Brief history Food AND Medicine

Big Picture:

In America today, the “little guy” is increasingly given the raw deal.  The rich are getting richer and the poor, poorer.  Our jobs are going overseas, tax cuts are being handed out to the rich, our public services are being given to big corporations. 

The “Wal-Martization” of the economy has meant that it is harder for workers, farmers and small business owners to get by.  Large corporations like DHL and Wal-Mart have the power to pit workers, communities and even countries against each other.  In this economy, we are told that the customer is king, but we are also producers- selling our labor, our farm products or running a small business.  And as producers we are being squeezed by the corporate goliaths.  For producers, the “Wal-Martization” of the economy has meant unemployment, low-paying jobs, farms and small businesses going under.

Food AND Medicine’s role:

Food AND Medicine stands up for the “little guy” through sticking together.  FAM’s organization approach says 1) in the richest country in world, everyone deserves basic needs met, like food, medicine, housing, etc.  2)  that we have to give voice to working people.  3)  that we should include those effected- laid off workers, farmers, small business. 

FAM’s Background:

A group of laid-off workers, union members and community activists first met in the late fall of 2001 when over 1,000 workers in the Bangor area had just been laid off due to “free trade.”[1][1] FAM has chosen certain strategic fights, that would make a big difference for many people

2001:            Successful fight for healthcare

·        The first major fight for FAM was taking Maine Senator’s Snowe and Collins to task for supporting help to airline companies and not airline workers.  We engaged in a high profile public fight that turned into a running battle over Trade Promotion Authority.  We marched on their offices, held press conferences, raided their press conferences and ultimately publicly shamed them into changing their position so that they voted for healthcare support for laid off workers.

·        FAM helped organize the second annual July 4^th Solidarity Celebration.

2002:  Video and voice of workers hurt by free trade- Congressman Mike Michaud elected

·        FAM produced a video with testimony from workers who had lost their jobs due to free trade. 

·        FAM also joined with the National AFL-CIO and the Bangor CLC to help organize a caravan of workers who had lost their jobs to make a high-profile trip across the state. 

·        FAM very publicly highlighted the issue of free trade, which was widely considered a determining factor in the election of union member and paperworker Mike Michaud to the U.S. Congress.

2003: Aid to mills in Millinocket, our newspaper, award winning mural and Solidarity Harvest

·        In 2003, two mills employing over 1,000 workers were shut down just north of Bangor. FAM launched solidarity efforts that helped raised over $7,000 for the workers.  FAM also gave technical support to help the workers re-build their Central Labor Council.

·        FAM launched Solidarity News a newspaper of and for workers in the Penobscot River region.  The newspaper has grown into a regular, quarterly publication and now distributes 5,000 free copies.

·        FAM also helped to organize over 1000 people to participate in creating and painting a 600 square foot mural on the outside of the GBA-CLC Union Hall in Brewer, telling the story of unions in Maine.  This mural later won a cash prize and has been featured on the Haymarket Foundation’s calendar.

·        FAM helped support the Bangor CLC at its July 4^th Solidarity Event, which raised over $6,000 for laid off workers.  FAM then organized its first Solidarity Harvest, which gave Thanksgiving meals to over 130 families.  This effort gained great publicity for unions and the power of mutual aid and support.  FAM is now in its third year of the Solidarity Harvest.

2004:  Ground breaking bill on trade, Union Supported Agriculture and election issues

·        FAM played a key role in organizing worker and legislative support for the Maine Jobs, Trade and Democracy Act, which has become a model for state legislation on trade (see the AFL-CIO Website).

·        FAM helped organize the 4^th annual July 4^th Solidarity Celebration, which featured President Tom Buffenbarger.

·        FAM organized the first year of the Union Supported Agriculture (USA) project, which brings unions and farms together for mutual support.  The program is now in its second season and has received national recognition as a model for innovative approaches to supporting farms and increasing working family power.

·        For the election, FAM helped organize three very public actions involving laid off workers.  One was an unemployment line, which stretched a long block in downtown Bangor and gained statewide public attention.  The other was the ""Cemetery of Jobs" action, where we made 75 signs and arranged them cemetery style in the front lawn of a closed factory.  We also did another action in front of a closed plant when George Bush came to Bangor.

2005: Moved Senators on CAFTA, Solidarity for DHL, launched the Farmer Labor Small Business Alliance

·        FAM played an important role in helping to push Sen. Snowe and Collins into opposing CAFTA. 

·        FAM organized laid off workers to become active with public policy concerning our social safety net, in particular health insurance, unemployment insurance and dislocated worker re-training.  FAM has organized laid off worker meetings with State Legislators from Penobscot, Hancock and Waldo country, meeting with Congressman Mike Michaud and public actions geared toward gaining media coverage of the inadequacy of our social safety net in America today.

·        FAM organized small business and farmer support for 23 workers at DHL who were fired during a Teamster organizing campaign.  FAM also featured the issues in its paper, Solidarity News.  Using its standing and credibility in the community, FAM helped move the community to back the workers and stand against management.  The workers won.

·        On our 5^th July 4^th Solidarity Celebration, FAM officially launched the Farmer Labor Small Business (FLSB) Alliance.  The FLSB is a means to bring different groups together that share fundamental interests.  We are both producers and consumers.  As consumers we have great potential power.  The FLSB is a way to direct that power for working families.

Other ongoing programs:

Direct support to laid off workers:  FAM has organized the raising of over $50,000 to workers who have had their jobs outsourced.  At each event, we hold press conferences and actions, which explain how free trade is bad, our social safety net has holes, but our unions fight for justice and care for working families.  These actions have made FAM a credible organization in our community.

Food Bank.  FAM has overseen the financial support of a food bank at the Union Hall in Brewer for over two years.  For the past two summers, this has included fresh organic vegetables purchased by local unions and donated to the food bank.  The food bank has developed into a place where laid off workers keep their community together and share stories and develop ways to address the problems of being laid off in today’s America.

Jack McKay, President
Eastern Maine Labor Council (EMLC), AFL-CIO
20 Ivers Street
Brewer, ME 04412
207-989-4141