Portside

A decision for the plaintiffs in Friedrichs would tell the nation’s 6.2 million unionized state, city, county and school district employees that they can enjoy the benefits offered by their unions without having to pay for them. By some estimates, between 1 million and 2 million workers could be expected to stop paying union fees, at a cost to public-sector unions of $500 million to $1 billion a year.

The Portside moderators send our heartfelt thanks to our readers, for coming through in response to our annual appeal! We don't do a lot of fundraising -- just this annual appeal. We are grateful, and gratified, that the response allows us to keep to this bare minimum. Again, many thanks from the left side of the ship - the portside. Full speed ahead in the new year.

If you’re a woman over the age of 50, finding work has statistically gotten harder since 2008. Economics correspondent Paul Solman sat down with Teresa Ghilarducci, a labor economist and the author of the new book, “How to Retire with Enough Money,”to talk about how age discrimination and assumptions about the worth of women’s labor affect the job and retirement prospects of “older” women workers.

Dutch dockworkers strike to stop job loss due to containerization and overcapacity.

The United Farm and Commercial Workers endorse Hillary Clinton for President. They are the largest private sector union in the United States. The union has 1.3 million workers whose membership is primarily women and minorities.

The justices consider a challenge to labor organizations without weighing the practical implications of their decision.

The justices consider a challenge to labor organizations without weighing the practical implications of their decision.

The justices consider a challenge to labor organizations without weighing the practical implications of their decision.

The likelihood is that the shortfall in retirement assets is going to become grimmer with time. Yes, more companies are offering 401(k) plans, but in the Uberized "gig economy" fewer workers may even have an employer to offer them.

The combination of fed-up workers, motivated organizers, and political opportunity created a perfect storm for New York City's carwasheros and fast-food workers in the fight for $15.