Troublemakers Blog
December 07, 2018 / Chris Brooks
I’ve never been tear gassed before. The smell is similar to fireworks and the effect is explosive—and effective. I immediately wanted to get as far away as I could from the noxious source of burning eyes and throat.
I was in Paris when France’s “yellow vest” (gilet jaune) movement shut down the center of the city. »
December 06, 2018 / Alexandra Bradbury
“How can we get young workers involved?”
That’s the question on everyone’s lips, with union density at near-record lows. Many unions have begun holding summits for young members or forming local committees, which is great.
But too often they’re missing a step that’s more essential: don’t sell young workers out. »
November 29, 2018 / Dan DiMaggio
The Troublemakers Union turns 40 next year! We’re planning a whole series of events to commemorate the occasion, from special magazine features to speaking tours and more.
As part of our celebration, we’re gathering memories of Labor Notes history, and we’d appreciate if you shared yours.
When was the first time you came across Labor Notes? »
November 26, 2018 /
Liu Penghua, along with Mi Jiuping, was one of the three workers who took the lead in trying to form a union at the Jasic welding equipment factory in Shenzhen, China. Liu was the first to face retribution for his actions, suffering a beating by factory thugs on July 16. He is now among the four worker activists being tried for participation in the Jasic »
November 23, 2018 / Alexandra Bradbury
The massive gift production and distribution operation at the North Pole is in disarray amid rolling strikes this week.
The conveyor belts were halted for several hours on Wednesday when maintenance elves walked out just as a mass of taffy was discovered in the gears. On Thursday there was another walkout, this time in Wrapping and Ribbons. And today, no one is »
November 20, 2018 /
A Detroit News article published in October revealed that our union, the Auto Workers (UAW), is building a luxurious three-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bath “cabin” as a permanent residence for retired President Dennis Williams at Black Lake, the union’s educational retreat center in Northern Michigan. »
November 19, 2018 /
Yu Juncong—the author of the first open letter to Jasic Technology and one of the first Jasic workers to openly protest the company’s policies—was fired in May 2018 for his actions. »
November 17, 2018 /
Note: Li Zhan is a former worker at the Jasic welding-equipment factory in China’s manufacturing hub of Shenzhen. He's been held in Shenzhen Number 2 detention center for over 100 days for supporting the effort to form a union at Jasic this summer. Li is one of four workers against whom charges have been pressed for “disturbing social order” in the course of »
November 16, 2018 / Samantha Winslow
"Right-to-work" laws and the Supreme Court's Janus decision don't have to mean game-over for unions. »
November 09, 2018 / Samantha Winslow
How did states with high-profile union fights fare in the 2018 midterms? The elections were a mixed bag. »