Voces de la Frontera: Palermo Strikers’ Truth Tour kicks off tonight in Madison

Contact: Joe Shansky (414) 218-3331 / joe@vdlf.org

Fired pizza workers tour US cities to defend the right to organize in the work place

MILWAUKEE – Today members of the Palermo Workers Union will travel to Madison, WI to attend a public forum and speak about their fight for union rights. The event is the first in a “Striker Truth Tour” designated to educate the public about their strike, now in its fifth month, and build support for a national boycott of Palermo products. Students from the Madison campus have organized the event, as part of a series of forums and actions in US cities over the next month.

Workers have been on strike at Palermo’s Pizza, located in Milwaukee, since June 1, 2012. The National Labor Relations Board is investigating charges that Palermo’s illegally fired nearly 90 workers in response to a request for recognition of the Palermo Workers Union, and after years of organizing collectively in the plant. The strike has garnered support from many organizations across the country, including the national AFL-CIO and United Steelworkers.

Last week, a group of Milwaukee Democratic legislators issued a statement in support of the Palermo Workers Union, asking Palermo’s Pizza to negotiate with its workers.

Visits to different cities will include a public forum, plus a direct action event that targets a major sports team sponsored by Palermo’s, or a Costco Wholesale warehouse. Costco is the largest distributor of Palermo’s nationally.

Cities on the tour include Madison, Iowa City, Chicago, Seattle, and more to be added. The tour will culminate with a visit by the strikers to the corporate headquarters of Costco in Issaquah, WA.

For press inquiries and interviews with striking workers, contact the number above. For background on the strike, visit http://www.sliceofjustice.com

Tour dates (in progress)

Wednesday Oct. 24: University of Wisconsin – Madison, Bldg: Humanities 1111 (455 N Park), 7pm

Monday Oct 29th: University of Iowa, Schaeffer Hall Rm 140, 7pm

Sunday Nov 4th: University of Chicago, Hutch Commons (1135 E 57th St), 7pm

Friday November 16th: University of Washington – Seattle

Details TBA