The Workplace

  • University of Illinois Caves After Two-Day Grad Strike
    Peter Campbell
    Nov 18 2009 - 8:09pm

    University of Illinois graduate employees ended a two-day strike with the school agreeing to key union demands. Assertive unions can turn back the erosion of conditions on campus, strikers said.

  • East Coast Longshore Workers Push to Reject Contract
    Mark Brenner
    Nov 16 2009 - 11:52am

    Rank-and-file longshore workers are pushing to reject another contract, after sending top officials in the East Coast longshore union back to the bargaining table. The negotiations haven't addressed members' biggest concerns, they say.

  • 10-Week Chicago Teamsters Strike Wins Back Health Care
    Enku Ide
    Nov 5 2009 - 4:43pm

    When SK Hand Tools in Chicago unilaterally dropped health insurance and tried to strip pensions and cut pay, workers headed to picket lines. Now they're returning to work after 10 weeks on strike, having saved their health care and pensions.

  • Proving Disparate Treatment
    Robert Schwartz
    Oct 24 2009 - 1:15am

    Claiming “disparate treatment”—imposing harsher punishment on one employee than was imposed on others who committed the same offense—is one of the most effective union defenses against discipline, especially discharges.