Portside

Saving the planet isn't a matter of winning an argument. It’s about what trade unionists know only too well:  power and money.  And we know how to fight  power and money.

Organized labor was on the verge of scoring landmark political victories Tuesday as the Michigan Senate voted to repeal the 2012 right-to-work law that made union membership optional at unionized workplaces and re-establish a prevailing wage standard for state projects.

Supporters say a shortened week would push businesses to hire more people, increase labor market participation, and create healthier competition in the workplace that empowers workers to negotiate for better wages and working conditions.

In Kentucky, workers organizing for a union at Amazon's biggest air hub are demanding the rehire of fired activists. Despite the retaliation, "our activity has been contagious among our co-workers," writes Griffin Ritze. Workers in various departments have taken direct action for immediate demands.

The fight for democracy must infuse every union’s mission. If it does not, then the very survival of both democracy and the union movement will be imperiled.

On Thursday the Municipal Labor Council voted to shunt up to 250,000 city retirees into a for-profit Medicare Advantage plan.

The shrinking of unions effectively redistributes income from low- and middle-income workers to affluent investors.

‘Non Una di Meno talks about striking from consumption, from housework, or even dressing a certain way when it is not really possible to refrain from work. And one can also strike from gender as such.'

Nearly 500 workers represented by the United Public Workers AFSCME, Local 646, AFL-CIO have been on strike since Feb. 22, 2023, seeking a new contract with better wages.

As Starbucks Workers United expands from shop to shop, workers face an onslaught of union-busting tactics. But union fever is spreading rapidly as workers at over 400 locations have filed petitions for union elections, with more planning to do so.