Picket Metro Lighting in Berkeley in Solidarity with IWW Members

Amidst accusations of an unfair and unhealthy workplace, friends of Metro Lighting invite neighbors, customers and other friends to show their support of Small Business owner's in the East Bay

Metro lighting, in Berkeley, is a socially and environmentally correct 'green business', that has taken every necessary measure in ensuring that the disposal of chemicals and other waste generated by the company is done so properly. As recently as August 10th business owner's Christa Rybczynski and Lawrence Grown invited the Berkeley Toxics Management Department to come for inspection, in which the business received a clean bill of health.

The employees that are striking have not been locked out and several steps have been made to settle disputes with employees in a timely matter. Claims of low wages are not true as the sales staff works not only on an hourly wage, but also on commission of total sales of the team (including the owner's sales). Employees are also provided the following:

- Full-time Benefits: 100% of every full-time employee's health insurance, plus 50% for their dependents
- 8 paid holidays
- 3 paid sick days
- 3% matching IRA
- annual dental reimbursement
- paid vacation- depending on length of employment at Metro

Please take time to support Metro Lighting and show your support for small business owner's by stopping by the showroom at 2121 San Pablo Ave.

Thanks in advance for your time and support!

I'm a former Metro Lighting employee who came out to support the workers picketing Metro Lighting. Just for the record, the owners of Metro changed all the locks after the workers were first locked out, and none of the picketing workers have copies of the new key as of today. That sounds like the definition of a lock-out to me.

Also, the owners of Metro refused to negotiate with the workers until yesterday (Tuesday, August 14), when I observed Lawrence Grown talking with one of the workers. This despite the fact that the picketing workers repeatedly let it known that they were willing to talk.

These workers are not picketing Metro for the fun of it, nor are they trying to destroy Metro Lighting.

Come down to Metro and ask both sides what's going on before you make up your mind.

Cheers,
Warwick Young
El Cerrito

You are correct in saying that people should make their own judgments, but with truthful information.

Employees were presented the option to work last week after the City came for inspection by an Owner representative that had papers in hand stating the inspection was clean.

The locks were changed, but hours for the shop were posted and the doors are open during normal business hours for all employees that want to come to work. This option (as stated above) was presented to the picketing employees last week and they did not want to come back to work. There are still employees that are working at Metro under these provisions.

Lawrence and Christa have been trying to negotiate with the employees for months with mediators and through regular meetings.

The employees are spreading and advertising claims that are just not true, which is slander and libel. How can anyone support that and believe the employees are not trying to hurt the business?

Okay, Carrie, if what you say is true, I have a few questions for you:

Workers say that after they left the Metro workshop, Lawrence Grown, one of the co-owners, told them to get back to work. When they refused, he told them they would not get paid for a days work, slammed the door on them, and locked it.
Is this not true?

Second, why did Metro Lighting change all the locks on the doors if this is not a lock-out?
Do they not trust their employees any more? Do they not trust members of the IWW (Industrial Workers of the World--an international union) who have joined the picket line in solidarity?

Third, was there a clean up of the spilled chemical by a licensed company, as requested by the workers?

Fourth, was the City of Berkeley told that there had been a chemical spill when it made its inspections? In other words, did they make a standard inspection of the workshop without knowing about the chemical?

Fifth, is is not true that Lawrence has up to now refused to negotiate with workers since the picketing started?

Sixth, is it not true that Lawrence Grown now refuses to agree to mediation with a third party, and is only agreeing to meet with workers and his own lawyer?

Seventh, is is not true that Lawrence, through his lawyer, has threatened to sue the picketing workers and the IWW?

Eighth, only one worker at Metro has not participated in the picketing. A new worker has been hired to work the showroom to replace a worker who had already given notice before the picketing; the new worker was hired during the picketing, not before it. In fact there are 5 out of 6 original employees picketing. Is that not true?

Ninth, who are you, Carrie?
I've already identified myself.
You have my name, my city, and my e-mail.
So what is your relationship with Metro Lighting?
Are you employed by Metro Lighting, are you a friend of the owners, or do you have some other relationship to this?

Tenth...sorry, there's no tenth. Made you look!


Again, I'd urge anyone who cares to come down to Metro and talk with all parties concerned. I'd like to see an end to it soon. Both sides are clearly unhappy.


Thanks,

Warwick Young
Former employee of Metro Lighting
El Cerrito

Warwick,

Well to answer your last question first...I am many things to the people involved...I am the second employee Metro ever hired back in 1994, I have personally met all people on the picket line and socialized with some outside of Metro (I actually met you too several years ago when you worked there), I am a concerned citizen that wants the public to get the true message and most importantly I am a great friend and sister to Christa and Lawrence.

Secondly, I will simply restate that the employees were not locked out and although there have been policy changes to standardize business hours the employees were told there was work available and the workplace was safe and they have made the decision not to work.

With regard to this 'chemical spill' Metro has been cleared by the appropriate agencies after the allegation and there is no action required. They have been and will continue to be in compliance with safe (and green) business practices. Do you really think they would hide the truth about potentially harmful substances and put themselves and other people (i.e. customers, other employees, family members including their own children) in danger if it was not safe to do so?

Now onto negotiations...Christa and Lawrence have been trying to negotiate with the employees for months...without mediators, with mediators, without lawyers and the issues were unable to be resolved. They listened to everyone’s concern, met with each employee and tried to work it out without legal involvement. They are now faced with several threats of lawsuits and false accusations so like any business owner who wants to protect their business they have a lawyer involved. But know that is not how it all began.

The retail employees (who have both been there only 5-10 months and accepted the job knowing the compensation/benefits and policies) are paid a $10 base wage, plus a commission on total company sales, not individual sales, but sales of everyone including the owners. This base rate plus commission has averaged $15 per hour this year. Christa and Lawrence also just added a bonus when the monthly sales exceed the business expenses. Based on the last seven months of sales, that new bonus would average another $2 per hour and has realistic potential to exceed $4/hr. And all of this within the first year of their employment.

As for the full breakdown of compensation/benefits of the original employees:

* Wages: $15 - $19 per hour*
* 100% health care costs for employees, 50% for their dependents
* 8 paid holidays
* 3 paid sick days
* 8-14 days of paid vacation, depending on seniority
* $250 annual dental reimbursement
* 30% employee discount
* 3% matching IRA

Lastly, from your picture I can assume that 5 out of 6 original employees are NOW picketing. There is one original employee working in the shop and the person working retail was actually an employee that left Metro less than a year ago because she was having a child. She was contacted when an employee gave notice and the job opening was listed on Craigslist on August 1st (http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/ret/387369295.html). She accepted the job when contacted...before the picketing.

Well...I hope you enjoyed the reading and we all look forward to this ending. It has been extremely stressful and it would be nice for the main focus to be on the customers and quality of design/craftsmanship of the products Metro has successfully built a business on!!!

Metro has been picketed for the last week by a few of their employees and a large contingent of professional pickets from the IWW (Industrial Workers of the World). However, there isn't the slightest justification.

The workers are making three demands.

First, they walked out last week, complaining of the presence of a chemical that they'd been working around for years. When OSHA investigated, there were NO violations. The complaint was dismissed as having no merit. Metro was also been inspected by the City of Berkeley, Bay Area Air Quality, and a pair of Certified Industrial Hygienists, all of whom said the health and environmental claims were not legitimate.

Secondly, the workers are demanding a $2/hr raise for the retail showroom employees.

These entry level workers (5-10 months of employment) already receive the following excellent compensation:

- $15 per hour in wages + commissions, plus a generous bonus program,
- 100% health insurance, plus 50% coverage for dependents,
- 8 paid holidays, 3 paid sick days, 8 paid vacation days,
- 3% matching IRA , and $250 dental reimbursable per year.


The third demand pertains to a shop worker who, for the past two years, has worked 15-to-30 hours per week, voluntarily. Despite his part-time status, Metro continued to pay for his 100% health coverage. And yet he filed an age discrimination complaint with the State. Despite the fact that this is a baseless claim, Metro’s owners attempted to mediate on multiple occasions, only to have the negotiations completely called off by the worker himself.

The last straw for the three workers was when they were told that the IWW flag could not be hung in a public space of the workshop. Only 3 of the 7 employees had expressed interest in that organization. One threatened the owner at close range saying, "You don't want to deal with the consequences, if you take down that flag." It was taken down; we can all see the consequences.

The workers are now claiming to have been locked out. They walked on bogus claims of health concerns. Now that they’ve been discredited, they changed their tactic in an attempt to get paid for their strike. They couldn't be locked out; they had the keys! They claim IN WRITING that after they walked out they were told to get back to work or they wouldn't be paid. Clearly not a lock-out. After the first full day of watching the employees slander and defame the business, handing out flyers claiming that Metro had created a public health hazard, the owners finally realized that these people could not be trusted and had the locks changed. But they still invited these thankless workers back to work.

Metro Lighting is a Green Business, certified by the County of Alameda’s Green Business Program. Metro is a 100% solar powered lighting showroom. The owners donate regularly to public schools. They have each served on their children’s school boards and PTAs. They host annual fundraisers. They have been good neighbors and exemplary employers.

Don’t be fooled by a handful of bad actors on the sidewalk. They have merely manipulated the situation to get some press coverage. Their claims are petty and disingenuous.

Please look closely and SEEK THE TRUTH!