The plant in Cleveland employed predominately African-American women workers. These women fought back by joining together with other Teamsters, the AFL-CIO, Jobs With Justice coalition, and organizations around the country to fight back and demand that their jobs stay in their community.

Their campaign won the attention of First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. Ultimately the company fired its CEO and saved the 6,000 jobs, including the Mr. Coffee jobs in Cleveland.

Subsequently, the plant increased its productivity to the point where it nearly doubled the size of the workforce, created 175 new jobs and became one of the county’s largest employers hiring Welfare-to-Work recipients and offering full-time union positions to those workers.

Nevertheless, Sunbeam decided to close the plant anyway and move all assembly jobs to Mexico, where workers earn approximately $7.00 a day. Once again, the women at Mr. Coffee, joined by community and national women’s organizations, fought back.

The jobs went south of the border, but with their courage and their commitment, workers were still able to save their jobs for two years, create 175 new jobs in their community, double their severance and win extended employer-paid health insurance.

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is working with trade unionists in Mexico to document and expose the conditions of Sunbeam workers in Mexico.

Joylyn’s Labor Day Message

"If at any time you find yourself against Corporate America, as we did, in Glenwillow, the suburb of Cleveland where Mr. Coffee was located, please join with your union and your community to fight back.

"May 31st was the last production day of coffeemakers in America for the Mr. Coffee brand in North America. The last machine that came off the assembly line was sent to our International in Washington, D.C., with an emblem that reads "Last Made in the USA".

"I’ve been a Teamster for 26 years, and four years ago I decided that I needed to do something in my workplace. And so I became very active in my local union. I want to say to all rank-and-filers today, be active, be very active.

"I’m a victim of an American tragedy that’s taking place all over America, and this Labor Day, I’m mad about it. But since I do not possess a victim mentality, I’ve decided that I will become pro-active.

"Since this is an election year, I know everybody wants our votes. So I’ve decided that, in my little corner of the world, I will be speaking to workers about their responsibility this election year. And I’m going to tell everybody that I come across to only elect pro-labor candidates.

"What happened to us in Glenwillow is a direct result of NAFTA. Locally and nationally, we must carefully consider the records of each candidate this fall on labor issues. These issues affect the well being of our families.

"In Cleveland, the hot topic right now is the privatization of Social Security. As women, we earn less; we raise our children, some of us, as head of households and cannot accumulate much wealth during our working years. So, Social Security for many of us is our only means of retirement income. Only 26 percent of all older women get a pension compared to 47 percent of men. And of course, their checks are larger than ours.

"On healthcare, 44 million Americans have no health care, and that number is growing. We must know where our candidates stand on these issues. As we balance work, raising families, caring for our elderly parents, and some of those eligible for FMLA cannot afford unpaid time off. Let us support lawmakers who favor expanding FMLA with compensation.

"Let’s educate each other, our families, our friends and co-workers on issues that affect us, so that on November 7th, when we step into polling stations across America, we are voting on issues that protect our American dream. Equal pay, extending FMLA, workplace safety, minimum wage increases and, in some cities in their local elections, supporting a living wage.

"As labor, we must continue diversity in union leadership and continue to organize. We must continue member-to-member organizing and the fight for a voice in the workplace.

"Globally, we are the voice of workers in distant lands where human rights violations are rampant and the freedom to organize is met with imprisonment and sometimes death. In Mexico, where my job was moved, workers live in shacks while earning $7 a day. Corporate America watches their bottom line grow on the backs of the poor, women and children. We can no longer allow this. In Asia, the police drove a truck into a mass of people who were blockading the road near the factory where negotiations for fair wages were going on.

"As labor, we must ask ourselves this question, "Am I my brother’s keeper?" And the answer is "Yes".

"Corporate greed and NAFTA cost me and almost 800,000 working American families their jobs. We must send a clear message to our elected officials that enough is enough! And we still say no to PNTR.

"As Eleanor Roosevelt said, ‘The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams’.

"As we reflect on the meaning of Labor Day, the radiant activity of God is pressing to express itself more fully. Let the spirit of this holiday drive us to organize and make this world a better place in this century."

Joylyn Billy
Teamster Activist