Boycott Angelo & Maxie's

Workers on strike endure long and somtimes lonely hours on the picket line. When young people come out to show support, it's not only good politics--it's also good fun. At the end of our June 1999 National Council meeting, members of the Young Communist League USA, joined in solidarity with the kitchen workers of Angelo and Maxie's at their picket line for the right to organize.

Workers on strike endure long and somtimes lonely hours on the picket line. When young people come out to show support, it's not only good politics--it's also good fun. At the end of our June 1999 National Council meeting, members of the Young Communist League USA, joined in solidarity with the kitchen workers of Angelo and Maxie's at their picket line for the right to organize. Workers at the establishment are attempting to unionize and affiliate with Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees (HERE) Local 100.

Upon arrival at the picekt, 35 YCL members marched back and forth past the entrance to the restaurant chanting the union demand, "boycott Angelo and Maxie's!!"

With patrons looking up from their high-priced dinners in horror, we continued our chant in front of the huge windows of the restaurant. Eventually the police told us to join the workers from Local 100 behind the barricades. There we heard from organizers and workers about the unfair labor practices of Chart House Enterprises, the company that owns Angelo and Maxie's.

Union members were happy to have such a large chorus on hand at the height of the dinner hour. They led us in a series of chants they had written while others in our group passed out union flyers that explained Local 100's grievances to passersby. We left the demonstration an hour later, chanting feeling glad to be out on the street, taking action to show New York that youth stand together with working people fighting for their rights.

Across the country YCLers are participating in solidarity actions like the one at Angelo and Maxie's to support workers right to organize.

Israel Smith