Today Touchstone Workers United sent strikers back to work and released this statement on Instagram:
“THANK YOU to everyone who pulled up to rally with us on Saturday (dog friends, of course, included!)
Setters launched the strike to raise awareness of our issues with Touchstone's bargaining, and we believe they've succeeded. The union has been able to confirm the next bargaining date for this coming Friday because of their actions! Today, we sent the setters back to work as a sign of good faith and because they love their jobs.
Their action has also sparked a climbing worker strike in France, and we know further ripples are building in America.
We expect to see reasonable proposals from Touchstone this Friday, or we'll be back on the line...with even more folks.
We love this community - thank you for having our backs!!”
More to be revealed. In the mean time, members are continuing to boycott and calling for the resignation of CEO, Mark Melvin; Director of Route Setting, Justin Alarcon; and Creative and Business Development Director, Jeffery Bowling. As with a company that has racist, sexist, homophobic, or xenophobic leadership and practices, we are asking Touchstone to restructure their leadership and corporate model to be representative of the communities they serve. Labor is a social justice issue. Their current structure is out of touch and unaligned with the current landscape of the state and regions that they serve.
You can ask for their resignations by contacting:
mmelvin@touchstoneclimbing.com
justin@touchstoneclimbing.com
jeffery@touchstoneclimbing.com
Currently we are not asking for the resignation of So Cal Head Route Setter, Sean Nanos. It is shared sentiment that Middle Management, like Gym Managers, Head Setters, and Crew Leads are victims of a broken system, rather than perpetrators of it. We hope they choose the Union way in the future and align with their workers. Until then please continue to reach out to them and offer support and guidance towards a corrective path.
Members are also calling for Touchstone leadership to fire their Union Busting lawyer. If they really wanted to negotiate in good faith they wouldn’t hire Daniel Adlong of Ogletree Deakins, nationally recognized union busting law firm, who inspires people to write articles like this one:
https:///bwatchdog.com/long-beach-post-hires-anti-union/
Lastly, here is why Touchstone's Right to Work policies don't belong in L.A. County, The Bay Area, Sacramento, or even Fresno. Californians support the power, protection, and preservation of Unions and some of the greatest moments in labor history were won in this beautiful state of ours.
Now with the federal government banging on the door and trying to pass sweeping national right to work legislation, we are faced with the threat on our door step and in our community. Touchstone wants to hold onto Right to Work policies which are not representative of their workers or the communities they serve. Currently Touchstone employees that are non-Union work under an "At-Will" employment contract that gives them no protection and allows them to be fired for any reason, including pro-union sentiment and organizing, Touchstone’s excuse being performance or a need to “scale down” front line staff.
Touchstone Climbing threatens not only California's integrity, but the integrity of workers through out this country. Say "NO!" to Touchstone Climbing!
In Gratitude and In Solidarity,
Morgan McGehee