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A Gathering of Troublemakers »

April 25, 2014 | Alexandra Bradbury

“I didn’t know going on strike would feel so liberating,” 25-year-old McDonald’s worker Jessica Davis of Chicago declared in the Labor Notes Conference's opening session. “I can’t wait for the next strike!”

Facing New York's New Mayor, Public Unions Should Fuse Their Bargaining Power »

April 24, 2014 | Rosie Frascella

Imagine every municipal worker in New York City—more than 300,000, in 152 unions—negotiating contracts simultaneously. It's happening now. But without synchronization.

48,000 Chinese Strikers Say, Adidas, Nike, Timberland: You Fix It! »

April 23, 2014 | Teresa Cheng

The strike at the Yue Yuen shoe factory keeps growing. Activists are asking international supporters to leaflet stores, and to send workers encouragement via the hashtag #ChinaSolidarity.

Why Passengers Cheered a Vermont Bus Strike »

April 22, 2014 | Ellen David Friedman

Burlington bus drivers started with a Sunday Morning Breakfast Club. They ended up marching miles with high school students and winning an 18-day strike.

'Carry it On' Tour Honors the Legacy of Pete Seeger with Sing-Alongs for Social Justice »

April 21, 2014 | Evan Greer and Anne Feeney

Audiences in Washington state and British Columbia can expect the unexpected, from Irish ballads to union sing-alongs to political punk anthems.

Toronto Strikers Bump Up Boycott Tactics »

April 18, 2014 | Jenny Brown

Steelworkers are holding the line against two-tier wages and pensions at a can plant in Toronto—ruining the plans of their employer, manufacturing giant Crown Holdings.

Auto Parts Workers Strike for Recognition, Strategy Was to Shut Down Assembly Plant »

April 17, 2014 | Jane Slaughter

Auto workers who build brakes for Jeep in Toledo, Ohio, walked out to demand union recognition—threatening Jeep production.

Viewpoint: More Seattles, Please »

April 16, 2014 | Shamus Cooke

Unions in some cities are jumping on Seattle's bandwagon, but all of labor needs to take the big public support for a $15 minimum wage, and run with it.

35 Years of a Not-Boring Labor Movement »

April 15, 2014 | Jane Slaughter

When Labor Notes began in 1979, the founders didn't know what a rocky road lay ahead. What have we all learned over 35 years?

Review: Cesar Chavez Remembered, Warts and All »

April 14, 2014 | Mark R. Day

Cesar Chavez in the new biopic is a flat, one-dimensional character who does everything unassisted. The organizers on whose shoulders he stood are ignored or reduced to bit players. But a documentary and a new biography do a better job of assessing this complex character.

Conference Photo Gallery, Plus More Videos »

April 11, 2014 | Labor Notes Staff

Browse our gallery of pictures from the 2014 Labor Notes Conference, April 4-6 in Chicago, and catch a few of the speeches on video.

Big Brown Waves White Flag »

April 10, 2014 | Jane Slaughter

After a relentless labor-community campaign, UPS waved the white flag and agreed to rehire all 250 New York City drivers the company fired last month.

First Videos from the 2014 Labor Notes Conference »

April 9, 2014 | Labor Notes Staff

Need an inspiration fix? Here are a few video highlights for those who couldn't make it to the record-breaking 2014 Labor Notes Conference—or those already ready to relive it.

Lean Production Hits Public Education »

April 8, 2014 | William Johnson

Factory-style methods—including deskilling, micromanagement of work tasks, speed-up, formation of teams, contracting out, and creation of tiers in the workforce—are now being imported wholesale into schools.

Wish You Were There! »

April 7, 2014 | Labor Notes Staff

The 2014 Labor Notes Conference was the largest yet. Though labor’s official numbers are declining, its troublemaking wing seems to be gaining confidence.

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