Troublemakers Blog
March 03, 2021 /
Former British Prime Minister Harold Wilson famously said that “a week is a long time in politics.” In early January, even a week was too long, as current Prime Minister Boris Johnson performed a dramatic 24-hour U-turn on the question of schools reopening after the Christmas break. »
February 25, 2021 /
After voting to form a union seven and a half years ago, Comcast technicians at the Fairhaven, Massachusetts, garage finally have a first contract. Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 2322’s new two-year contract was ratified by 79 percent of the eligible membership on February 3. »
February 24, 2021 /
Reading the gripping A Pandemic Nurse’s Diary is like immersing yourself in a big-screen film. Getting through the entire book in a single two- or three-hour sitting is ideal, though the faint of heart might prefer it in smaller doses because A Pandemic Nurse’s Diary is a true »
February 23, 2021 / Steve Early
A rare contested race for president of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) has given its members a clear choice between a union traditionalist from Boston and a progressive activist who backed massive labor protests against Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker a decade ago—and then joined electoral efforts to oust the anti-union Republican. »
February 18, 2021 / Alexandra Bradbury
What if I told you an employer had agreed that it could no longer make any change to policies affecting members without “prior affirmative consent” from the union? »
February 11, 2021 /
Labor Notes is excited to bring on two wonderful new staff organizers, Sarah Hughes and Luis Feliz Leon, at our New York office in February. Sarah and Luis are joining our training and events team, and they’ll also write for Labor Notes. »
February 05, 2021 / Alexandra Bradbury
This week the U.S. labor movement lost its best-known and best-loved troubadour: the great folksinger-songwriter Anne Feeney. She died of Covid on February 3, at age 69, with her children at her side. With her fantastic songs and feisty spirit, she made an incalculable contribution to the movement. She is irreplaceable, and gone too soon. »
February 05, 2021 /
New York City fast food workers will now have legal protections against unjust firings, after the City Council passed a package of bills prohibiting fast food employers from terminating employees or cutting workers’ hours without “just cause.” »
February 04, 2021 /
More than 100 nations are urging the World Trade Organization to waive its “intellectual property” rules so that countries can start producing generic Covid-19 vaccines and treatments to increase global supplies. Unfortunately, the United States under Trump was one of just a handful of countries to block that waiver—putting Big Pharma profits ahead of ending the »
February 01, 2021 / Joe DeManuelle-Hall
Fights for union demands such as safe staffing and struggles against privatization have taken on even more significance during a dire public health crisis. In this webinar on January 29th, we heard from worker leaders who organized with their co-workers to use their ultimate weapon—the strike—to fight for what they need not just during the pandemic »