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Holding the Line For Chicago Teachers Union

Lee Sustar SOCIALISTWORKER.org
President Karen Lewis and the Caucus of Rank and file Educators (CORE successfully defeated Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and his corporate allies. They deserve support in the current union election

Labor's Plan B

Abby Rapoport The American Prospect
Faced with the very real threat of extinction, unions have largely put collective bargaining on the back burner, and instead must try to remind American workers of the basic concept of worker solidarity. “We start from the point of view that, because so few people are in unions these days, very few people have personal experience with collective power,” explains Karen Nussbaum, the executive director of Working America.

Landmark $240M Verdict for Disabled Workers Slashed to $1.6M

Ryan J. Foley The Associated Press
A landmark $240 million verdict awarded to 32 mentally disabled Iowa plant workers who were subjected to years of abuse by their handlers will be reduced to just $1.6 million because of a federal cap, attorneys in the case agree.

Michigan Schools Can Stop Deducting Union Dues

DAVID SHEPARDSON THE DETROIT NEWS
MEA President Steve Cook said in a statement, "Banning payroll deduction of dues only for school employees is clearly an attack on the First Amendment rights of our members and retaliation for our activism in fighting the right-wing, anti-public education agenda."

Detroit Fast Food Workers Join Strike Wave

Jane Slaughter Labor Notes
At a busy intersection dotted with fast food brands, 80 fast food workers and supporters chanted outside a Detroit Popeye’s this morning, one of several restaurants the group of enthusiastic young workers will hit as they strike today.

8 Killed in Bangladesh Garment Factory Fire, Protests Grow

S. Quadir, R. Paul, J. Zarroli, K. Bhasin, M. Mosk, B. Ross
Eight people were killed when a fire swept through a clothing factory in Bangladesh on Wednesday, as the death toll from the collapse of another factory building two weeks ago climbed above 900. Meanwhile, multinational corporations are coming under growing scrutiny and facing mounting protests over their involvement in the exploitation of Bangladeshi workers. One U.S. union is targeting Gap, Inc.

The South: Labor's Elephant in the Room

streetheat It's About Power Stupid!
Shifting resources to win in the South necessarily means taking funds from other projects and revenue sources. In many cases this could create an internal struggle over the allocation of funds.There is no doubt feathers will be ruffled and fiefdoms will be threatened, but making a choice between labor's survival and comforting the sense of official entitlement will require political will that hopefully can be summoned.

Li Ka-Shing’s Dockers Accept Pay Offer to End Longest Strike

Simon Lee and Jasmine Wang Bloomberg Businessweek
Port workers at billionaire Li Ka- shing’s Hongkong International Terminals Ltd. ended the longest strike at Hong Kong’s container terminal as they accepted a 9.8 percent wage increase, resolving a dispute that damaged the city’s reputation as a trade hub.

Li Ka-Shing’s Dockers Accept Pay Offer to End Longest Strike

Simon Lee and Jasmine Wang Bloomberg Businessweek
Port workers at billionaire Li Ka- shing’s Hongkong International Terminals Ltd. ended the longest strike at Hong Kong’s container terminal as they accepted a 9.8 percent wage increase, resolving a dispute that damaged the city’s reputation as a trade hub.