New Mexico Teachers Organize Rainbow Contingent in Pride Parade
Jamie Shelton can’t prove that someone shot out her windshield because of her eighth-grade Queer History curriculum a few years ago, but she has a hunch. The father of one of her students had been so irate about the material that he threatened to beat her up, and co-workers started walking her to her car.
In her 15 years in the classroom in Albuquerque, New Mexico, principals have asked her to park across the street from the school because of a rainbow decal on her car, misgendered her, called her homophobic names, and left religious texts in her school mailbox.
Yes, Abortion Rights Are a Union Issue
Abortion: it’s a topic unions shy away from. The logic is, why go there? You might alienate conservative workers who otherwise share your workplace concerns.
And it’s true, you might—though the issue is not as divisive as the GOP makes it out to be. A solid 61 percent of U.S. adults is pro-choice. Among those aged 18-29, it’s 74 percent.
It’s good to see unions begin to overcome this fear and take a stand—because, contrary to the narrative, abortion is a labor issue.
Must-see play for union leaders at Labor Notes!
Waterwell, in association with Working Theater, present
7 Minutes
written by Stefano Massini
translated by Francesca Spedalieri
directed by Kristina Valada-Viars
"7 Minutes is an extraordinary play about the fear, anger, strength, and resilience of workers in a warehouse fighting against a concession. It touches on every aspect of those very difficult but detrimental conversations on the shop floor. It's a must see." -Anthony Rosario, Teamsters Local 804
VIDEO: What is Visual Strategy? Projecting Power in the Street
Holding a union sign at a picket line or rally is a rite of passage for a fighting union. But how often do we stop to think about how we are using these moments of collective action to strengthen our sense of unity, pride, and power?
Labor Notes hosted the co-creators of Look Loud in a webinar filled with practical tips about how your union presents its message and power to the world, the joy of making beautiful and effective signage together, and how to stage rallies for maximum impact.