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Nurses sang sour carols today to the private equity firm they say is starving Massachusetts hospitals and pitting workers against each other. Steward hospitals, owned by Cerberus Capital, is squeezing hard.

Steelworkers locked out at a Cooper Tire plant in Ohio are raising the alarm as scabs move in to start building tires. The union is incensed by the lockout, which comes after big concessions and a USW-backed tariff.

Wisconsin unionists say a copycat attack on Machinists is one more reason to recall Governor Scott Walker. Petitioners have gathered 507,000 signatures ahead of a mid-January deadline, almost enough to force a recall vote.

Every ILWU officer and international staffer reiterates the union’s solidarity with the Occupy movement and its goals. But the December 12 action annoyed many. Members and officials questioned why occupiers called for action without consulting the people that action would affect most.

How does a union win a public relations war in the mainstream media? An Ontario union trained members, emphasized internal mobilizing, and communicated directly with the public to spread a campaign that communities need good jobs.

As the Occupy movement closed ports again, longshore members and officials expressed alarm. Occupiers say the union should see the need for tactical flexibility.