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Grievance Strike Shutters Chemical Plant »

January 21, 2011 | Mischa Gaus

Braving freezing temperatures not far from the shore of the Hudson River, members of IUE-CWA Local 81359 walked out January 12 for a two-day grievance strike.

City Workers Fired Up Over Furloughs in Los Angeles »

January 21, 2011 | Gary Phillips, AFSCME Local 3090

Public workers descended on Los Angeles City Hall January 12 to oppose furloughs that could increase to one day a week. LA's struggle to balance its budget has already led to many unpaid days off.

Viewpoint: Do My Short-Term Benefits Trump Everyone Else’s Long-Term Interests? »

January 21, 2011 | Judy Atkins, David Cohen

Pragmatists deride the idea that the labor movement should have a philosophy or a vision of where we want to go, and a strategy for getting there.

Audio: Public Workers Face More Upside Down Politics »

January 20, 2011 | Mark Brenner

With state and local governments staring at deep budget gaps, politicians across the spectrum are blaming public sector workers for the river of red ink. “We can no longer live in a society where the public employees are the haves and taxpayers who foot the bills are the have-nots,” crowed...

Grievance Strike Shutters Chemical Plant »

January 20, 2011 | Mischa Gaus

Braving freezing temperatures not far from the shore of the Hudson River, two IUE-CWA locals walked out of a silicone-processing plant January 12 for a two-day grievance strike. Management was stunned the union would strike over a grievance.

Vermont Kicks Off First Troublemakers School of 2011 »

January 18, 2011 | Ellen David Friedman

Activists are strategizing survival tactics at Labor Notes Troublemakers Schools around the country this year: New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Diego, Madison, the Bay Area, Los Angeles. A hundred people turned out in Vermont Sunday for the first 2011 school.

California's Paid Family Leave a Boon to Workers—For Those Who Use It »

January 14, 2011 | Mischa Gaus

California is at the forefront of a national push by worker advocates to take some of the fear out of a family member getting sick. New research shows that the state’s path-breaking paid family leave policy, which came into effect seven years ago, has produced gains for workers—while barely...

OSHA at 40: Time for a Makeover »

January 14, 2011 | Tom O’Connor

The Occupational Safety and Health Act has saved many thousands of lives, but OSHA has become hopelessly overmatched. We need to rethink how to make workplaces safe, and it starts by giving workers a meaningful voice.

Stop the Auction!: UE Seeks Solidarity »

January 13, 2011 | Jane Slaughter

UPDATE: The auction action has been canceled. Esterline Technologies improved its severance offer--on the condition that UE Local 204 not attempt to stop the auction. The local said that more than $600,000 for 85 members is at stake. More information will be forthcoming.

Reformers in Chicago Teachers Union Grapple with Leadership Challenges »

January 13, 2011 | Jackson Potter

Chicago’s Mayor Daley and his corporate allies had a plan: cripple the Chicago Teachers Union. They nearly got away with it.

One-Day Strike at Pennsylvania Hospital Puts For-Profit Chain on Notice »

January 12, 2011 | Elaine Weale

With patience wearing thin after 18 months of bargaining, the nurses at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital in Pennsylvania chose a one-day strike December 23. We wanted to show our for-profit employer that our solidarity is still as strong as ever and that we will stand up and fight for serious...

In Connecticut, City Employees Seek Allies to Save Services »

January 12, 2011 | Carol Lambiase

Public employees in Norwich, Connecticut, a former mill town of about 37,000, are organizing to preserve jobs and services and to get their scheduled wage increases. Our campaign marshals the facts about what members do, identifies allies, and finds better ways to run the city.

Is Working Alone Undermining Solidarity in Your Workplace? »

January 11, 2011 | Charley Richardson

Solidarity is the core of union power and depends on connections among workers created in the course of workplace interaction. But management is changing work in ways that isolate people.

Unions Condemn FBI 'Fishing Expedition' »

January 7, 2011 | Howard Ryan and Jane Slaughter

The 30,000-member Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) passed a resolution Wednesday calling on the FBI to “stop using the national security laws to intimidate people from using their First Amendment rights.” The resolution arose because of FBI raids last September in Chicago and the Twin Cities on the...

Fighting Health Care Privatization in Canada »

January 7, 2011 | Howard Ryan

By stepping up its fight to protect quality public health services and challenge the corporate push for privatization, an Ontario union-community alliance has consistently notched victories. Last year saw several successes.

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