Labor

Universalizing Resistance To Attacks On Labor

November 14, 2017 Fred Redmond and Charles Derber, truth-out.org Resist! Electoral Politics, Labor, Workers Rights and Jobs

By Fred Redmond and Charles Derber for Truthout - In the last few months, Richard Trumka, president of the national AFL-CIO, resigned from a key Trump advisory board after Charlottesville; unions nationally are rallying with progressive Democrats to stop Trump's anti-union appointees to the National Labor Relations Board; graduate students at Harvard, Boston College and many universities are fighting to unionize; and Bernie Sanders has introduced a "Medicare for All" bill. This is the beginning of the "universalizing" resistance to the right wing seeking to destroy unions, end social protections, including the Affordable Care Act, and return to a Gilded Age plutocracy. Workers are beleaguered. Wages have been stagnant for 30 years, benefits such as health care are eroding, the middle class is dwindling. The compensation of the average Fortune 500 CEO has ballooned to 347 times that of the average US worker. Workers' hopes to secure the "American dream" are diminishing. Labor unions have shrunk to only 10.7 percent of workers, half the rate of 33 years ago. That decline is a result of unrelenting attacks by right-wing politicians. Wisconsin is a sad example. First Gov. Scott Walker kneecapped public sector unions; then he went after private sector labor organizations.

‘Refugees Are Nothing But Commodities’

November 11, 2017 Daan Bauwens, www.ipsnews.net Educate! Detention Centers, Labor, Refugees

By Daan Bauwens for InterPress Service. FOLLONICA, Italy - As countless refugees arriving on Italy’s shores report torture, extortion and forced labour in Libyan detention centers, many say they never intended to make the journey to Europe until the chaos in Libya left them no other choice. “We were still working on the construction site when I was taken apart from the others. The guard pulled his gun, aimed it at me and told me he’d shoot if I tried to walk away. After ten minutes of trembling with fear, a truck arrived and I was ordered to get in. We drove to a beach where a crowd was being kept at gunpoint by other guards in uniforms.

A Century Ago, The Working Class Redefined Peace

November 10, 2017 Liz Payne, morningstaronline.co.uk Educate! History, Labor, Revolution, Soviet Union, Workers Rights and Jobs

By Liz Payne for Morning Star - TODAY marks a very special centenary within our celebrations marking the events of the great October socialist revolution in Russia in 1917, one which is of crucial significance in respect of our struggles against the devastation brought about by imperialism and its catastrophic interventions and wars in our own time. On November 8 1917, the day following the establishment of the workers’ and peasants’ government, the second All-Russia Congress of Soviets of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies in Petrograd, which now had state power, issued its “Decree on Peace.” So fundamental was the ending of the inter-imperialist first world war to the future of the peoples of Russia and the peoples of all belligerent countries that it was articulated as a first priority of the first workers’ state in the first 24 hours of its existence. The issuing of the decree was supremely revolutionary and the initial act of internationalism of the workers’ government. For the first time in the history of the world, the will of workers, soldiers and peasants with state power in their hands was being expressed in respect of the resolution of conflict and the rights of peoples. By means of the decree, the true character of imperialist war and the nature of peace as defined by the working class were plainly set out, thus demonstrating the inherent link between the struggle for peace and that for socialism.

Unpaid Labourers Are ‘Slipping Pleas For Help Into Zara Clothes’

November 9, 2017 Staff, independent.co.uk Resist! Clothing, Exploitation, Labor, Workers

By Sarah Young for Independent - Shoppers at fashion retailer Zara have found unusual notes in their clothes from workers claiming they have not been paid for making the merchandise. Worth an estimated £8.6 billion and with more than 2,200 stores worldwide, Zara might be one of the world’s most successful fashion brands, but, once again, the retailer finds itself embroiled in controversy. According to customers in Istanbul, cries for help in the form of handwritten notes from Turkish workers have been found in the pockets of in-store garments asking shoppers to back their campaign for better labour standards and pressure Zara into paying them the wages they say they are owed, the Associated Press reports. The notes state the workers in question were employed by third-party manufacturer Bravo Tekstil, which reportedly closed down overnight, leaving workers owed several months wages. Bravo Tekstil also manufacturers garments for Mango and Next. “I made this item you are going to buy, but I didn’t get paid for it,” the notes reportedly read. But, this isn’t the first time the fast-fashion retailer has come under fire. The Spanish chain has previously been taken to task for causing environmental damage, ripping off young designers, and overlooking poor factory conditions. It was even sued for dismal working conditions and accused of both slave and child labour, as well as exploiting Syrian refugees as young as 15.

A Worker Co-op For Returning Citizens

November 8, 2017 J. Gabriel Ware, geo.coop Create! Cooperatives, Labor, New Economy

By J. Gabriel Ware for Grassroots Economic Organizing - The United States has the world’s highest incarceration rate, with more than 2.2 million people in prison. And within the United States, the highest incarceration rate belongs to Washington, D.C. There, a new worker-owned business cooperative hopes to reverse those numbers, offering former prisoners opportunities for employment and healing. Though co-ops that employ formerly incarcerated people already exist, Tightshift Laboring Cooperative is the first Washington, D.C., co-op formed and operated by ex-prisoners. The co-op offers an array of manual labor services, including residential and commercial cleaning, hauling and moving, and landscaping. It also uses eco-friendly products to provide customers with affordable, high-quality cleaning services. It’s more than just a business to Juan Reid, a former inmate who co-spearheaded the cooperative. For him, Tightshift is about helping former inmates recover, find work, and counter prisoner stigmatization in the workplace. Reid, 36, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for aggravated assault when he was just 18 years old. He spent the last seven of those years in solitary confinement, an experience he says was torture and a form of “dressed-up” slavery.

Using Worker Buyouts To Counteract Retaliatory Closings

November 7, 2017 Peter Gowan, peoplespolicyproject.org Create! Journalism, Labor, Repression, Unions

By Peter Gowan for People's Policy Project - There has been much understandable outrage at the closure of Gothamist and DNAinfo, a mere week after the publications voted to unionize. The closure of these publications was a move that will cause huge hardship to the journalists and staff at those publications, and should never have happened. It is also probably legal. United States labor law is exceptionally favorable to employers who would prefer to shut down their business rather than recognise a union. This precedent isn’t about to change because of a persuasive legal argument under the current Supreme Court and NLRB – but there are policy options which would significantly reduce the incentives for owners to close businesses in response to unionization, and protect workers where such actions are attempted. The first part of such a platform would be a version of the Italian “Marcora Law”, introduced in 1985. The law established a state investment fund for “phoenix cooperatives” in businesses or workplaces that were shutting down. Workers were given the right to collectively use up to three years of future unemployment benefits to instead buy the shares in their former workplace. These funds would then be matched three times over by the state investment fund, creating a sizeable sum of capital which could be used to revitalise the company.

U.S. Military Is The Largest Employer In The World

November 4, 2017 Sue Chang, marketwatch.com Educate! Inter-Imperialist Rivalry, Labor, US Imperialism, US military, Workers

By Sue Chang for Market Watch - Travel on Uncle Sam’s dime and have taxpayers pay for your education—these are some of the perks offered by the U.S. military, and it appears its recruiting strategy is effective. The U.S. Department of Defense has been named the largest employer in the world with 3.2 million employees on its payroll, according to the World Economic Forum. The second largest is China’s People’s Liberation Army with 2.3 million on its staff roster and third biggest is Wal-Mart Stores Inc. WMT, +0.99% with 2.1 million employees. McDonald’s Corp. MCD, +0.33% came in fourth with 1.9 million workers but the World Economic Forum noted the fast-food chain would be eliminated from the list if employees at its franchise restaurants weren't counted. “As the majority of its restaurants are franchises, this figure falls to 420,000 when they are excluded,” said the WEF.

Striking Miners Remain Resilient And Strong

October 22, 2017 William Rogers, www.leftlaborreporter.com Resist! Labor, Mining, Strike, Unions

By William Rogers for Left Labor Reporter. Idaho - After six months on strike, 250 miners at the Lucky Friday silver mine in Mullan, Idaho remain determined to continue their fight for a fair contract that protects hard-won union pay, benefits, and safety measures. In addition to maintaining a strong picket line for more than six months, the strikers, members of United Steelworkers Local 5114, have carried out an effective corporate campaign aimed putting their employer Hecla Mining on the defensive. In addition to the Lucky Friday silver mine in Idaho, Hecla owns mines in Mexico, Canada, and Alaska that mine silver, gold, lead, and zinc.

Open Letter To Union Leaders: Act On Climate

October 13, 2017 Staff, www.popularresistance.corg Organize! Climate Change, Labor, Unions

By Staff of Labor Network for Sustainability - Working people, poor people, and frontline communities are most heavily impacted by the effects of climate change. We feel the force of this devastation first and worst—from more powerful hurricanes to wildfires, from rising sea levels to crop-destroying droughts and floods. Our families and communities receive the greatest blow and have the biggest stake in moving as rapidly as possible from a fossil fuel-based society to a sustainable energy society. Global warming represents an existential threat to the world’s people. We must act rapidly to avoid even more devastating climate change. But moving to 100% renewable energy will also impact jobs for many of us. So any transition, to be just, must protect workers and frontline communities impacted by the changes we must make from having to disproportionately bear rather than share the social cost. Organized labor with its allies is the strongest, best-organized force to turn this around. Who will speak for the global majority of working people and poor people if organized labor does not? The Earth is our only home. There is no Planet B. And there are no jobs on a dead planet.

Thousands Protest Tories And Austerity

October 1, 2017 Staff, www.socialistworker.co.uk Resist! Austerity, Conservative, Labor, United Kingdom (UK)

By Socialist Worker. Manchester, UK - Thousands of demonstrators are gathering at the Castlefield's Arena in Manchester today, Sunday, to protest against Tory austerity. The Tories are beginning their annual conference in the city. The slogan of the protest, called by the People's Assembly, is, "Tories out". There is a sense that after seven years of brutal Tory rule, it's possible to kick them out of office. Jane from Manchester told Socialist Worker, "There's a change going on in people's general attitudes, people can see the affect that inequality is having on their lives.

SCOTUS Is On The Verge Of Decimating Public-Sector Unions

September 30, 2017 Shaun Richman, www.inthesetimes.com Organize! Labor, Supreme Court, Unions, Workers

By Shaun Richman for In These Times - On Thursday, the Supreme Court agreed to hear Janus vs. AFSCME, the case that will likely turn the entire public sector labor movement into a “right-to-work” zone. Like a lazy Hollywood remake, the case has all the big money behind it that last year’s Friedrichs v. CTA did, with none of the creativity. In Friedrichs, the plaintiffs argued that interactions between public sector unions and government employers are inherently political. Therefore, the argument went, mandatory agency fees to reimburse the union for the expenses of representation and bargaining were forced political speech, violating employees’ purported First Amendment right to not pay dues. The case ended in a 4-4 deadlock in March 2016, following the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, who had appeared poised to vote against the unions’ interests. Much like Friedrichs, the Janus case has rocketed through the federal courts. The National Right to Work Foundation, which represents the plaintiffs, petitioned the Supreme Court to hear the case in early June. All briefs will likely be submitted by mid-January 2018, meaning SCOTUS could hold hearings almost exactly a year to the date that the Court last heard the same arguments. The defendants may argue for procedural delays, which could potentially kick the decision into the following court term in 2018-2019.

310,567 Signatures Block ‘Right To Work’ In Missouri

September 23, 2017 Judy Ancel, www.labornotes.org Organize! Labor, Missouri, Workers Rights and Jobs

By Judy Ancel for Labor Notes - The results astounded everyone who thought they knew the Missouri labor movement: more than 300,000 signatures to repeal “right to work.” Thousands of union members and allies marched through the streets of the state capital August 18 to deliver 163 boxes of petitions signed by 310,567 Missourians. The signers called for a referendum to repeal the right-to-work law passed by the legislature earlier this year. The signatures gathered were more than three times the number needed. Although signatures were needed in only six of the state’s eight Congressional districts, there were enough to qualify from all eight, and they came from all 114 Missouri counties. The state was forced to postpone the August 28 implementation of right to work till November 2018, when voters will determine its future. The petition drive was coordinated by We Are Missouri, a coalition of unions both in and out of the state AFL-CIO. Volunteers from Missouri Jobs with Justice and the Sierra Club stepped up, too. Most of the money for the campaign came from Missouri unions, with contributions as low as $100 and as high as $83,000. Much bigger donations came from labor PACs representing the state AFL-CIO, Teamsters, and Carpenters. As of August 31, the labor side had raised $1.36 million and spent almost half of it.

What America Would Look Like If It Guaranteed Everyone A Job

September 16, 2017 Dylan Matthews, www.vox.com Create! Employment, Labor, New Economy, Workers Rights and Jobs

By Dylan Matthews for Vox Magazine - Imagine if a well-paying job, with benefits and a high enough salary to pay for rent, transportation, and food, were a human right. Imagine the US federal government established a policy whereby anyone who didn’t have a job and wanted one could go into a local office for a government agency — call it the Works Progress Administration — and walk out with a regular government position paying a livable wage ($15 an hour, perhaps) and offering health, dental, and vision insurance, and retirement benefits, and child care for their kids. Different people would do different things: teaching or working for after-school programs or providing child care or building roads and mass transit or driving buses and so on. But everyone would be guaranteed a job, including during recessions. Involuntary unemployment would be a thing of the past. No one who works would be in poverty. That’s a truly radical policy idea. But it has deep roots in the Democratic Party’s past, from the New Deal’s emergency employment programs to the Humphrey-Hawkins Act, a 1970s proposal that, as originally written, would have given unemployed Americans the right to sue the government. Today, there are even some actual proposals on the table. In May, the Center for American Progress issued a report calling for a "large-scale, permanent program of public employment and infrastructure investment." But some labor economists, even left-leaning ones, are skeptical. None of the programs, they argue, have done enough work on the details.

Tens Of Thousands March In France Against Anti-Worker Reforms

September 13, 2017 Jake Johnson, www.commondreams.org Resist! France, Labor, March, Reform, Workers Rights and Jobs

By Jake Johnson for Common Dream - Led by the General Confederation of Labor (CGT), France's second largest trade union, demonstrators flooded Paris and other major cities chanting: "Macron you're screwed, the slackers are in the streets." The "slackers" label came from Macron himself, who in a recent speech vowed to not "give any ground [on his labor reforms], not to slackers, nor cynics, nor hardliners." Union leaders and France's left opposition seized upon Macron's comments and used them to rally workers ahead of Tuesday's planned actions, which included around 180 protests and 4,000 strikes—the first nationwide demonstrations of Macron's young presidency. In an interview on Monday, former Socialist Party presidential candidate Benoit Hamon slammed Macron's "slacker" remarks as "insulting" to French workers. "Lazy people are the independently wealthy, who don't need to work for a living," Hamon retorted. "And a lot of independently wealthy picked Emmanuel Macron as their champion."

Slave Labor Widespread At ICE Detention Centers, Lawyers Say

September 12, 2017 Mia Steinle, www.pogo.org Educate! Detention Centers, Exploitation, Immigration, Labor, Prison Labor, Undocumented

By Mia Steinle for POGO - There are nearly 200 federal detention centers across the country. Here, people suspected of violating U.S. immigration laws wait for court hearings to find out if they’ll stay in the United States or be deported. While they wait, many detainees work as part of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) “voluntary work program.” They clean, they cook, they do laundry, and they garden—some advocates say they keep the facilities running. For their labor, the detainees are supposed to be paid at least $1 per day, or just under $0.13 per hour for an 8-hour work day. This arrangement has the blessings of both ICE and Congress, the latter of which set the rate over a half a century ago and hasn’t changed it since. However, a growing body of legal experts says paying detainees $1 per day not only violates state minimum wage laws, but also violates the 13th Amendment of the Constitution, which abolished slavery and involuntary servitude in all instances except as punishment for people convicted of crimes. Experts argue that, because the majority of detainees have not been convicted of crimes, they should be fairly compensated for their labor. From California to Colorado to Massachusetts, detainees have recently taken legal action against the for-profit companies and local governments that operate the majority of ICE detention centers.

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