Troublemakers Blog

Amazon van exiting a building, about to turn onto a city street, with pedestrian crossing in front
April 23, 2021 / Joe DeManuelle-Hall
Working conditions at Amazon have been under a spotlight for months—not only for workers in the company’s warehouses but also for its delivery drivers, who face »
A group of people stands outside the St. Paul Labor Center, fists raised. It is dark out, and they are backlit.
April 21, 2021 /
Within days of the police killing 20-year-old Daunte Wright, the streets of the Twin Cities metro area were once again filled with National Guard units. »
Workers—in their soiled work clothes—line up to vote at a table in a 1941 union election.
April 19, 2021 /
The results of the recent unionization election at Amazon’s Bessemer facility were, to put it mildly, disappointing: 738 votes in favor of the union; 1,798 against; with turnout (perhaps as significant a marker) lackluster at just over 50 percent. »
Close-up selfie of Petal Robertson, a Black woman with red glasses, smiling into the camera, outdoors
April 06, 2021 /
I often reflect upon how our local education association in the small town of Montclair, New Jersey, managed to garner the attention of national news during the Covid school reopening debate. It’s quite simple, really—we organized. Organizing is a mindset, one that follows three principles: 1. Teach people how to treat you. »
April 02, 2021 /
Cleaning workers and organizers from Hong Kong, the U.S., Malaysia, and Colombia gathered online for a global exchange organized by Lausan Collective on February 24. »
April 01, 2021 / 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. »
Adult and boy with signs in front of Whole Foods supporting Alabama Amazon workers attempting to unionize.
March 30, 2021 /
Voting in the National Labor Relations Board-conducted election at Amazon’s Bessemer, Alabama facility came to a close on Monday. In many ways the election was unusual, marked by the sheer size of the agreed bargaining unit (5,800 warehouse workers) and the length of voting (nearly two months of mail-balloting necessitated by the pandemic). »
Signs in shop windows: "WE'RE BACK! WE MISSED YOU! WELCOME BACK OUTDOOR DINING"
March 26, 2021 /
Newly released data from California provides evidence that a significant amount of the spread of Covid is taking place where people work—among workers, customers, and clients alike. Public discourse has focused on family and social gatherings as the chief cause of “community” spread. This data should adjust that narrative. »
March 22, 2021 /
The Western Massachusetts Area Labor Federation joined forces with Labor Notes last month to organize a virtual Troublemakers School. Nurses, carpenters, grocery workers, teachers, and social workers met to share strategies and build solidarity. »
Dozens of workers march behind a red banner in Myanmar. Some carry red flags.
March 19, 2021 /
At least two union members were confirmed killed by the Myanmar military this week and at least six workers were shot dead at the Xing Jia shoe factory in the Hlaing Thar Yar industrial zone Tuesday, according to union leaders. »

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