Portside

A new book by Penny Lewis offers valuable insight into the true nature of the movement to end the war in Vietnam.

A new book by Penny Lewis offers valuable insight into the true nature of the movement to end the war in Vietnam.

Once again, Wisconsin is ground zero for the future of the labor movement — the catalyst for a new, disassembled, fitting-and-starting labor movement.

It is especially important that the AFL-CIO and other participants in American labor relations become better acquainted with the concept of members-only collective bargaining because the National Labor Relations Board will likely be considering that process in the near future.

Conditions for 70,000 workers at Pegatron plants allegedly worse than those reported in the Foxconn scandal.

Fast-food workers one day strike spreads to many cities. Workers at MacDonald's, Taco Bell, Popeye's, Long John Silver's and other restaurants hold one day strike demanding higher wages.

Out of sheer existential necessity, then, unions have entered a period of experimentation. The fast-food campaigns that SEIU is backing won’t plausibly conclude with a contract with McDonald’s and Wendy’s. The more likely scenario is that those protesting will try to win minimum-wage increases for workers—either generally or in particular industries—at the city level, either through the vote of city councils or of voters at the polls.

Employers are increasingly hiring workers as "on-call" employees, with no guarantee of minimum hours of work, leading to severe underemployment and scheduling difficulties. One British firm now employs almost all workers on "zero-hours contracts." The Labour Party is attempting to outlaw the practice.

The Chicago Teachers Union is under attack by critics for traveling to Honduras and allegedly focusing on global issues rather than the academic issues facing their district.

“If Detroit fails it will hurt our nation as a whole. It will send a message to minority and urban youth that their futures are as hopeless as they seem and the country doesn't care. It will add to a national atmosphere of hopelessness and decay. And we will have missed an opportunity to turn the tide for America's cities.”