Thousands of dockworkers closed all 29 West Coast ports in a historic May Day protest against the Iraq war. Previous political actions by the union had been under provisions in its contract, making this the first major political strike by labor in decades. . . .

In one of the most dangerous industries in America, injury rates were cut in half in one year. Is this possible? Only if you bear in mind the saying that “figures can lie and liars can figure.” . . .

In late April the Canadian Auto Workers reached a surprise agreement with Ford, almost five months before contract expiration and before workers even knew that talks were under way. . . .

As history has repeatedly shown, the rulers of “one-party states” rarely concede power gracefully or quietly. When organized opposition emerges, such regimes often resort to a strategy of disinformation and intimidation to maintain their grip on power, whether the battleground is a nation or—closer to home—a national union. . . .

Finals week was fast approaching when 15 University of North Carolina students occupied the administration building in Chapel Hill on April 17. For years, Student Action with Workers (SAW) has been pushing their chancellor, James Moeser, to pledge not to buy university apparel from sweatshops.

Too many lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender workers are simply fired if they come out—or are “outed” involuntarily—at work. LGBT workers may be fired outright, or they may be harassed until they quit. In many states, they have no recourse under the law. . . .

Too many lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) workers are simply fired if they come out—or are “outed” involuntarily—at work. LGBT workers may be fired outright, or they may be harassed until they quit. In many states, they have no recourse under the law.

Their unions are the only place they can turn to if they run into bias on the job, from discrimination to denial of benefits. Unions can prevent such treatment by negotiating for expanded nondiscrimination language.

Many contracts already bar unfair treatment based on race, sex, religion, national origin, and other categories. These clauses should be expanded to include “sexual orientation,” which would protect gay, lesbian, and bisexual workers, and “gender identity and expression,” which would protect transgender workers.

After a watershed election March 29 in Zimbabwe that observers said ousted longtime President Robert Mugabe, teachers and union activists are bearing the brunt of government repression.

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change, led by exiled former union leader Morgan Tsvangirai, is calling on Mugabe to concede the presidency, which he has held since 1980. Tsvangirai, who led the mine workers’ union, is planning a return to the country despite assassination threats. Mugabe’s ruling party lost parliamentary elections, and the opposition won a close election for the presidency, forcing a long-delayed run-off vote set for June 27.

Unions in Colombia, unions in the United States, human rights activists—they all opposed the Colombia Free Trade Agreement. And remarkably, on April 10 the U.S. House of Representatives responded and blocked the deal. Though the pact is not dead yet, the victory was unions’ first against a long string of free trade treaties.

Building on that victory, supporters of human rights in Colombia are planning a session of the Permanent People’s Tribunal for July 21-23 in Bogota. At the tribunal, evidence will be presented against multinational corporations that have injured the Colombian people, among them Coca-Cola (where eight workers have been murdered), Occidental Petroleum, and Chiquita (which admitted to arming paramilitaries to clear an area the company wanted for banana cultivation).