Jesse Welles had a concert in Richmond scheduled for July 29 but cancelled it once he arrived and realized the venue workers were on strike. Rather than continue to support the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden for not paying their workers a living wage, he promptly cancelled the show.
In solidarity with the workers on strike at the botanical garden we are rescheduling our show this evening in richmond.
To the fans: we would not want to put you in a position to cross the picket line, we are sorry
To the garden: pay a living wage or get lost
To the workers: never back down
We’ve rescheduled the show for friday, september 25th at The National. Your tickets from tonight will remain valid for the rescheduled date. For those who cannot make this date, refunds will be available at your original point of purchase.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DbYpUzkB98M/
The Grammy-nominated musician canceled his concert at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in support of the LGBG Workers United workers on strike. Jesse stands with these workers as they fight for the fair treatment and respect they deserve. That’s solidarity.
More info on the events at the strike and Jesse’s cancelling from a couple news stories:
Workers at Lewis Ginter earlier this summer organized a one-day strike in June and circulated a public petition calling on the nonprofit botanical garden to approve higher wages in a new labor contract that’s been under negotiation for more than a year.
Bridget Fitzgerald, an organizer with International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), which represents the Lewis Ginter worker union and approximately 600,000 other laborers across North America, said they reached out to Welles after those efforts fell short.
She said they reached out to Welles because of his status as a socially conscious folk musician who has scored critical praise and millions of social media views with protest songs like “No Kings” and “Join ICE,” hoping that he might offer to support the striking workers in some way.
“He did this of his own choosing. We did not request that he cancel,” Fitzgerald said in an interview with Style Weekly. “I applaud him. I think that’s a wonderful, humane thing to do. For an artist with quite a following to do this, it’s very uplifting.”
https://www.styleweekly.com/jesse-welles-cancels-lewis-ginter-concert-in-solidarity-with-striking-workers/
Tensions escalated as Jesse Welles called off his performance at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden yesterday amid an ongoing union fight for higher wages.When I arrived, a healthy crowd had gathered outside the large iron gates. I was quickly offered signs and water by striking workers, community members showing their support, and Welles fans who had stayed to stand with them.
According to union members, this was not the first attempt by workers to bargain for better wages. They say employees first circulated a petition that was met with threats of legal action, were told they could no longer meet as a group, and soon afterward one member was fired.
Since then, the LGBG union has met with management multiple times, with wages remaining the central point of debate.
“We started with a $3.50 increase and have since lowered it to $2,” horticulturist and negotiating committee member Eryn Boyle told me.
According to Boyle, Lewis Ginter management initially countered with a 50-cent increase, followed by 75 cents, and has since proposed a 3% raise, which averages about 52 cents an hour for many union members.
The dispute escalated further when Jesse Welles canceled his performance in solidarity with the striking workers…
Welles has rescheduled his performance for Sept. 25 at The National and will honor or refund tickets purchased for the original show.
A small group of die-hard fans who had come for the concert stayed to show their support for the striking workers. One fan, proudly wearing Welles merchandise, shared his thoughts on the situation.
“It’s not about us being here. We are grateful to be invited. This is an awesome cause, and we really want there to be some change.”
Welles is known for his working-class lyrics and outspoken support for working people, and it seemed those values were shared by many of his fans.
During my time at the picket line, a number of fans drove up, realized what was happening, expressed their support, and drove off honking their horns in solidarity.
“This is how things change,” another fan said. “Getting out there and understanding there is an inequality problem, even on a scale like this. It’s getting out on the corners demanding change.”
The union will continue talks with management, but it seems the pressure is mounting.
With the cost of living continuing to rise, rents showing little sign of slowing, and many workers feeling their wages have failed to keep pace, it’s easy to understand why so many people are frustrated. More and more people are finding themselves priced out of the city they call home.
It’s hard not to feel overwhelmed by the world around you, especially as a young person. But at that picket line, I saw people advocating for themselves and, more importantly, for their neighbors, their partners, their friends, and complete strangers. For a moment, that made me breathe just a little bit easier.
Dispatch from the Lewis Ginter Picket Line by Griffin Smalley
https://rvamag.com/news-headlines/richmond-news/dispatch-from-the-lewis-ginter-picket-line.html
