UAW pledges to Support Campaign to hold JP Morgan Chase Accountable
September 24, 2010
Last Friday, UAW President Bob King held a press conference in Detroit with Baldemar Velasquez and other faith and labor leaders who have been working together asking Chase to help FLOC pressure Reynolds to address farmworker exploitation, and stop home foreclosures in Detroit.
At the event King spoke about his recent visit to North Carolina to see the living and working conditions of farmworkers first hand.
"It's unbelievable the exploitation of those workers, it's unbelievable the lack of dignity and respect [that they are given] as human beings. So we're calling on all people of conscience, all people with spiritual and moral beliefs, to join with us in demanding that those workers are treated more fairly, and demanding that RJ Reynolds sit down and bargain with the Farm Labor Organizing Committee to improve the conditions of those workers, to improve the way that they're treated on the job, and improve the economics of the situation."
Other religious and labor leaders also pledged to support the campaign and divest from Chase. "It's so important that unions and churches, as institutions and communities, are pulling their funds out of Chase," said Reverend Bill Wylie-Kellerman as he cut up his Chase credit card in front of the crowd. "But it's also important that individuals make a commitment to pull their funds as well out of Chase."
Thanks to Bob Ingalls for the video footage!