PRESS RELEASE

Progressive Democratic Candidate for State Senate Jeff Ross Joins Workers, Unions and Allies in Protest; Gets Thrown off Premises by One of the Largest Corporations in America

July 12, 2007

Contact: Irena Zolotova
Deputy Press-Secretary
(617) 821-9953

EAST BOSTON, MA – Jeff Ross, the Progressive Democratic candidate for State Senate in the special 2007 election to fill the seat vacated by Jarrett Barrios last week, joined Enterprise Rent-a-Car employees, unions and longtime friends, who are protesting management’s refusal to allow them to organize.  At least 20 different local union chapters picketed and carried signs urging a company boycott in front of the Enterprise location on Route 1A in East Boston, MA.            

             Enterprise Rent-A-Car is the largest rental car company in North America, and has more than 5,400 offices in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Germany. Enterprise operates more than 600,000 vehicles worldwide, has annual revenues of nearly $7 billion, and is currently ranked #15 on the Forbes "Largest Private Companies in America" list.

             In the past, Enterprise workers have filed OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) complaints and discrimination complaints against the company, which have all been ignored by management.  In a letter to management, Enterprise workers wrote: “Collective bargaining would provide us with a direct way to address on-the-job safety and health problems like poor ergonomic design of shuttle vans, back and knee problems from lifting heavy luggage, and exposures to dangerous chemicals because of the cleaning process or from car exhaust.  Collective bargaining would also be the best way to resolve discriminatory practices in the hiring, promotion and scheduling of employees and the abuse of workers who are forced to work full-time hours at part-time pay.”

             “The only way for these people to get justice is to organize,” said Ross.  “I strongly believe that workers deserve the right to make a free and fair decision on whether to form a union.  They have a majority and just want to sit down and try to fix the problems at the company.”

             Ross tried to meet with the management on behalf of the unions and the employees to find out why the company was refusing to allow workers to organize.  When he approached a manager and extended his name card, the manager pushed it back at him and told Ross to “get off the property.”  Shocked by this treatment, Ross joined the employees behind the picket line.  “I am openly gay and I have been discriminated during my younger years.  I premised my campaign on social justice issues and took a pledge to work alongside working families as their ambassador to the State House,” he said.  “I will work hard to represent their concerns in the legislature and to build consensus.”            

Ross, who is an attorney, has many years’ experience representing and advocating on behalf of union employees in post grievance, employment discrimination and due process, and workplace injury cases.  “I am the candidate who has been in the trenches every day fighting for workers’ rights.”

             As state Senator, Ross will champion health care and safety in the workplace, work toward fair labor standards, support majority authorization and privacy protection measures.  Ross will work hard to create union jobs by supporting Project Labor Agreements, because, he says, “the economy should work for the people, not the other way around.  I fundamentally believe in the constitutional right to free association and peaceful demonstration and I will put this commitment to work for all working families.”