll Middle School
17150 Jones Maltsberger

“I feel that I have been treated unfairly and feel it is a form of retaliation in an attempt to terminate my employment, because I am the President of Local #14”-
Marco Velasquez, NEISD employee.

North East Independent School District (NEISD) has been involved in union busting efforts at Driscoll Middle School, and at other campuses, violating worker’s rights to organize by unjustly firing and continually harassing members of the Southwest Workers' Union. Marco Velasquez, President of Local #14 and a custodian in NEISD, has received disparate treatment from the assistant head custodian who labelled him a ‘wetback’, a racist slur for immigrants from Mexico.
Marco Velasquez, who is a U.S. citizen, was also wrongfully accused of stealing in an effort to unfairly terminate him. Former NEISD Local #14 President Ken Kopcinzsky was also unjustly terminated in October 2006 for his participation with the Southwest Workers' Union.

NEISD has also denied the Southwest Workers' Union from reasonable access to its members and employees during their duty-free lunch. SWU organizes in five (5) other school districts in San Antonio, TX and none of these districts deny SWU the right to access members and employees. SWU members’ rights are being violated by denying them the right of freedom of assembly and association.

Southwest Workers' Union demands an immediate stop to the harassment of its members and denial of basic rights of access to members and employees.

Dignity and Justice for NEISD School Workers!!

Labels: labor justice, NEISD, protest, school workers

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release Contact: Chavel Lopez
23 March 2007 Office 299.266

Level III Hearing with School Trustees Demands Stop Union Busting/Stop the Retaliation

Southwest Workers’ Union a nineteen year old grassroots organization that organizes and represents school workers (custodians, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, bus assistants, warehousemen, maintenance workers and paraprofessionals) in San Antonio, Texas, Austin, Tx, and the Rio Grande Valley will be holding two hearings in open session with the North East Independent School District (NEISD) Trustees.

The first hearing is addressing NEISD Administration denying Southwest Workers’ Union (SWU) to enter schools and facilities and having reasonable access to members and employees during orientations and during their duty free lunch break to organize them.

The second hearing is in reference to retaliation against SWU Local #14 President Ken Kopczynski in NEISD who was being secretly monitored and fired in October 19, 2006. SWU views this as violation of our right to organize and a union busting effort so school workers will not have a voice. NEISD is clearly violating our freedom of assembly and freedom of expression guaranteed by the US Constitution.

SWU which also organizes throughout San Antonio, Tx does not have a problem accessing members and employees in other school districts only in NEISD.

As a remedy SWU is demanding that the union busting effort and the retaliation cease and desist immediately. That Mr. Ken Kopczynski be immediately reinstated and his pay be made whole. That SWU be permitted to enter NEISD employee orientations, schools and facilities to organize.

Dignity and Justice for NEISD School Workers!

Labels: NEISD, school workers, union