April 30 News Update

Each Monday-Friday, by 9AM Central, we’ll post links to news stories and analytical articles of interest to working people. Sometimes they will be accompanied by editorial commentary. Stories from the New York Times will be followed with a *. The Times pay wall policy allows free access to only about ten articles a month.

EPA wins another key court battle
Supreme Court upholds EPA rules on coal pollution
Justices Back Rule Limiting Coal Pollution *

Tube strike continues for commuters
Keystone XL pipeline supporters seek Senate vote
The Working-Class Mini-Revolts of the Twenty-First Century
FLOC Takes Fight for U.S. Tobacco Workers' Rights to England
Glen Ford talks about the recent 'Fight For 15' conference in Seattle
Taipei workers to march
Korea ferry disaster exposes cozy industry ties, soft penalties
Most young voters plan to sit out midterm elections, new poll finds
Details emerge on 4-year AUPE deal
Botched Oklahoma execution reignites death penalty debate
White House opens door to tolls on interstates
South Carolina Resists as U.S. Seeks to Shut Down Disposal Site *
Nearly Half of New Yorkers Are Struggling to Get By, Study Finds *
In the U.S., Punishment Comes Before the Crimes *

April 29 News Update

Each Monday-Friday, by 9AM Central, we’ll post links to news stories and analytical articles of interest to working people. Sometimes they will be accompanied by editorial commentary. Stories from the New York Times will be followed with a *. The Times pay wall policy allows free access to only about ten articles a month.

London commuters battle Tube strike
May Is Transit Action Month
The Politics of Pachamama
Faculty at two Twin Cities colleges organizing into unions
Despite Local 'No' Votes, International Declares UPS Contract Ratified
Postal Unions, Teachers Turn Up the Heat on Staples
Vancouver: Fracking comes to the world’s ‘greenest city’
Workers Memorial Day: Honor the Dead, Fight Like Hell for the Living
Nurses, Techs, and Community Hold a Candlelight Vigil for Patient Safety
Paras and Nurses Win Pay Raises, Reduced Healthcare Co-Pays
Hold the Date! LCSP National Strategy Conference August 22-24
President of Kansas City AFL-CIO says labor unions still matter
UAW turns to French group, State Department in Nissan union push
Labor secretary announces new job grants to states
Minimum Wage Battles

April 28 News Update

Each Monday-Friday, by 9AM Central, we’ll post links to news stories and analytical articles of interest to working people. Sometimes they will be accompanied by editorial commentary. Stories from the New York Times will be followed with a *. The Times pay wall policy allows free access to only about ten articles a month.

Recovery Has Created Far More Low-Wage Jobs Than Better-Paid Ones *
NATO protesters receive 5- to 8-year prison terms
St. Luke’s Hospital settles health insurance cases with accident victims
Oregon abandons health exchange
Chile to reconsider abortion ban
Telecom firm fails in first known FISA court surveillance challenge
Minneapolis' alternative to Columbus Day
In states, ‘trench warfare’ on pollution rules
A Walmart Fortune, Spreading Charter Schools *
Fewer U.S. Graduates Opt for College After High School *
Signature drive to start for $15-wage vote
Booming Alberta faces growing rural homeless problem
Northern Gateway would up risk of whale strikes: biologist
Indigenous tribe occupies Peru oil facility
Southern Illinois med school, labor union at odds over workers
‘We feel like we have a voice’: Maine Lobstermen Union recognized
Kellogg union fight comes to Battle Creek
Microsoft grapples with Internet Explorer security flaw
UMWA withholding judgment on new black lung rule
Election violence flares in South Africa's platinum belt
Canada workplace injuries falling, but fatalities holding steady
Protesters denounce oil pipeline port in Cacouna
Chernobyl: Capping a Catastrophe *
Forced to Flee Radiation, Fearful Japanese Villagers Are Reluctant to Return *
Nuclear Industry Gains Carbon-Focused Allies in Push to Save Reactors *
Experimental Efforts to Harvest the Ocean’s Power Face Cost Setbacks *

April 27 Week In Review Now Online

You can view the new WIR by clicking here

April 25 News Update

Each Monday-Friday, by 9AM Central, we’ll post links to news stories and analytical articles of interest to working people. Sometimes they will be accompanied by editorial commentary. Stories from the New York Times will be followed with a *. The Times pay wall policy allows free access to only about ten articles a month.

United States postal workers protest step toward 'privatization'
Greensboro Postal Union Workers Protest Against Staples Partnership

North Dakota finds more radioactive oil waste
Study links California drought to global warming
Facing New York's New Mayor, Public Unions Should Fuse Their Bargaining Power
Bangladesh factory collapse: One year later
Marshall Islands sues nuclear powers
Is There a Filthy Chicken in Your Future?
Out-of-Control Transit Costs in Boston or Attack on Public Services?
RNs at Two Appalachian Regional Healthcare Hospitals Set One-day Strike
Electric Boat, labor union agree to new contract
MTA, LIRR unions plan face-to-face talks
Union at odds with AGY over ‘unacceptable’ proposed contract
Canada vs. U.S. middle class: What the New York Times missed
McDonald's Canada CEO calls foreign worker controversy 'bullshit'
Employees union calls for review of Red River College leadership
In Florida Tomato Fields, a Penny Buys Progress *
Seattle Mayor Says Effort to Build Agreement on $15 Minimum Wage Has Faltered *
Labor Board to Review Northwestern Football Case *
Louisiana: Bid to Allow Vote on Minimum Wage Killed *

April 24 News Update

Each Monday-Friday, by 9AM Central, we’ll post links to news stories and analytical articles of interest to working people. Sometimes they will be accompanied by editorial commentary. Stories from the New York Times will be followed with a *. The Times pay wall policy allows free access to only about ten articles a month.

48,000 Chinese Strikers Say, Adidas, Nike, Timberland: You Fix It!
Labor clash slows Arlington Downs construction
Amnesty: Qatar fails to protect domestic workers
Union demands passage of wage-theft bill
Hopkins, union to begin negotiating again
Union Pacific Ordered to Pay Injured Worker
Texas jury awards $3M to family for fracking illnesses
SPEEA Wins Boeing Case, Workers to Split $47 Million
Hoffa-Hall’s Massacre of Right to Vote on Contracts
Cowboy Indian Alliance and other Unlikely Environmental Alliances
ECB Considers Possible Deflation Measures
Canada to Phase Out Rail Cars Tied to Deadly Quebec Fire *
F.C.C., in a Shift, Backs Fast Lanes for Web Traffic *
New Labor Contract Will Cost M.T.A. $525 Million *

April 23 News Update

Each Monday-Friday, by 9AM Central, we’ll post links to news stories and analytical articles of interest to working people. Sometimes they will be accompanied by editorial commentary. Stories from the New York Times will be followed with a *. The Times pay wall policy allows free access to only about ten articles a month.

Jimmy Carter urges US, China leadership on climate
Solar Warriors vs. the Black Snake of Tar Sands
Does Climate Apathy Hinge on 'Pervasive' American Stupidity?
Where Have All the Green Jobs Gone?
EU climate chief urges China to show international commitment
Cowboys and Indians ride into US capital to protest Keystone
Marching Against Pipeline, With a Few Extra Legs *

Supreme Court Upholds Ban on Affirmative Action
MSHA set to announce new coal dust rule
Stonecutters, past and present, create and save a Minnesota treasure
International Falls nurses see signs of support
Federal study: 57% of poultry plant workers suffer ergonomic injuries
Why Passengers Cheered a Vermont Bus Strike
Average credit card interest rates hit 21 percent
Hospital safety under scrutiny after two nurses wounded in stabbings
One dead as violent protests erupt in Rio
State Dept. says Egypt cleared for US military aid
China activist missing after trying to help striking workers
Deadly Texas fertilizer warehouse blast preventable
Oil companies fight ND plan to slow production
Firefighters injured battling Mississauga pesticide warehouse blaze
Safety Faulted in South Korea Ferry Sinking *
Sherpas Move to Shut Everest in Labor Fight *
A.N.C.’s Stature Wanes as Disenchantment Grows in South Africa *
The American Middle Class Is No Longer the World’s Richest *
JetBlue Airways’ Pilots Vote to Join Union  *

April 22 News Update

Each Monday-Friday, by 9AM Central, we’ll post links to news stories and analytical articles of interest to working people. Sometimes they will be accompanied by editorial commentary. Stories from the New York Times will be followed with a *. The Times pay wall policy allows free access to only about ten articles a month.

South Africa platinum talks resume in bid to end three-month strike
'Carry it On' Tour Honors the Legacy of Pete Seeger
Air pollution hits people of color hardest
A Little-Known Toxic Threat 'Underfoot' in North Carolina
AFL-CIO Calls on the Obama Administration to Provide Deportation Relief
Nurses Stand Up to Chevron with Richmond, California Residents
Earth Day, Labor, and Me
In Small Canadian Town Democracy Wins, Tar Sands Loses
UAW suddenly retreats from fight at Tennessee VW plant
Supreme Court refuses to hear Florida appeal over worker drug testing
(Re)Radicalization of the Working Class in Turkey?
CUPW canvassing to save home mail delivery
Northern Gateway pipeline: B.C. First Nations say there will be no compromise
Nepal in talks to avert Sherpa strike
Paying a private student loan on time might not be enough
California’s Thirsting Farmland *
Battling for a Safer Bangladesh *

April 21 News Update

Each Monday-Friday, by 9AM Central, we’ll post links to news stories and analytical articles of interest to working people. Sometimes they will be accompanied by editorial commentary. Stories from the New York Times will be followed with a *. The Times pay wall policy allows free access to only about ten articles a month.

More than 100 hate-crime murders linked to single website
A shale-oil boom beckons U.S. companies in Mexico’s danger zone
Ralph Nader slams GM's stance on 'hypothetical casualties'
The decline of labor unions and the rise of the minimum wage
Toronto Strikers Bump Up Boycott Tactics
Raising Our Expectations
'Cowboy Indian Alliance' Steps Forward in Earth's Time of Need
Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter dead at 76
Some N.O. Charters Begin Exploring Teachers Unions
With Climate Change, Wildfires Getting Worse in the West
China shoe strike spreads, enters second week
Suncor Energy employee killed at Fort McMurray worksite
Corn biofuels worse than gasoline on global warming in short term
50 Years Into the War on Poverty, Hardship Hits Back *
Health Law Fund-Raising Is Detailed *

April 20 Week In Review Now Online

You can view the new WIR by clicking here

April 18 News Update

Each Monday-Friday, by 9AM Central, we’ll post links to news stories and analytical articles of interest to working people. Sometimes they will be accompanied by editorial commentary. Stories from the New York Times will be followed with a *. The Times pay wall policy allows free access to only about ten articles a month.

Seattle’s Elite Begin Their Counter Attack
$15/hour minimum wage drive ignited

Captain not at helm of capsized Korean ferry
Auto Parts Workers Strike for Recognition
Third Report in Three Days Shows Scale of Fracking Perils
Effort to protect farmworkers from sexual assault gaining momentum
One Year After 15 Died in Preventable Texas Fertilizer Blast, Safety Rules Stalled
Unscrupulous Employers Take Advantage of H-2B Immigrant Workers
UMass Memorial Cut Services and Staff is Pennywise and Pound Foolish
In Rare NLRB Order Fallbrook Must Pay Costs of Refusing to Bargain
The world's dumbest idea: Taxing solar energy
Strike at China sneaker factory snowballs
Labor union calls on Amazon workers in Germany to go on strike
Downtown Las Vegas unions show force as contract talks continue
Free Transit: Three Reasons It Is an Idea Whose Time Has Come
Treatment Cost Could Influence Doctors’ Advice to Patients *
One-Fifth of China’s Farmland Is Polluted, State Study Finds *
With Cuomo’s Help, M.T.A. and Union Reach a Deal *

April 17 News Update

Each Monday-Friday, by 9AM Central, we’ll post links to news stories and analytical articles of interest to working people. Sometimes they will be accompanied by editorial commentary. Stories from the New York Times will be followed with a *. The Times pay wall policy allows free access to only about ten articles a month.

The $15 Movement Lays Down Its Trump Card: A Ballot Measure
More Seattles, Please

US judge overturns 6-week abortion ban
Bill signed allowing surprise inspections of Arizona abortion clinics
Minnesota CEOs paid 127 times what the average worker earns
Fracking Boom Creating Crisis of Illegal Toxic Dumping
Hundreds killed while defending environment
Pew Research Encouraging a Generational War Over Social Security. Medicare
Board finds in favor of nurses’ union
How 250 UPS Workers Fired for a Wildcat Strike Won Back Their Jobs
University of Illinois Chicago Faculty Agrees to Tentative Contract
About 400 Chicago concrete truck drivers go on strike
Mississippi governor signs limits on labor union activities
Strike continues at Rio Olympic venues
After 2 Years, M.T.A. and Union Close In on a New Contract *

April 16 News Update

Each Monday-Friday, by 9AM Central, we’ll post links to news stories and analytical articles of interest to working people. Sometimes they will be accompanied by editorial commentary. Stories from the New York Times will be followed with a *. The Times pay wall policy allows free access to only about ten articles a month.

35 Years of a Not-Boring Labor Movement
Life in the shadow of an oil refinery
West, Texas: Could the blast happen again?
How will labor be revived?    
A Practical Solution to an Urgent Need
Labor union prepares for contract negotiations
Turkish gov't rules out May 1 rallies in İstanbul's Taksim Square
Massive China shoe factory strike rolls on as offer falls flat
Teachers face higher retirement age under new pension deal
China's air pollution leading to more erratic climate for US
Jimmy Carter comes out against Keystone pipeline
Desalination Plant Said to Be Planned for Thirsty Beijing *
Despite Rise in Spills, Hazardous Cargo Rides Rails in Secret *

April 15 News Update

Each Monday-Friday, by 9AM Central, we’ll post links to news stories and analytical articles of interest to working people. Sometimes they will be accompanied by editorial commentary. Stories from the New York Times will be followed with a *. The Times pay wall policy allows free access to only about ten articles a month.

Climate refugees: new social movements, new responsibilities of solidarity
Standing up for NY day laborers
Post, Guardian win Pulitzer for NSA leaks
Graduate students of the world, unite!
Pearl Paint Illegally Fired 39 Workers, Union Says
Unions meet Istanbul governor for May Day rally in Taksim
Contracting Out Public Services Worsens Inequality and Lowers Wage
China set to elevate environment over development in new law
Fish losing survival instinct in acidic oceans, study says
California fatal bus crash: Was FedEx truck cargo involved?
Social Security halts effort to collect old debts
We need a tipping point toward climate justice
Shaw Communications to lay off 400 workers
Political Rifts Slow U.S. Effort on Climate Laws *
In Many Cities, Rent Is Rising Out of Reach of Middle Class *
Worker Dies After Falling From Building *
Dual Turning Point for Biofuels *

April 14 Week In Review Now Online

You can view the new WIR by clicking here

April 14 News Update

Each Monday-Friday, by 9AM Central, we’ll post links to news stories and analytical articles of interest to working people. Sometimes they will be accompanied by editorial commentary. Stories from the New York Times will be followed with a *. The Times pay wall policy allows free access to only about ten articles a month.

Man with history of anti-Semitism in shooting at Johnson County Jewish centers
Three killed after shootings at Jewish centres in Kansas
Shooting suspect has ties to KKK

UN panel shows who's responsible for CO2 emissions
IPCC climate change report: averting catastrophe is eminently affordable
U.N. panel warns of climate disaster as emissions hit ‘unprecedented levels’
U.N. Climate Panel Warns Speedier Action Is Needed to Avert Disaster *

Deal reached in NYC building worker labor talks
Delta Western Workers Approve Union Membership
Gerawan Farming labor ruling put off
SF labor unions asking for pay raises
Vale, Local 6500 to conduct joint probe into smelter death
NSA journalists accept Polk award
From mortgage relief to painful bills from the IRS
China Takes On Big Risks in Its Push for Shale Gas *
Police Clash With Squatters in Rio de Janeiro Slum *
Salvadoran General Accused in Killings Should Be Deported, Judge Says *
China: Chemical Found in City’s Water *
Ohio: Geologists Link Earthquakes to Gas Drilling *
Total Taxes on Wages Are Rising *
Thousands march in Paris, Rome against austerity, economic reforms
Oil industry Canada's biggest contributor to greenhouse gases
The People: The Rise and Fall of the Working Class 1910–2010
Occupy Wall Street trial opens
Capitalism simply isn't working
Obama's dark deportation legacy
Thousands protest austerity in Paris, Rome
China issues water ban after oil leak
Obama Lets N.S.A. Exploit Some Internet Flaws, Officials Say *
In California, Saving a Language That Predates Spanish and English *
Thought Secure, Pooled Pensions Teeter and Fall *
Culinary Union Workers Strike Rally Nears Full-On Strike
Missouri union vote focuses on absent lawmakers
Canada Post to scrap home delivery
For Clinton and Boeing, a useful relationship
An Institution Exploring the Political Left Is Closing *

April 11 News Update

Each Monday-Friday, by 9AM Central, we’ll post links to news stories and analytical articles of interest to working people. Sometimes they will be accompanied by editorial commentary. Stories from the New York Times will be followed with a *. The Times pay wall policy allows free access to only about ten articles a month.

Big Brown Waves White Flag
UPS rehires 250 workers fired for protesting

U.S. jobless aid dips to lowest level since before the recession
Greeks go on strike ahead of Merkel visit
Kansas Eliminates Due Process for Teachers, Expands Privatization
Agent Orange compensation push in Maine could help Canadian victims
Call for vote on Ecuador Amazon oil
General strike grips Argentina
Merkel denied access to NSA file
Why US fracking companies are licking their lips over Ukraine
UN: emissions 'doubled in 10 years'
California drought gives boost to anti-fracking movement

April 10 News Update

Each Monday-Friday, by 9AM Central, we’ll post links to news stories and analytical articles of interest to working people. Sometimes they will be accompanied by editorial commentary. Stories from the New York Times will be followed with a *. The Times pay wall policy allows free access to only about ten articles a month.

Risks mount for catastrophic climate change
Campaign Stops 250 Firings at UPS in New York
The New Canadian Struggle for Public Transit
Gulf Life Still Reeling From Toxic BP Spill
Why the Minimum Wage Should Really Be Raised to $15 an Hour
Ten times as many mentally ill in prisons as state hospitals
Workers’ Actions Bring Change to Walmart
NYSUT Election Signals New Rift
Opera union seeks injunction
Untold Stories labor history series begins April 22
Calgary bills CP Rail $500K for Alyth Yard train derailment
Undocumented Latinos living in fear
Drug costs loom ever larger in Medicare
Equal pay bill falls short in Senate

April 9 Week In Review Now Online

You can view the new WIR by clicking here

April 9 News Update

Each Monday-Friday, by 9AM Central, we’ll post links to news stories and analytical articles of interest to working people. Sometimes they will be accompanied by editorial commentary. Stories from the New York Times will be followed with a *. The Times pay wall policy allows free access to only about ten articles a month.

UPS and union to discuss fate of 250 Queens drivers fired for 'illegal' walkouts
NLRB hears union complaints about Mercedes
Hopkins hospital workers authorize strike
Lean Production Hits Public Education
China: Mass protests challenge polluters
Senate report contains new details on CIA black sites
NC agency appeals more coal ash regulation
Blacklisted McDonald's restaurant calls back local applicant
Toyota recalls 6.5m cars worldwide
Medicare is the source of fortune for many doctors
Wounded in war but not in combat
Poachers Attack Beloved Elders of California, Its Redwoods *
Number of Mothers in U.S. Who Stay at Home Rises *

Text of KC Labor Labor Notes handout

Analysis, Advocacy, Action Since 2000

kclabor.org

For Class & Climate Justice

A 2009 KC Labor Conference Partnered With Troublemakers School

Greetings to 2014 Labor Notes Conference Participants

Since we went online in March, 2000 kclabor.org has been a promoter of Labor Notes and Labor Notes Conferences. In 2009 we partnered with Troublemaker Schools for a weekend conference in Kansas City. The magazine and gatherings do an excellent job in bringing news, information, and ideas for action to thousands of working class activists in the USA and around the world. As Minnie Pearl used to say, we're mighty proud to be here.

Based in Kansas City, kclabor.org is an independent, noncommercial, volunteer driven site. To keep it that way we accept no grants or paid advertising. Since we don't sell visitor information to anyone, no registration is required. We have no paywall around our content. We depend solely on voluntary contributions from visitors to sustain our project.

Our Mission

We say we are for Class and Climate Justice. In today's world we can't get one without the other.

When it comes to class, we're strictly old school. We believe social, economic and political issues revolve around the conflict of interests between the bosses and bankers, who call the shots in both economy and government, versus the working class majority. We work to reclaim our class identity that has been taken from us and revive interest in our proud heritage of class struggle.

Our site features news and analysis of current battles in the workplace, community, and electoral arenas. We are grateful to Doug Bonney, long time labor attorney in Kansas City, now Chief Counsel and Legal Director of the Kansas/Western Missouri ACLU, for providing 23 labor law articles on our Know Your Rights page. Mary Erio, a free lance Certified Industrial Hygienist, put together a useful page on workplace safety and health issues. We have other resource pages devoted to Labor History, Labor Culture, a Directory of North American unions, and much more.

From time to time, we sponsor live audience forums and conferences in the Kansas City area. Our webmaster writes a weekly column, cleverly titled Week In Review, distributed through RSS and e-mail to readers around the world.

'without our brain and muscle not a single wheel can turn!'

April 8 News Update

Each Monday-Friday, by 9AM Central, we’ll post links to news stories and analytical articles of interest to working people. Sometimes they will be accompanied by editorial commentary. Stories from the New York Times will be followed with a *. The Times pay wall policy allows free access to only about ten articles a month.

Wish You Were There!
UPS fires workers for walk-out
Dear Humanity, Time Is Running Out
Missouri’s Black towns disappear
Vale Sudbury smelter accident kills 1 worker, injures another
Canadian train safety watchdog uncovers unreported derailments
More Deportations Follow Minor Crimes, Records Show *
Colleges Increasing Spending on Sports Faster Than on Academics, Report Finds *
Under Revised Quake Estimates, Nuclear Reactors Face Costly Safety Analyses *
Cost Among Hurdles Slowing New York City Plan to Phase Out Dirty Heating Oil *
Sleep Disorder and Schedule Change Cited as Possible Factors in Train Derailment *
Apple’s Deep Pockets: What $159 Billion Could Do *
Vermont drivers end their strike with a victory
Philly transit talks stall, but no strike planned
Caesars Windsor reaches tentative contract with union
‘Wage theft’ is rallying cry for some area fast-food workers
Government Seeks Immediate Court Action to End Illegal Memphis Lockout
Case against MSNBC’s Ed Schultz may proceed
Workers at Samsung supplier in China win pay increase after strike
Workers, security guards clash at Rio Olympic Park
Arctic Sea Ice Peak Is 5th Lowest on Record
Supreme Court rejects appeal on New Mexico gay rights case
Al Jazeera calls for release of journalists detained in Egypt
California Truckers Will Be Paid $2.2 Million in Misclassification Case
NNU Nurses Win Historic Victory at MedStar Health
Cuba's only union questions plan to slash state payrolls
Quiet Labor Deal Gave $3M in Back Pay to Elevator Workers
Labor groups slam Colombia action plan
White House defends deportations
Occupy activist 'advocated peace'
Europe’s Many Jobless See Little Light Yet From Glimmers of a Recovery *
Concession Offered, Taiwan Group to End Protest of China Trade Pact *