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Financial Crisis Shouldered by City Workers »

December 22, 2008 | Paul Abowd

Last summer’s meeting of the National Conference of Mayors foresaw grim days for American cities — and that was before finance markets folded up in the fall. Now urban governments confront budget deficits that stem from falling tax revenues and the ongoing credit crunch. . . .

D.C. Teachers Resist District’s ‘Slash-and-Burn’ Style »

December 22, 2008 | Candi Peterson

Unable to cajole or buy support from the Washington Teachers Union, D.C. schools chief Michelle Rhee now says her version of education reform can be done with teachers — or to them. Contract talks screeched to a halt this fall when teachers indicated they would vote down a privately funded plan...

Smithfield Wins a Union after 16-Year Struggle »

December 22, 2008 | Nichele Fulmore, Mischa Gaus

Forging a historic win for labor in the notoriously anti-union South, workers at the nation’s largest hog slaughterhouse won a 16-year battle to unionize their plant in December. . . .

Understanding and Defending Past Practices »

December 22, 2008 |

Author(s):
David Cohen


Excerpt:


Stewards need to know what a valid past practice is and what the past practices in their workplace are—to defend them from erosion by management. A past practice is any longstanding, frequent practice that is accepted and known by both union and...

New York’s Transit Local Recovers Dues Check-off, Accepts Strike Prohibition »

December 19, 2008 | Steve Downs

The union representing New York City’s bus and subway workers recovered their right to dues check-off after 17 months of punishment for an illegal strike. Local President Roger Toussaint bowed to the mayor's demand and promised no more strikes, despite insisting for years that transit workers...

Auto Workers Told to Take Concessions, Abandon Retirees »

December 19, 2008 | Tiffany Ten Eyck

President George Bush announced a $17.4 billion dollar bridge loan for General Motors and Chrysler. The Bush administration's requirements mirror demands from anti-union Republicans who torpedoed Congressional action last week. The plan hinges on demands that UAW wages and work rules are...

Cutting Wages Won't Solve Big Three's Problems »

December 4, 2008 | Mark Brenner and Jane Slaughter

In the 1980s, Chevrolet proclaimed itself the "Heartbeat of America," but today the American auto industry barely registers a pulse. As Washington considers Detroit's plea for life support, the only place where pundits, politicians and Big Three executives seem to agree is that auto workers...

Handling Insubordination Grievances »

November 21, 2008 |

Author(s):
David Cohen


Excerpt:


Ella was having a bad day. Her machines weren’t running right, but her foreman came over and said, “Ella, we need those machines up and running, and since Rafael is out today, I want you to start up his machines, too.” “No way,” said Ella...

Supporters of ‘Medicare for All’ Prepare for Health Care Showdown »

November 21, 2008 | Jane Slaughter

Union advocates of “Medicare for all” are organizing to make labor a united voice on health care reform—and to pressure Democrats to do the right thing. The Labor Campaign for Single-Payer Healthcare aims to mobilize a grassroots movement of union members that politicians (and union leaders)...

Chicago Unions Seek Better Ties After Clash over Immigrants »

November 21, 2008 | Tiffany Ten Eyck

Leaders of Chicago’s worker centers and unions have been meeting to soothe conflicts over the defense of unionized immigrant workers. Tensions developed this summer after union members approached a worker center for help with no-match letters from the Social Security Administration. . . .

Viewpoint: Don’t Stop Union Conversations on Race »

November 20, 2008 | Jeff Crosby

Expectations for President Obama are high. A friend told me of a sick relative in a small Midwestern industrial town. The relative’s specialist was at a conference, and the only possible replacement in town did not have privileges at this particular hospital. The ER nurse told the patient, “...

End of the Road: If the Auto Industry is Dead What does that Mean for Workers? »

November 20, 2008 | Mark Brenner and Jane Slaughter

In the 1980s Chevrolet proclaimed itself the “Heartbeat of America.” Today many would say that the American auto industry qualifies for life support. Last November, General Motors announced that it was cutting 25,000 jobs and closing up to 12 factories by 2008...

New Teacher Programs Chip Away at Job Stability »

November 20, 2008 | Paul Abowd

Graduation rates were climbing to all-time highs in New York City’s alternative schools, where John Powers taught last year, before the Department of Education’s consultants arrived. Citing under-performance, the city closed schools, and chopped some into smaller units, giving them new names....

Smithfield Workers To Vote on Union »

November 20, 2008 | Jane Slaughter

In a surprise settlement, Smithfield Foods dropped its multimillion-dollar racketeering lawsuit against the United Food and Commercial Workers, Jobs with Justice, and the Change to Win federation October 27. The company agreed instead to a set of rules that will govern a vote on December 10...

First-Ever Layoffs Loom at Postal Service »

November 20, 2008 | David Yao

The U.S. Postal Service faces a serious financial shortfall that is accelerating reductions in its workforce and raising the possibility of the first-ever layoffs of career employees. . . .

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