This Thursday, scores of union members, activists, progressives and people who just like to party will gather at IBEW Local 1 to participate in Jobs with Justice’s Annual “Scrooge of the Year” Party.
Voting (it’s a fundraiser – one dollar per vote) takes place as sponsoring organizations make their case (some do it with a song, others with skits, others still with employee testimony) for why their “candidate” should get your vote for “Scrooge of the Year.” To get a feel for what goes on at a Scrooge party, think of the worse boss you’ve ever had. Then add a dash of corporate greed, mix in some political cronyism and you’ve got a recipe for what Jobs with Justice calls “The Holiday Party with an Attitude.”
Some winners in the past have received their award in an ambush-style presentation worthy of 60 Minutes (it really just depends on what the winning organization wants to do). Here for your perusal is a list of some past winners (make sure you check out 2003).
- 2000 – Then-Mayor Clarence Harmon for his efforts to kill Living Wage, Nominating organization was the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN)
- 2001 – Contract Cleaners Association for fighting efforts by area janitors to earn a living wage with decent health care benefits for their families, Nominating organization, Service Employees International Union Local 50
- 2002 – Wal Mart for more reasons than we can list, but chief among them are driving down working conditions in the retail sector, robbing communities of their tax base through abuse of Tax Increment Financing (TIF), buying products made with sweatshop labor, and more…. Nominating organizations were UFCW Locals 88 and 655 and the National Organization for Women
- 2003 – Post Dispatch Publisher Terry Egger for stonewalling negotiations with the St. Louis Newspaper Guild. Nominating organization was the St. Louis Newspaper Guild
- 2004 – Governor Matt Blunt for running on an anti-worker agenda that promised devastation for Missouri’s working families. Nominating organizations were AFSCME District Council 72 and CWA Missouri State Workers Union
- 2005 – Lohr Distributing for breaking the backs, and the union, of its beer delivery drivers. Nominating organization was Teamsters Local 600
- 2006 – Valley Park Board of Aldermen for creating new ordinances that would punish any citizen from selling or renting property to undocumented immigrants. Nominating Organization was the Immigration Rights Action Task Force
- 2007 – Illinois Distributing Company – for taking measures to gut the union contract which had been in place for over 40 years. Measures included: eliminating a guaranteed 40 hour work week, a 40-60% reduction in retirement benefits, and cutting health benefits just to name a few Nominating Organization was Teamsters Local 50.
This year’s Scrooge candidates come from a variety of areas and online voting has already begun. But why vote online when you can show up and join in the fun? You’ll know lots of people – our local’s executive committee has purchased a table and will be out in full force. Come on out and join us!
(He doesn’t know it yet but) David Carson is buying!