<div dir="ltr"><div>
<div>Dear All,</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>In August, employees of Cambridge's Insomnia Cookies struck, and joined the <a href="http://cp.mcafee.com/d/avndz8Ad3hJ5AQsTjouj7f6XCQrIFLcKe3D3qdSkPhOM-OOUrhKOCYOUUe76QrIIIcKfTKrJIvxg5eXgjUDIjeNgXQ6PrKQ4-9X4PIkeZ1ISYyyYwwC_R-psuo7efZuVt4syzPWrPz2rfbnhIyCHuWfaxVZicHs3jq9IsrLOtXTLuZXTdTdw0F63700sdQf21-Mxa14LkN3UwE-l9QWcGuSJMddCzAsqerCPiTgY87X24E4jiWq8056wUQg8UCC0pEw76y0b3o1Cy0n2oc3yUb40Qo6wmq81sc0IQg1Ec60MdwMd43h091wc0k6zgMq81w4wId0Eqd43hEw30b2gw30Q2gQ618Qg2gwdxog3gA33h2rKrT5G4" target="_blank">IWW</a>.
 They were fed up with lousy pay and conditions. Their demands included 
$15/hr, health care, and a union, and they were swiftly terminated. Ever
 since, workers have stayed strong  and maintained their struggle, which
 has grown into an organizing drive at the
 boutique cookie business. Insomnia pays rock-bottom wages, charges 
$1.35 for cookies that cost the company .10 to make, and refuses to pay 
workers' compensation. Bike delivery workers report that if they get 
hurt in traffic, the boss' response is, "Why are
 you late?"  In response to a series of protests against the company's 
labor practices, Insomnia falsely reported picketers were blocking the 
sidewalk in front of the Cambridge store, giving Harvard and Cambridge 
cops an excuse to bring <a href="http://cp.mcafee.com/d/5fHCNESyOqerFIf9zDztPqdSkTCn71PxJ6XapEVovppsdETpjupss73zqdSmm6n7XTdSSfME2DtE9YjS9DoEtW3pJTq2v4ZypSa7uwSruhhuggjvW_cKfc3D7-LsKyehhVZdVNxdDBHEShjlLt7BgY-F6lK1FJcSedTVeZXTLuZXCXCM0llLwHW4J8lFeIe00VqI9_2uic62Xs9lwnlZkxYi-NzZ9-wnB2BloiQLqJiILEnJGF2cA2fBRA2W3spg8BP_8WunmBoHYOWoVUQsCW7x0_ogB0ynGoxYgkvaAWt6lfrmU6CPhOed7dPpFrEu43Zx2k29Ftd402zgsq84sjj0cQg3zh05xI0Ph0bxc61Ns5y0qc3gbd40K60mq80Q630o6Mo6y1Ew4wM60a3hEod40M2gm6wkd6y1EQg1w5x8g1wq18q30Aq818g6MI81Ei1xExdTdy0Kw" target="_blank">police
 violence</a>, and phony charges of assaulting cops, down on a union member. <br>
<br>
</div>
Undeterred, the workers and their allies are keeping up pressure on the company with continuing <a href="http://cp.mcafee.com/d/5fHCN0q4xESyOqerFIf9zDztPqdSkTCn71PxJ6XapEVovppsdETpjupss73zqdSmm6n7XTdSSfME2DtE9YjS9DoEtW3pJTq2v4ZypSa7uwSruhhuggjvW_cKfc3D7-LsKyehhVZdVNxdDBHEShjlLt7BgY-F6lK1FJASedTVeZXTLuZXCXCM0hqHsSO7YLxzpS9Az9PRiZxIo74h4p43t3MwvI8iwhbRcg-8afBitezaDJHs3jpEV76zCVIQJQf21-Mxa14QKCy01hEed42e9Fw6q81NEw2MS0pEw5MC30UK2N0d61E5Cy0n30bd40q31wc3oc3h0Qg2go3051EQc6y0o18b3ga6zh0Qq80M2MA80Md0Ad1wid40A83om40Q90MQgCXCU4Ze5ZhH" target="_blank">pickets</a> of
 local stores. Students at Harvard, BU and elsewhere have called for a <a href="http://www.hcs.harvard.edu/slam/?q=node/1081" target="_blank">boycott </a>of the company. The National Labor Relations Board issued a Complaint against Insomnia for illegally firing
 workers for union activity. Recently SEIU Local 509 donated $1,000 to the campaign, a magnificent act of solidarity.<br>
<br>
</div>
You can help too! Please join Insomnia strikers and their supporters at the Strike & Organizing Campaign <a href="http://cp.mcafee.com/d/FZsScy0wcy1J5AQsTjouj7f6XCQrIFLcKe3D3qdSkPhOM-OOUrhKOCYOUUe76QrIIIcKfTKrJIvxg5eXgjUDIjeNgXQ6PrKQ4-9X4PIkeZ1ISYyyYwwC_R-psuo7efZuVt4syzPWrPz2rfbnhIyCHuWfaxVZicHs3jr1IsrLOtXTLuZXTdTdAVPmEBC5etSTAaRaYLDCvxeCe6zAsOOqekhPxEVspKYZzxEVuoo7cIThuvsKVxa5pOt5pDb7X0llQYYlSQV6pjb6W7x0_ogB0ynGoxYgkvaAWt6lfrmU6CPhOed7dPpFrEu43Zx2k29Ftd402zgsq84sjj0cQg3zh05xI0Ph0bxc61Ns5y0qc3gbd40K60mq80Q630o6Mo6y1Ew4wM60a3hEod40M2gm6wkd6y1EQg1w5x8g1wq18q30Aq818g6MI81Ei1xExdTdJM_Buo-Y" target="_blank">Fund-raiser</a>,
 <span tabindex="0" class=""><span class="">Wednesday January 22</span></span>, starting at <span tabindex="0" class=""><span class="">7 pm</span></span>,
 at the Center for Marxist Education, 550 Massachusetts Avenue in 
Cambridge (2nd floor), steps from the Central Square MBTA stop. If you 
can't come to the event, please consider donating to the <a href="http://cp.mcafee.com/d/5fHCNEq6wUqdEICzCWr3OoVUTsSztBdVBNMsUrhKOCqem7Smn3qdSkTCn71MUSztBBxBN-ZPtJzYa0FTq2v4ZypSa7uwSrtSwDNfoCtyxTEdCTAknA44T-LPbzP0VN_HTbEzAkuvjusojpVqWdAkRrThVkffGhBrwqrvdzzt-jLuZXTLuVKVIDeqR4IMFNzRJbsLy5orelokN4QsLFIcLIIcCW7x0_ogB0ynGoxYgkvaAWt6lfrmU6CPhOed7dPpFrEu43Zx2k29Ftd402zgsq84sjj0cQg3zh05xI0Ph0bxc61Ns5y0qc3gbd40K60mq80Q630o6Mo6y1Ew4wM60a3hEod40M2gm6wkd6y1EQg1w5x8g1wq18q30Aq818g6MI81Ei1xExdTd-b7h" target="_blank">Insomnia
 Cookies Workers' Organizing Fund</a>, which is fueling the union drive. 
<div><br>
</div>
<div>In Solidarity,</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Geoff</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<a href="http://cp.mcafee.com/d/avndyhJ5AQsTjouj7f6XCQrIFLcKe3D3qdSkPhOM-OOUrhKOCYOUUe76QrIIIcKfTKrJIvxg5eXgjUDIjeNgXQ6PrKQ4-9X4PIkeZ1ISYyyYwwC_R-psuo7efZuVt4syzPWrPz2rfbnhIyCHuWfaxVZicHs3jrxIsrLOtXTLuZXTdTdw0V6312J9RxM073t3MwvI8iwhbRcg-8afBitezaDJHs3jpEV76zCVIQJQf21-Mxa14QKCy01hEed42e9Fw6q81NEw2MS0pEw5MC30UK2N0d61E5Cy0n30bd40q31wc3oc3h0Qg2go3051EQc6y0o18b3ga6zh0Qq80M2MA80Md0Ad1wid40A83om40Q90MQgCXCPNXs3A3o" target="_blank">http://iwwboston.org/</a></div>