Brandworkers international

History
Brandworkers International is the first non-profit advocacy organization for retail and food employees. Based in New York, Brandworkers was founded in 2007 by a group of retail and food employees active on workers' rights issues.

Campaigns
The Brandworkers Focus on the Food Chain initiative is currently involved in a campaign on behalf of immigrant workers at New York's #1 rated seafood wholesaler and retailer, Wild Edibles Inc. Brandworker is facilitating a large class action lawsuit against Wild Edibles for overtime pay and against alleged employer retaliation.

Judge Louis L. Stanton of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York entered a preliminary injunction against further retaliation from Wild Edibles.

Brandworkers is coordinating outreach to prominent New York City restaurants who purchase seafood from Wild Edibles. Famed New York hot spots including Keith McNally's Pastis, Danny Meyer's Union Square Cafe, and Jean Denoyer's La Goulue have agreed to refrain using Wild Edibles to supply their seafood until the employment dispute is resolved.

Services
In addition to comprehensive workplace campaigns, Brandworkers offers retail and food employees a service called Legal Defense-Plus. The Legal Defense-Plus program provides legal information and connects workers with lawyers interested in taking their case. The legal services are complemented by advocacy and organizing tools to achieve desired results. The program is serviced by a volunteer network of lawyers and grassroots campaigners.

Brandworkers will also operate a website for retail and food employees as well as community members concerned about the practices of multinational retailers. The website, Brandworkers.org, is set to launch by March 1, 2008. A notable function of the website will be the Brandworkers Blog which will feature original posts by workers as well as analysis of breaking news regarding the large retail and food brands.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu