We're Taking a Break

We observe Thanksgiving, a major U.S. holiday. Our next news update will be Monday, December 1

November 26 News Update

‘Hands Up, Don’t Ship!’ Minneapolis UPS Workers Protest Shipments to Missouri Police - See more at: http://www.labornotes.org/blogs/2014/08/hands-dont-ship-minneapolis-ups-workers-protest-shipments-missouri-police#sthash.rJeEoDbc.dpuf

Protests spread across US
Decision confirms fears of skewed justice system
Ferguson aftermath: Protests in Toronto, Ottawa spark debate
Thousands Protesting Ferguson Decision Block Traffic in New York City *

Workers plan Black Friday strike at Walmart; living wage an issue
Workers to hold week of action to demand higher wages
Stand with Walmart Strikers on Black Friday

Canadian protesters defy authorities over Trans Mountain pipeline
Anti-pipeline grandma, willing to go to jail, arrested for violating B.C. court order

Thousands of municipal workers hold 1-day strike to protest pension reforms
56 countries seek carbon capture incentives in next climate deal
China insists rich nations must do more at Lima climate meeting
Italy's Renzi clears hurdle in parliament on labor law
U.S. to leave more troops in Afghanistan than first planned
Why a small North Dakota town is taking on Big Rail
Coal mine accident in northern China kills 24: Xinhua
Arkansas, Mississippi gay marriage bans overturned
Hong Kong protest leaders arrested
43 Students and the Future of Mexico
Soldiers with PTSD might not get full pension, advocates warn
E.P.A. to Introduce Sweeping New Controls on Ozone Emissions *
Supreme Court to Hear Challenge to Rules on Mercury From Power Plants *
Obama Faces Protests in Chicago That Immigration Plan Is Too Meager *

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.

We take a closer look at news stories in our companion Week In Review blog, hosted at: KC Labor at WordPress

November 25 News Update

‘Hands Up, Don’t Ship!’ Minneapolis UPS Workers Protest Shipments to Missouri Police - See more at: http://www.labornotes.org/blogs/2014/08/hands-dont-ship-minneapolis-ups-workers-protest-shipments-missouri-police#sthash.rJeEoDbc.dpuf

Gunfire and flames after officer cleared in Ferguson
Why police are rarely indicted for misconduct
Protests disrupt cities across the country


UE Local 279 Members On Strike at Weir Valves

Union Fights 'Teacher Jail'
Labor union picks food fight over Intel cafeteria contractors
Food stamp cuts strain NYC food pantries
State fines Metro over restroom issues for bus drivers
Sacramento, Central Valley grocery workers OK deal with Save Mart
Over 1 million veterans lack insurance
4 Filipino temporary foreign workers killed in crash
WestJet flight attendants reject tentative agreement
After Acid Rain, Lakes Are Turning to ‘Jelly’ *

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.

We take a closer look at news stories in our companion Week In Review blog, hosted at: KC Labor at WordPress

November 24 Week In Review Now Online

You can view the new WIR here

November 24 News Update

‘Hands Up, Don’t Ship!’ Minneapolis UPS Workers Protest Shipments to Missouri Police - See more at: http://www.labornotes.org/blogs/2014/08/hands-dont-ship-minneapolis-ups-workers-protest-shipments-missouri-police#sthash.rJeEoDbc.dpuf

The Downside of the Boom *
Where Oil and Politics Mix *

In a Shift, Obama Extends U.S. Role in Afghan Combat *
Judge Rejects Overhaul of Illinois’s Beleaguered State Pension System *
G.M. ‘Bullied’ Manufacturer Over Poorly Designed Part, Email Says *
Climate Change Threatens to Strip Identity of Glacier National Park *
The Fight for $15.37 an Hour *
At union rallies across L.A., teachers seek more than just a pay hike
Workers to hold week of action to demand higher wages
Solar and Wind Energy Start to Win on Price vs. Conventional Fuels *

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.

We take a closer look at news stories in our companion Week In Review blog, hosted at: KC Labor at WordPress

November 21 News Update

‘Hands Up, Don’t Ship!’ Minneapolis UPS Workers Protest Shipments to Missouri Police - See more at: http://www.labornotes.org/blogs/2014/08/hands-dont-ship-minneapolis-ups-workers-protest-shipments-missouri-police#sthash.rJeEoDbc.dpuf

Climate change may have contributed to US cold snap
NOAA: Globe sets 5th hottest-month record of 2014
Current pledges not enough to stop global warming: UN report

Obama, Daring Congress, Acts to Overhaul Immigration *
Obama’s Immigration Action Has Precedents, but May Set a New One *
Overhaul shields 4 million from deportation
Immigration plan’s winners and losers
Obama’s evolution on immigration
UFCW Statement in Response to Executive Action on Immigration
Relief or tears as Obama's reforms touch Arizona immigrant families

Police arrest protesters as Ferguson awaits grand jury decision
Racial divide in U.S. arrest rates is 'staggering,' study finds

Mexicans converge on capital for protest over missing students
Falling Wages at Factories Squeeze the Middle Class *
Oops! Administration erred on health law sign-ups
Appeals court order keeps Mississippi's sole abortion clinic open
University tuition increases adopted in California
Judge to hear arguments over Illinois pension reform law
Walmart Exploiting Tax Loopholes: Watchdog
Employee health coverage costs rose 5.4 percent in the Kansas City area this year
Egypt considers pardons for Al Jazeera staff
Bus Rapid Transit Nearly Quadruples Over Ten Years

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.

We take a closer look at news stories in our companion Week In Review blog, hosted at: KC Labor at WordPress

November 20 News Update

‘Hands Up, Don’t Ship!’ Minneapolis UPS Workers Protest Shipments to Missouri Police - See more at: http://www.labornotes.org/blogs/2014/08/hands-dont-ship-minneapolis-ups-workers-protest-shipments-missouri-police#sthash.rJeEoDbc.dpuf

Gag order in Blankenship case criticized
Blankenship and black lung: Why coal isn't clean

Obama to announce go-it-alone plan on immigration Thursday
Sanctuary 2014: The Lord, if not the law, is on immigrants' side
Farm workers want in on Obama’s immigration action
Deportation Reprieve May Exclude Parents of Young Immigrants *

Mexico is teetering on the edge of the abyss
Main Mexico Leftist Party on Verge of Dissolution, Leader Says
Mass Abduction Reveals a Decaying Mexican State


Students in the UK March for 'Free Education

UN: World not close to avoiding dangerous warming
Lame-duck Congress urged to oppose fast track trade legislation
San Francisco may soon adopt Retail Workers Bill of Rights
Obama won't close door on torture
Defend Teamster Jobs at Sysco-US Foods


$15 an Hour and Full-Time

City of Omaha civilian union agrees to big changes in pension plan
Amazon Worker Forces Changes as Labor Board Settles Claim
Wilcox County's GD Copper votes to join steelworkers union
Takata’s Switch to Cheaper Propellant Is at Center of Crisis *

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.

We take a closer look at news stories in our companion Week In Review blog, hosted at: KC Labor at WordPress

November 19 News Update

‘Hands Up, Don’t Ship!’ Minneapolis UPS Workers Protest Shipments to Missouri Police - See more at: http://www.labornotes.org/blogs/2014/08/hands-dont-ship-minneapolis-ups-workers-protest-shipments-missouri-police#sthash.rJeEoDbc.dpuf

U.S. Senate rejects Keystone pipeline bill
ATU Joins Nurses, Health and Domestic Care Unions in Opposition to Keystone XL

If Labor’s Strategy Is as Good as Its Leaders Say, Why Are Unions in Crisis?
Dead Labor on a Dead Planet: The Inconvenient Truth of Workers' Bladders
Fracking to be permitted in GW National Forest
Gov't pension agency reports a $62 billion deficit
It’s the People’s Mail that Will Be Slowed, Workers Say
Postal Workers Push Back Against Privatization and Post Office Closures


Dining Out in Dinkytown: Remembering the Minneapolis Truckers’ Strikes of 1934

The United Taxi Workers Victory and the Struggle for a New Labor Movement
No More Backroom Deals

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.

We take a closer look at news stories in our companion Week In Review blog, hosted at: KC Labor at WordPress

November 18 News Update

‘Hands Up, Don’t Ship!’ Minneapolis UPS Workers Protest Shipments to Missouri Police - See more at: http://www.labornotes.org/blogs/2014/08/hands-dont-ship-minneapolis-ups-workers-protest-shipments-missouri-police#sthash.rJeEoDbc.dpuf

Thousands of Greeks march against austerity to mark 1973 uprising

Missouri governor activates National Guard
Keystone Senate vote hangs in balance after Obama remarks
Thousands of Brazilians march in gay rights parade
Hong Kong prepares to evict some pro-democracy protesters
Death by dirty water: Storm runoff a risk for fish
Thousands protest in Spain for Western Sahara independence


Walmart Workers Ramp Up Protests for Black Friday

Lorain, Ohio Labor Defends Political Independence
Japan CO2 emissions hit record yearly high
Gay couples welcomed at the altar, but less so in the workplace
Homelessness among US children at all-time high, report says
Protests rage in Mexico ahead of strike
Denied Entry to ‘Public’ Meeting, Postal Workers Stage Raucous Protest
Kinder Morgan pipeline protesters on Burnaby Mountain defy injunction
Coal Rush in India Could Tip Balance on Climate Change *
Health Care Law Recasts Insurers as Obama Allies *
Clean Mining a Deception in Kentucky, Groups Say *

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.

We take a closer look at news stories in our companion Week In Review blog, hosted at: KC Labor at WordPress

November 17 News Update

‘Hands Up, Don’t Ship!’ Minneapolis UPS Workers Protest Shipments to Missouri Police - See more at: http://www.labornotes.org/blogs/2014/08/hands-dont-ship-minneapolis-ups-workers-protest-shipments-missouri-police#sthash.rJeEoDbc.dpuf

Agencies Look for Cause of Fatal Gas Leak in Texas *
4 workers die after chemical leak at Texas plant
Four Workers Are Killed in Gas Leak at Texas Chemical Plant *

G20 Protesters gather In Brisbane (25 photos)
Obama pushes action on climate change, Asia security at G20

Fire at Chinese carrot factory kills 18
Ebola Preparedness – What National Nurses United Won in California
The trial of Don Blankenship
Indigenous people protest racist NFL logo
Could Philly be the next Houston? The oil industry hopes so
SC failed to provide adequate schooling
Affordable Care Act’s Cost of Coverage to Increase in 2015 *
U.S. to Give $3 Billion to Climate Fund to Help Poor Nations, and Spur Rich Ones *
Millions Due in Back Pay to Dancers at Manhattan Strip Club *
Police arrest Los Angeles Walmart workers during protests
Upstate New Yorkers fear gas caves could blow wine, tourism industries
PSAC, government like 'two scorpions in a bottle' over sick leave
Lethal mix: Lawyers’ mistakes, unforgiving law
Town That Thrived on Logging Is Looking for a Second Growth  *
More Federal Agencies Are Using Undercover Operations *
Israel's proposed Jewish nation-state law hits hurdle
New York ends cooperation with feds on immigrant deportations
NLRB orders UPMC to reinstate four workers
Long Beach Memorial workers seeking to join union must wait for vote results
MSD to weigh 'last' union offer, after threatened strike
Whole Foods Workers Threaten Action Against If Not Granted Higher Wages
Japan in recession as economy contracts 1.6 pct
Northland unions say management is destroying mail service
The labor movement helps Ferguson heal
Thousands march in support of CBC and Radio-Canada

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.

We take a closer look at news stories in our companion Week In Review blog, hosted at: KC Labor at WordPress

November 16 Week In Review Now Online

You can view the new WIR here

November 14 News Update

‘Hands Up, Don’t Ship!’ Minneapolis UPS Workers Protest Shipments to Missouri Police - See more at: http://www.labornotes.org/blogs/2014/08/hands-dont-ship-minneapolis-ups-workers-protest-shipments-missouri-police#sthash.rJeEoDbc.dpuf

Top U.S. General Says He’s Open to Using Ground Troops to Retake Mosul *


Obama Plan May Allow Millions of Immigrants to Stay and Work in U.S. *
Obama to shield 5 mn immigrants from deportation

Australians bury heads in sand to mock government climate stance
Keystone pipeline may finally pass US Congress next week
Some Very Initial Thoughts on the US-China Deal

Postal workers to rally against service cuts
Federally contracted workers strike in DC
Walmart Workers Stage Sit-Down at L.A. Store
SCALE holds worker rally with local union
Ecuadorean Government Oversees Creation of Trade Union Federation
Rally at MN state capitol urges nurses to file OSHA complaints
Pro-choice groups merge amid abortion access concerns
Oil spill fears in Placentia Bay over proposed changes to tanker rules
Former CEO indicted in 2010 mine disaster
Rule Sought on Shipping Oil by Train *

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.

We take a closer look at news stories in our companion Week In Review blog, hosted at: KC Labor at WordPress

November 13 News Update

‘Hands Up, Don’t Ship!’ Minneapolis UPS Workers Protest Shipments to Missouri Police - See more at: http://www.labornotes.org/blogs/2014/08/hands-dont-ship-minneapolis-ups-workers-protest-shipments-missouri-police#sthash.rJeEoDbc.dpuf

US and China strike deal on carbon cuts in push for global climate change pact
Peru's forests store more CO2 than US emits in a year
China-US climate pact 'heartening' but short of what's needed: IPCC
Global energy system under stress: report




Nurses stage global day of action as Ebola death toll tops 5,000

Senate may force lame duck Keystone vote
The Worst Voter Turnout in 72 Years *
Hong Kong protesters plan to occupy British consulate
Twin Cities retail janitors announce Black Friday strike deadline
Abdul-Jabbar blasts NCAA labor standards
Injuries and violations continue at coal mines that owe millions in fines
VW to Allow Labor Groups to Represent Workers at Chattanooga Plant *


McDonald’s workers on global drive for higher wages, union rights

Minimum wage for garment workers increased in Cambodia
ATT denies sick time pay to older employees
HUD’s privatization scheme may herald end of public housing
Debts Canceled by Bankruptcy Still Haunt Credit Scores *
Protect Those Who Protect Our Food *
Web of Incentives in Fatal Indian Sterilizations *
Monsanto to Pay $2.4. Million in G.M.O. Wheat Dispute *

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.

We take a closer look at news stories in our companion Week In Review blog, hosted at: KC Labor at WordPress

November 12 News Update

‘Hands Up, Don’t Ship!’ Minneapolis UPS Workers Protest Shipments to Missouri Police - See more at: http://www.labornotes.org/blogs/2014/08/hands-dont-ship-minneapolis-ups-workers-protest-shipments-missouri-police#sthash.rJeEoDbc.dpuf

US and China reach agreement on climate change, greenhouse gases
Global warming worsening watery dead zones
China, U.S. strike deal to limit greenhouse gases
U.S. and China, After Months of Talks, Reach Deal on Climate *

Mexico party HQ torched as fury over deaths boils over
Mexico protesters block airport
Rail contractor owns Mexico leader's home


Nurses Strike: It’s Not Just about Ebola
White House Vigil, Rallies, RN Strikes

Another W.Va. coal miner dies on the job
UAW says recognition near at Tennessee VW plant
Economic inequality in the US reaches levels not seen since Great Depression
Postal workers fight privatization drive
Iraq War Veteran, Outspoken War Critic Tomas Young Dead at 34
US veterans rally for deported comrades
GMO battles over 'settled' science spur new study of crops
West Coast port slowdown raises fears of dockworker strike or lockout
National Guard on call for Ferguson ruling

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.

We take a closer look at news stories in our companion Week In Review blog, hosted at: KC Labor at WordPress

November 11 News Update

‘Hands Up, Don’t Ship!’ Minneapolis UPS Workers Protest Shipments to Missouri Police - See more at: http://www.labornotes.org/blogs/2014/08/hands-dont-ship-minneapolis-ups-workers-protest-shipments-missouri-police#sthash.rJeEoDbc.dpuf

The real story of US coal: inside the world's biggest coalmine
Coal versus climate in Australia
The wrong people are in charge
Republicans Vow to Approve Pipeline and Fight E.P.A. *
Preserving an Accident, the Salton Sea in California, for the Good of Nature *


Nurses go on strike for proper gear, training to protect them against Ebola
Talks Stall as Strike Nears for 18,000 Kaiser RNs

Got Unfair Labor Practices? Put ’em to Use
Record low turnout raises questions
Life in Indonesia's sinking capital
MARTA delays vote on paratransit outsourcing
125 Events Set for Nov. 14 National Day of Postal Action


UE Local 243 Celebrates 75 Years of Rank-and-File Unionism at Sargent

Palestinian Activist Rasmea Odeh Found Guilty in 'Travesty of Justice'
Building Outside the Democratic Party
Labor Federation Split to Increase Opposition to ANC
Palestinian President Outlaws Labor Union
Italy public sector workers protest salaries in Rome
Remembrance Day marked as veterans groups decry government

The Great Wage Slowdown, Looming Over Politics *
Supreme Court Weighs Case Over Cuts to Retirees’ Health Benefits *

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.

We take a closer look at news stories in our companion Week In Review blog, hosted at: KC Labor at WordPress

November 10 News Update

‘Hands Up, Don’t Ship!’ Minneapolis UPS Workers Protest Shipments to Missouri Police - See more at: http://www.labornotes.org/blogs/2014/08/hands-dont-ship-minneapolis-ups-workers-protest-shipments-missouri-police#sthash.rJeEoDbc.dpuf

Capping warming at 2 C not enough to avert disaster, climate experts warn
Poland rejects IPCC target of zero emissions by 2100

Renewable energy investment in Australia dropped 70% in past year

Two million defiant Catalans vote on breakaway from Spain
Yes we Catalan? Barcelona braces for independence vote

South Africa's ANC-aligned union body expels vocal critic
SCOTUS takes up health subsidies appeal
Obama to deploy 1,500 more troops to Iraq
Richmond: The little town that beat big oil
Labor Board Says Cablevision Chief Tied Raises to Vote Against a Union *
Strike Costs German Rail Operator More Than 100 Million Euros *
Jobs Data Show Steady Gains, but Stagnant Wages Temper Optimism *
Striking FairPoint workers rally in Portland
1,100 union health care workers set to strike at CHI Franciscan
The Elections: Déjà Vu All Over Again
Mexico leader travels amid unrest over massacre
Eight detained over Turkey mine accident
Angry Arabs march in north Israel after shooting
Showdown looms as California eyes pesticides
The Kitchen Network: America's underground Chinese restaurant workers
How long will this US energy boom really last?
Working P.E.I. poor heavy food bank users

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.

We take a closer look at news stories in our companion Week In Review blog, hosted at: KC Labor at WordPress

November 9 Week In Review Now Online

You can view the new WIR by clicking here

November 7 News Update

‘Hands Up, Don’t Ship!’ Minneapolis UPS Workers Protest Shipments to Missouri Police - See more at: http://www.labornotes.org/blogs/2014/08/hands-dont-ship-minneapolis-ups-workers-protest-shipments-missouri-police#sthash.rJeEoDbc.dpuf

Today is the Ninety-Seventh Anniversary of the Russian Revolution

Water Cannons, Tear Gas Unleashed on 100,000 Anti-Austerity Marchers in Brussels
Port Worker Slowdown Spreading to Nation’s Biggest Hub
Protests for Mexico missing students set sights on president
Americans’ ownership of assets shrinks
FairPoint Talks to Resume Nov. 18
Talks pit union vs. union
Split Decision by Voters on Local Fracking Bans *
Airbag Maker Takata Saw and Hid Risk in 2004, Former Workers Say *
California voter midterm turnout plummeted

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.

We take a closer look at news stories in our companion Week In Review blog, hosted at: KC Labor at WordPress

It Wasn’t Our Fight But It Is Our Loss

It Wasn’t Our Fight But It Is Our Loss
by Bill Onasch

I have a perfect record in predicting every election since the first I was allowed to vote, in 1964.  It’s been the same expectation every two years–the working class majority will be the losers.

While there are two major classes in our Free Enterprise society it’s the tiny one that has two major political parties while the rest of us haven’t yet established one of our own. The ruling class of bosses and bankers sometimes have competing interests and tactical differences among themselves. Fights among the dinosaurs can be risky and bloody so they prefer to use their donkey and pachyderm stunt doubles to sort them out on election day rather than through coups or civil wars.

I haven’t yet been able to dig up hard statistics for Tuesday’s voting but typically the majority of workers–especially in midterm elections–don’t vote. Many, such as noncitizen immigrants and convicted felons, usually can’t. New registration and voter ID laws in many states further discourage the poor and people of color from participating. And many recognize the outcome of most elections will make little difference to them.

November 6 News Update

‘Hands Up, Don’t Ship!’ Minneapolis UPS Workers Protest Shipments to Missouri Police - See more at: http://www.labornotes.org/blogs/2014/08/hands-dont-ship-minneapolis-ups-workers-protest-shipments-missouri-police#sthash.rJeEoDbc.dpuf

Plans Taking Shape for National Day of Action – Nov. 14

At the polls, workers win some and lose much more
Voters Favor Higher Wages, Sick Pay

The IPCC report: Between nightmare and revolution
IPCC report warns no Planet B

Divvy bike workers ready to roll with a union
Erdogan's vast new palace to cost over $600 million
Voters Reject Oil Titan Chevron, Elect Progressive Bloc in Richmond, California
Strong Election Night for Public Transit
Major Settlement Reached Between NNOC-FL/NNU and Orlando Health
Rally to Restore Quality Patient Care at Huntington Hospital
Business Leaders Cautiously Expect G.O.P. Win to Open Some Doors *
Abortion-Rights Advocates Preparing for a New Surge of Federal and State Attacks *

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.

We take a closer look at news stories in our companion Week In Review blog, hosted at: KC Labor at WordPress

November 5 News Update

‘Hands Up, Don’t Ship!’ Minneapolis UPS Workers Protest Shipments to Missouri Police - See more at: http://www.labornotes.org/blogs/2014/08/hands-dont-ship-minneapolis-ups-workers-protest-shipments-missouri-police#sthash.rJeEoDbc.dpuf

Judge orders Kansas to let gay couples marry
Mexico mayor, wife arrested over 43 missing students
Oklahoma Supreme Court halts certain abortion restrictions
Venezuela's president orders 15pct wage increase
Fight to save endangered Indus dolphins, turtles
Thousands of Gaza civil servants strike
Israel ex-officers urge PM to make peace with Palestinians
Caseworkers Ally with Clients to Restore Human Services
Judge blocks Catalonia independence vote
Labor, biz united behind postal reform push in the lame duck
Three States Vote to Raise Minimum Wage *

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.

We take a closer look at news stories in our companion Week In Review blog, hosted at: KC Labor at WordPress