Portside

When workers begin the battle to unionize, they are making a tremendous choice about their lives. This decision is never made lightly; oftentimes they struggle against apathy, false promises from management, and the very real threats of dismissal.

Rat infestations, blocked fire exits, expired kids’ food, machete-wielding and watermelon-throwing shoppers and other nightmares at the biggest dollar chain in the US.

By organizing today’s “unorganizable” Southern workers, the Union of Southern Service Workers seeks to follow in their footsteps of downtrodden workers excluded from the New Deal's National Labor Relations Act of 1935 who fought for recognition.

Dollar stores have expanded across the country and complaints about work conditions and safety have grown with them. Over the past year, workers have been organizing, protesting and striking for better workplaces

Dollar General is one of the lowest-paying major retail chains, with average wages barely above the $7.25 federal minimum. Low pay is made worse by the lack of hours allotted to workers. In response workers are starting to organize.

Workers who bore the brunt of the Covid pandemic at billion-dollar companies such as Dollar General, McDonald’s and Wendy’s are leading a surge in action.

The vote could pave the way for what would become the first unionized store for this Seattle-based outdoor equipment and apparel company which employs 15,000 workers across the country.

The holiday season brought many of the risks and challenges of retail work to a head, from crowds and maskless customers to demanding bosses and supply chain problems.