Portside

A Message from the Moderators at Portside

Members of the largest local of UNITE HERE, Culinary Union local 226, along with Bartenders local 165, voted to approve a five year contract with the largest Strip employer, MGM Resorts. This is the first new contract with the gaming employer since 2007, prior to the recession. The contract includes an economic package that funds the continuation of health benefits and pension. Currently workers pay no monthly premiums for benefits.

The university campus workers joining the medical center workers in the ULP strike have also had similar concessions forced on them. Campus workers struck in 2005 and sympathy-struck in May, but this is the first time both groups have struck together. Unionized graduate students, members of UAW 2865, are sympathy-striking this time.

The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) joins major environmental and development groups in protest action at COP 19 in Warsaw where Governments are not acting responsibly to tackle the threat to lives, jobs and livelihoods that climate change represents.

The National Labor Relations Board, after reviewing evidence of alleged retribution by Walmart against employees protesting working conditions, has found that the United States' largest employer illegally threatened employees who were considering taking part in planned demonstrations. While the Board has grounds to file a complaint, and may yet do so, it will wait in order to give Walmart and representatives of the employees an opportunity to come to a settlement.

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Workers Local 3299 plan a one day strike on Wednesday at the University of California to protest intimidation of workers who participated in a 2 day strike in May.

Growing income inequality will pose a major threat to social stability in countries around the globe, according to a new report by the World Economic Forum.

The National Labor Relations Board issued findings today that Walmart broke the law by firing or penalizing workers who went on strike or tried to unionize. Meanwhile, the company draws criticism for sponsoring a food drive for needy employees. Rather than raise wages, Walmart blames a weak economy for its slow sales rather than a flawed business model. Finally, a senior editor from Fortune magazine makes the case that Walmart can afford to raise wages by 50%.

FARM subsidies were much more sensible when they began eight decades ago, in 1933, at a time when more than 40 percent of Americans lived in rural areas. Farm incomes had fallen by about a half in the first three years of the Great Depression. In that context, the subsidies were an anti-poverty program. Now, though, the farm subsidies serve a quite different purpose.

Socialist candidate, Kshama Sawant has a 1,000 vote lead for a City Council seat in Seattle Washington. The Working Families Party could have been a viable progressive force, but only if it stayed consistent in its own agenda.