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Worker Rights

After Resounding ‘No’ Vote, Letter Carriers Should Go On Offense

February 14, 2025 Rob Darakjian, Labor Notes. , , ,
Members of the National Association of Letter Carriers have rejected a sellout tentative agreement by 71 percent, in a 63,680 to 26,304 vote. That’s a turnout of 48.4 percent—and more “no” votes than the total turnout of 63,452 votes for the last contract. This result is a rejection of the current national leadership and its approach. Hundreds of letter carriers joined the new network Build a Fighting NALC (BFN) in organizing the first real vote-no campaign in the NALC since 1978, working alongside the Concerned Letter Carriers and the Mike Caref for President campaign in a broad reform movement.

How A Worker Cooperative Is Mitigating The Stray Animal Crisis

February 13, 2025 Damon Orion, NationofChange. , , , ,
The popularity of support animals attests to the mental health benefits of bonding with a pet, such as decreased stress, anxiety, and loneliness. According to the Mayo Clinic, having pets may also positively impact cardiovascular health and blood pressure control. Unfortunately, many animals that could be treasured companions never get that opportunity. This is especially true in the state of Texas. According to the animal welfare group Best Friends Animal Society, approximately 568,325 cats and dogs entered Texas shelters in 2023, and an estimated 82,681 of these animals were killed.

Federal Workers’ Unions See DOGE-Inspired Surge

February 9, 2025 Sam Brodey, Portside. , , , ,
In their aggressive bid to upend the federal government, Elon Musk and his lieutenants have, perhaps unintentionally, driven thousands of federal workers into the arms of one of the biggest enemies of their sweeping project. Organized labor. Unions that represent federal government workers are reporting significant increases in signups since President Trump took office and empowered Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” to drastically slash the federal workforce. The American Federation of Government Employees, the largest union representing federal workers, added 5,575 new members in the first six days of February alone Organized labor. Unions that represent federal government workers are reporting significant increases in signups since President Trump took office and empowered Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” to drastically slash the federal workforce.

10,000 King Soopers Workers Strike At 77 Stores

February 9, 2025 Viviana Weinstein, Workers World. , , , ,
Denver, Colorado - Unionized workers walked out at 5:00 a.m. on Feb. 6 in a two-week strike against 77 King Soopers stores in Colorado. United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 struck stores in six counties that include the major cities of Denver, Boulder and Louisville. In the strike authorization vote, UFCW members voted 96% in favor. The Unfair Labor Practice strike was called after contract negotiations that began in October 2024 failed. The contract expired in January. Workers on the picket line say that Kroger, the parent company of King Soopers and a hugely profitable corporation, wants them to accept a contract that will take them backward.

Healthcare Workers Must Organize Collectively To Fight Trump’s Attacks

February 7, 2025 Mike Pappas, Left Voice. , , ,
We are a little over a week into the second Trump presidency, and it is clear: his administration’s policies are a direct assault on health and well-being. From freezing critical research funding and blocking access to Medicaid, to expanding ICE’s reach into hospitals and rolling back environmental protections, these attacks will cost lives. As we have discussed, trans and nonbinary people will face increased barriers to care, immigrants will be deterred from seeking medical attention, and entire communities will be left at risk of untreated illnesses and potentially preventable outbreaks.

A Guide For Federal Employees Under Siege

February 5, 2025 Kristofer Goldsmith, On Offense. , , , , ,
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been inundated with messages from concerned federal employees. Many of you have reported disturbing developments involving Elon Musk and his inner circle—including private contractors from Musk's companies allegedly accessing sensitive Office of Personnel Management (OPM) servers and locking federal employees out of their systems. These actions raise serious legal and ethical concerns, and we must confront them strategically. I understand your fear and frustration. You’re being targeted because authoritarian leaders know that professional public servants—those of you who uphold the rule of law—are the greatest obstacle to their agenda.

USDA Inspector General Who Refused To Leave Post Escorted From Office

January 31, 2025 AJ Dellinger, Gizmodo. , , , , , ,
Last Friday, President Donald Trump purged several agencies of their inspectors general, demanding that at least 17 people in the role immediately turn in their work laptops and ID badges. One of those IGs, Phyllis Fong at the US Department of Agriculture, decided not to leave, believing the order to be illegal. According to a report from Reuters, she was escorted from the building today by security. Fong is a 22-year veteran of the inspector general office with the USDA. And while that multi-decade career is probably in part why the Trump administration axed her (something something swamp, something something career bureaucrat, etc.), she also likely carried among the most institutional knowledge of IG operations in the federal government.

Report Shows Understaffed Air Traffic Control On Night Of Plane Crash

January 31, 2025 Julia Conley, Common Dreams. , , , , ,
A preliminary report on Wednesday night's crash involving a American Airlines commercial flight and a military helicopter revealed that the air traffic control tower in the vicinity of the accident was not staffed at "normal" levels, with just one controller handling a task that two employees ordinarily would have done in the high-stress job. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report on Thursday said the staffing at the time of the crash was "not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic." One controller was instructing helicopters near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport while also directing planes landing at and departing from the airport.

Public Service Unions File Lawsuit Challenging Trump Administration

January 30, 2025 AFSCME, Portside. , , , ,
Today, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), represented by Democracy Forward and Bredhoff and Kaiser PLLC, filed suit against the Trump administration challenging efforts to politicize the civil service through illegal executive orders. The lawsuit asserts that President Trump illegally exceeded his authority in attempting to unilaterally roll back a regulation that protects the rights of civil servants. The suit also names the Office of Personnel Management for its role in failing to adhere to the Administrative Procedure Act in its attempts to roll back this same regulation.

Sewing Network Shows How Entrepreneurs Can Thrive In Place

January 27, 2025 Ilana Preuss, Next City. , , , ,
Despite no formal sewing training and few successful entrepreneurship examples in her neighborhood, Pittsburgh-based entrepreneur Nisha Blackwell has spent the last 10 years using her love of sewing to show her community that successful entrepreneurship is possible. Her boutique bowtie company Knotzland, upcycling rescued textiles and materials into high-quality bows through a distributed production model, shows how small-scale manufacturing can bring new life to struggling neighborhoods.

Meet The Cleaners Taking Control Of Their Work

January 26, 2025 Isaac Phan Nay, The Tyee. , , ,
Lulu Hernández said when she first started working as a cleaner in Vancouver, she just accepted the long hours and low wages that were the industry standard. But two women she met on the job helped her realize her workday could be different, Hernández said. “We were just dreaming about having a company where we are all women and fairly paid and a community,” she said. “We had all these ideas, but we didn’t know what we were creating until we put the name on it.” Hernández is one of the three founders of the Cleaning Co-op. Since incorporating in May 2023, the co-operative has grown to employ about 20 women and gender-diverse employees, including cleaners and administration staff.

Want To Defend Immigrant Workers In Your Contract?

January 18, 2025 Natascha Elena Uhlmann and Sarah Lazare, Labor Notes. , , ,
The following language was compiled from a series of unions and labor activists. It is intended as a resource for workers looking to include pro-immigrant provisions in their collective bargaining agreements. The Employer will require that any federal immigration agent, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agent, or State and Local law enforcement officials comply with legal requirements before they may be allowed to interrogate, search or seize the person or property of any worker.

How Labor Can Fight Trump’s Mass Deportation Agenda

January 17, 2025 Natascha Elena Uhlmann and Sarah Lazare, Labor Notes. , , ,
This is a frightening time for immigrant workers. President-elect Donald Trump ran on the slogan “mass deportations now,” and has appointed a team of anti-immigrant hardliners. The leadership of the Democratic Party has lurched to the right on this issue, adopting Trump’s rhetoric about “securing the border,” and embracing core Republican policies. A bill that would target undocumented people for deportations if they are merely accused—not convicted—of nonviolent crimes like shoplifting passed in the House with bipartisan support. It’s moving forward in the Senate where only eight Democrats opposed its advance.

Longshore Deal Secures New Automation Language

January 11, 2025 Joe DeManuelle-Hall, Labor Notes. , , ,
The International Longshoremen’s Association has settled its East and Gulf Coast contract shortly before a January 15 strike deadline. The deal locks in a 62 percent wage increase over six years and expands existing automation protections. Workers will also see larger “container royalty” payouts. The agreement will go first to a body of ILA delegates, and then members will vote. The full agreement is not yet public. ILA members won the big wage promise after striking for three days in October, shutting down container shipping on the East and Gulf Coasts in their first coastwide strike since 1977.

You Have To Shake Up The Status Quo

January 11, 2025 Sarah Jaffe, In These Times. , , , ,
Marilyn Sneiderman has her baby pink Teamsters jacket framed on her living room wall. You’ve seen this kind of jacket before, if not in that color — satin with the big union logo on the back, the Teamster twin horse heads over a wagon wheel. But when Sneiderman was hired as the education director for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters in the early 1990s, under the reform leadership of Ron Carey, she was one of few women in power. The pink jacket is, in a way, a symbol of her entire career in the labor movement. 
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