Troublemakers Blog

Anne Feeney: Pittsburgh’s Hellraiser, Memorial Events Planned for May 1

Two images of Anne Feeney. In the one on the left she is younger with long hair, standing on the bed of a pickup truck, singing into a mic, wearing a red "Solidarity Forever" T-shirt. In the one on the right she is older with shorter hair, singing into a mic indoors at the Labor Notes Conference, one fist in the air, wearing a black "Railroad Workers United" T-shirt, with a "Troublemakers Union" banner hanging on the wall behind her.
April 09, 2024 / Evan Greer
Friends and family of legendary labor singer Anne Feeney have announced the first in-person events celebrating the life and work of “Pittsburgh’s hellraiser,” who passed away following complications from Covid in 2021. »

Dennis Serrette ¡Presente!

Chest-up photo of Dennis Serrette, a Black man, leaning back in a wooden rocking chair, resting his face gently on one hand, smiling warmly, bathed in warm evening light, with some greenery behind him.
April 01, 2024 / Gene Bruskin
Dennis L. Serrette, a passionate advocate for civil rights, labor rights, and social justice, passed on March 7 at the age of 83. Dennis leaves behind a legacy of tireless activism, unwavering dedication, and boundless compassion that touched countless lives. We lost a treasure of a human being and a fierce fighter for social justice. »

Rail Workers Push for One Member, One Vote

Workers in orange vests and hardhats crouch around a track. They are framed by a big yellow piece of equipment in the foreground. The day is very sunny.
March 28, 2024 / Joe DeManuelle-Hall
Railroad track workers have launched a campaign to get their union officers elected by the members, rather than by convention delegates. »

UE Demand for Ceasefire Was Built on Decades of Membership Education and Debate

A chanting crowd stands in front of the White House fence. Three people are helping hold a large cardboard sign that says "UE stands with Palestine" with the union's lightning-bolt logo and a slice of watermelon. Other printed signs say "American Postal Workers Union: Fighting for Justice" and "Biden, you are starving Gaza. Permanent ceasefire now!"
March 21, 2024 / Carl Rosen
Unions representing more than half of the U.S. labor movement have now called for a ceasefire in Gaza, as has the AFL-CIO and some 70 city councils—the result of actions by many local and international unions and rank-and-file activists. »

Seeking Today’s Workplace Poets

Black-and-white photo looks upward at a woman in a plaid shirt and bedazzled hardhat, gesturing and speaking
March 21, 2024 / Susan Eisenberg
Almost Killed Myself: Day One, Apprentice Electrician He needed an extra pair of hands for the day.
Set me up at a wire rack and explained
»

If the Workers Take a Notion: ‘Works for All’ Showcases Union Coops

A Black man in a baseball cap and a T-shirt that says "Home" with the shape of Africa for the "O" speaks to the camera. He is standing in a warehouse, in front of shelves stacked high with folded apparel . Another Black man can be seen behind him, working.
March 15, 2024 / Matt Noyes
I remember Wisconsin carpenter Tom Crofton trying years ago to convince his local officers to create a worker cooperative to build affordable housing. Housing was an urgent need, he argued—and the union had the skills, the labor power, the organization, and the financial resources to do it. But the officers wouldn’t even consider the idea. »

Teaching Each Other to Strike

Two dozen teachers stand on stairs with signs saying ‘Andover Supports Newton’
March 14, 2024 / Barbara Madeloni
Recently I heard members of the Newton Teachers Association recount the path to their 11-day January strike. The audience at the Massachusetts Teachers Association winter skills conference gave them a standing ovation. »

For Palestine Solidarity, Bay Area Union Members Step Up and Dig In

A group of forty cram into a building lobby with signs saying “Labor for Palestine”
March 05, 2024 / Bahaar Tadjbakhsh
When street protests seem ignored by the war machine, what are union members to do? »

Welcome New Staff!

Head shots of five smiling people.
March 04, 2024 / Labor Notes Staff
Labor Notes staff are busy as a hive, ramping up for our biggest-ever conference. As we do, we’re very grateful to have more capable hands on deck: two wonderful new co-workers plus three terrific interns. »

Book Reviews: Fighting Wall Street’s War on Workers and the Corporate BS that Protects It

Two book covers are shown, both mostly the title and author text; one has images of cigarettes and smokestack
February 27, 2024 / Steve Early
One of the occupational hazards of being a labor activist is over-exposure to “corporate bullshit”—on the job, in the community, and in politics. »

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