by Karen Kilroy
Have you thought about what goes on behind the scenes at your Internet Service Provider (ISP)? Do they care about your organization's success? Or are you just one more credit card?
Meet Alfredo Lopez and his group of happy, healthy, and focused Internet workers who believe in progressive causes. People-Link (http://people-link.org) is a professional, high-quality ISP with work directed toward politically progressive goals. They are staffed with real-life progressive activists who are also computer professionals, and who will provide the highest degree of attention to your project.
As the oldest progressive ISP around, People-Link was founded more than 10 years ago when the web was first launched. Their customer base includes no corporate customers, but many progressive organizations and unions. Among their clientele are Transport Workers Union Local 100, International Labor Communications Association, Local 371, DC37, AFSCME, Portside, CNHPNow!, and many more.
People-Link runs an all-union shop ISP, which may be the only one of its kind. The workers are all members of Local 1180 of the Communication Workers of America which provides the technology workers with benefits unheard of for their field, such as a mandatory 15-minute break each hour. They are limited to a 30-hour work week which Lopez believes results in healthier, happier workers.
Lopez said that other attempts to unionize ISPs have been met with hostility, and that is largely why the concept has not caught on yet. However, for anyone interested in unionizing their own technology-based workplace, People-Link is happy to share their experience.
People-Link customers are provided with services that are critical to their online presence, including web hosting, email accounts, web design and maintenance, web server administration, a secure credit card server, audio and video servers, e-mail lists, and more. Through associations with the May First Technology Collective and LaLutta Media, People-Link is in the position to offer an even broader range of services to your progressive political organization or union.
Alfredo Lopez urges you to try People-Link's service and experience the difference of working with professionals who care about your cause. (http://people-link.org)
