Joe DeManuelle-Hall

Chicago Passes Union-Backed Bill for Civilian Oversight of Violent Cops

Main Image: 
August 12, 2021

In July, Chicago’s city council passed a modified version of police accountability legislation that activists have spent years fighting for, backed by major public sector unions and Black labor leaders.

Dispersed but Undaunted, Chicago Amazon Workers Help Win Megacycle Pay Nationwide

Main Image: 
June 15, 2021

Chicago Amazon warehouse workers were put in a tough spot, and made the best of it.

In January, the company hit workers in Chicago’s DCH1 delivery station with a devastating one-two punch. First, Amazon was shutting down their workplace, so they would have to transfer to other facilities across the city. Second, workers at delivery stations nationwide were going to be forced onto a new shift called the “Megacycle,” where they would work four times a week from 1:20 to 11:50 a.m.

BREAKING: Draft Legislation in New York Would Put Gig Workers into Toothless 'Unions'

Main Image: 
May 21, 2021

An effort backed by the New York State AFL-CIO would create a new bargaining scheme for app-based workers without addressing the question of whether or not these workers are legally “employees.”

Labor Notes obtained a draft version of the legislation that is being negotiated by unions and app employers.

The BAmazon Loss and the Road Ahead

Main Image: 
April 14, 2021

What can union activists across the country take away from the high-profile defeat in the union vote at Amazon in Alabama?

The National Labor Relations Board announced April 9 that workers at Amazon’s fulfillment center in Bessemer, near Birmingham, had voted against joining the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union.

The tally was 71 percent no to 29 percent yes—though it’s possible the actual split was closer to 60-40, if you consider the large number of ballots that were cast but never counted because they were challenged by the company.

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

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.

I was reminded of this recently while reading about the early days of organizing the Transport Workers Union in New York City’s subway and bus system. When TWU was getting its start, unions in the transit system had been severely repressed for decades, and had trouble holding ground.

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

Main Image: 
March 25, 2021

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.

As always, the devil is in the details—and there’s a lot of devilry here. But the change presents a substantial opening for unions. Now teachers, firefighters, and sewer workers are getting organized and pushing local governments to bargain over such issues as pay and staffing.

VIDEO: Health Care Strikes During a Pandemic

Joe DeManuelle-Hall



Fights for union demands such as safe staffing and struggles against privatization have taken on even more significance during a dire public health crisis.

In this webinar on January 29th, we heard from worker leaders who organized with their co-workers to use their ultimate weapon—the strike—to fight for what they need not just during the pandemic, but beyond.

Panelists:

Ohio Auto Parts Workers Strike to Unionize

Main Image: 
Workers carry signs reading "Chicago & Midwest Regional Joint Board, Workers United, ULP strike." Behind them is "Borgers" sign.
January 29, 2021

Update, April 29: After ending their strike on January 30, without having won union recognition, workers filed for a union authorization election with the National Labor Relations Board. Votes were tallied on April 28, and Borgers workers voted 87-76 against forming a union. In a statement, Workers United told workers the union "is just a phone call away, and ready to fight alongside you again in the future if there is sufficient interest."—Eds.

Ballot Measures: Mixed Results for Workers

Joe DeManuelle-Hall
Three pictures: First one shows a happy child, hand in air, with Preschool for All yard sign; second shows a woman holding a handwritten sign: "Spending $787 on my classroom to start the school year is NOT okay! #InvestInEd #RedForEd"; third shows a young woman with a handwritten sign: "FAIR TAXES IS INVESTING IN US"

Note: This article was posted at 2 p.m. ET on Wednesday, November 4, as results from around the country were still coming in.

Like everyone else, we’re anxiously watching for updates on the presidential vote-count and consequential down-ballot races. Those results could have significant implications for the battlegrounds for labor in the years ahead.

But there were also several ballot initiatives worth keeping an eye on. Here’s how they fared, or are faring so far.

Pages