Monday, June 22: Protest banning of formerly incarcerated workers from building $5 billion Apple Campus 2

Bring a carload to the protest at Apple Headquarters, Mariani Avenue and Infinite Loop in Cupertino, on Monday, June 22, 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.

by Gregory Osorio, Souljahs

Apple-Campus-2-construction-0814-02151-300x203, Monday, June 22: Protest banning of formerly incarcerated workers from building $5 billion Apple Campus 2, Local News & Views
Watch the $5 billion, 2.8 billion square foot Apple Campus 2 come into existence. In the five months of construction – August 2014 through February 2015 – shown here, thousands of construction workers took home paychecks plenty big enough to support an extended family. Why exclude the one in three Black men from the workforce – or the many Black women – who were at some point locked up for a crime they may not even have committed or wouldn’t have been imprisoned for if they were white?

Apple DESERVES the upcoming protest at Apple Headquarters in Cupertino this Monday, June 22, 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.

Apple, one of largest corporations in America, often portrays itself to be a progressive company. From its early beginnings, it attracted those of the counter-culture and entertainment industry.

Even the CEO of Apple, Tim Cook, took a progressive position this year when he condemned legislation by the state of Indiana that was discriminatory against the LGBT community.

Based upon all of the above, it is particularly hypocritical for Apple’s recent actions this year on its large construction project, the Apple Campus 2.

Formerly-incarcerated-construction-worker-fired-Apple-Campus-2-Kevin-Yip-son-Dominic-22-mos.-0415-by-Liz-Hafalia-SF-Chron-300x200, Monday, June 22: Protest banning of formerly incarcerated workers from building $5 billion Apple Campus 2, Local News & Views
Almost immediately after he was featured in a San Francisco Chronicle story reporting he and other construction workers had been fired from the Apple Campus 2 project for prior convictions, Apple announced the fired workers could reapply for their jobs and future hiring will consider applicants’ criminal records on a “case-by-case” basis. But reports persist that formerly incarcerated workers are being rejected. – Photo: Liz Hafalia, SF Chronicle

The short version is that Apple required that union workers undergo criminal background checks and then caused these union workers to be fired if they had any felonies within seven years. Keep in mind, these workers were working on a construction project, not in Apple’s plant.

In addition, Apple in all likelihood required the general contractor to sign a hold harmless and indemnification agreement, which in essence makes the general contractor assume all liability for the job site. So Apple had almost no risk associated with this job site, and yet they took actions that severely harmed individuals by firing them.

Apple must not believe in redemption? Apple must not believe that people deserve a second chance in life? Apple must not believe that labor unions are qualified to handle their own selection process, qualifications and training?

Outrageous!

Several workers were fired and had to go back to the end of the line at the union hall – and the damage continues.

Apple-Campus-2-Spaceship-Ring-architects-rendering-300x180, Monday, June 22: Protest banning of formerly incarcerated workers from building $5 billion Apple Campus 2, Local News & Views
This is the architect’s rendering of the completed Apple Campus 2 “spaceship ring.” The targeted completion date of late 2016 may have to be extended. There’s still time for thousands of families to be well supported on construction workers’ earnings – including some of those most in need, if Apple ends its exclusion of qualified workers simply due to their previous convictions.

Apple’s “solution” was to state that they would treat each situation on a “case by case” basis. I guess Apple thinks it is okay to discriminate on a “case by case” basis?

In conversation with Michael Theriault, president of Iron Workers Local 377 in San Francisco, he stated that workers who make it to the top of the hiring board are now afraid to go to the Apple jobsite because they too may be fired and have to go back to the end of the line. This has to stop – and it will.

If Apple wants to declare war on our people, we will declare “war” on them.

The problem is that VERY FEW PEOPLE know about it. We are about to change all of that, quickly.

Actions

  • Protest Monday, June 22, to heighten awareness and shine spotlight on Apple
  • Hand Apple a demand letter stating that they must immediately halt this discriminatory process
  • Call for a national boycott of all Apple products for 90 days unless Apple immediately halts its discrimination
  • Additional actions as deemed necessary

We have learned that while corporations may not care about us, they do care about money, and so we must “speak their language.”

Souljahs is organizing the protest: Monday, June 22, 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., at Apple Headquarters on the corner of Mariani Avenue and Infinite Loop in Cupertino.

We are asking concerned people to attend and support the protest, people who are concerned, outraged and wish to make an impact on this issue specifically – not folks with other agendas.

All of Us or None, a giant in the fight for rights of prisoners and formerly incarcerated men and women, have also been working aggressively on this issue and assisting in outreach. They will be present at protest. We salute them for their ongoing work in the struggle.

Souljahs’ Mission Statement

Souljahs are about helping oppressed people everywhere. We are Brothers and Sisters concerned about the underclass of America, about the struggle and about the change.

We are the vanguard for the people. Please visit our website for more info: www.AppleAccountability.com.

Gregory Osorio, co-founder of Souljahs, can be reached at info@Souljahs.net.