Obama tells labor conference call he needs union efforts to win

by Claus Ruggles What a way to spend lunch hour: holding a phone for 40 odd minutes and listening to kicky guitar music and a chirpy voice repeatedly cutting in to apologize for the wait and promising that the scheduled conference call would indeed start shortly. Hundreds of unionists then doggedly waited for what was [...]

Nestlé threatens Hong Kong Strikers with Disinvestment

According to the International Business Times of Hong Kong Nestlé has threatened over 100 striking workers at its headquarters in Yuen Long (New Territories) that if their strike continues, the company will not rule out withdrawal or out-sourcing production from Hong Kong. If Nestlé were to carry out this threat, it would surely be to [...]

Bad Boss Contest

Every year, Working America runs a national competition for America’s worst boss–and it’s tough competition. Familiar stories about hard work, bad pay, no benefits and no respect come flooding in. Enter today to see if you can escape from (your) Bad Boss! But just don’t spread the word, take a look at a new study [...]

EPI Panel on “Love the Work, Hate the Job”

This Thursday July 31 , the Economic Policy Institute will host a paenl discussion of David Kusnet’s new book Love the Work, Hate the Job: Why America’s Best Workers Are Unhappier than Ever (Wiley, 2008). The event will take place at Economic Policy Institute 1333 H Street, NW East Tower, Suite 300 in Washington, DC.  [...]

Rank and File Activism: A Viable Alternative

By John Hovis and Chris Townsend President and Political Action Director UE ” Man’s greatness consists in his ability to do and the proper application of his powers to things needed to be done.” Frederick Douglas Over time, fads come and go, yet for organized labor certain basic principles hold true. In the “big picture” [...]

McCain attacks teachers’ unions

by Leo Casey In his speech last week to the national convention of the American Federation of Teachers, Barack Obama was clear and unequivocal in his opposition to using public money for vouchers for private schools. At that time, Obama made it clear that he supported public school choice — the ability of students and [...]

Teamsters Strategy on Acquisition of Anheuser Busch

The Teamsters Union is placing global union strategies at the center of its effort to protect jobs and communities that might be threatened by the takeover of Anheuser Busch. The collapsing US dollar has made it possible for the Belgian/Brazilian brewer InBev to acquire Anheuser Busch for some $52 billion depreciated greenbacks. If shareholders and [...]

Indian Workers Battle Nestlé

205 workers at Nestlé India’s Samalkha factory in Haryana state went on strike 4-5 July to protest the suspension of their union chairman Bijender Singh Gahlan for organizing non-disruptive protest actions including wearing black armbands and boycotting voluntary social functions. The union was demanding wage adjustments to compensate for the soaring cost of foods, including [...]

Nestlé Violates Worker Rights in China

In March 2008 management at the large Nescafé plant at Dongguan (Guangdong province of China) fired worker Wang Jianjin for distributing leaflets and soliciting signatures from co-workers calling for a new union election. The incumbent “union chairman” Zhang Junfeng had been serving for 12 years without an election. Zhang was also the top executive of [...]

Labor Video: Unions and the Informal Economy

Here is an excellent, informative video from Great Britain on unions and the informal economy. Take a look at “Build Rights, Build Unions”