US unionists return to Phillips Seafood restaurants in solidarity with Indonesian workers

The UFCW returned to leaflet customers of US Phillips Seafood restaurants in support of IUF members at the Phillips Seafood processing plant in Lampung, Indonesia where the union is fighting for permanent jobs for workers who have been employed up to 15 years without a permanent contract.

Following on the UFCW’s May 9 action at Phillips’ flagship restaurant in Baltimore, UFCW Vice President Mark Lauritsen (who is also an IUF Vice President) and UFCW Local 27 members and officers leafleted and talked with customers outside two Phillips Seafood Restaurants in Ocean City, Maryland, Phillips Seafood Ocean City Crab House and Ocean City Seafood House.

In local discussions in Indonesia, management of Phillips Seafood has told the union and government officials that only US management has the authority to make the changes the union is demanding. When a representative of US management visited the factory on June 12, however, he avoided talking with workers and the union and quickly fled the factory when workers organized a demonstration!

Phillips management in Ocean City, like Phillips Baltimore management previously, called the police in an attempt to prevent the union from explaining the Phillips Indonesia situation to customers. The police allowed the action to proceed.