Volvo Workers Forced to Vote Again on Contract They Just Rejected
UPDATE, July 15: Yesterday, workers voted narrowly (1,147 to 1,130) to accept the third tentative agreement, which had been defeated by a 60-40 margin five days earlier. Workers will report back to work next week.--Eds.
Auto Workers (UAW) officials are fed up with their striking members at Volvo Trucks in Virginia and are helping the company get them back to work under a contract members have rejected—three times.
Detroit Bus Drivers Strike over Violent Attacks
Detroit bus drivers, the first essential workers in the country to strike for safety during the pandemic, pulled a wildcat work stoppage again Friday, angry over escalating violence against drivers. Often the attacks are triggered, they said, by a driver's request that a passenger wear a mask.
In a Pandemic, Finding New and Old Ways To Fight New and Old Foes
Workers this spring were forced to find new ways to assert their rights when faced with a deadly foe and employers indifferent to their lives.
Sometimes they resorted to the oldest trick in labor's book, the strike, especially wildcat strikes early on in the pandemic, and especially non-union workers. Sometimes they were forced to organize and protest virtually, making the most of social media. And the car caravan was reborn as an appropriately distanced tactic.
Strike First, Then Bargain
Direct action gets the goods. If your employer is still not acting like workers’ lives matter, take a page from union members who are putting muscle behind their bargaining—they're shutting the place down first.
Detroit Bus Drivers Win Protections Against Virus Through Strike
UPDATE: A Detroit bus driver, Jason Hargrove, has died. Glenn Tolbert, president of the Detroit bus drivers local and quoted below, has tested positive for the coronavirus. See Glenn Tolbert speaking about his members' working conditions and their job action here.