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Haiti: Give Here »

January 15, 2010 | by Enku Ide

Haiti's earthquake has led to a humanitarian crisis, a tragedy compounded by longtime U.S. and European intervention. Some support now flows from corporations with interests in the status quo of poverty and pillage. Give instead to groups that meet direct needs and fight for justice.

Health Care Victory—or Pretzel? »

January 15, 2010 | Jane Slaughter

Yesterday Rich Trumka announced a deal with the White House: high-cost union health care plans won’t be subject to an excise tax till 2018—five years later than almost everyone else. Trumka made clear that the intent of the changes the unions brokered is to make so many groups exempt from the...

Sick of Worrying, Sick of Waiting, Backers of Immigration Reform Rally »

January 14, 2010 | Sally Kim

Chanting “Si se puede! Yes we can!,” a feet-stomping, fist-pumping crowd squeezed into St. Anne’s Church for a rally yesterday urging Congress not to waste any more time and reform the nation’s immigration laws.

Reform Teamster Leaders Out, Then In Again, in Chicago »

January 14, 2010 | Jane Slaughter

In 2007 Teamsters in scores of small Chicago shops, and a few big ones, capped years of organizing against corrupt leaders and stolen elections by electing a reform slate to head 11,000-member Local 743. Attendees at the 2008 Labor Notes Conference heard President Richard Berg tell the...

Labor Notes Conference: Home-based Workers Swelling Labor's Ranks, Still Struggling for Dignity and Power »

January 13, 2010 | Steve Early

One unique aspect of the Labor Notes Conference is the special meetings that allow far-flung activists to gather and share information on a rare cross-union basis. This year's April 23-25 conference in Detroit will feature a daylong meeting of those involved in organizing and representing home-...

Laborers Join with Worker Centers, Aiming To Organize Residential Construction »

January 13, 2010 | by Tiffany Ten Eyck

East Coast Laborers and worker centers are creating locals of mostly immigrant members, promising union presence in residential construction—at lower wages.

‘There Are No Tea-baggers in Soup Lines’ »

January 11, 2010 | Jane Slaughter

Auto workers outshone the tea-party types as dueling demonstrations took place in the snow outside the Detroit Auto Show today. Small numbers of auto workers gathered to say government should use its role in the auto bailout to direct the factories toward job-creating green products such as...

Put Tax on ‘Cadillac’ Health Plans Up on Blocks »

January 11, 2010 | Bill Salganik

The theory behind the so-called “Cadillac tax” on high-premium health plans is that people like Betty Diamond have too much health insurance, which causes them to get more medical care than they need. And if people like Diamond had thinner health care benefits, the theory continues, their...

Viewpoint: Pink Sheeting Debate Only a Pretext for Attack »

January 8, 2010 | Chuck Hendricks

I am not aware of any current UNITE HERE staff who think pink sheeting is a real issue—either important or widespread enough—for us to pursue. Nor have I seen abuses like those claimed. Most of us, however, are clear about how the allegations of pink sheeting have been used against UNITE HERE...

Viewpoint: Pink Sheeting and Harmful Organizing Methods at UNITE HERE »

January 8, 2010 | Arlen Jones, Greg Hoffman

UNITE HERE is known as a dynamic organizing union that mobilizes its members around effective comprehensive campaigns. But it suffers from a deeply undemocratic decision-making structure that uses abusive methods to recruit and retain low-level staff and members—and to quiet dissent.

Auto Workers, Tea Partisans Square Off in Detroit »

January 8, 2010 | Frank Hammer

Auto workers, retirees, and supporters will gather in front of this year’s Detroit Auto Show on January 11 to make clear the notion of a “jobless recovery” is no recovery at all in a state with the highest unemployment in the nation (officially at 14.7 percent).


Bronx Battle Line: Development on City's Dime Must Push Up Wages »

January 7, 2010 | by Mischa Gaus

Refusing to promise a living wage, a New York retail developer lost out on about $60 million in subsidies. Campaigns nationally are tying public money used in mega-projects to decent wage and working standards.

UNITE HERE Greets New Year with New Action, Arrests in San Francisco »

January 6, 2010 | by Catherine-Mercedes Judge

Nearly 1,000 hotel workers and supporters converged on the posh downtown San Francisco Hilton, opening a new front in UNITE HERE Local 2’s months-long contract battle.

Stewards Training: Use Case Studies to Build Hands-On Skills »

January 6, 2010 | Don Taylor

Not enough steward training programs pay attention to beefing up stewards’ analytical skills. Using real-life case studies--short written scenarios--is the best way to learn how to review information, pose questions, develop concepts, see patterns, and make strategic choices.


More Troops to War, Few Dollars for Jobs. What’s Wrong with This Picture? »

January 5, 2010 | Jane Slaughter

Thirty thousand more soldiers to Afghanistan, not enough dollars for jobs. President Obama announced both within three days, and labor activists are asking, “What’s wrong with this picture?”

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