On MLK's Day, Unions, Conservatives Rally for Jobs, Justice—Honor?
Forty-seven years after Martin Luther King, Jr. uttered the words “I have a dream” to an overflow crowd on the Washington Mall, August 28 still has resonance for civil rights activists, the union movement, and, now, the Tea Party.
Tour Calls on Dems to Get to Work on Climate and Jobs
A 17-state bus tour is the keystone of “The Job’s Not Done," a ramping up of efforts by the Blue Green Alliance—a coalition of labor and environmental players including the Steelworkers—to get the Senate to take up a comprehensive climate change bill to provide funding for jobs in new energy technologies.
Chamber of Commerce to Women: Don't Worry, Be Happy about Pay Gap
Wednesday’s post over at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce blog (yes, even the Chamber has a blog these days) opines that the income disparity between women and men has an easy solution. All a woman has to do is make the right choices: pick the “right place to work” and the “right partner.” With a rich hubby, your low pay won’t matter!
Indianapolis GM Workers Toss Out Reps Selling Concessions
UAW International representatives intent on cutting GM workers’ wages in half were met with a roaring reception—of boos—in Indianapolis Sunday. Unable to make themselves heard over the shouts of “traitor!” and more from the standing-room-only crowd of stamping plant workers, a rep finally asked, “Are there members who want to hear this information?” “NO!” was the answer. “Get out!”
“Undocumented and Unafraid” Students Sit-in for Their Dream at the Capitol
Twenty-two undocumented students risked deportation at the nation’s Capitol yesterday, staging sit-ins in the offices of five senators. After leaving the offices the group unfurled a banner in the Senate building—considered a felony—and held a second sit-in in the atrium. All were arrested by the time the building closed in the evening.
Suicides at Apple Factory in China Rock the Sweatshop Supply System
Apple's been all over the news these days, and not just because of the iPad. The high number of worker suicides at a supplier factory in Shenzhen, China, has built into a crisis for Apple, one that activists could push to crack the abusive relationship between corporations and their suppliers that drives wages and working conditions ever downward across the globe.
Get Ready for a Really Big Show
Get ready for a really big show—the 2010 Labor Notes Conference is on track to be the biggest ever! It’s got to be a sign that more and more people are fed up with strategies that don’t work. Come find out what it feels like to be together with more than 1,000 other troublemakers who are searching, like you, for a way to light some fires.
Auto Worker Activists Regroup, Prepare to Fight Anew
“A job is a right, we’re going to fight, fight, fight!” The chant filled the cavernous hotel conference room with anger and enthusiasm as the largest rank-and-file auto worker meeting in many years came to a close. Nearly 100 retired and active workers from the Big 3 and a dozen parts suppliers met outside of Detroit last weekend to discuss strategies for rank-and-file organizing after months of concessions and plant closings agreed to by the UAW.
Celebrate Martin Luther King Day in the Streets
If you're one of the fortunate workers that gets Martin Luther King Jr. Day off, keep in mind that MLK probably didn't write his famous "Letter From a Birmingham Jail" in comfy pj's and bunny slippers. Join up with local events commemorating the civil rights movement, or support workers in your area that are fighting to get the day off.