Category: Labor
A huge, huge deal’: Biden issues public statement of support for unionizing Alabama Amazon workers
“We haven’t had this aggressive and positive of a statement from a president of the United States on behalf of workers in decades.” by Jake Johnson, staff writer Monday, March 1, 2021 Declaring that all…
Indian farmers are a powerful force in Indian politics, and here’s why their protests matter
by Surupa Gupta, University of Mary Washington Tuesday, February 16, 2021 A large number of women have joined the protests against new farm laws in India. Sanchit Khanna/Hindustan Times via Getty Images For over two months, farmers…
The continued call to organize the South
by Wade Rathke December 26, 2020 Pearl River Ben Speight is a seasoned labor organizer based in Atlanta. I’ve known him for a while, initially as an organizer with the Teamsters locals there. More recently…
Climate groups call on Biden to nominate Andy Levin as Labor Secretary
“He has a long record of fighting for working people, and understands the climate imperative but knows the transition won’t happen without proper buy-in and support.” by Julia Conley, staff writer Wednesday, December 23, 2020 Highlighting…
Labor law and leverage
by Wade Rathke December 19, 2020 New Orleans One of the cabinet positions still waiting for a nomination from President-Elect Biden is the Labor Department, where the devastation of workers’ rights and protections has been…
Essential workers and pay equity
by Wade Rathke Monday, November 16, 2020 New Orleans In a moment of youthful recklessness more than fifty years ago, I allowed myself to get into one of those dangerous political conversations with the father…
Biden given roadmap to revitalize rural America
The plan “lays a foundation for bringing economic vitality to rural communities in the face of racial injustice, economic decline, climate change, and a devastating pandemic.” by Kenny Stancil, staff writer Friday, November 13 Family Farm…
Longtime Union members Pocan and Norcross announce Labor Caucus to advocate for workers in Congress
“President-elect Joe Biden’s new administration gives the Democratic Party the opportunity to reprioritize working families at the center of our legislative agenda.” by Jessica Corbett, staff writer Friday, November 13 Amid a flurry of new campaigns…
Gig workers urge no vote on Prop 22 in California to stop ‘corporate power grab’
“No company should be able to buy its way out of treating workers fairly,” said one progressive think tank about the state’s ballot initiative that will have national implications. by Kenny Stancil, staff writer Friday, October…
Dept. of Labor takes paid leave away from low wage healthcare workers
by Wade Rathke New Orleans This is complicated, so hang with me, but here is what you need to know. Nursing home workers and other frontline healthcare providers like home health aides, and community home workers…
Foreign Masks, Fear and a Fake Certification: Staff at CSL Plasma Say Conditions at Donation Centers Aren’t Safe
Trump’s FDA authorized emergency use of plasma therapy for COVID-19, despite a lack of proof that it saves lives. Staff at CSL Plasma, an industry leader, raised alarms about faulty masks as donors flooded in, but…
Workers demanding pandemic protection
by Wade Rathke September 18, 2020 New Orleans Local 100 United Labor Unions members continue in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas to speak up and confront their employers, both public and private, about the inadequate health…
Disaster work is often carried out by prisoners – who get paid as little as 14 cents an hour despite dangers
Prison systems have long championed the work of incarcerated persons in emergencies and disasters as a demonstration of the value of prisons to local communities and the state. Prisoners clearing vegetation to prevent the spread of…
Where’s the health and safety plan?
by Wade Rathke Friday, September 11, 2020 New Orleans Leaders and members of Local 100 United Labor Unions finally had enough of working on the frontlines without proper protection against the coronavirus in nursing homes, supported…
Gig work is not a jobs safety net
by Wade Rathke Thursday, September 3, 2020 Pearl River If service work had been the equivalent of a jobs’ “safety net” for workers in many cities and towns in the past, the only replacement available would…
Workers caught in the middle on Covid-19
by Wade Rathke Little Rock School teachers and their unions are being forced into Hobson’s choices all over the country about whether to return to work as politicians, parents, school officials, and every mother’s child…
Major ‘Milestone’ for workers as California judge rules Uber and Lyft must classify drivers as employees
“This is a resounding victory for thousands of Uber and Lyft drivers who are working hard—and, in this pandemic, incurring risk every day—to provide for their families.” by Jessica Corbett, staff writer Tuesday, August 11 In…
Trump, Health Secretary, say US healthcare workers ‘Don’t get infected’ with Covid-19
94,000 healthcare workers have contracted the virus. While the true toll Covid-19 has taken on healthcare workers is not yet known, one investigation found that more than 760 have died from the virus. by Jake Johnson, staff…
Thinking outside the box for worker power
by Wade Rathke Pearl River In organizing unions, captive audience meetings are the scourge of organizing drives. The employers have the right to make the meetings mandatory in order to deliver their anti-union screeds, but…
Save Lives? Give healthcare workers raises
New Orleans Hey, bosses of healthcare workers, listen up! Yo, consumers and families of healthcare services, pay attention to this, like your life is at stake, since for more than half of you over 65,…
Longshoremen shut down West Coast ports for Juneteenth: ‘The loudest voice we have’
“A movement requires sacrifice, and that’s what we’re doing as longshoremen.” by Andrea Germanos, staff writer Juneteenth — Friday, June 19, 2020 Longshoremen and women across the West Coast are set to use “the loudest…
Meat industry sacrificed workers during pandemic to keep exports moving
‘It Was a Fake Meat Shortage’ “Our country sacrificed the lives of meat workers to protect the business of meat companies.” by Eoin Higgins, staff writer Wednesday, June 17 As workers in meat processing plants around…
‘How the Trump White House sees you’: top economic adviser under fire for calling workers ‘human capital stock’
“They’ve always been indifferent to human life. And in the face of mass death, the masks are coming off.” by Jake Johnson, staff writer Tuesday, May 26 In a remark critics characterized as further evidence that…
Getting OSHA on the job
by Wade Rathke Pearl River If there were ever a time that workers needed to feel safe on the job, it’s got to be now in the middle of a pandemic. Even with the lifting…
