Troublemakers Blog

How Unions Can Reverse Privatization of Medicaid and Why It Matters

A diverse group of people, mostly in white lab coats, stand outside holding printed signs that say, in red on white, "Medicaid saves lives." Other signs say "Code red: patients in crisis" and "Our patients rely on Medicaid to get the care they need. This bill would end that."
October 01, 2026 / Rose Roach
The following was adapted from a March 2026 speech that Rose Roach, National Coordinator for the Labor Campaign for Single Payer, gave to the Minnesota AFL-CIO. »

Philadelphia Orchestra Musicians Protect Their Hearing and Their Craft

Orchestra musicians on a stage, apparently performing or rehearsing (conductor's baton is raised). Everyone, including the conductor, is wearing matching blue T-shirts that say "Philadelphia Musicians Union Local 77-274" on the back.
September 24, 2026 / Paul Prescod
Philadelphia Orchestra musicians have won first-in-the-nation protections against hearing loss. The groundbreaking provisions, which could serve as a model for other orchestras, are part of a contract just ratified by Musicians (AFM) Local 77-274. »

AutoZone Workers Are Trying to Form the Company’s First-Ever Union

Three workers pose for a group selfie in front of the store. They read as three men of different races. The man in the middle is wearing an orange Knicks T-shirt.
September 21, 2026 / Luis Feliz Leon
UPDATE, September 26: AutoZone workers won their union election on Friday—the first ever union election win at the company. »

Stewards Corner: How We Won Our Co-Worker Her Rightful Promotion

Eight people outside face the camera with signs, including “Hire Genesis” and a UE banner.
September 17, 2026 / Bevin Barber-Campbell and Tim Rousseau
Workers at Hunger Mountain Co-op, a consumer-owned grocery store in Montpelier, Vermont, won a five-month fight to enforce seniority, beat back bias, and win a promotion for a beloved co-worker. We did it not just by filing a grievance, but also by mobilizing union members and the public. »

Persecuted by Trump, Will Unions Build Towards May 2028?

A group of autoworkers with black “Protect Our Freedom to Vote” shirts march
September 09, 2026 / Luis Feliz Leon
Three years ago the United Auto Workers, glowing with confidence after a successful strike at the Big 3 and pledging ambitious new organizing drives, put out a call for a national strike on May 1, 2028. »

Book Review: Courage or Complicity? How Veterans are Responding to the Assault on Democracy

A line of veterans in Portland and the cover of the book Courage or Complicity
September 01, 2026 / John Braxton
U.S. military veterans are drilled by their commanders to obey their superior officers. Many still believe it is their duty to support the commander-in-chief even after their tour of duty. »

Jackson Transit Workers Win Strike, Save Saturday Service

Thirty Black workers stand with signs saying “ATU on Strike”
August 27, 2026 / Paul Prescod
Eighty public transit workers in Jackson, Mississippi, have won a tentative agreement with MV Transportation, after a grueling five-week strike. The transit workers represented by ATU Local 1208 garnered public support and were able to win most of »

Mississippi Transit Workers Strike for Better Protections and Service

A woman holds a sign reading Hold the Line while others stand on the picket line.
August 19, 2026 / Paul Prescod
Mississippi has the highest poverty rate in the U.S., and is a “right-to-work” state with only 4 percent of its workers in unions. But since July 13, Highway 80 near Jackson has been lined by chanting picketers. They’re on strike at JTRAN, the city’s public transit system. »

Comic: How to Get Members More Involved in the Union

Illustration of a clock, piano and pencil reading: Steward's Corner: Recruiting and Keeping Volunteers
August 18, 2026 / Natascha Elena Uhlmann and David Prosten
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Family Services Workers in Ohio Have Been Striking for Six Months

Chalk graffiti on sidewalk says “America 250, Lorain Co. JFS 114 days on strike”
August 13, 2026 / Philip Althouse
A sign in the empty parking lot at the administrative offices for Lorain County Job and Family Services in Elyria, Ohio, tells passersby that the agency is open for business. That’s only part of the story. »

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