Teamsters Protest Union-Hostile Law Firm Jackson Lewis

BMW hired top U.S. union-hostile lawyers to help destroy California workers' jobs

LOS ANGELES, July 26, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, hundreds of BMW employees and Teamster members protested outside the offices of law firm Jackson Lewis in Los Angeles, Calif., San Francisco, Calif., Seattle, Wash., Chicago, Ill. and New York City. Jackson Lewis is the top union-hostile law firm in the United States, and auto-giant BMW is using Jackson Lewis to help it outsource good, middle-class jobs at its parts distribution center in Ontario, Calif.

The workers distributed leaflets that read, "Jackson Lewis helps BMW destroy American jobs" and a link to the website www.BMWUltimateMisery.com. They also held signs in English and German that read "Jackson Lewis: Betraying America for BMW $$" and "BMW zerstort den amerikanischen Traum" (BMW destroys the American dream).

BMW has announced it plans to fire nearly 100 Ontario employees at the end of August and immediately re-open the facility the very same day with an outsourced, poverty-wage, inexperienced work force. The Teamsters are asking BMW to postpone these moves for three months and give them an opportunity to work with BMW to develop a win-win alternative to this devastating decision. Teamsters Local 495 represents 68 workers at the Ontario parts distribution facility.

"BMW got bailed out with nearly $4 billion in low-interest American taxpayer loans, and in exchange, they've hired union-hostile lawyers to mock America's plant closing laws," said Teamsters Local 495 Secretary-Treasurer Bob Lennox. "BMW is planning to layoff its longtime, dedicated workforce, and their Jackson Lewis lawyers keep sending us letters saying they refuse to discuss alternatives with us."

Randy Cammack, President of Teamsters Joint Council 42, said, "Together, BMW factory, distribution and port workers in America and all over the world are uniting to stop BMW and Jackson Lewis' plans to rob workers of union representation by outsourcing good jobs to low-wage and low-quality contractors."

"We are shocked that BMW is treating their American workers in a way they would never dare to treat their German employees. We will fight with you to stop BMW's war on workers," said Paddy Crumlin, President of the International Transport Workers' Federation.

Each weekend, Teamster members and their families have been protesting BMW's greed outside BMW dealerships across the U.S. The protesters are distributing leaflets and holding banners that read "BMW: The Ultimate Misery" to inform BMW customers about the company's treatment of its American workers and communities.

"Many of these employees have worked at BMW for 10, 20, 30 years," Lennox said. "BMW and its lawyers at Jackson Lewis are condemning 68 American families to poverty and misery."

The German automobile giant, Bavarian Motor Works AG is America's most popular automaker for luxury-class autos. BMW had the highest earnings ever in its 95-year history last quarter, with global sales of almost $81 billion in 2010, or about $848,000 per employee, ranking it number 82 on Fortune's Global 500 Companies. BMW also received over $3.6 billion in secret low-interest loans during the 2008-2009 U.S. taxpayer bailout.

SOURCE Teamsters Local 495

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