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Egypt: ‘Our Ability to Resist Is Our Guarantee’ »

February 11, 2011 | Jane Slaughter

Shortly after Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak resigned, Labor Notes talked with a teacher unionist in Cairo, amid sounds of joyous celebration. The regime's collapse came amid a massive series of strikes this week.

Suez Canal Strike Could Rattle Egypt’s Regime »

February 10, 2011 | Evan Rohar

Protests in Egypt escalated this week when thousands of emboldened workers across the country walked off or sat down on the job. A wildcat action that began Tuesday among 6,000 workers in the Suez Canal, however, could rock the Egyptian economy, amplifying the leverage of pro-democracy...

Egypt: Today Strikers Took Center Stage »

February 9, 2011 | Jane Slaughter

Though all eyes are on Cairo and its Liberation Square, few could know that Egyptian workers have been striking in huge numbers for years. Today, strikes became a central part of the protests, with more than 20,000 workers walking out.

Young Workers United Runs a Marathon, Not a Sprint, in Organizing San Francisco »

February 9, 2011 | Emily Wilson

In San Francisco, the Young Workers United worker center takes the long view, building membership and mobilizing to advocate for improved working conditions—with unusual success.

UK Wants Volunteers to Make Up for Massive Public Service Cuts »

February 9, 2011 | Maria Ryan

England's conservative government says voluntarism can compensate for enormous cuts to the public sector. The idea is unrealistic and an excuse for more privatization.

Chipotle Chipocrisy: Dissing Its Mexican Workforce »

February 8, 2011 | Eduardo Soriano-Castillo

The Mexican-themed fast food chain Chipotle likes to hold itself up as a model of social responsibility, but labor activists in Minnesota say its ethical behavior doesn’t extend to its immigrant workers. Chipotle fired nearly 700 Latino immigrant workers without notice and in some cases without...

Education Reform the Union Way »

February 4, 2011 | Alex Caputo-Pearl, Cathy Garcia

Los Angeles teacher union activists embrace neither corporate education reform nor the status quo in schools. They're fighting to center schools around social justice, fund them fully, and develop teachers in a pro-union environment.


Strong Words against Wal-Mart at New York Rally »

February 3, 2011 | Jenny Brown

Retail worker unions gathered with an association of small supermarkets and city officials Thursday to denounce Wal-Mart as a “job killer” for New York. “For every two jobs, three jobs lost!” was the chant at the City Hall rally.

Unions Beat Anti-Teacher Agenda in Illinois »

February 3, 2011 | Howard Ryan

A billionaire gang headed by Bill Gates and Eli Broad wants to capture the billions spent on America’s public schools and convert them into a corporate-owned test-score factory. But their plan faces teacher resistance, and nowhere more than in Chicago, where a feisty new leadership is heading...

Download the School Wars PDF »

February 2, 2011 | Labor Notes

A handful of conservative billionaires with enormous political and media savvy are leading an all-out war on public education and its unionized teachers. Download a PDF version of Labor Notes' six-page special report on the attacks on public schools and what it means for the future of education...

How’s Partnership Working for Teachers? »

February 2, 2011 | Howard Ryan

With a few local exceptions, America’s teachers unions have met billionaire school reform with surrender, accommodation, and ill-advised partnership. The AFT’s largest local is a case study in the turn-the-cheek approach.

NYC Mayor's School Closings Snow Job Not Fooling Anyone »

February 2, 2011 | Julie Cavanagh

Education in New York City has turned into a hotbed of activist activity, as demonstrators endured freezing temperatures and blizzards to protest Mayor Michael Bloomberg's destructive schools policies.


Privatizers Chase Education’s Billions »

February 1, 2011 | Mark Brenner

Wonder what’s at stake in the charter school debate? How about a pot of money as big as the Pentagon budget? That’s about $562 billion in the 2006-07 school year, according to the latest numbers on local, state, and federal education spending.

Billionaires’ School Reform: What It Means for Teachers and Students »

February 1, 2011 | Julie Cavanagh

It’s no coincidence that those fueling and funding school reform are millionaires, billionaires, and large corporations. To believe that their interest lies in helping children would require a suspension of logic and a denial of our history.

Unions, Allies Block Entrance to Billionaires’ Meeting »

January 31, 2011 | Fong Chuu

Hundreds protested Sunday outside a Southern California resort where corporate executives and conservative political leaders gathered to strategize. Twenty-five were arrested when they sat in the street, blocking the resort entrance.

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