Every Union Contract Right Now Should Be the Best Ever
If your union goes into negotiations right now and doesn’t win its biggest raise ever, you’re leaving money on the table.
Soaring inflation means it takes a bigger raise just to break even. And with unemployment low, labor has extra leverage to win more.
Dining hall workers at Northeastern University in Boston just approved a new contract that will raise them to $30 an hour by 2026—triple the $9 they were making in 2012 before they unionized.
Yes, Abortion Rights Are a Union Issue
Abortion: it’s a topic unions shy away from. The logic is, why go there? You might alienate conservative workers who otherwise share your workplace concerns.
And it’s true, you might—though the issue is not as divisive as the GOP makes it out to be. A solid 61 percent of U.S. adults is pro-choice. Among those aged 18-29, it’s 74 percent.
It’s good to see unions begin to overcome this fear and take a stand—because, contrary to the narrative, abortion is a labor issue.
Videos from the 2022 Labor Notes Conference
Wow! What an amazing weekend. Thank you to all 4,000 troublemakers who converged in Chicago June 17-19 and made this year's Labor Notes Conference incredible.
The energy you brought, the stories you shared, the connections you made, the ideas and plans you're bringing back home—that's what it's all about.
Special thanks to everyone who volunteered their time, interpreted between languages, donated money, spoke in workshops and panels, led meetings, and shared songs, poems, and art!
Take Heart, and Take Risks
Nobody predicted this—we sure didn’t. What Amazon workers in New York pulled off was supposed to be impossible.
An independent union relying almost entirely on volunteer organizers beat one of the world’s biggest and most fiercely anti-union companies.
They did it with an eclectic mix of classic methods and throwing out the rulebook. Instead of organizing an underground campaign, they put up a recruitment tent right outside the warehouse.
UPS Drivers Stage a Walk-in to Defend a Fired Co-Worker
To protest the unfair firing of a co-worker, on the morning of Tuesday, December 21 150 UPS drivers in Chicago took a simple action: they didn’t go into work early.
Instead, they gathered outside with an inflatable fat cat. They grilled food, played music, and then walked in together, right on time.
This departure from routine was enough to throw their management into a panic.