health and safety

  • Farmworkers Push Tobacco Giant Reynolds to the Table
    Eduardo Soriano-Castillo
    May 24 2012 - 11:55am
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    The perseverance of Farm Labor Organizing Committee activists in North Carolina paid off in early April when Reynolds American finally agreed to meet with the union. FLOC has been demanding since 2008 that the tobacco giant discuss working conditions for tobacco pickers.

  • Restaurant Workers Set Sights On Walmart Wannabe: Darden
    Jenny Brown
    May 24 2012 - 11:21am
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    Restaurant workers organizing with the Restaurant Opportunities Center have trained their sights on their most ambitious target yet—a giant chain that wants to become the Walmart of sit-down dining.

  • Steelworkers at Oil Refiner Tesoro Ready for Strike
    Patrick Young
    Apr 30 2012 - 10:49am

    The oil refiner Tesoro took a $40 million loss after an explosion last year that claimed seven lives. Management is trying to recoup the money by forcing workers to pay for its mistakes, leading Steelworkers to prepare for a strike.

  • In Red Cross Strike, Management Squeezes the Last Drop of Blood

    Red Cross workers in northeast Ohio remain on strike, with no negotiations in sight. The 200 blood collection technicians and other workers are frustrated because management refuses to come to the table. Working without a contract since May 2011, the Teamsters Local 507 members went on strike February 14 over donor and worker safety, working conditions, pay, and health insurance.

  • Week-Long Strikes Push Hyatt for Contracts, Right to Solidarity
    Jenny Brown
    Sep 12 2011 - 1:42pm

    Hotel workers escalated their efforts against Hyatt, launching a week-long strike in four cities Thursday. They want contracts, and the right to strike or boycott in support of Hyatt workers elsewhere.

  • Verizon Strike: As Billions Roll In, Workers Walk Out
    Mischa Gaus
    Aug 8 2011 - 6:12pm

    At Verizon locations throughout the Northeast, 45,000 workers started walking picket lines Sunday. “We’re on strike for our bargaining rights, just like Wisconsin or Ohio,” said CWA President Larry Cohen.

  • Paid Sick Leave at a Stand-Off in Philly
    Warren Davis
    Jul 5 2011 - 11:30am

    A Democratic mayor’s veto last week will not be enough to stop a three-year-old push for paid sick leave in Philadelphia. With 71 percent of residents in support, and positive results in other cities to point to, supporters vow to find the votes to override the veto.

  • Mine Agency: Disaster 'Could and Should' Have Been Prevented

    Profits over people: Call it the silent killer. The investigation into the death of 29 miners at the Massey Upper Big Branch coal mine in April 2010 has revealed that the company maintained two sets of safety records. The practice kept hazardous conditions secret so Massey could keep digging for coal.

  • Rite Aid Warehouse Workers Win Contract after National Push
    Jenny Brown
    May 6 2011 - 2:00pm

    Winning a union is half the battle: the other half is securing a first contract. After three years, a union at Rite Aid’s huge California warehouse won an agreement with a campaign that spread to other unions and states.

  • How Do We Stop Workplace Fatalities? Eliminate the Hazards
    Ron Kaminkow
    Apr 28 2011 - 10:51am

    As unions mark Workers Memorial Day, a fatal rail tragedy last month serves as a reminder that "behavior-based" safety programs, which blame workers for their own injuries, aren't fixing the root causes of deadly accidents on the job.