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People in masks and purple SEIU 87 shirts picket in front of a bright window. Central person has a bullhorn. Others carry "ON STRIKE" signs and wear reflective vests.

How a Janitors Union in San Francisco Got Over Its Fear and Struck »

April 8, 2021 | Luis Feliz Leon

With their contract negotiations stalled, hundreds of San Francisco janitors represented by Service Employees (SEIU) Local 87 went on strike March 24.
A woman stands up to speak in a big meeting, holding a notebook in one hand.

Steward's Corner: Surviving Public Speaking—The Off-the-Cuff Speech »

April 7, 2021 | Keith Brower Brown and Jane Slaughter

Whether you’re making your point in your union meeting or with a reporter on the picket line, a lot of crucial public speaking has to be improvised on the spot. No need to panic: off-the-cuff speaking is a skill that can be learned by anyone, like every other tool in your organizing kit.
Huge ship loaded with containers, viewed from stern which says "Ever Given, Panama." In the background are port cranes.

Insatiable Shipping Companies Set the Table for the Suez Canal Ship Debacle »

April 7, 2021 | Justin Hirsch

A lot of ink has been spilled to explain exactly what happened in the Suez Canal, where a massive container ship got wedged across the narrow channel, idling ships or forcing lengthy detours around South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope.
Close-up selfie of Petal Robertson, a Black woman with red glasses, smiling into the camera, outdoors

Draw the Line in Permanent Marker: Three Organizing Principles »

April 6, 2021 | Petal Robertson

I often reflect upon how our local education association in the small town of Montclair, New Jersey, managed to garner the attention of national news during the Covid school reopening debate.
Woman with bullhorn surrounded at safe social distance by supporters with signs. Cameraman in foreground bottom left taking video.

The Grocery Companies Denied Us Hazard Pay—So We Went Over Their Heads »

April 5, 2021 | Sam Dancy and Chandra Messer

We’d like to tell you a story of our struggles with Covid and our safety concerns—and how we ended up getting two city councils to enact hazard pay by law.

Global Cleaning Workers Share Their Struggles as the First Line of Pandemic Defense »

April 2, 2021 | Promise Li

Cleaning workers and organizers from Hong Kong, the U.S., Malaysia, and Colombia gathered online for a global exchange organized by Lausan Collective on February 24.
Rice farmer inspecting crop in field in Punjab.

Indian Farmers' Uprising Against Corporatization Has Blocked Delhi Highways for Four Months »

April 2, 2021 | Selina Singh

Thousands of Indian farmers have parked outside the capital Delhi for more than 100 days. They have pitched tents on five highways that lead to the city and say they will leave only when the federal government withdraws three new farm laws enacted last September. 

Don't Guess What's on Your Co-Workers' Minds: Allow Yourself to Be Surprised »

April 1, 2021 | Joe DeManuelle-Hall

Listening is one of the most important skills for a workplace organizer. And you’ve got to allow yourself to be surprised about what you might hear—and what you do with it.
Adult and boy with signs in front of Whole Foods supporting Alabama Amazon workers attempting to unionize.

If the PRO Act Were Law, The Amazon Union Election Would Have Looked Very Different »

March 30, 2021 | Brandon Magner

Voting in the National Labor Relations Board-conducted election at Amazon’s Bessemer, Alabama facility came to a close on Monday.

Catching Covid-19 at a Covid-19 Vaccine Production Facility »

March 29, 2021 | Jonah Furman


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Signs in shop windows: "WE'RE BACK! WE MISSED YOU! WELCOME BACK OUTDOOR DINING"

New California Data Shows Covid Is Spreading in Workplaces »

March 26, 2021 | Marc Norton

Newly released data from California provides evidence that a significant amount of the spread of Covid is taking place where people work—among workers, customers, and clients alike.

Virginia Public Sector Workers Are Organizing to Make Their New Bargaining Rights a Reality »

March 25, 2021 | Joe DeManuelle-Hall

When Virginia changed its law last year to allow local government workers to bargain collectively, it was a leap forward in a time when the trend is generally in the opposite direction.
Several women sit in the middle of the crosswalk, holding upside-down buckets that they are using as drums. One holds a flag that reads "SEIU 1199 New England: Health Care for All."

Will the Stimulus Stop States From Slashing More Jobs? »

March 23, 2021 | Mark Brenner

After the pandemic sent state and local budgets into a tailspin, public sector workers across the country were suddenly faced with furloughs, layoffs, and potentially deep concessions.

First Virtual Troublemakers School a Hit in Western Mass »

March 22, 2021 | Ethel Everett and Lydia Wood

The Western Massachusetts Area Labor Federation joined forces with Labor Notes last month to organize a virtual Troublemakers School. Nurses, carpenters, grocery workers, teachers, and social workers met to share strategies and build solidarity.
Dozens of workers march behind a red banner in Myanmar. Some carry red flags.

Military Targets Workers as Repression Escalates in Myanmar »

March 19, 2021 | Tula Connell

At least two union members were confirmed killed by the Myanmar military this week and at least six workers were shot dead at the Xing Jia shoe factory in the Hlaing Thar Yar industrial zone Tuesday, according to union leaders.

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