Alexandra Bradbury

Teamster Contest Reaches Fever Pitch

At last, November’s election deadline is almost here—clinching a dramatic race that featured a nail-biter of a nomination contest, a raucous convention, and an email scandal. Few undecided voters are left. The candidates have painted starkly different visions for the future of jobs, health care, retirement, and democracy itself. Now the outcome depends on how effectively each side can turn out its votes.

Trump vs. Clinton? Nope—I’m talking about the battle for the top seats in the Teamsters union. Ballots hit the mail October 6, and the vote count begins November 14.

Teamsters United One Step Closer

As of July 1, the challengers for Teamster leadership are officially nominated. Now their supporters are out seeking votes among the union’s 1.3 million members.

Ballots will be mailed October 6 and counted November 14. The result will depend on how many hours volunteers spend leafleting at workplace gates—and how many phone numbers and email addresses they collect.

Postal Contract Narrows the Gap between Tiers

They didn’t end three-tier in a single blow. But in a new contract covering 200,000 members, the American Postal Workers Union made serious headway and fended off most concessionary demands, including the Postal Service’s effort to create yet another tier.

Twin Cities Unions Respond to Police Violence

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Alexandra Bradbury

“You learn how small your town is when something like this happens,” said Bernie Hesse, director of legislative and political action at Food and Commercial Workers Local 1189. “Everybody seems to know everybody else. In fact, a number of our members either went to school with Phil, or knew him, or their kids went to school with him.”

Philando Castile, an African American man who was shot and killed by a police officer at a traffic stop July 6, was a member of Teamsters Local 320.

Allina Nurses Go All In

In a weeklong strike, 5,000 Minnesota nurses are defending a health plan that's an oasis of decency—and battling the hospital chain's cost-cutting scheme to hand over staffing decisions to a robot.

So You Think Your Workplace is Disorganized?

An organizer has to learn to recognize the existing networks and natural leaders, who may be hidden in plain sight.

Retirees Win Round One

“We’ve taken just normal, everyday grandmothers and grandfathers, and we’ve made citizen lobbyists out of them.” Thousands of retired truckers have managed to apply the brakes to massive pension cuts—for now.

Organizers, Aim for the Bullseye!

How can you move people from passive to active supporters of the union, and incorporate them into your core group of organizers?

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