By a WORKING CARPENTER On Oct. 5, a recently fired carpenter, Samuel Perry, 42, arrived at a Midtown Manhattan job site to pick up his last paycheck. He shot his foreman, 37-year-old Christopher Sayers, twice, killing him. He then turned the gun on himself. Both men were members of Carpenters’ Local 212, a concrete construction … Continue reading Tragic construction site murder was avoidable
By BILL ONASCH Trying to Stop Runaway Train—As recently as a few years ago, the biggest local in the United Electrical, Radio & Machine Workers had nearly 6000 members at General Electric's locomotive works in Erie, Pa. There is strong demand for locomotives and GE's are most favored. But instead of rewarding their workforce with … Continue reading Labor Briefing: October 2017
By ANN MONTAGUE On this year’s Labor Day, Sept. 4, there were more marches and rallies than in previous years. Several U.S. cities had large labor actions anchored in fast-food walkouts. Britain saw its first strikes against McDonald’s Corporation; activists chose U.S. Labor Day as a nod to the birthplace of the Fight For 15 … Continue reading Fast food workers walked out on Labor Day 2017
By BILL ONASCH A vote to reject—In recent years the threat of a veto by a Democratic governor stalled right-wing plans to pass a so-called “Right-to-Work” law in Missouri, as was passed in several other new states. That last obstacle was breached when the 2016 elections not only gave the Republicans a veto-proof majority in … Continue reading Labor Briefing for September 2017
By BILL ONASCH The United Auto Workers’ organizing drive at the giant Nissan plant in Canton, Miss., once showed promise of becoming the biggest union victory in the Deep South since the United Food & Commercial Workers won bargaining rights—and a contract—at Smithfield's huge hog plant in Tar Heel, N.C., in 2008. A win at … Continue reading UAW to contest election loss at Nissan
By ANN MONTAGUE On June 20, 691 PepsiCo workers in Buenos Aires arrived at work to see a piece of paper on the door notifying them that the plant was being relocated and they were all out of a job. In Argentina it is illegal to just close a factory and lay off workers. Companies have … Continue reading PepsiCo workers resist in Argentina
By ERNIE GOTTA — BOSTON — About 1200 nurses at the Tufts Medical Center went on strike in July. Following the strike and a four-day lock-out, they returned to work on July 17 without a new contract in place. The union says it was the largest nursing strike in Massachusetts history. Socialist Action recently interviewed … Continue reading Tufts nurses strike
By WAYNE DELUCA A recent study by the University of Washington announced that the second phase of Seattle’s increase in the minimum wage, moving from $11 per hour to $13 per hour, had the net effect of lowering the real wages of low-wage workers by around $125 per week. This study was immediately seized upon … Continue reading Living wage under attack
By a WORKING CARPENTER The Philadelphia city council passed a law allowing the city to secure loans for a program to renovate city parks, recreation centers and libraries called Rebuild Philadelphia. Some council members expressed skepticism about the program, asking whether any of the jobs created would go to people living the neighborhoods where the … Continue reading Philadelphia City Council pushes ‘diversity’ in the building trades
By BILL ONASCH A Bundle Including DirecTV—After mass informational picketing, the Communications Workers of America won a renewed contract for 17,000 AT&T workers in California and Nevada that includes modest wage and benefit improvements and, for the first time, covers employees of the satellite television competitor with cable the carrier acquired in 2015. Follow the … Continue reading July 2017 Labor Briefing
By BILL ONASCH Off the Job Training—Of the 700,000 members of the Communications Workers of America, 150,000 work for AT&T—making them second only to UPS as the biggest unionized private sector employer in the U.S. But since deregulation “broke up” the virtual telephone monopoly of Ma Bell in the 1980s, a single national contract has … Continue reading Labor Briefing for June 2017
By ANN MONTAGUE This is the fifth year that Fight For 15 made the trek to Chicago and then to suburban Oak Brook, Ill., where the annual McDonald’s shareholders meeting was taking place. The first day, May 22, started with showcasing the leading role of women of color. A panel of activists expressed their message … Continue reading Fight for 15 confronts McDonald’s stockholders meeting
By BILL ONASCH Movers Become Shakers In D.C.—The motto of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689 is We Move This City. Their 9000 members keep the second biggest (in mileage) subway system in the USA running—as best they can with the Metro's austerity budget—in addition to dozens of usually standing-room-only bus lines and paratransit services. Their contract … Continue reading Labor Briefing for May 2017
By MARTY GOODMAN — NEW YORK — B&H Photo, the nation’s largest non-chain photo store, announced during contract negotiations plans to shut down two warehouses in Brooklyn and move facilities 75 miles away to Florence, N.J., by the end of the year. For 330 immigrant B&H warehouse workers who belong to the United Steel Workers … Continue reading NYC immigrants strike against union busting
By MARK UGOLINI — CHICAGO — Nearly 10,000 workers, immigration rights activists, and supporters took to the streets on May Day to demand legalization of undocumented workers; an end to terrorizing immigrant communities with raids on homes and workplaces; and an end to criminalization, mass incarceration, and deportations. (See a full list of demands at … Continue reading Chicago workers take to the streets on May Day
By GEORGE SHRIVER — TUCSON, Ariz. — Hopes & expectations were widespread on the eve of May 1, 2017, that the spirit of 2006 might be revived this year. In 2006, as many as 3 million or more undocumented immigrants and their allies poured into the streets on May Day, and the reactionary Sensenbrenner bill, … Continue reading May Day in Tucson: A tradition since 2006
By ANN MONTAGUE The organizers of the International Women’s Day Strikes issued a comprehensive statement encouraging women to support the May Day actions this year. It was entitled, “No Ban, No Wall, No ICE,” and said in part, “We come together with the understanding that our exploitation as waged and unwaged workers have a common … Continue reading Women activists came together on May Day
By MICHAEL SCHREIBER Millions of people around the world took part in demonstrations on May Day. Actions included a general strike and mass march, backed by the major unions, to protest government austerity measures in Puerto Rico. This followed a huge general strike in Brazil two days earlier. The May 1 international day of working-class … Continue reading May Day marches: A show of unity
By BILL ONASCH On the eve of the April 29 People’s Climate Mobilization in Washington and other cities, Bill Onasch describes what working people and the labor movement must do in order to avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change. The working class faces challenges on many fronts today. But one crisis is overarching. … Continue reading How can we fight climate change? All out for the April 29 Climate March!
Sign the Petition! Stop the relentless repression against French postal worker and union representative Gaël Quirante! Gaël, departmental secretary of SUD Postal Activities in the Hauts-de-Seine region of France (more commonly known by its post code 92), faces multiple legal and disciplinary charges, which could result in dismissal from work. In the span of his … Continue reading Help defend Gaël Quirante!
By BILL ONASCH A Clean Win For Janitors—It took six years of strikes and demonstrations, but the tenacity of 600 Twin Cities janitors, nearly all people of color, many of them immigrants, has secured a first union contract. It was a tripartite struggle. These members of SEIU Local 26 actually clean Big Box retail stores … Continue reading Labor Briefing: March 2017
By MARK UGOLINI — CHICAGO — Over 1000 trade-union women and supporters gathered at the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) Hall on Mar. 8 to celebrate International Women’s Day and declare solidarity with women everywhere struggling to protect and extend woman’s rights. Chairing the rally, Adriana Alvarez of Fight for $15 spoke of the struggle of … Continue reading Chicago Teachers Union hosts International Women’s Day Protest
By BILL ONASCH Seeing the Light In Baltimore—At the beginning of the Trump era, an important organizing victory has taken place. After a vigorous campaign that included home visits, phone banking, and twice a day plant gate rallies and leaflet distributions, an NLRB election certified the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers to represent more than … Continue reading Labor Briefing: February 2017
By MARK UGOLINI The Republican Party takes primary charge of the U.S. government this month with Donald Trump sworn in as president, and both houses of Congress under Republican control by a slim majority. The new administration is taking shape with announcements of key government cabinet posts. These include a combination of professional politicians, former … Continue reading As Trump takes the helm, the war against working people continues
By BILL ONASCH Good News, Bad News From SEIU—In recent years, this paper has often had good news to report about the two-million member Service Employees International Union. They have played an exemplary role in championing long neglected low-wage workers. The Fight for 15 Dollars and a Union has become the most important and inspiring … Continue reading Labor Briefing: January 2017
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