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With a Velvet Glove, Mercedes Tries to Punch Down Alabama Union Momentum »

April 10, 2024 | Luis Feliz Leon

Workers at Mercedes-Benz in Alabama were forced to attend 20-minute anti-union meetings with the company’s top management today.


Recordings obtained by Labor Notes show top management dangled carrots and put on a contrite-boss act, promising to do better.

Postal workers rally outside a post office. There is some snow on the ground. A big blue banner says "Staffing, Safety, and Service: Letter Carriers Need a Raise! NALC Branch 9, Minneapolis." Printed picket signs say "End Mandatory Overtime," "First Class Service, First Class Pay," and "Fair Contract Now."

Momentum for Open Bargaining Grows in the Letter Carriers »

April 10, 2024 | Tyler Vasseur

Hit by years of inflation, and inspired by last year’s contract struggles and big wins by Big 3 auto workers and UPS Teamsters, members of the Letter Carriers (NALC) at the U.S. Postal Service are getting organized to fight for open bargaining.
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.

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

April 9, 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
People with red flags march behind a banner adorned with lemons.

Bus Drivers Strike with Climate Activists in 57 German Cities »

April 8, 2024 | Berit Ehmke and Yanira Wolf

Public transit workers across Germany have broken new ground by coordinating our contracts—nearly all of them nationwide have expired over the last four months—and shutting down bus systems with strikes in 57 cities.
A group of a hundreds autoworkers gather outside with red shirts and fists raised.

Southern Auto Workers Are Rising »

April 5, 2024 | Luis Feliz Leon

Auto workers are gearing up to smash through anti-union bulwarks in Alabama and Tennessee.

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.

Dennis Serrette ¡Presente! »

April 1, 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.
People with signs stand on grass outside an office building. The man speaking holds a red banner that says, "Solo organizados conquistaremos nuestros derechos laborales. Casa Bajia Obrera." Others listening hold printed blue UAW logo signs and hand-written signs that say "Shame on VU" or "End the blacklist."

Our Class Has No Borders: Why the UAW Is Standing Up with Mexican Auto Workers »

March 29, 2024 | Brandon Mancilla

The United Auto Workers announced February 23 that it will provide material support to Mexican auto workers organizing in the independent union movement.
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.

Rail Workers Push for One Member, One Vote »

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.
Close-up of a diverse crowd standing, clapping,shouting, raising fists. T-shirts in front row say "save our pensions" and "we are one." Banner on wall behind them says "Machinists District [751], Keep America Working." Handmade signs say things like "No no no, don't sell your soul," and "Thanks IAM, you're standing up for all of us."

Finally Back in Bargaining This Year, Can Machinists Save Boeing from Itself? »

March 27, 2024 | Don McIntosh

A lot of eyes will be on the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) this year as it takes part in one of the most significant labor negotiations of recent times. Boeing is one of just two major commercial aircraft makers in the world.
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!"

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

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.
Black-and-white photo looks upward at a woman in a plaid shirt and bedazzled hardhat, gesturing and speaking

Seeking Today’s Workplace Poets »

March 21, 2024 | Susan Eisenberg

Almost Killed Myself: Day One, Apprentice Electrician
People are gathered around a table wearing masks, a woman with dark hair speaks and gestures in the middle.

Steward’s Corner: 'There Aren’t Enough of Us’ »

March 20, 2024 | Ellen David Friedman

It’s a common situation: there’s too much union work to do, and not enough people doing it. And the ill effects are serious.
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.

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

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.
Two dozen teachers stand on stairs with signs saying ‘Andover Supports Newton’

Teaching Each Other to Strike »

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.
People rally on brick steps (Portland's Pioneer Courthouse Squre) on a rainy day. Many wear blue or red T-shirts under their coats. Banners say "Ready to strike" and "Soldarity." Picket signs say "Fair Contract Now," "Solidarity with Strike-Ready Teachers," and "Essential Wages for Essential Workers."

Strike Threat Wins in Confrontation over Remote Work »

March 12, 2024 | Michelle DuBarry

When “Reclaim your Momentum” was unveiled as the theme for Portland Community College’s 2023 in-service training, it struck a discordant note with members of my union, the PCC Federation of Faculty and Academic Professionals.

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