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A crowd holding signs saying Support Somerville Educators and Living Wage for Paras

Somerville Paraeducators Win 20 Percent Raise and Permanent Status After Nine-Month Battle »

July 29, 2020 | Kinga Borondy

The ask was clear and self-explanatory: a starting salary of $25,000 and permanent status after four years.
A woman drives a car with the words "Schools are not safe!" "I love teachers" and "People over profit" painted on the windows

Could a Teacher Strike Wave Halt Premature School Reopenings and Flatten the Pandemic's Curve? »

July 29, 2020 | Eric Blanc

This piece originally ran on July 26 at Jacobin.
Black and white photo of men marching with a banner: "SUPPORT BLF GREEN BANS"

The Australian Green Bans: When Construction Workers Went on Strike for the Environment »

July 28, 2020 | Steve Morse

Imagine a building trades union that broke new ground in the 1970s in its support for environmentalism, community preservation, and women, and in its opposition to racism, even as it fought hard for all its members.

‘No Increase? No Work!’ Toronto Health Care Workers Save Pandemic Premium via Job Action »

July 24, 2020 | Renee Bursey and Jonah Gindin

Relief—that’s what Niki Gurgen, a personal support worker (PSW) at the Hillcrest Reactivation Centre rehabilitation hospital in Toronto felt when she heard about the $4 per hour “pandemic premium” the Ontario government was providing to health care and other essential workers.
Herman Benson at podium in blue jacket with arm raised

Herman Benson’s Lifelong Fight For Democratic Unions »

July 24, 2020 | Carl Biers

The battle for union democracy is uphill but crucial to reviving a fighting labor movement. No person did more to advance it than Herman Benson (1915-2020), founder of the Association for Union Democracy.

Santa Rosa Hospital Workers Strike to Defend Sick Time and Health Care in Midst of Pandemic »

July 24, 2020 | Tammera Campbell

When your hospital’s business plan is built around making workers less safe from COVID, the path to striking during a pandemic becomes much clearer.

Lessons from the Amazon Tax Victory in Seattle »

July 23, 2020 | Jonathan Rosenblum

Pressed by a relentless working class movement, the Seattle City Council on July 6 adopted a first-time-ever tax on Amazon and other big businesses that will bring in at least $214
A woman holds a sign that says "Are you serious?", while her son holds a sign reading "Safe schools or no school."

Full Steam Ahead on Reopening Schools? No Way, Say Teachers »

July 21, 2020 | Monique Dols and Peter Lamphere

Donald Trump has launched an all-out war to reopen schools across the country this fall. Educators are standing up to resist plans that would put our students, their families, or our co-workers in danger.

Group shot of LGBTQ Economic Justice summit of about 40 people

Three Bold Moves Our Movement Must Embrace in the Wake of the Landmark LGBTQ Supreme Court Decision »

July 21, 2020 | Joan Jones

I felt a jolt when I heard the news of the Supreme Court’s ruling: the 1964 Civil Rights Act (which outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in hiring, promoting, and firing) also protects LGBTQ workers.

Detroit-Area Teachers: 'Safe Schools or No School!' »

July 20, 2020 | Jane Slaughter

Detroit-area teachers mounted a five-stop car caravan today, determined to tell administrators “Safe School or No School!”
Three people marching against police brutality and for health care in Chicago with a sign

Letters to the Editor: Issue 497 »

July 20, 2020 | Steve Downs, Malik Miah
Unions Need To Reckon with Their Own Histories

On June 9 the General Board of the AFL-CIO adopted a “comprehensive set of recommendations ... to address America’s long history of racism and police violence against black people."

cartoon where boss is angry because workers suggested firing management instead of concessions

Steward's Corner: How to Fight Concessions »

July 16, 2020 | Samantha Winslow

We know they’re coming: bosses are going to be pushing for concessions. Many employers are facing financial pain. Tax revenue is missing in cities and states; hotels, restaurants, airlines, and universities are all hurting.
cartoon depicting sales stand of concessions

Concessions Didn't Work Then and They Won't Now »

July 16, 2020 | Jane Slaughter

As union members return to their jobs, employers will ask them to open their contracts and take concessions.
Samantha smiling during the 2014 Labor Notes Conference

Farewell, Samantha »

July 16, 2020 | Alexandra Bradbury

This month’s magazine is bittersweet; it’s the last one with Samantha Winslow’s name on the masthead, as she leaves the staff.
book title concessions and how to beat them by jane slaughter, with image of group of workers pushing up against a giant screw

Concessions and How to Beat Them »

July 16, 2020 | Jane Slaughter

Employers never let a crisis go to waste. The economic crisis created by the global pandemic will be used as a springboard to demand that workers work more and accept less.

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