Portside

Under Trumka, labor has sought to extend its power by alliances, cooperating with African-American groups, immigrant groups, environmental groups and others as well as car wash workers and day laborers seeking to organizers. He points to the wave of Fight for $15 protests scheduled for April 15 as an example of a new way workers are flexing their muscles.

Chief Justice John Roberts grew up in a town that banned black residents. Places like Long Branch, Ind., were often called Sundown Towns. Only whites were allowed on the streets after dark. James W. Loewen published the first study of these towns ten years ago, just as Roberts was named to the court. Laura Wexler published one of the few reviews of the book. Along with the review, below, are links to the book's website and to the book's introduction.

Low-wage workers cannot live on their current wages. The current movement for $15 an hour is motivated by that fact.

Director Ashgar Farhadi achieved international recognition with the complex and brilliant film A Separation. About Elly was made earlier, won Best Picture at Tribeca in 2009, and has taken six years to work its way back to the U.S. If possible, and now in the midst of the nuclear deal, this devastating film is better and more relevant. Farhadi depicts the strains between strict Islamic traditions and modernism within Iran's affluent, sophisticated middle classss.

Jefferson was an adventurous eater, a connoisseur of good wines, and also possibly America's First Foodie

The Living Wage Foundation, which campaigns for companies to pay an enhanced income ensuring a basic standard of living (currently set at £7.85 an hour or £9.15 inside London), called on England’s Premier League (soccer) to pay a ‘living wage’ to full-time, permanent staff.

Teachers sue to join union without paying for political activities. Unions claim new suit is attempt to weaken them in the name of protecting teacher rights. The firm behind a case that could limit teacher job protections is now taking on issues with union dues. Another in the endless string of anti-union, anti-teacher lawsuits that pretend to protect worker rights.

A critique of Paul Mason's historical materialist prediction “Can Marxist theory predict the end of ‘Game of Thrones’?” for the upcoming seasons of Game of Thrones.

This poem references the violence of enforced disappearance and forced displacement that is rampant in Colombia. Colombia has over 50,000 reported disappearances, and about 5 million internally displaced.

As union elections near, elected officials can generally say things that employers cannot communicate without risking labor law violations. Neither companies nor unions, for instance, can create an “atmosphere of confusion or fear of reprisals” under election procedures. So long as politicians are not conspiring with either party to do that--a difficult fact to prove in itself--no such standard applies to elected leaders like Mayor Summey.