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Before Your Strike Vote, Consider a Practice Strike Vote »

September 27, 2022 | Labor Notes Staff

The below is excerpted from the Labor Notes book How to Jump-Start Your Union: Lessons from the Chicago Teachers. Available at labornotes.org/store.
Crowd of people poses outside in the sun. Many carry signs with CWA logo that say "Grievance strike at Frontier."

Frontier Strikes Get First Aid Kits Updated, Win Back Work »

September 23, 2022 | Thomas Ham

“Safety first” is a principle you’ll always hear on the job. And it’s true—safety can save your life, if it’s taken seriously. But if action isn’t taken, it’s just an empty phrase.

Florida Letter Carriers Won Back Our Sunday Breaks with Direct Action »

September 22, 2022 | John Murphy

A simple grievance can take many months to get results. But at the post office where I work, we got fast results defending our breaks with a different approach: direct action.
Workers march in downtown streets behind a big blue banner that says "UNITE HERE Local 2." They are wearing red T-shirts that say "Come back stronger" and some carry picket signs saying "Full service now!" or "Hotel rooms should be cleaned every day." Most wear masks, one holds a bullhorn, and there is a child near the front of the crowd.

Viewpoint: UNITE HERE International Should Keep Its Hands Off Local 2’s Pension Fund »

September 21, 2022 | Marc Norton

I have been a proud member of UNITE HERE Local 2 in San Francisco since 1976, working at several hotel, restaurant, and food service jobs over the years, and now at the Giants’ ballpark. Without Local 2, my life would have been much harder.

'Bro, How Do I Fix This?': Home Depot Workers Form Independent Union »

September 21, 2022 | Jonah Furman

On September 19, workers filed a petition to organize a union among 276 workers at a Home Depot in northeast Philadelphia. If successful, the independent union would be the first at the home repair chain, the fifth-largest private employer in the U.S with 500,000 employees.
A freight train passes along a track under an overpass. The orange engine is labeled BNSF. It is pulling many white freight cars.

Joe Biden Thinks a Rail Strike has Been Averted. Do Rail Workers? »

September 16, 2022 | Jonah Furman

Just after 5 a.m. on Thursday, Marty Walsh tweeted that the railroad companies and the railroad unions had come to a tentative agreement, less than 19 hours from a potential shutdown:
Large group of people outdoors, most wearing red shirts, some holding picket signs, on a sunny day. They are posed for a group photo on the steps of a school. The photo shows more than 200 people and it looks like there are more outside the frame.

Seattle Teachers End Week-Long Strike »

September 14, 2022 | Barbara Madeloni

Six thousand Seattle educators walked out on strike September 7, which would have been the first day of school. The top issue was the district’s proposal—disguised in social justice language—to end student-teacher ratios for many categories of special education.

Workers at Big South Florida Hotel Boost Minimum Pay to $20, Retain Union Jobs »

September 14, 2022 | Luis Feliz Leon

Weeks after a big strike vote, 450 hotel workers at the Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood, Florida, have reached a tentative agreement on a four-year contract that boosts minimum hourly pay to $20, halts subcontracting, and restores daily housekeeping.

The Right to Strike Is at Stake on the Railroads »

September 14, 2022 | Joe Burns

Originally published at Jacobin.

After Strike Threat, Wisconsin Nurses Get a Possible Path to Union Recognition »

September 13, 2022 | Michael Childers and David Nack

A three-day strike by Wisconsin nurses is off this week, after SEIU Healthcare Wisconsin (part of the Service Employees union) and UW Health (the University of Wisconsin's medical system) reached an agreement on a path toward the potential recognition of the union.

Rest in Power, Tim Schermerhorn: Leader of New York Subway Union Reform Effort »

September 12, 2022 | Steve Downs

Tim Schermerhorn—subway train operator, rank-and-file activist, union militant and officer, socialist, troublemaker, Labor Notes board member, son, husband, father, grandfather, and my dear friend and comrade—died this week.

Workers Building New U.S. Embassy in Honduras Strike over Severed Fingers, Illegal Contracts »

September 12, 2022 | Judy Ancel

The Biden administration has pledged that “the United States will work with governments to strengthen ...
Black-and-white photo of huge crowd of Chicago teachers marching through a downtown street. Many carry signs. One large banner says "CORE," which stands for the Caucus of Rank-and-File Educators.

Ten Years Ago, Chicago Teachers Gave Us All a Jolt of Hope »

September 10, 2022 | Alexandra Bradbury

On the tenth anniversary of the Chicago Teachers Union’s groundbreaking strike, we’re reissuing our award-winning book How to Jump-Start Your Union: Lessons from the Chicago Teachers. This is the new introduction.

Rank-and-File Power Is Essential to Rebuilding the Labor Movement »

September 7, 2022 | Mike Parker and Martha Gruelle

Union democracy—defined as rank-and-file power—is the essential ingredient for restoring the power of the labor movement.

Wisconsin Nurses Set to Strike, As Employer Claims It's Banned from Bargaining »

September 7, 2022 | David Nack and Michael Childers

Nurses at UW Health in Madison, Wisconsin, will strike for three days next week. The strike comes in response to the hospital administration's continuing refusal to recognize the nurses’ union and growing frustration over compensation issues and deteriorating working conditions.

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