community-based, non-corporate, participatory media
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
SLAVE
by BRIAN D DUTCHER
Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2003 at 12:03 PM
BDDUTCHER@YAHOO.COM 850-866-2169
BECAUSE LABOR READY STAFF WITH HELD MY PAY AND THREATENED TO CALL THE POLICE ON ME I SLIT MY ARM FROM THE WRIST PAST THE ELBOW.
I AGREE THAT THEIR TACTICS ARE NOT IN THE BEST INTREST OF THEIR SLAVES.
CAN YOU HELP ME GET A SETTLEMENT FROM THEM?
BRIAN D DUTCHER
FLORIDA FOR NOW.
P/S THEIR ATTACT ON ME HAPPENED IN GREENVILLE SC ON 06/03/03
ha ha
by wakky n radikal
Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2003 at 2:37 PM
ha ha, durutti.
do you think you'll find any sympathy here?
poor, poor baby. poor persecuted xtian. poor underrepresented, angry, white man.
poor you!
lord knows ya'll don't have enough media outlets in the states, you have to spam IMCs, just to make sure your widdle voice is heard. you go, girl. _such_ a valuable and honorable member of the community, but don't forget your meds, it seems as though you are missing them.
go back to oberlin
by durutti
Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2003 at 2:54 PM
Take your phobias elsewhere, scumbag. I hear your kind likes the streetcorners in Lakewood. Avail yourself of it.
oberlin and lakewwod
by wakky
Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2003 at 3:22 PM
I enjoy oberlin, but lakewood is too redneck for me.
you spend much time there?
shouldn't you be referencing pittsburgh neighborhoods what can it mean to pittburghians?
i'll be happy to meet you @ the beehive, southside
waKKKy n phobiKKK
by durutti
Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2003 at 3:29 PM
You know that little place in North Ridgeville? Assuming it ain't closed, I'll meet you there.
Draw a target on your forehead, intolerant queer....
oooo
by wakky
Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2003 at 4:09 PM
oh, you scare me, you big, big man, you.
hmmm are you big, durutti?
wakky and intolerant
by durutti
Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2003 at 4:31 PM
Why do you erase comments at the KKKleveland IMC? What do you have to hide, tough guy?
Why is it okay to bash Christians? What right do you have to talk about tolerance and diversity and all that happy sanctimonious Leftist shit, yet Christians aren't included?
Where's your spirit of diversity and inclusiveness?
Your kind are nothing but fakers. Pretenders. When you get tired of using the blacks and homosexuals and womyn and oppressed peoples, blah blah blah, what will you do with them? You don't really give a fuck about them. You're all mouth.
You are living proof that what's said about Leftists is true - your mouths write checks that your bodies never cash.
Go back to KKKleveland, you pious hypocrite.
discrimation
by wakky
Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2003 at 4:34 PM
I don't like xtians, dear.
and i'm not an administrator, so I can't erase you from the face of the imc, as much as i'd like to.
:)
sweetie
by durutti
Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2003 at 4:52 PM
I don't like homosexuals either, sugah. They are incredibly dangerous to humanity. They're militant.
Put "bareback riders" or "bug chasers' in a search. And keep in mind they went after the Boy Scouts.
No, they don't want to be left alone. Far from it. They're forcing their way into elementary schools. "We're queer, we're here, and we want your children"!
But don't listen to me. Listen to your own kind, like Camille Paglia or Tammy Bruce. But you won't. You'll say you're straight, and pull something akin to calling Rice and Powell "Toms". Yeah, call Paglia and Bruce sellouts.
Whatever it takes, Little Precious.
who am i?
by wakky
Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2003 at 5:17 PM
who's after the boy scouts?
who's forcing their way into elementary schools?
and who am i?
you really do need you meds, honey. and counseling, dear.
i'm sorry that you were abused as a child.
but you needn't be a victim any longer. you can help yourself, durutti column, i have faith in you.
![[masthead]](/images/masthead_140.png)