The Hand That Feeds
- Description
- Reviews
- Citation
- Cataloging
- Transcript
At a popular bakery cafe, residents of New York's Upper East Side get bagels and coffee served with a smile 24 hours a day. But behind the scenes, undocumented immigrant workers face sub-legal wages, dangerous machinery, and abusive managers who will fire them for calling in sick. Mild-mannered sandwich maker Mahoma Lopez has never been interested in politics, but in January 2012, he convinces a small group of his co-workers to fight back.
Risking deportation and the loss of their livelihood, the workers team up with a diverse crew of innovative young organizers and take the unusual step of forming their own independent union, launching themselves on a journey that will test the limits of their resolve. In one roller-coaster year, they must overcome a shocking betrayal and a two-month lockout. Lawyers will battle in back rooms, Occupy Wall Street protesters will take over the restaurant, and a picket line will divide the neighborhood. If they can win a contract, it will set a historic precedent for low-wage workers across the country. But whatever happens, Mahoma and his coworkers will never be exploited again.
'It is a story that has to be told and retold, in the classroom and in community centers. The vagaries associated with labor organizing, particularly among immigrant and low-wage workers is poignantly lucid. The challenges associated with the struggle for dignity and power in labor relations is presented with stark clarity and detail, and includes important context about the push and pull of immigration. The film is inspiring. One could not view this film without arriving to a deeper understanding of labor organizing, immigrant workers, and the lessons of a sustained movement for social justice.' Deborah Weissman, Professor of Law, University of North Carolina
'Exhilarating...Captures the adrenaline, uncertainties, and joys of an organizing campaign. It shows what a small group of workers-armed with innovative strategies and a clear vision of how to build power-can pull off.' Sonia Singh, Labor Notes
'The Hand That Feeds is not just a story of their fight for better wages, benefits and a right to unionize. As 'Fight for $15' rallies kick off around the country...the documentary is now being used to inspire workers everywhere - especially at small businesses.' Jana Kasperkevic, The Guardian
'A moving documentary...It beautifully exposes the plight of undocumented workers in the food service industry and their struggle for dignity and a piece of the American Dream. Ideal for use in social studies courses on labor, immigration, or the new field of food studies.' Ruth Milkman, Professor of Sociology and Labor Studies, City University of New York, Co-editor, New Labor In New York: Precarious Workers and the Future of the labor Movement
'My strongest possible recommendation is to see this film...to be reminded of how good a victory can feel. This film is a shot in the arm to a movement that can sometimes forget what power we have, even in the darkest of times...It is best for us to think of ourselves as the future vanguard of a mass movement that cannot only give workers a sense of their 'dignity and respect' as Michael Yates puts it, but everybody in the 99 percent.' Louis Proyect, Counterpunch
'The Hand That Feeds provides an absorbing look at the organizing efforts of a small group of undocumented workers and their allies. In following that process, full of unexpected ups and downs, we see the workers move from exploitation to empowerment. This is an inspiring film in a time when labor victories are all too few.' Dr. Robin Leidner, Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Pennsylvania, Author, Fast Food, Fast Talk: Service Work and the Routinization of Everyday Life
'This inspiring film will encourage discussions on minimum wage and labor practices.' Candace Smith, Booklist
'Putting a human face on a hot-button subject, the film about undocumented workers fighting back against exploitation in the food-service industry is recommended.' P. Hall, Video Librarian
'One comes away...with the feeling that collective action really can get the goods - that all of the risks and heartbreak that go into organizing might just be worth it. And at a time of such widespread working-class demobilization, such a message is desperately needed.' Micah Uetricht, Jacobin
'An effective portrayal of the intricacies of activism - and of a situation in which victories seem all too brief.' Ben Kenigsberg, The New York Times
'It's Norma Rae with a side of sauerkraut, a tribute to American labor, and an example of socially conscious documentary filmmaking at its best.' Peter Keough, The Boston Globe
'Lopez is a singularly tender, compelling, and articulate campaigner in this high-stakes struggle for justice, filmed with the urgency and suspense of a Hitchcock thriller.' Diana Clarke, The Village Voice
'A powerful new documentary...beautifully shot...The stories of the characters in The Hand That Feeds make for a powerfully emotional movie that moved the diverse audience of New Yorkers to tears at times.' Octavio Blanco, CNN Money
'If you are an organizer, an activist or just someone who likes a good story, you should see The Hand That Feeds...Let's be inspired by The Hand That Feeds which shows that if we organize and persevere, we can win.' Lauren Steiner, Hollywood Progressive
'An inspirational documentary chronicling an intrepid band of working-class heroes' demands that their rights be respected...Excellent (4 stars).' Kam Williams, The Skanner
'A cautionary tale about the false hope perpetuated by the American dream, and an uplifting film that suggests some version of that dream, even in a U.S. with an eroding middle class, can still be achieved.' Jen Chaney, The Dissolve
'As rousing as it is seemingly implausible.' Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter
'Deftly edited for maximum suspense.' Ben Sachs, Chicago Reader
'A powerful story that we don't often see in movies.' Chris Barsanti, PopMatters
'Noteworthy.' Stephen Holden, The New York Times
'If there's one documentary you want to put on your watch list, it's this one.' Rose Arrieta, El Tecolote
'You will never look at your deli server the same way again.' Patricia Aufderheide, Center for Media and Social Impact
'An inspiring story.' Ann Hornaday, The Washington Post
'A deeply humanizing look at the low-wage workers in the back of the house.' Alicia Mazzara, DCist
'A necessary addition to the dialogue surrounding the issue of undocumented immigrants.' Marisa M. Kashino, Washingtonian Magazine
'Scrappy, funny, and moving.' Isabella Leone, Students of the World
'A crowd pleaser...A well-plotted and captivating David and Goliath story.' Anthony Kaufman, Indiewire
'An impassioned reminder that collective action is often the best way to fight the powers that be.' Lewis Beale, News and Observer
'A documentary that Americans need to see.' Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan, The Herald-Sun
Citation
Main credits
Lears, Rachel (film director)
Lears, Rachel (film producer)
Lears, Rachel (screenwriter)
Blotnick, Robin (film director)
Blotnick, Robin (film producer)
Blotnick, Robin (screenwriter)
Other credits
Director of photography, Rachel Lears; editors, Robin Blotnick, David Meneses; original score composed by Ryan Blotnick.
Distributor subjects
Activism; Anthropology; Business Practices; Economics; Food Studies; Human Rights; Immigration; Labor and Work Issues; Latin American Studies; Latino and Chicano Studies; Law; Organizing; Poverty; Social Justice; Sociology; Unions; Urban StudiesKeywords
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A study released yesterday tells a very
bleak story about the way American business
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routinely treats low wage workers,
employees are regularly paid less
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than the minimum wage. We\'re
seeing is a massive expansion
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at the bottom of a low paying
largely service sector jobs,
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and a real decimation of middle class
jobs aftermath of financial crisis.
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Inequality in Manhattan rivals
parts of sub-Saharan Africa.
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[music]
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[music]
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[music]
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You\'re so excited, right?
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Because we\'re going to the park. Oh, yeah.
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[sil.]
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Immigrant labor, legal in otherwise
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is nothing short of vital to the inner
workings of most New York City restaurants.
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Immigration is good for, employers
keeps wages down, the immigrants are
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less likely to complain about the working conditions.
Meanwhile, workers from Hot and Crusty bakeries
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approach the laundry workers
center, Gonzalo, tell us about,
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That\'s is although tell us about Hot and Crusty. I thought it was like
a corner store or something. Apparently, it\'s very large enterprise.
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Are you baker\'s, uh… what you… No, I\'m… I work
on the Deli, umm… take care of the customers,
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prepare sandwiches, salads so…
What\'s happening at your location?
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The manager of the company is a
tricky person, you know. They… they…
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they did not pay the minimum wage,
they pay like $5 dollars per hour.
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Also, they… we didn\'t got a break, we… we spoke
with the manager. And his answer, he said,
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you wanna make a little more problem, when they call
me aggression, so that\'s why the… the weak point so.
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Yeah. That\'s why we… we try to change the… the…
the workplace where they are so. And the company,
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they\'re very upset while they have
to… But they don\'t have choices.
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Membership at private sector labor
union just wanted it to be for decades
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but in its place, the number of
alternative labor group have exploded.
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[music]
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When we first meet workers
we\'re very explicit:
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The only way to change
things is by organizing.
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We\'re talking about a power struggle.
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Every day, I remember the four years
I lived here without documents.
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That anger has to be turned into something
positive. I turn it to organizing.
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[music]
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[music]
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Laundry Workers Center is a group of volunteers.
We don\'t have funding from foundations or unions.
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He said it doesn\'t matter that
their name says \"laundry.\"
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Theyorganize anyone.
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One thing we do is identify new leaders.
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Training those leaders
is part of our vision.
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[music]
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My first impressions about Mahoma was
that he was sort of shy and very humble.
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You could see that his
coworkers respected him
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and that they followed his lead. And I think
maybe sometimes the soft-spoken leaders
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are the most dangerous ones.
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Gonzalo is ready for a fight.
He was really the
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iron fist to Mahoma\'s velvet glove.
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Absolutely undocumented workers
have the right to organize
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under the National Labor Relations Act.
There\'s no question.
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Employees, the term, \"Employees\",
uh… includes undocumented workers,
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where New York gives us the advantage,
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New York has the wage theft prevention act
that protects workers right to receive
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minimum wage and overtime. We didn\'t go
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into this thinking this was just a way in our lawsuit, we
sat and we talked about the conditions in Hot & Crusty,
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and we started organizing.
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A leader always he\'s(ph) in
front leading (inaudible).
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You have to be calling everyone, every single day and
say what was happening, having that real conversation.
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So we\'re going to be doing our role
play, and you will try to recruit me.
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Who is going to be the first person?
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Can I sit with you? You don\'t mind. Of
course, you can sit… Yeah, sure. Okay.
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How you feeling today? You feel good today?
Yeah, I feel good today.
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No. I don\'t want to shake hands. Oh okay. Umm…
I\'m reading at this moment. They give papers?
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I\'m sorry? Did they give you that paper?
They didn\'t give me papers to me.
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Are you selling a Prada? Are you selling,
uh… selling… No. I didn\'t sell anything.
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So why are you coming to bother me? I\'m not trying to
bother you. We\'re brother. We\'re Latino. We speak Spanish.
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I\'m not gonna see such
strategies a visionary.
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Our goal is basically to
have a social moment.
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Transformity organizing to really
transform revolutionize our society.
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[music]
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We turned out to an issue that has gained
increasing prominence in the last year,
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increasing inequality in the United States…
Started at the small campus demonstrator
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in New York City\'s financial district,
grew into a nationwide political movement.
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But after the militarized police crackdown
from protesters the media coverage died down.
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I saw on the news they
were occupying a park.
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I said, \"They\'re nuts! What
are they doing there?\"
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We know the law is for the master.
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It\'s a master tool. We know that they\'re
using either of these (inaudible) false so,
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and we need to… we need to be
looking for the innovative way.
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And these we\'re asking
support from the community.
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You said that there\'s gonna to be actions coming up, starting
tomorrow. All right. Are there any other questions for
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the laundry workers\' folks. All right.
So I\'ll be out there
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at 63rd and 3rd avenue,
tomorrow, all right?
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[music]
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[music]
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The manager had no idea
what was waiting for him.
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[music]
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[sil.]
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[music]
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[sil.]
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Hi sir, how you\'re doing
coming from (inaudible).
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Hello sir, how are you doing? Hey.
Things are good. Yeah. Yeah. You know,
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we always come out. Yeah. Represent.
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Oh, so you all is… Activists.
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You all is the bad guys, protesting! The good guys. No, we\'re
the good guys. We bring in change to the place. I understand.
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Hi. We\'re (inaudible) workers trying to
organize. Ma\'am, you live in the community?
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I started out in the
service industry catering,
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that was my first job. And
I can remember at that age
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thinking how horrible this job was, and the
treatment was horrible. But I was a young,
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white girl, and my treatment was nothing
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even close to the treatment of the back of the
house. It\'s really how I got into labor issues.
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No, it\'s even more helpful of these, so patronize, I mean, you
say, you know, we know what\'s going on from the community,
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we support the workers\' rights
organization. Okay. Have a nice day.
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[music]
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I like that country music,
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and I like how sounds the banjo.
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Hi sir, how you doing?
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You got a lawyer? Don\'t touch me.
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Stop stealing money from my workers.
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[sil.]
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[music]
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(inaudible) information about the company.
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[music]
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The wages were stolen, and look
at how the police is joking
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with the owners. This system
doesn\'t work for the poor people.
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Of course, she kind of (inaudible),
right, then like you start doing like,
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better like, maybe like, bigger rallies, maybe a march.
Eventually, you start going to things like a strike,
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eventually, the workers gonna like walk off. Or we can like,
shut it down, like take it over that they don\'t hear the workers
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that\'s when you start escalating. Okay.
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[music]
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The company was willing to come to the table to discuss the
issues from the past in terms of paying unpaid wages and overtime
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that the workers were owed.
But the workers put forward,
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demands that would require substantive changes in
the workplace, changes in the terms and conditions
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of their employment.
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[music]
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[music]
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Gracias.
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[music]
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Here\'s piece of news that that odd
(inaudible) won\'t surprise you.
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Union membership is down.
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Voice of the (inaudible) worked to
(inaudible) which is you\'re search quite
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are opposite union. Union
seem a kind of irrelevant.
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I\'m sorry the voting closes at 7:15.
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The voting is closed. It is too late. Too
late to vote. I\'m sorry. No speak in English.
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Yeah, I don\'t speak Spanish.
It\'s too late to vote.
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It closes at 7:15. Okay? You\'re
supposed to vote by 7:15.
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I don\'t speak Spanish. Go speak to your steward.
You don\'t vote here. There\'s no voting here.
00:26:25.000 --> 00:26:30.000
Okay.
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Yeah, could you tell him, I\'m not the
bad guy. Let me tell this is something.
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You better tell them you told me to do
that. You don\'t take no for an answer.
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You just don\'t take no for an answer.
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[music]
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[music]
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[sil.]
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[music]
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[music]
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I work as a home health aide.
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The pay is not too good. I
have to work a lot of hours
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so that we can make ends meet.
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Right now, Mahoma is out
of the house a lot.
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I feel like he doesn\'t have to be
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in every single action
or every single meeting.
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[music]
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I go to a Pentecostal church.
Our pastor would say that now,
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you know, at the end times a lot of
movements are gonna pop up out of nowhere.
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And not all those movements are good.
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When Mahoma told me that
he had Occupy Wall Street
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helping him out, I didn\'t
know what to think.
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And I\'m afraid that he might get
arrested, he might get deported,
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I might get that phone call that, you know, I\'m
not going to come home because this happened
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or that happened. …You want more mashed
potatoes or just like that? You want more?
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[music]
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It\'s uh…
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a march for international
workers today. Labor.
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Good morning everyone. Good morning
everyone. In this building…
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In this building… … he hired our consultant
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for to stop the workers. The workers.
We got hundreds of people here
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which we actually didn\'t expect to get a turn
out that big. Uh… People have been really loud
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and truly engaged. Thank you
sir, I take that as a honor.
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[music]
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[music]
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We are unstoppable. Another
world is possible.
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[non-English narration]
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[music]
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Immigrant activists have organized from a day in New York
City for years. We need them to stop the deportation.
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Stop the deportation. That those within
within our movement who are undocumented,
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the risk is very high for them.
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We can\'t risk arrest! We all hate the
police state! We all hate the police state!
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(inaudible) we can\'t protect our community.
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The Hot & Crust campaign is part of a
larger movement that\'s been growing in the US,
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and it\'s something that can\'t be ignored. It
can\'t be stressed enough how critical it is
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to organize low wage industries.
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You\'re constantly confronted with people
00:34:20.000 --> 00:34:24.999
who tell you that it\'s impossible. These are jobs high
turnover. These are jobs that are vulnerable workers
00:34:25.000 --> 00:34:29.999
but by raising the lowest bar, uh…
we really push everything above it.
00:34:30.000 --> 00:34:34.999
For so long the American people believed
00:34:35.000 --> 00:34:39.999
low wage jobs are for illegal
immigrants or teenagers,
00:34:40.000 --> 00:34:45.000
the reality of the US economy is that
this is the future of our economy.
00:34:50.000 --> 00:34:54.999
Keep watching, keep fighting,
00:34:55.000 --> 00:34:59.999
we\'re gonna eat the 1%.
00:35:00.000 --> 00:35:08.000
[sil.]
00:35:55.000 --> 00:36:03.000
[music]
00:36:05.000 --> 00:36:09.999
We\'re here at 26 Federal Plaza
which is the building that houses
00:36:10.000 --> 00:36:14.999
the National Labor Relations Board where today\'s union
election is being held by the (inaudible) Workers Association.
00:36:15.000 --> 00:36:19.999
But it\'s also the home of
immigration enforcement.
00:36:20.000 --> 00:36:24.999
The workers have to have a chance to settle, the attorney\'s
from the other side are so worried about this election,
00:36:25.000 --> 00:36:30.000
they\'re basically dangling money in front of
the workers to say, listen, this can go away.
00:36:55.000 --> 00:37:00.000
How did it go? Good. Good. Good. Very good.
00:37:05.000 --> 00:37:09.999
The likelihood of winning an election and getting a
first contract in a situation like Hot & Crusty
00:37:10.000 --> 00:37:14.999
is so small. Most people don\'t try.
00:37:15.000 --> 00:37:19.999
We are very positive.
00:37:20.000 --> 00:37:24.999
So I think we\'re going to win.
Yes. (inaudible). Okay.
00:37:25.000 --> 00:37:29.999
Oh my… Okay. Stop freaking out
because it\'s not productive.
00:37:30.000 --> 00:37:34.999
I\'m serious like… You
feel the stress in the…
00:37:35.000 --> 00:37:39.999
No. No, there\'s… (inaudible)
just to see there.
00:37:40.000 --> 00:37:44.999
[music]
00:37:45.000 --> 00:37:49.999
…6, 7,
00:37:50.000 --> 00:37:54.999
8, 9, 10, 11, 12.
00:37:55.000 --> 00:37:59.999
6, 7, 8.
00:38:00.000 --> 00:38:05.000
[music]
00:38:15.000 --> 00:38:19.999
Beautiful thing. A beautiful thing.
A start to finish.
00:38:20.000 --> 00:38:24.999
I… I know the reason to celebrate
that\'s because (inaudible) is there.
00:38:25.000 --> 00:38:29.999
Lawyer is cool. And now he\'s gonna be the
best lawyer, we have to say \"Hurray\" to him.
00:38:30.000 --> 00:38:34.999
Thousands of people graduate from law
school every year in the city alone.
00:38:35.000 --> 00:38:39.999
Nobody wins elections, you guys are
doing that never happens. That\'s great.
00:38:40.000 --> 00:38:44.999
Cheers (inaudible).
00:38:45.000 --> 00:38:49.999
You never have more power than as a worker
in this country. Yes, to negotiate with you.
00:38:50.000 --> 00:38:54.999
A small independent union,
00:38:55.000 --> 00:38:59.999
it\'s free from a lot of the bureaucracy that plagued
the bigger unions. They\'re also free to explore
00:39:00.000 --> 00:39:04.999
maybe alternative tactics.
00:39:05.000 --> 00:39:09.999
There is no guarantee that anything
substantively will change,
00:39:10.000 --> 00:39:15.000
that\'s going to require an ongoing struggle
that goes beyond the election itself.
00:42:00.000 --> 00:42:05.000
[sil.]
00:42:10.000 --> 00:42:15.000
[music]
00:42:50.000 --> 00:42:54.999
[music]
00:42:55.000 --> 00:42:59.999
I have to do what\'s best for my family.
00:43:00.000 --> 00:43:04.999
I wish them luck.
00:43:05.000 --> 00:43:09.999
But I don\'t see them winning there
because things are getting ugly.
00:43:10.000 --> 00:43:18.000
[music]
00:43:35.000 --> 00:43:40.000
[music]
00:44:10.000 --> 00:44:14.999
We have eight days.
00:44:15.000 --> 00:44:19.999
We know that closing the
store is a strategy.
00:44:20.000 --> 00:44:24.999
Are they in the red? I don\'t think so.
00:44:25.000 --> 00:44:29.999
They waste raw materials. I agree with
you based on the stuff that we\'ve seen
00:44:30.000 --> 00:44:35.000
that they make enough money and they have enough assets
to pay the rent, we believe they do. It\'s an excuse.
00:45:00.000 --> 00:45:08.000
We have a great things here
00:45:10.000 --> 00:45:18.000
which is basically Occupy Wall Street.
00:46:10.000 --> 00:46:18.000
Uh… Seriously, this is going
to be a historical thing.
00:46:25.000 --> 00:46:29.999
So I don\'t know where everybody else left
off with our campaign Hot & Crusty.
00:46:30.000 --> 00:46:34.999
The workers at the meeting on Thursday
voted to take direct reaction,
00:46:35.000 --> 00:46:39.999
and they wanna occupy the workplace on
the 31st on the day that they close.
00:46:40.000 --> 00:46:44.999
We can get people who are vestibule inside that
building with a certain amount of workers.
00:46:45.000 --> 00:46:49.999
At the same time I don\'t want to mob occupy activists showing
up that have no connection to the labor movement whatsoever,
00:46:50.000 --> 00:46:54.999
and they just want to radical action, just to take radical
action. But this is like an opportunity to be actually
00:46:55.000 --> 00:46:59.999
part of something that they matters. You\'re right. You know, everyone
else is like, \"Oh yeah, let\'s go create a fucking spectacle outside.
00:47:00.000 --> 00:47:04.999
Bank America. Let\'s go to the spectacle on the god
damn financial district against. Spectacles were easy.
00:47:05.000 --> 00:47:09.999
Their shows, what happened when the show\'s
over, everyone goes home, you know.
00:47:10.000 --> 00:47:14.999
And this is different. We\'re actually
asking for real demand here, are we not?
00:47:15.000 --> 00:47:19.999
I just want to change this with care. The majority of
these workers are undocumented, they can lose everything.
00:47:20.000 --> 00:47:24.999
And so they should be leading the struggle. We should be
taking the lead is my point. Not a bunch of… …their struggle.
00:47:25.000 --> 00:47:29.999
They can give the fucking orders.
00:47:30.000 --> 00:47:34.999
[music]
00:47:35.000 --> 00:47:39.999
At zero hour the company decided
to offer the workers a deal,
00:47:40.000 --> 00:47:44.999
an opportunity for the shop
to remain open so long
00:47:45.000 --> 00:47:49.999
as the workers were prepared to make just enormous
concessions negotiating the collective bargaining agreement.
00:47:50.000 --> 00:47:54.999
There are a lot of legal remedies in a case
where an employer decides just close up shop
00:47:55.000 --> 00:48:00.000
and leave to avoid negotiating a contract.
00:48:10.000 --> 00:48:14.999
Our sense, Mahoma sense, this is all a shame and so we\'re
just going to move forward tomorrow with what we planned
00:48:15.000 --> 00:48:19.999
which is to take direct action in the workplace.
And what happens when you have a group of workers
00:48:20.000 --> 00:48:25.000
who do everything by the book. They win all the way, and
then, the boss just finds a way to screw him over anyway.
00:48:40.000 --> 00:48:48.000
[music]
00:49:15.000 --> 00:49:19.999
Who\'s ready? Now let\'s go. Let\'s go.
00:49:20.000 --> 00:49:28.000
[music]
00:49:40.000 --> 00:49:44.999
This is uh… this is for (inaudible) citizens. So
you can at cam and say, \"I support worker right.\"
00:49:45.000 --> 00:49:49.999
I support workers rights. All right. Great. There
you go. But… but the economy very bad right now.
00:49:50.000 --> 00:49:54.999
I think everyone has to compromise on that.
So the workers still wanna work here.
00:49:55.000 --> 00:49:59.999
I\'ve met the owner, he\'s a very nice guy. Right, the workers
do wanna work here. But the guy wants to close the store.
00:50:00.000 --> 00:50:05.000
[music]
00:50:20.000 --> 00:50:28.000
[sil.]
00:50:30.000 --> 00:50:34.999
My boss is hiding. Very scared about it.
This is worth it.
00:50:35.000 --> 00:50:39.999
[music]
00:50:40.000 --> 00:50:48.000
Excuse me.
00:50:55.000 --> 00:50:59.999
Umm… marks of the cops… the just cops start here.
So let me actually I wanna call you right back.
00:51:00.000 --> 00:51:04.999
[music]
00:51:05.000 --> 00:51:09.999
Right check. Right check. Cops are here.
00:51:10.000 --> 00:51:14.999
Cops are here. We were gonna leave on our own
terms. We were gonna leave on our own terms.
00:51:15.000 --> 00:51:20.000
Go ahead.
00:51:30.000 --> 00:51:35.000
[music]
00:51:45.000 --> 00:51:49.999
This is wasn\'t been a labor movement. You
would either have to have laws regarding now.
00:51:50.000 --> 00:51:58.000
[music]
00:52:05.000 --> 00:52:09.999
Why they\'re working against union? We
should be… we should be asking that.
00:52:10.000 --> 00:52:14.999
If the NYPD wasn\'t paying you properly or anything
happened to you, and the community runs behind you,
00:52:15.000 --> 00:52:19.999
you would appreciate that, wouldn\'t you? You would.
Yeah. But they don\'t. And I know that for a fact.
00:52:20.000 --> 00:52:24.999
I know, and that\'s what\'s wrong. This is what\'s right.
You guys should be supporting this, your workers.
00:52:25.000 --> 00:52:30.000
Mahoma…
00:52:35.000 --> 00:52:43.000
[music]
00:53:00.000 --> 00:53:04.999
NYPD,
00:53:05.000 --> 00:53:09.999
what are they being used to, to break
up the job action of a couple dozen
00:53:10.000 --> 00:53:14.999
activists trying to keep a
profitable business open
00:53:15.000 --> 00:53:19.999
and jobs for the workers
who are employed there.
00:53:20.000 --> 00:53:24.999
[sil.]
00:53:25.000 --> 00:53:29.999
I know this has to be illegal.
00:53:30.000 --> 00:53:34.999
[sil.]
00:53:35.000 --> 00:53:39.999
Officers, okay, just watch out my wrists.
We will. Listen, we wanted… Okay.
00:53:40.000 --> 00:53:44.999
We don\'t wanna see. That\'s fine.
That\'s fine. All right.
00:53:45.000 --> 00:53:49.999
Don\'t play game changes. Okay? We\'ll be back.
We\'ll be back. Waiting for our picket(ph).
00:53:50.000 --> 00:53:54.999
Twenty four hour picket(ph).
00:53:55.000 --> 00:54:00.000
[music]
00:54:10.000 --> 00:54:14.999
[music]
00:54:15.000 --> 00:54:23.000
[sil.]
00:54:40.000 --> 00:54:48.000
[music]
00:55:20.000 --> 00:55:24.999
Maybe starting Monday you could serve coffee.
If you buy coffee, you charge a little bit
00:55:25.000 --> 00:55:29.999
maybe or have it for free. People come by
and you explain to people why you\'re out
00:55:30.000 --> 00:55:35.000
in the street.
00:55:40.000 --> 00:55:48.000
[music]
00:55:55.000 --> 00:56:00.000
[music]
00:56:05.000 --> 00:56:09.999
[music]
00:56:10.000 --> 00:56:14.999
Bagels don\'t make us popular on the upper
east side, I don\'t know what will.
00:56:15.000 --> 00:56:19.999
[music]
00:56:20.000 --> 00:56:24.999
I\'ve been living in the neighborhood
00:56:25.000 --> 00:56:29.999
for 2.5 years. I\'ve been going to Hot & Crusty every
single day. These guys were seven days a week. Okay?
00:56:30.000 --> 00:56:34.999
They do overtime, they work overnight. The fact
is they should be paid for the hours they work.
00:56:35.000 --> 00:56:39.999
I don\'t care if they\'re undocumented.
Today, I buy coffee in the morning
00:56:40.000 --> 00:56:44.999
and I (inaudible) morgue I might have sense
for which I could fight for loops(ph).
00:56:45.000 --> 00:56:49.999
This time you gotta win. Victory
for the unclosed workers.
00:56:50.000 --> 00:56:54.999
Yo! You need to open Crusty\'s.
I need to get my lunch.
00:56:55.000 --> 00:56:59.999
Pay workers more money, you bum.
00:57:00.000 --> 00:57:04.999
This is a problem when
you talk to union guys.
00:57:05.000 --> 00:57:09.999
Oh, they\'re talking our jobs for
the Mexico If they would have that
00:57:10.000 --> 00:57:14.999
(inaudible) back in 1904, my grandmother came
here for my(inaudible), I wouldn\'t be here.
00:57:15.000 --> 00:57:19.999
Good luck. New York is a union town.
00:57:20.000 --> 00:57:24.999
No way it\'s gonna fly. We\'re gonna fight.
00:57:25.000 --> 00:57:33.000
[music]
00:57:35.000 --> 00:57:39.999
What\'s going on. We\'re dancing.
Then you gotta…
00:57:40.000 --> 00:57:45.000
Oh, my god. Now we\'re all degraded.
00:57:50.000 --> 00:57:54.999
[music]
00:57:55.000 --> 00:57:59.999
You wanna get rich, go to work. Don\'t take a
day off. I\'ve never took a day off. Okay?
00:58:00.000 --> 00:58:04.999
I could prove I worked seven days a week.
I pay… I owe a 150 people. Excellent.
00:58:05.000 --> 00:58:09.999
I\'m make Air force and Navy leather jackets for the
government. So you do work for military people
00:58:10.000 --> 00:58:14.999
and you make money or paid through government contracts. I… I do everything.
I\'m not a police too, and I don\'t think a lot people here are police too.
00:58:15.000 --> 00:58:19.999
But you don\'t make a business, you don\'t do all
that stuff without a little hub. If you wanna…
00:58:20.000 --> 00:58:24.999
(inaudible), I mean the bank will borrow money. Not
everybody can borrow money. You ever heard the red lining.
00:58:25.000 --> 00:58:29.999
I grew up… I grew up… I grew up in Harlem. Do you think
people just will really give us our money up, there?
00:58:30.000 --> 00:58:34.999
I\'ve succeed in life multiple times, only
hard working kids here go and get a business,
00:58:35.000 --> 00:58:39.999
rent the store and… We appreciate your
suggestions, we\'re going to take it
00:58:40.000 --> 00:58:44.999
and if you can… if you can support us because you know…
because you know… I just gave you more knowledge
00:58:45.000 --> 00:58:49.999
then you would got in your college. It\'s horrible
what\'s happening to business owners in the city.
00:58:50.000 --> 00:58:54.999
It\'s driving people… it\'s driving people
out of the city to open businesses.
00:58:55.000 --> 00:58:59.999
You are crazy. No, you are crazy. I…
Listen, my own restaurants. So I know.
00:59:00.000 --> 00:59:05.000
You don\'t own a business so you don\'t
know what you\'re talking about.
00:59:15.000 --> 00:59:19.999
Yesterday we met with the attorney
00:59:20.000 --> 00:59:24.999
for a group of investors who are interested in
operating Hot & Crusty at a 201, second Avenue.
00:59:25.000 --> 00:59:29.999
They are clearly petrified by the ongoing actions
here. We live in a brand world, you know,
00:59:30.000 --> 00:59:34.999
I mean people go to Hot & Crusty. It\'s a thing in
New York City. And you start challenging that name
00:59:35.000 --> 00:59:40.000
and the pressure is on.
00:59:55.000 --> 00:59:59.999
Where did it come from, what\'s his background,
you know. You don\'t know anything about him.
01:00:00.000 --> 01:00:04.999
You know what he looks like? He looks like a from
TV show or something like that like huge man.
01:00:05.000 --> 01:00:10.000
He looks nice, you know. A big huge man.
01:00:20.000 --> 01:00:24.999
Hey! How you doing Mr. Anthony?
01:00:25.000 --> 01:00:33.000
What\'s going on here today?
Future is together open,
01:00:40.000 --> 01:00:44.999
we\'re gonna do a little renovation inside, and
all the old employments come in back, everybody.
01:00:45.000 --> 01:00:49.999
Okay. So that\'s amazing for all.
01:00:50.000 --> 01:00:54.999
Very excited. I can\'t wait to doing
that work for everybody. I\'m really on.
01:00:55.000 --> 01:01:03.000
You may getting closed.
01:01:10.000 --> 01:01:18.000
[music]
01:01:25.000 --> 01:01:29.999
Sounds like he\'s genuine
01:01:30.000 --> 01:01:34.999
but once we start to negotiate that
contract… …that\'s when it gets tricky.
01:01:35.000 --> 01:01:43.000
[music]
01:01:55.000 --> 01:01:59.999
Yesterday night like around 6:30,
01:02:00.000 --> 01:02:04.999
we got information that
they will not re-open,
01:02:05.000 --> 01:02:09.999
and that the landlord is building
signed lease with another uh…
01:02:10.000 --> 01:02:15.000
with another company.
01:02:30.000 --> 01:02:34.999
[sil.]
01:02:35.000 --> 01:02:39.999
This campaign is being unorthodox in many ways
because we have more victories than set bags.
01:02:40.000 --> 01:02:44.999
So we are at this moment, you know, we
have leadership about our obstacle.
01:02:45.000 --> 01:02:49.999
We need to clarify with Mr. Iluzzi \'cause their position
right now is that they want this business open,
01:02:50.000 --> 01:02:54.999
they want to shop, they want this location, then
there\'s no reason why you can\'t work with management
01:02:55.000 --> 01:02:59.999
on getting the doors open. We need to figure
out whether he\'s being genuine or not.
01:03:00.000 --> 01:03:04.999
Either way, we need to get more information.
We could spend a lot of time digging
01:03:05.000 --> 01:03:09.999
for information to try to justify the conspiracies
we\'ve invented in our heads or we can try…
01:03:10.000 --> 01:03:14.999
We want to come with a strategy because we need
to be coming… at this morning in the picket line
01:03:15.000 --> 01:03:19.999
where all the workers are down if we don\'t win, it
would be a bad example for every single worker.
01:03:20.000 --> 01:03:24.999
So this is not about finding a conspiracy,
this was about finding the right strategy
01:03:25.000 --> 01:03:29.999
that make us to win. And I… I think that. I just
wanted to… You\'re just begging out us to be honest.
01:03:30.000 --> 01:03:34.999
I feel like uh… I gotta search a lot
about, that is not what\'s happening here.
01:03:35.000 --> 01:03:39.999
[sil.]
01:03:40.000 --> 01:03:44.999
It\'s coming… it\'s coming about like I
approve it. That… I\'ve… I\'ve not finished.
01:03:45.000 --> 01:03:49.999
Actually Virgilio thinks he\'s
good or nice… He\'s a good liar.
01:03:50.000 --> 01:03:54.999
We\'re here to do something productive. We are friends,
don\'t we? I don\'t think it\'s with us fighting.
01:03:55.000 --> 01:03:59.999
Because in the end,
01:04:00.000 --> 01:04:04.999
if something happened you will win, if we wanna
we lose, we gonna still organize together,
01:04:05.000 --> 01:04:09.999
so for me more important
01:04:10.000 --> 01:04:14.999
is stay together. Let\'s
call Anthony right now.
01:04:15.000 --> 01:04:19.999
Yeah, okay.
01:04:20.000 --> 01:04:24.999
[sil.]
01:04:25.000 --> 01:04:29.999
Hello. Hey Anthony, how you\'re doing? Okay?
01:04:30.000 --> 01:04:34.999
It\'s me, Mahoma from Hot & Crusty.
Hey, how are you? Yeah, I\'m happy.
01:04:35.000 --> 01:04:43.000
What\'s going on? It\'s not, you know,
it\'s not a matter of me and you,
01:04:45.000 --> 01:04:49.999
or the me and the union, since the
matter of the landlord. I mean,
01:04:50.000 --> 01:04:58.000
I don\'t ask them Friday, everything was worked out
fine and then my lawyer got a phone call Saturday.
01:05:00.000 --> 01:05:04.999
Everything was changed, they went with Pax.
01:05:05.000 --> 01:05:09.999
It is the best thing for…
01:05:10.000 --> 01:05:14.999
for us to or each to is to
get out there and picket.
01:05:15.000 --> 01:05:19.999
You get out there and show the frustration
that we has… Yes, we\'re shot, sure.
01:05:20.000 --> 01:05:24.999
I think we can do good
things there, you know.
01:05:25.000 --> 01:05:29.999
Why we telling him go picket.
01:05:30.000 --> 01:05:34.999
I mean, I think this guy is completely genuine. Maybe
I have a hang up about tough talking to time guys.
01:05:35.000 --> 01:05:39.999
I don\'t know what it is.
01:05:40.000 --> 01:05:44.999
I think we need to put proverbial bricks through the windows. We need
pressure on the landlord to go with… with Anthony by supporting Anthony
01:05:45.000 --> 01:05:49.999
and making that clear and also scaring the shit out of Pax. What\'s gonna happen if we\'re going to… No, no.
Let\'s scare… Let\'s be clear. Let\'s scare them. I think so, that\'s what we\'re saying. Let\'s scare them.
01:05:50.000 --> 01:05:54.999
This is why you\'re going to be facing
01:05:55.000 --> 01:05:59.999
when you going… you say this is wrong.
01:06:00.000 --> 01:06:04.999
We heard that Pax
01:06:05.000 --> 01:06:09.999
is planning to move there. And we want
to be making very clear that if Pax
01:06:10.000 --> 01:06:14.999
is going to be moving there,
our position of the community
01:06:15.000 --> 01:06:19.999
is that they need to recognize the union, they
need to rehire the workers without any condition.
01:06:20.000 --> 01:06:24.999
Excuse me, can you stop recording?
No way. That\'s sure that
01:06:25.000 --> 01:06:29.999
we were not interested in that location.
Actually we\'re up… we\'ll not be opening up
01:06:30.000 --> 01:06:34.999
any store in that location…
01:06:35.000 --> 01:06:39.999
I think these people are very
scared right now to try to open,
01:06:40.000 --> 01:06:44.999
any bugs there right. Yeah.
01:06:45.000 --> 01:06:49.999
I don\'t think you like the idea now.
Yeah, well,
01:06:50.000 --> 01:06:55.000
Anthony so have a great day.
Thank you very much. Okay. Bye.
01:07:15.000 --> 01:07:20.000
[music]
01:07:30.000 --> 01:07:38.000
I\'m gonna tell my union buddy
01:07:45.000 --> 01:07:49.999
around the corner second avenue subway to come
over here. This time. If the profit margins,
01:07:50.000 --> 01:07:54.999
we\'re only like 50 cents an hour on
lease, the terrible business people.
01:07:55.000 --> 01:07:59.999
Like that\'s… that\'s terrible.
01:08:00.000 --> 01:08:05.000
[music]
01:08:50.000 --> 01:08:55.000
[music]
01:09:15.000 --> 01:09:19.999
To the Hot & Crusty bakery
workers in New York City
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solidarity greetings from the
docks of Oakland, California.
01:09:25.000 --> 01:09:29.999
[non-English narration]
01:09:30.000 --> 01:09:38.000
[music]
01:09:40.000 --> 01:09:44.999
Lot of people look at these small places and think, oh, well
maybe they\'re bottom line is a little tight trying to justify
01:09:45.000 --> 01:09:49.999
all the bad stuff to doing. This is the norm. This
is not an aberration in the food service industry
01:09:50.000 --> 01:09:54.999
that Darden Restaurants group is the largest full service
dinning room in the world. The Wal-mart restaurants
01:09:55.000 --> 01:09:59.999
similar stuff is going on.
01:10:00.000 --> 01:10:04.999
You just came back from a lock out,
and if didn\'t have the support
01:10:05.000 --> 01:10:09.999
of our fellow unionists,
we\'d still be locked out.
01:10:10.000 --> 01:10:14.999
I just came back from two days in Chicago
where teachers in Chicago went on strike.
01:10:15.000 --> 01:10:19.999
We need to stand behind each other.
The middle class is evaporating.
01:10:20.000 --> 01:10:24.999
They\'re supposed to be invisible .The food\'s supposed arrive, we\'re
supposed to see them, and that\'s how this city is supposed to be served.
01:10:25.000 --> 01:10:29.999
Workers, we make the city work. We enable
the bankers and all the real-estate people
01:10:30.000 --> 01:10:34.999
who make all their money but we
can also shut the city down.
01:10:35.000 --> 01:10:39.999
Whoa!
01:10:40.000 --> 01:10:44.999
…we gotta stand in highs, guys. Come on here and
stand for them. They need us and we need them.
01:10:45.000 --> 01:10:53.000
[music]
01:10:55.000 --> 01:11:03.000
[sil.]
01:11:25.000 --> 01:11:30.000
[music]
01:12:55.000 --> 01:13:00.000
[music]
01:13:25.000 --> 01:13:33.000
[music]
01:14:00.000 --> 01:14:04.999
In New York City today, workers at
McDonald\'s and Wendy\'s and a bunch of other
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fast food joints walked off the job demanding
better pay and the right to unionize.
01:14:10.000 --> 01:14:14.999
725 is just to go.
01:14:15.000 --> 01:14:19.999
We all believe that we\'ve
been disrespected,
01:14:20.000 --> 01:14:24.999
we\'ve been a little. We\'ve been played on…
on indignity level to where they feel like
01:14:25.000 --> 01:14:29.999
we think we are not better than
725, and we definitely are.
01:14:30.000 --> 01:14:35.000
We deserve better and we
work hard for the money.
01:14:40.000 --> 01:14:45.000
[music]
01:14:50.000 --> 01:14:58.000
[music]
01:15:05.000 --> 01:15:09.999
The Hot & Crusty Workers Association is completely
independent. It\'s just the people that are in this room.
01:15:10.000 --> 01:15:15.000
You guys make your rules about
how the union operates.
01:15:30.000 --> 01:15:34.999
The Hot & Crusty Workers
Association is quite unique.
01:15:35.000 --> 01:15:39.999
We\'re talking about something that we\'re going to have to defend
that every single time that the contract… the contract expires.
01:15:40.000 --> 01:15:44.999
We\'re gonna fight for increase of salary. We\'re gonna hire
for sick days and we\'re gonna fight for better benefits…
01:15:45.000 --> 01:15:49.999
that\'s the beginning.
01:15:50.000 --> 01:15:54.999
If is the case the company close down, and
we go outside to the streets to picketing,
01:15:55.000 --> 01:15:59.999
I don\'t know you\'re gonna be able. If
that should come to be, I would be there.
01:16:00.000 --> 01:16:04.999
That\'s great. That\'s good. I feel
good if you\'re like that, you know,
01:16:05.000 --> 01:16:09.999
like a, we need to get together. We
need to fight. Fighting all my life.
01:16:10.000 --> 01:16:15.000
You know what I mean. Yeah.
01:16:20.000 --> 01:16:24.999
My husband has a new campaign.
01:16:25.000 --> 01:16:29.999
And this is Mahoma, from
Monday workers center as well.
01:16:30.000 --> 01:16:34.999
He has changed. He\'s not
that shy, quiet person.
01:16:35.000 --> 01:16:39.999
I wanted to show him
01:16:40.000 --> 01:16:44.999
that even though I wasn\'t there for
him at the protests in the past that
01:16:45.000 --> 01:16:49.999
I… I have his back. What
made me change my mind
01:16:50.000 --> 01:16:54.999
was because I saw the cause that he
believed in was a cause really worthy
01:16:55.000 --> 01:16:59.999
to fight for.
01:17:00.000 --> 01:17:04.999
Our two small sons, I want them to
grow up to be just like their dad,
01:17:05.000 --> 01:17:09.999
a fighter who doesn\'t give up.
We won\'t take it any longer.
01:17:10.000 --> 01:17:14.999
One, two, three, four, no
one should be working poor.
01:17:15.000 --> 01:17:19.999
No, don\'t run away. Don\'t be a
coward, please. Don\'t be a coward.
01:17:20.000 --> 01:17:24.999
I would tell Mahoma, \"You\'re gonna get in trouble.
You\'re gonna get arrested. You\'re gonna get deported.\"
01:17:25.000 --> 01:17:29.999
My husband would tell me that you
cannot be afraid to lift your voice
01:17:30.000 --> 01:17:34.999
and to express your opinion because
you have the right to do it.
01:17:35.000 --> 01:17:43.000
[sil.]
01:17:55.000 --> 01:18:03.000
[music]
01:18:20.000 --> 01:18:24.999
Uh… Give me a Holy bagel(ph) toasted
jelly only. Jelly. Yes. Scooped out.
01:18:25.000 --> 01:18:29.999
Scoop it off, please. Very glad that
they\'re back in the neighborhood
01:18:30.000 --> 01:18:35.000
and that they get more benefits
which I\'m sure, well deserved.
01:18:40.000 --> 01:18:44.999
[music]
01:18:45.000 --> 01:18:50.000
Yeah. Solved yet?
01:18:55.000 --> 01:19:00.000
I\'ve been here since I got
arrested right there.
01:19:25.000 --> 01:19:29.999
[music]
01:19:30.000 --> 01:19:34.999
Uh… Large coffee with a
pineapple (inaudible).
01:19:35.000 --> 01:19:39.999
Large(inaudible)? Yes. Half and
half with sugar Thank you.
01:19:40.000 --> 01:19:44.999
[music]
01:19:45.000 --> 01:19:49.999
We knew we would win.
01:19:50.000 --> 01:19:54.999
[music] I\'m letting the attorney
for the former company,
01:19:55.000 --> 01:19:59.999
uh… know that (inaudible)
working a register again.
01:20:00.000 --> 01:20:04.999
About a dozen times throughout the campaign, the union was told
by the company that (inaudible) would never work here again.
01:20:05.000 --> 01:20:09.999
So uh… when he gets to work today,
01:20:10.000 --> 01:20:14.999
this is what he\'s gonna see.
01:20:15.000 --> 01:20:19.999
But this is a big victory. It matters.
You know, it matters because
01:20:20.000 --> 01:20:24.999
you guys come from a long way.
And to stand up to do this.
01:20:25.000 --> 01:20:29.999
That was way, way much better than
what most people would expect.
01:20:30.000 --> 01:20:35.000
[music]
01:21:00.000 --> 01:21:08.000
[music]
01:21:40.000 --> 01:21:44.999
Best food workers walked off the jobs today in dozen of
cities, continuing their push to unionize and get higher pay.
01:21:45.000 --> 01:21:49.999
We\'re raising families, we\'re
doing hard work and deserve a…
01:21:50.000 --> 01:21:54.999
get a living wage for what we do. We\'ve taken
whatever our jobs that been handing us,
01:21:55.000 --> 01:21:59.999
it\'s like a dictatorship when we go to
work every day. So I feel now is the time
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for not only me but all workers, all across
the nation to stand up and speak out.
01:23:30.000 --> 01:23:35.000
[sil.]
