All Articles

Searches titles and body text

Swept Up in France's Yellow Vest Protests »

December 7, 2018 | Chris Brooks

I’ve never been tear gassed before. The smell is similar to fireworks and the effect is explosive—and effective. I immediately wanted to get as far away as I could from the noxious source of burning eyes and throat.

Here's the Secret to Getting Young Workers Involved »

December 6, 2018 | Alexandra Bradbury

“How can we get young workers involved?”


That’s the question on everyone’s lips, with union density at near-record lows. Many unions have begun holding summits for young members or forming local committees, which is great.

Labor Notes Turns 40! Send Us Your Memories »

November 29, 2018 | Dan DiMaggio

The Troublemakers Union turns 40 next year! We’re planning a whole series of events to commemorate the occasion, from special magazine features to speaking tours and more.

Jasic Detainee #4: Liu Penghua: We Need a Union, Not Just Rights Defense »

November 26, 2018 | HZ

Liu Penghua, along with Mi Jiuping, was one of the three workers who took the lead in trying to form a union at the Jasic welding equipment factory in Shenzhen, China. Liu was the first to face retribution for his actions, suffering a beating by factory thugs on July 16.

Rolling Strikes Jam Up North Pole »

November 23, 2018 | Alexandra Bradbury

The massive gift production and distribution operation at the North Pole is in disarray amid rolling strikes this week.

University of California Workers Strike for Racial Justice »

November 20, 2018 | Chris Brooks

University workers across California hit the streets October 23-25 in their latest strike aimed at confronting racism in the state’s higher education system.

Viewpoint: Where Are Union Auto Workers' Voices in Scandal Reporting? »

November 20, 2018 | Martha Grevatt and Scott Houldieson

A Detroit News article published in October revealed that our union, the Auto Workers (UAW), is building a luxurious three-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bath “cabin” as a permanent residence for retired President Dennis Williams at Black Lake, the union’s educational retreat center in Northern

Jasic Detainee #3: The Story of Yu Juncong: Always Standing Against Injustice »

November 19, 2018 | Xiao Hui

Yu Juncong—the author of the first open letter to Jasic Technology and one of the first Jasic workers to openly protest the company’s policies—was fired in May 2018 for his actions.

Jasic Detainee #2: Li Zhan: Standing with Workers through Thick and Thin »

November 17, 2018 | Awei

Note: Li Zhan is a former worker at the Jasic welding-equipment factory in China’s manufacturing hub of Shenzhen. He's been held in Shenzhen Number 2 detention center for over 100 days for supporting the effort to form a union at Jasic this summer.

In the Pacific Northwest, the First Paraeducator-Led Strike of the Teacher Uprising »

November 16, 2018 | Dan DiMaggio

Paraeducators in Port Angeles, Washington, are on strike. In this year’s wave of teacher strikes, it’s the first one led by paraeducators.

Checklist: Are You Organizing Democratically? »

November 16, 2018 | Matt Noyes

Labor Notes has always emphasized that union power requires democracy. That’s because unions need active members to be strong—and people won’t stay active for long if they don’t have a meaningful say.

VIDEO: A Conversation on Rebuilding Power in Open-Shop America »

November 16, 2018 | Samantha Winslow

"Right-to-work" laws and the Supreme Court's Janus decision don't have to mean game-over for unions.

Teacher Strike Threat Backs Off ExxonMobil »

November 15, 2018 | Barbara Madeloni

Sometimes the boss offers us a fight that directly exposes the destructive effects of corporate power.


In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, that moment came when ExxonMobil asked for yet another handout from taxpayers—property tax exemptions totaling $6 million.

UPS Vote No Activists Take Over Big Dallas Local »

November 14, 2018 | Alexandra Bradbury

Reformers in the Teamsters have the wind at their backs. A rank-and-file slate swept to victory November 10 at Local 767 in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, the largest UPS local in the South.

What Vermont Paraeducators and School Bus Drivers Learned When They Almost Went on Strike »

November 9, 2018 | Emma Mulvaney-Stanak

What do you do when your employer suddenly turns hostile? After years of relatively friendly labor relations, in 2015 the school board in rural Brandon, Vermont, shut down negotiations and imposed its terms: higher health care costs and minimal raises.

Pages