Troublemakers Blog
August 14, 2014 /
The fate of 26 custodians on a small University of Wisconsin campus isn’t isolated. It’s part of a trend: applying a market-based, private model to public higher education.
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August 11, 2014 /
Grad student workers at New York University are poised to regain a union contract, making them unique in the private sector. But will their new union be as democratic and social-justice-minded as its counterparts at public universities in California and Massachusetts?
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August 06, 2014 /
According to the informative new book Private Equity at Work: When Wall Street Manages Main Street, private equity ownership of companies has led to fewer jobs, lower wages, weaker pensions, and rising inequality.
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August 04, 2014 / Jane Slaughter
Managers at Golan’s Moving & Storage in Skokie, Illinois, thought they had a surefire strategy to beat the Teamsters in negotiations for a first contract. But the plan backfired.
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July 31, 2014 / Samantha Winslow
When Starbucks announced it would help employees get four-year degrees, media praised the company’s altruism. Few looked at the fine print.
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July 30, 2014 / Jenny Brown
New York City workers can start using paid sick leave today, under a law passed in March with meager publicity. As a result, around 1.2 million workers are gaining the right to paid sick leave.
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July 29, 2014 /
"As tier two workers we can scarcely afford to buy the vehicles we build!" wrote a GM worker to new UAW President Dennis Williams. "We are ready to stand up and be counted as the 2015 contract approaches." Co-workers signed a T-shirt to show they agree.
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July 24, 2014 / Jane Slaughter
Investigating the myth of the pro-war hardhat, author Penny Lewis asks, "Who caused the greatest disruption to the US capacity to fight in Vietnam?” and makes the case that “working people were at the forefront.”
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July 22, 2014 / Alexandra Bradbury
“There’s a man inside that factory named Mr. Jerry,” explained Nissan worker Mock Morris before he began to sing. “Mr. Jerry! He’s head of security inside the factory. Ain’t gonna let Mr. Jerry—”
“—turn me around, turn me around, turn me around…” The crowd instantly took up the civil rights hymn. »
July 18, 2014 / Jane Slaughter
A thousand Detroiters and supporters marched through downtown to say “Turn On the Water!” The city has been sending shut-off trucks to the houses of those behind on their water bills, turning off the taps at 3,000 houses a week.
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