See also: http://www.messengers.org
While Flash entered its fourth day on the picket line, workers at Express Network went on strike this afternoon to protest unfair labor practices and the firing of veteran driver messenger Barbara Gunther.
Highlights included:
What a lovely day for a strike.
This has been another historical day in messenger history, with 2 separate simultaneous strikes. It is also the one year anniversary of the DMS/Citysprint strike.
KGO radio covered the Flash strike, but the story featured strikers chanting “Express Network on Strike.”
The union drive at Express Network continues, and the strike at Flash continues.
Today managers at Express Network Inc fired one of the main organizers of the 3 month old union drive.
Barbara Gunther, a driver at ENI, who was hired months ago on the spot without even a resume or job application, was fired because she was told by her dispatcher Jason to mail back a filing. Later she was told that it is against company policy to do mailbacks. Yesterday she had redelivered and refiled the documents to correct the “error”, but nevertheless she was fired today without a write up, reprimand or warning.
Barb has never been fired from ANY job.
Clearly she was set up by her dispatcher, who has previously let employees know how anti-union he is. Barbara has been working as a messenger for 22 years and is a well known veteran driver messenger in San Francisco, having worked for Western, DMS, Pelican, Pro-Mess, Mayne Nickless, US Messenger among others. She even worked as a driver in New York City.
You also may be aware that I, Marc Gunther, am proud to be her husband of 18 years.
Stay Tuned for more details.
The Union Drive at Express Network continues.
