The Young are the Restless: Thomas Robinson
This is the second installment in a three-part series about young activists facing a troubling economy.
By Adam Raphael
June 15, 2009
Robinson speaking at a “Jobs with Justice” event in Philadelphia
For the last five and a half years, Thomas Robinson has worked for Allied Barton Security Services as a security guard on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania. Throughout his employment, Robinson has worked the same overnight shift, from midnight until mid-morning. After several years of working, Robinson decided to return to school at Philadelphia’s Temple University to get his Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work.
In the process of transferring to Temple, Robinson applied for financial aid, hoping for a way to attend school and continue working without incurring severe debt through student loans. Unfortunately, the rising costs coupled with low wages quickly overwhelmed him: “I did well for a while but then the money just became too much. Time management also became an issue as I tried to balance my work, my education, and my social responsibilities.” Robinson was forced to discontinue his studies.
While reflecting on his experiences as a struggling college student and a worker not making enough to support his education, Robinson joined a labor campaign. Known as
P.O.W.R. (Philadelphia Officers and Workers Rising), the campaign is working to win unionization for all of the Allied Barton’s employees in the Philadelphia area. The organization is a collaboration of security officers, students, faith leaders, community activists, and
Philadelphia Jobs with Justice, all working to get, among other things, better wages for the Allied Barton employees.
As Co-Chair of the P.O.W.R. campaign, Robinson played an important role in establishing an independent union for Philadelphia’s security officers in December of last year. Since the creation of the
Philadelphia Security Officers Union, Robinson is now actively directing his energy towards the passage of the Employee Free Choice Act (
EFCA).
EFCA is one of the most contentious debates right now – the act would strengthen workers’ rights to organize a union, which would then represent their interests in the workplace, such as higher wages.
According to Robinson,
EFCA (S. 560 / H.R. 1409) would impact workers in many ways beyond wages. As Robinson makes clear, unions can help make workers’ voices heard: “Having a union in the workplace ensures that collective issues that affect all workers, regardless of industry, are taken seriously. It helps guarantee that discussions regarding wages, benefits, pension, and grievances processes are never ignored, nor forgotten.”
Robinson also understands how
EFCA will help young workers, in particular: “The Employee Free Choice Act will [raise] the levels of employee compensation through collective bargaining…Those that would be new to the workplace would reap some of the benefits of the groundwork that is already being laid, no matter what level of industry they enter at.”
EFCA would also make the target of unionization for Allied Barton employees more attainable. Presently, the security officers must be organized separately, depending on their primary work site. P.O.W.R.’s main focus is on the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which Robinson says subcontracts 130 Allied Barton security officers. Approximately 65% of these officers have already signed a card stating that they would like the Philadelphia Security Officers Union to serve as their bargaining agent in contract discussions. Under the Employee Free Choice Act, this percentage would enable
PSOU to seek certification as a union.
The perfect storm of the inaccessibility of higher education and labor concerns has transformed Robinson into a fierce advocate for workers rights and economic equality. He is engaged in his community and working hard to ensure that the rest of his peers – particularly young workers – are afforded the rights and opportunities that they deserve.
Adam Raphael is a former advocacy intern at Campus Progress.
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Comments
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can you imagine what a reinvigorated union and labor movement, with young workers at the forefront, would mean for the trajectory of the country?
Thats why we need the Employee Free Choice Act!
No wonder the WSJ failed to mention unions as an option for young workers… check out this similar piece www.workingamerica.o…
— Carlos J - Jun 15, 02:30 PM - #Lets hope it gets some positive attention from the O-Man soon.
— redflagflies - Jun 15, 05:08 PM - #