275 Times May 2017

Māngere KFC Workers Strike
Workers from south Auckland
were well-represented during the
Restaurant Brands strike last month.
Unite Union members from KFC
Manukau, Airport drive-through,
Māngere Central, Māngere East,
and Ōtāhuhu filled a bus to
capacity to travel to KFC Balmoral
to take part in the big one-day
combined Auckland picket.
These strikes united the diverse
workforce at KFC. Strikes were largely
led by the women in the stores,
and there was a strong showing of
Pasifika and Indian workers. Assistant
Managers, Shift Supervisors and
Team Members were all involved.
Fast food workers from around
Aotearoa are taking industrial action
against their employer Restaurant
Brands, (which owns KFC, Carls
Jr, Starbucks and Pizza Hut) in an
effort to improve their Collective
Agreement. Union members are
asking for a small pay increase
each year, better staffing levels
in each store, a living wage and
redundancy compensation.
Astevez, a Shift Supervisor at
KFC Māngere explains:
“I felt I needed to go on strike
because this was my chance to
legally show the company, in a way
that affected them, that I am serious
about wanting to change my work
conditions, which I was sick of.
“When I walked out I felt
empowered and I realised just
how vital each person is to
running a store – I realised the
Above: Shift Supervisor Astevez
(inset), joined workers from KFC stores
in Māngere, Māngere East, Ōtāhuhu and
Auckland Airport at the one-day strike.
company doesn’t value me enough
and treat me like a decent human.
“While I was doing the strike action
I was amazed at all the other people
who felt just like me and were sick
of their working conditions and
treatment by Restaurant Brands.
“When I saw the manager of a KFC
branch close her store and join in
the union strike action at Balmoral, it
made me see everyone outside of the
top management has had enough.”
2
NEW COMMUNITY CENTRE A STEP CLOSER
by Alan Worman
The need for a purpose-built community centre in Walter
Massey Park has been spoken about for many years.
Māngere East Community Centre Manager Hone
Fowler and I are part of a community working group
that is planning to make this idea a reality. The working
group is made up of local residents, existing park users,
and organisations that provide services in the area.
In April we proudly presented the group’s feasibility
study to the Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board.
The study, funded by Māngere East ACCESS Trust,
Ohomairangi Trust and a Lotto grant, clearly showed
the need for a new centre and highlighted how it could
expand the number of services already provided.
There are many possibilities. Just think how great
it would be to have a gymnasium, more meeting
spaces or even a community café in Māngere East!
We thank the Local Board for passing a motion to refer
the Māngere East Feasibility Study Report to the Auckland
Council’s Service Strategy and Integration Unit.
Campaigning for a new community centre: Alan Worman (left) and
Hone Fowler present to the Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board in April.
We eagerly await the report that the Council Officers
will prepare outlining different options, costs for the
development and the inclusion of funding for the
project in the Auckland Council’s 10-year budget.