OAKLAND, Calif. — The myth of lockstep liberal California took a hit this election. Voters in the deep-blue state rejected a progressive push to reinstate affirmative action, sided with technology companies over organized labor and rejected rent control. They are poised to reject a business tax that had been a decadeslong priority for labor unions …
California proves it’s not as liberal as you think Read More »
The U.S. workplace will look much different with Joe Biden in the Oval Office — with some significant changes possible even if Republicans maintain a majority in the Senate. “Biden, who won the endorsement of almost every major union in the country, has made labor reform a fundamental part of his program and is widely expected to name at least …
What the workplace will look like under a Biden White House Read More »
Labor leaders are eyeing a Joe Biden victory in November as the start of a union revival, one with the potential to undo decades of policies that have diminished union influence, undermined the right to organize and exacerbated income inequality. And they’re planning on playing a central role. “It’s clear to me it’s going to …
Unions predict a Great Awakening during a Biden presidency Read More »
While U.S. union density hit an all-time low in 2019, the nonprofit sector appears to be one area where workers are unionizing. The Nonprofit Professional Employees Union (NPEU) brought seven new workplaces into their union during a 16-day period in April, including the environmental organization Friends of the Earth. And while there is no official data on …
How Unions Can Bridge the Gap Between Climate and Labor Movements Read More »
Here is the most fundamental quandary of unions in America: Polls show that 65% of Americans approve of unions, and half of workers say they would join a union. But only about 10% of workers are actually union members. In the yawning gap between those numbers lies the entire story of the American labor movement’s decline. The systematic decades-long assault on labor power …
A Bunch of Union Organizers Explain What’s Wrong with Unions Read More »
Detroit bus drivers, the first essential workers in the country to strike for safety during the pandemic, pulled a wildcat work stoppage again Friday, angry over escalating violence against drivers. Often the attacks are triggered, they said, by a driver’s request that a passenger wear a mask. Drivers returned to work this morning with a promise …
Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story. Last Thursday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law a package of bills to expand worker …
California Labor Federation Wins New Protections for Workers Read More »
Oren Cass—conservative policy wonk, 2012 Mitt Romney advisor and executive director of the new think tank American Compass (which does not disclose its donors)—is a surprising candidate for labor law reformer. That is exactly why his recently launched project to build and define a “Conservative Future for the American Labor Movement” is drawing so much attention. In a founding statement titled “Conservatives Should Ensure Workers a Seat at the …
Is the Conservative Case for Organized Labor an Oxymoron? Read More »
No union in America has been positioned more directly in the bullseye of this pandemic’s economic devastation than Unite Here, the 300,000-member union of hotel, food service and casino workers. In April, its members were suffering a staggering 98% unemployment rate. Almost six months later, the union is stuck at about 85% unemployment. Despite that, it is also the only …
Unite Here Is 85% Unemployed and Still Fighting Like Hell Read More »
Inside the groundbreaking student organizing drive at Kenyon College. On August 31, students at Kenyon College, a private liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio, announced their intent to unionize with the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE) in an open letter to the school’s president and board of trustees. Students have requested voluntary recognition …
Meet the Students Trying to Organize the First Campus-Wide Undergraduate Union Read More »
Madeline Messa is a 3L at Syracuse University College of Law. She graduated from Penn State with a degree in journalism. With her legal research and writing for Workplace Fairness, she strives to equip people with the information they need to be their own best advocate.
