Rank-and-file carhaulers have flexed their muscles and decisively rejected a tentative agreement loaded with concessions.Their vote will send union negotiators back to bargain a more acceptable contract.Tom Landwehr, a rank-and-file observer told us from the count site in Maryland that "I was nervous about it this morning, but the No votes just kept piling. I … Continue reading Carhaul Concessionary Contract Rejected
Category: Labor
American Federation of Teachers Passes Antiwar Resolutions
[by Andy Griggs]At the American Federation of Teachers’ Convention, which ended on July 14, two major anti-war resolutions were passed by the body.The AFT Peace and Justice Caucus, and members of the U.S. Labor Against War steering committee were instrumental in getting the two resolutions (both initially written by the Professional Staff Congress, City University … Continue reading American Federation of Teachers Passes Antiwar Resolutions
Support Striking Namibian Workers at Lev Leviev Diamonds!
The Congress of South African Trade Unions pledges its support for the 153 diamond polishers employed by the Lev Leviev Diamond (LLD) Polishing Company in Windhoek, Namibia, who have been on strike since June 19th to protest abusive managers as well as job appraisals and promotions, wages and outstanding overtime.Adalah-NY, the Coalition for Justice in … Continue reading Support Striking Namibian Workers at Lev Leviev Diamonds!
Video of the 1989 Pittston Miners’ Strike
Below is a youtube video of the 1989 Pittston coal miners' strike.The United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) succeeded in making their 12-month walkout against Pittston into a national labor cause, even though it involved only several thousand strikers in geographically isolated coal field communities. The union mobilized other UMWA members for sympathy strikes at … Continue reading Video of the 1989 Pittston Miners’ Strike
ILWU May Day Protest
The Story of Mouseland
Mouseland is a famous speech by a Tommy Douglas about Canada's labor party - the New Democratic Party. We think it contains a great message about working class political independence that is very applicable to the United States!Don't support Democrats or Republicans! Vote your class - vote Socialist!
Why Mass Action?
The broad outlines of Socialist Action's views on the centrality of mass mobilizations in building an irresistible antiwar movement have been published in previous issues of this newspaper (see Jeff Mackler's article in our November 2007 issue). But some additional elaboration can be helpful at a time when activists are today discussing concrete measures to … Continue reading Why Mass Action?
Railroad Union Activists Build Solidarity Caucus
by Ron KaminkowRail Labor activists from across North America are coming together to form a new cross-craft inter-union caucus that includes all rail workers in North America. Membership is open to union members from all the various unions (once known as the "brotherhoods") in this new organization. In addition, special efforts will be made to … Continue reading Railroad Union Activists Build Solidarity Caucus
Farmworker Protest Hits Burger King’s Greed
by Marty GoodmanMIAMI - A November 30th demonstration of more than 1500 farmworkers and supporters marched in Miami to the national headquarters of the giant Burger King corporation to demand that it pay farmworkers in Immokalee, Florida one more penny a pound to pick tomatoes and improve working conditions. Observers have called conditions in this … Continue reading Farmworker Protest Hits Burger King’s Greed
Minntac Uses Drug Tests to Intimidate Workers
We would like to take this opportunity to publicize U.S. Steel has begun using its drug and alcohol policy/procedure as a mechanism to belittle, harass, intimidate, humiliate, and basically abuse the workfore at our facility, U.S. Steel Minntac. To avoid any confusion we will start by stating that we, as steelworkers, absolutely believe in an … Continue reading Minntac Uses Drug Tests to Intimidate Workers
Victory at Smithfield Packing
by Andy Pollack / December 2006 issue of Socialist Action Newspaper In mid-November workers brought the world’s largest pork-processing plant, that of Smithfield Packing in Tar Heel, North Carolina, to a halt for two days in a winning fight against mass firings of immigrants. The same two-thirds-Latino workforce that shut down the plant during last … Continue reading Victory at Smithfield Packing
Workers’ Last Ground: A Labor Day Sum-up
by Andrew Pollack / October 2006 issue of Socialist Action Every Labor Day there’s a flurry of reports on the state of the working class: income and benefits, employment prospects, views on the economy, etc. This year’s reports should be a wake-up call. Losses in wages, benefits, and jobs are happening despite the five-year-old economic … Continue reading Workers’ Last Ground: A Labor Day Sum-up
Work in factories, fields, ports at a stand-still
By Andrew Pollack / May 2006 issue of Socialist Action newspaper Several hundred protesters in Tijuana, Mexico, closed the world's busiest border crossing, which leads to San Diego. Border crossings at Tecate in California and Brownsville, McAllen, Laredo and Hidalgo in Texas were also temporarily closed. The combined southern California ports of Los Angeles and … Continue reading Work in factories, fields, ports at a stand-still
D.C. Rally Highlights Struggle of Black Farmers
by Marc Rome / May 2006 issue of Socialist Action Newspaper On April 26, Dr. John Boyd, president of the National Black Farmers Association (NBFA), arrived in Washington. D.C., riding a wagon pulled by two mules, a reminder of the post-Civil War broken promise that each freed slave would get 40 acres and a mule. … Continue reading D.C. Rally Highlights Struggle of Black Farmers
Walkout by immigrant workers rocks the nation on May Day
by ANDREW POLLACK / May 2006 issue of Socialist Action newspaper The outrage and determination of millions of immigrant workers turned El Gran Paro Americano 2006—May Day’s Great American Boycott 2006—into the first nationwide political strike in U.S. history. Estimates of participation in the day’s events vary, but the total clearly tops the record previously … Continue reading Walkout by immigrant workers rocks the nation on May Day
French Workers and Youth Protest Labor Law
by Gerry Foley / April 2006 issue of Socialist Action newspaper The struggle unleashed by the attempt of the French right-wing government to reduce the rights of young workers has led to the sharpest confrontation in recent years in the advanced capitalist world between youth and labor and a capitalist class determined to roll back … Continue reading French Workers and Youth Protest Labor Law
Social Security Privatization Still in Bush’s Budget
by Bill Onasch / March 2006 issue of Socialist Action newspaper (Note from the author: In the spirit of full disclosure, I must acknowledge that Social Security payments are my sole source of regular income.) The White House budget submitted to Congress includes a major proposal to privatize Social Security. It didn’t make the cut … Continue reading Social Security Privatization Still in Bush’s Budget
Tehran Bus Drivers Strike Marks Revival of Iranian Labor Movement
by Kamran Nayeri & Yadullah Khosroshadi February 2006 issue of Socialist Action newspaper In the early hours of Dec. 25 (not a holiday in Iran), Tehran bus drivers went on strike. Five out of 10 bus districts were affected. Thousands of bus drivers rallied in three locations in the city. The municipal United Bus Company … Continue reading Tehran Bus Drivers Strike Marks Revival of Iranian Labor Movement
Transit Workers Reject Raw Deal
by Mary Goodman / February 2006 issue of Socialist Action newspaper *Marty Goodman is a station agent and Executive Board member of Transport Workers Union Local 100. The week before Christmas, 33,000 New York subway and bus workers stunned the city’s bosses and politicians, and inspired workers around the country, by launching the first system-wide … Continue reading Transit Workers Reject Raw Deal
AMFA Stands Up Against Concessions at Northwest Airlines
by Andrew Pollack / November 2005 issue of Socialist Action newspaper On Oct. 14, almost two months into their strike against Northwest Airlines, the officers of the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) agreed to let members vote on a new offer from management. AMFA officials said there was nothing good in the offer, and in … Continue reading AMFA Stands Up Against Concessions at Northwest Airlines
UAW Defeat at General Motors: The Class Struggle Road Ahead
by Jeff Mackler / November 2005 issue of Socialist Action newspaper Twenty-three years ago when Continental Airlines CEO Frank Lorenzo used U.S. bankruptcy laws to gut union contracts, he was portrayed as the bad guy exception in the ranks of the corporate hierarchy. Demonstrating a blatant contempt for workers, Lorenzo was corporate America's front man … Continue reading UAW Defeat at General Motors: The Class Struggle Road Ahead
Immigrant Workers & the AFL-CIO Split
by Andrew Pollack / September 2005 issue of Socialist Action On July 18, the week before the AFL-CIO split convention, John Wilhelm resigned as head of the federation’s Immigration Committee. Wilhelm, president of the hospitality industry division of UNITE HERE, led the committee at a time when the federation had changed its long-standing opposition to … Continue reading Immigrant Workers & the AFL-CIO Split
NYC Transit Workers Sue Against Discrimination
by Marty Goodman / August 2005 issue of Socialist Action newspaper NEW YORK—City transit workers of the Sikh faith are suing their employer for discrimination. Federal lawsuits on behalf of five station agents and one train operator were filed on July 15 by the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) and the Sikh Coalition. In April, … Continue reading NYC Transit Workers Sue Against Discrimination
AFL-CIO Golden Anniversary Marked by a New Split
by Bill Onasch / August 2005 issue of Socialist Action CHICAGO—In 1955 two rival union federations came together here to form the AFL-CIO. Fifty years later, in the same city, this Golden Anniversary became the occasion for a new split. It was not unexpected. When the AFL-CIO executive council met a few days after Bush’s … Continue reading AFL-CIO Golden Anniversary Marked by a New Split
Jobs and Health Care Benefits to Be Slashed in the Auto Industry
by Andrew Pollack / July 2005 issue of Socialist Action newspaper General Motors bosses hit the United Auto Workers with a double-whammy in early June. First they announced they were cutting 25,000 jobs, then they demanded billions in health-care cost savings from both active and retired workers by the end of June—savings which they threatened … Continue reading Jobs and Health Care Benefits to Be Slashed in the Auto Industry