PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

Labor Ready or Slaver Ready?
by posted by Rovin' Workman Thursday, Feb. 13, 2003 at 8:12 PM
rovinworkman@hotmail.com

Labor Ready, source of cheap labor to capitalists across the nation, attacks Anti-Displacement Project for calling attention to their "modern-day slavery" practices.

Don't Let Slaver Ready Abolish Free Speech!
http://www.slaverready.com

The A-DP needs your help to protect the rights of workers everywhere to
speak freely, openly, and effectively about the injustices they face on the
job. The day workers can be threatened and intimidated into inaction is the day we lose all hope for improving work conditions in America. Please read the article below and join us in our fight!

Take a stand with the Labor Ready workers and show that you will
not tolerate Labor Ready's corporate bully tactics. Please donate to A-DP's
Legal Defense Fund.


Springfield Union-News
'Slavery': Labor firm sues over label
12/27/2002

By MARLA A. GOLDBERG
Staff writer

SPRINGFIELD - Labor Ready, a temporary employment business, has filed a
lawsuit against Anti-Displacement Project Inc. of Springfield, after the
agency accused Labor Ready on the Internet of subjecting workers to
"modern-day slavery."

The Tacoma, Wash.-based Labor Ready, which specializes in manual labor, has
branches in Springfield, Holyoke, Greenfield and Pittsfield. It filed the
lawsuit at U.S. District Court in Bos- ton last week, charging the Anti-
Displacement Project with trademark infringement for posting a Web site with
the address http://www.slaverready.com, and bearing the logo "Slaver Ready."

The site accuses Labor Ready of "selling cheap human labor at the lowest
possible cost."

Labor Ready, which states that its 750 branches worldwide put 500,000 people
to work this year, maintains that its name and logo are valuable assets, and
the "Slaver Ready" logo is likely to cause confusion, resulting in harm to
Labor Ready's business and reputation.

Stephen C. Dondley, the jobs organizer for the Anti-Displacement Project at
57 School St., said the First Amendment protects his agency's right to
criticize Labor Ready and parody its name. He said that Labor Ready is using
"bully tactics" to try and get the Anti-Displacement Project to take the
logo down.

"This is what happens when you go to battle with corporations which have
deep pockets," he said.

Dondley maintains that Labor Ready fails to take workers on a first-come,
first-served basis, unfairly charges them transportation fees, and requires
deposits on such safety equipment as hard hats and boots. Dondley said that
at times, Labor Ready has not paid people for hours they actually worked if
they did not complete an assigned shift.

Labor Ready's lawyer, Michael R. Reinemann of Boston, referred questions to
a Labor Ready spokeswoman in Tacoma, who did not return a call yesterday.

Labor Ready has branches in this country, Canada, and Great Britain, and
states that its 22 Massachusetts branches put 16,505 people to work last
year.

The Anti-Displacement Project, according to Labor Ready, is trying to
interfere with Labor Ready's reputation in a plan "to set up a hiring hall
in competition with Labor Ready."

Dondley said that the Anti-Displacement Project does not want to operate a
temporary employment agency, but that, with the AFL-CIO of the Pioneer
Valley, plans a non-profit center for low-wage workers in Springfield, to
provide work force development opportunities.

Labor Ready, which also cites unfair trade practices and unfair competition
in the lawsuit, is seeking unspecified damages.

The Anti-Displacement Project works to organize and empower low-income
families in Western Massachusetts, according to the agency.

In 2001, the Anti-Displacement Project was active in prompting changes at
the FutureWorks one-stop jobs center in Springfield.

In recent years, it also secured $56.6 million worth of federal, state, and
local funds to buy and rehabilitate affordable housing, turning four
apartment complexes in Springfield, Greenfield, Westfield and Holyoke into
tenant-owned cooperatives.

Take a stand with the Labor Ready workers and show that you will
not tolerate Labor Ready's corporate bully tactics. Please donate to A-DP's
Legal Defense Fund

www.slaverready.com

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