Sarah Hughes

Rolling Strikes at CVS Halted as Company Gave In

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Author(s): 
Sarah Hughes
Lisa Xu

This fall, workers at hundreds of CVS stores in California announced a rolling wave of strikes that seemed to take management by surprise.

Eight United Food and Commercial Workers locals bargaining together in California subsequently ratified a new contract in November with CVS, one of the largest health care retail conglomerates in the country. The units cover 7,000 workers, including pharmacists, pharmacy techs, store associates, and inventory staff.

New Mexico Teachers Organize Rainbow Contingent in Pride Parade

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Sarah Hughes

Jamie Shelton can’t prove that someone shot out her windshield because of her eighth-grade Queer History curriculum a few years ago, but she has a hunch. The father of one of her students had been so irate about the material that he threatened to beat her up, and co-workers started walking her to her car.

In her 15 years in the classroom in Albuquerque, New Mexico, principals have asked her to park across the street from the school because of a rainbow decal on her car, misgendered her, called her homophobic names, and left religious texts in her school mailbox.

Minnesota Nurses Win Big, Then Walk Back Winning Model

Last fall, 15,000 nurses were part of a creative coordinated bargaining effort to reshape health care in Minnesota. They won new contract language on safe staffing and substantial raises—things they hadn’t thought possible.

But a year later, the Minnesota Nurses Association is riven with conflict. Members are being investigated on charges like “acting against the interests of the bargaining unit.” A candidate for vice president was removed from her elected positions and had her membership suspended, making her ineligible to run for office.

UPDATED: Alta Bates Nurses Revolt

[UPDATE, January 20, 2023: Alta Bates nurses returned to work on January 2 after striking for nine days over the Christmas and New Year holidays. They have not been contacted by management for a bargaining date since before management's "last, best and final offer" was voted down, December 21. Managers have been encouraging nurses to accept the offer during charge nurse meetings on the hospital floor.

Kaiser Strikers Insist You Should Be Able to Get an Appointment When You Need It

Psychologists, social workers, therapists, and chemical dependency counselors are in the ninth week of an open-ended strike at Kaiser Permanente in Northern and Central California.

The 2,000 mental health care workers walked out August 15; their contract has been expired since September 2021. They’re members of the National Union of Healthcare Workers, which split from SEIU in 2010.

What Can Unions Do Now to Defend Abortion Rights?

The Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health on June 24 overturned the Roe v. Wade precedent, erasing the constitutional right to an abortion.

Already for years, large parts of the U.S. have severely restricted abortion—especially hurting those least likely to have resources to travel for care, including poor, Black, indigenous, undocumented, and disabled people.

The U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rate of any wealthy country, and Black women are three times more likely to die from childbirth-related causes than white women.

Yes, Abortion Rights Are a Union Issue

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Author(s): 
Alexandra Bradbury
Sarah Hughes

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.

Must-see play for union leaders at Labor Notes!

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Sarah Hughes


Waterwell, in association with Working Theater, present

7 Minutes

written by Stefano Massini
translated by Francesca Spedalieri
directed by Kristina Valada-Viars

"7 Minutes is an extraordinary play about the fear, anger, strength, and resilience of workers in a warehouse fighting against a concession. It touches on every aspect of those very difficult but detrimental conversations on the shop floor. It's a must see." -Anthony Rosario, Teamsters Local 804

VIDEO: What is Visual Strategy? Projecting Power in the Street

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Author(s): 
Sarah Hughes

Holding a union sign at a picket line or rally is a rite of passage for a fighting union. But how often do we stop to think about how we are using these moments of collective action to strengthen our sense of unity, pride, and power?

Labor Notes hosted the co-creators of Look Loud in a webinar filled with practical tips about how your union presents its message and power to the world, the joy of making beautiful and effective signage together, and how to stage rallies for maximum impact.

Striking Massachusetts Nurses Outwait Corporate Giant Tenet

Last year’s longest-running strike came to an end in early January when nurses at St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester, Massachusetts, overwhelmingly voted to ratify their new contract and return to work.

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