“We Need to Stay Strong as a Union”: Interview with a Chicago Teacher

A Chicago teacher discusses this week’s vote to move to remote learning, and the backlash from Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

The Great Resignation Continues: 4.5 Million U.S. Workers Walked Off the Job in November

Low pay, lack of childcare, and dangerous working conditions are causing millions of people to quit their jobs. While this mass resignation may give labor some leverage to fight for higher wages and better benefits, it’s also a sign of the difficult choices working people continue to face as the pandemic rages on.

Chicago Teachers Are Locked Out After Voting for Remote Learning, Refusing to Enter Unsafe Classrooms

Amidst a massive coronavirus surge, Chicago public school teachers voted to return to classes remotely following winter break. Instead Mayor Lightfoot and the district cancelled all classes in a clear confrontation with the city’s teachers and threatened to place all teachers who don’t return by Wednesday on “no pay” status.

“We’re being treated unfairly and we’re doing something about it”: Amazon Workers Walk Out

On Wednesday, dozens of Amazon workers walked out at the DIL3 facility in Gage’s Park and DLN2 warehouses in Cicero in Chicago. They are demanding a wage increase and safer working conditions. The walkout took place during the Christmas rush, maximizing the impact on Amazon.

Striking Latina Cake Factory Workers in L.A. Area Reject Latest Contract Proposal

After 46 days on strike, workers at a cake factory in Los Angeles have rejected the latest contract proposal from the bosses. These cake makers are among many striking workers across the United States fighting against hyper-exploitative bosses.

Columbia University’s Middle Eastern, South Asian and African Studies Department Refuses To Hire Scabs

Columbia University’s Department of Middle Eastern, South Asian and African Studies has issued a statement refusing to hire scabs for the spring semester. All departments should follow its lead, stand in solidarity with student workers, and defy the university’s orders to break their strike.

Bosses Don’t Keep Us Safe — We Need Workers’ Safety Committees

During the deadly tornadoes last weekend, workers were not allowed to leave. Incredibly, this is completely legal. Laws and safety protocols protect businesses, not workers. We need workers’ committees to manage safety on the job.

Columbia Seeks Scabs. NYC-Area University Educators Refuse

Columbia is trying to hire scabs to replace student workers for spring semester in an effort to break their 7-week-long strike. Student workers at NYU-GSOC have organized a pledge that no academic worker will cross the picket line by applying for or accepting these jobs. We reprint the pledge here and urge readers who work in higher education to sign on as individuals and ask their unions to do the same.

Unions Need to Be On the Frontlines of the Struggle for Abortion Rights

The right to an abortion is under attack. That right is a crucial one for the working class. So why have our union leaders been so quiet?