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Longshore Union Quits the AFL-CIO

Mark Brenner Labor Notes
ILWU members see turf battles with rival unions as an additional, unwelcome hurdle to surmount, in an already difficult employer battle.

Landmark Progress Does Not Mean Permanent Change

John P. David Charleston (WV) Gazette
This is a year for commemorations, and it is ironic it is also when the U.S. Supreme court gutted the Voting Rights Act, a key component of the movement for human rights. The challenge facing any piece of major legislation goes beyond the movement necessary for passage. There must be recognition of the need for vigilance which requires dedicated education and expectation that guaranteed fairness for all is a human right that must permanently prevail.

What Happened to Jobs and Justice?

WILLIAM P. JONES http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/28/opinion/what-happened-to-jobs-and-justice.html?ref=global&_r=0
The August 28, 1963, March on Washington helped build support for President Kennedy's civil rights bill.The protest was largely responsible for the addition of Title VII, which prohibited employers and unions from discriminating on the basis of race, religion, national origin and sex. It also helped lead to the passage of civil rights legislation under President Johnson. As some of these provisions have been weakened what will be needed to move forward?

East Bay Fast-Food Workers to Strike Thursday

Heather Somerville Contra Costa Times
The Bay Area strike is one of a series of nationwide one-day strikes -- timed for Labor Day and the 50th anniversary of the historic civil rights-era March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The strikes are the culmination of months of fast-food walkouts that began on the East Coast, organized by New York-based grassroots movement Fast Food Forward, and have rippled across the country.

Strike in Colombia Highlights Free Trade Failure

Dave Johnson Campaign for America's Future
A large strike in Colombia underscores the dangers of free trade agreements and suggests that we should pay close attention to current negotiations around the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

How Black Unionists Organized the 1963 March for Jobs and Freedom

William P. Jones Labor Notes
A fascinating new book from historian William P. Jones puts the 1963 action in its organizing context. Every U.S. school child learns the opening words of Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech, but how many are taught that the march was the brainchild of the nation's leading black labor activists--and called not only for an end to prejudice, but also for a federal jobs program, equality at work, and a boost to the minimum wage?

Detroit Union Files Challenge to City's Bankruptcy Petition

Joseph Lichterman and Bernie Woodall Reuters
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 25 said Detroit, which last month filed for what would be the largest-ever U.S. municipal bankruptcy, has not proven it is insolvent and has not negotiated in good faith with its creditors. In a filing with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Detroit, the union said it was also challenging the constitutionality of Chapter 9 of the federal bankruptcy code, arguing that it encroaches on states' rights.

For Retailers, Low Wages Aren't Working Out

Harold Meyerson The Washington Post
Low wages is hurting the bottom line at employers like Walmart and Kohls. Raising wages at these retailers might not only help the workers but the retailers themselves.