March 31 News Update

L.A. Teachers Escalate

U.S. to submit plans to fight global warming; most others delay
Ottawa lagging on emissions targets ahead of UN conference, critics say
Climate Change Threatens to Kill Off More Aspen Forests *

Workers at China’s largest shoe maker poised for another historic strike
China's Guangdong province invests billions in robot factories

NLRB to weigh in on high-stakes McDonald’s labor dispute
Movement to Increase McDonald’s Wage Broadens Its Tactics *

Soros ready to pour $1 bn into Ukraine
SYRIZA's Two Months in Government: Difficulties and Challenges
Companies close; workers left holding the bag
South Africa’s Main Labor Grouping Said to Expel Leader Vavi
Queen Elizabeth's Windsor Castle faces first labor dispute    
Cuba Eradicates Syphillis, HIV Transmission to Babies
Shadowy Corporate Group Fighting to Gut Workers' Compensation Laws    
Baja Labor Leaders Learned Tactics from Their Efforts in U.S.
After a story is published, an Arkansas minimum-wage worker loses her job

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

March 30 News Update

Can Labor Strike Back?


Hundreds gather in Whiting for BP strike solidarity rally

Climate fund signs up first partners
UN green climate fund can be spent on coal-fired power generation

About 1,000 workers fired from South African power plant
Oil council: Shale won't last, Arctic drilling needed now
Monsanto fined for not reporting Idaho chemical releases
Brazil: The Débâcle of the PT    
Grassroots Movement Blocks Mexican Water Privatization Scheme
Wall Street Regulator Gears Up for Labor Fight With Its Workers
Court Slaps Down Airport Worker Strike Ban
Two bodies found at NYC explosion site    
Why Mexico’s Farmworkers Who Harvest Our Food Are on Strike

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

March 27 News Update

A View from Burnaby Mountain:Naomi Klein’s This Changes Everything
Study shows acceleration in decline of Antarctic ice shelves

DC Streetcar Accused of Firing a Third of Its Employees for Union Activity
UAW wants parity at Detroit Three plants
Longshoremen approve contract, ending 18-month labor standoff at Baltimore port
Pressure rises on Greece as savers drain bank deposits
Scaffolding collapse in Vietnam kills at least 14
Costa Rica fires ambassador in Venezuela after vocal support of Maduro
Hospital workers picket Allina hospitals,calling for safe staffing levels
Two person train crew bill passes MN Senate committees
Loretto man gets 22 months for lying about employees wages
Angry at Givebacks, Teamsters Unite to Challenge Hoffa
Nuclear site workers sickened in Wash. to get speedier payouts
Indiana enacts religious objections bill
Police to restrict teargas use as part of settlement with Ferguson protesters
Leaked Investor Chapter of TPP Worse than Imagined
North County Cares Coalition to Hold Day of Action
Leave transit workers’ pensions alone
100,000 Irish March Through Dublin to Protest Against Water Charges
CBC sheds more than 140 jobs in local news
U of T strike over as workers vote to enter arbitration

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

March 26 News Update

Auto workers president rejects lower-tier of wages
UAW delegates urge elimination of two-tier wages
Some auto parts workers earn poverty wages, UAW VP says
UAW finances rebounding after years of losses

Boeing workers in S. Carolina to vote April 22 on unionizing
Vote at Boeing South Carolina plants sets up labor showdown

Unions and Garcia Push For $15-An-Hour Minimum Wage
Conservative justices press Obama administration on mercury pollution rule
Chile says drought here to stay, lays out plan to ensure water
9,000 Mainers lose food stamps under new rules
Justices revive ex-UPS worker's pregnancy bias lawsuit
Jordan, Russia sign $10 billion deal on nuclear power plant

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

March 25 News Update

UAW delegates debate strategy to end two-tier wages at automakers
Biggest U.S. automakers said to study lower-pay tier for UAW
Chrysler has lowest per-worker labor costs

Thousands march in Montreal protest over planned provincial measures
Student protests create tension in Montreal schools

Union approves contract for Amfuel workers in re-vote
Feds Cite CNN’s 'Anti-Union Animus', Reject Latest Appeal In Worker Firings
Labor board sets April 22 for union election at Boeing’s North Charleston campus
Toronto's Plan to Push Out the Homeless
Chicago protesters demand police reforms
Piping, selling water stirs up trouble in Texas
Fukushima's frozen wall up in smoke
Even in nursing, no equal pay for women
Silicon Valley sex bias case heads to closing
WSJ: Israel spied on US talks with Iran
Immigrant Workers Take Their Case to Human Rights Commission
Despite High Rates of Nursing Injuries, Government Regulators Take Little Action
Adjuncts Struggle to Unionize at a Liberal College
The Public Value of Public Sector Strikes
US to slow Afghan troop withdrawal
Chile abortion arrest: sick woman is reported to police after going to hospital
Congress considers privatizing air traffic control

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

March 24 Week In Review Now Online

You can view the new WIR here

March 24 News Update

The climate wars are upon us
Top China weather expert warns on climate change
Global warming is slowing downthe circulation of the oceans

Nevada Legislature: Labor groups fear 'union Armageddon'
Chrysler has lowest per-worker labor costs
Deadly Scaffolding Accident Kills Three
North Carolina DOT worker dead in accident in Wayne County
Mexican Farmworkers Strike over Low Wages, Blocking Harvest
Showdown Nears on Fast Tracking the Biggest Free Trade Deal Yet
Merkel and Tsipras meet, but little progress
For Pearson, Common Core is private profit
As Oil Prices Fall, Airfares Still Stay High *

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

March 23 News Update

Striking Tesoro refineries workers to vote on contract
Obama administration unveils fracking safety regulations
Ingredient in Monsanto Roundup 'probably carcinogenic' to humans
Wisc. abortion law ruled unconstitutional
Teaching assistants rally at Queen's Park
Climate change 'big threat to China'
Soaring antibiotic use in animals fuels 'super bug' fears
France right-wing edges out National Front in local elections
Smog-choked Paris forces half of cars off roads
Spain's Socialists win regional election in Andalusia
Nazi Extortion: Study Sheds New Light on Forced Greek Loans

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

March 20 News Update

Nearly all fuel in Fukushima reactor has melted, says TEPCO

D.C. home health-care workers organize to seek $15 an hour
U.S. House votes to block rule to speed up unionizing workers
Ala. abortion law lets judges appoint lawyers for fetuses
Labor secretary says new overtime rules coming soon
Ethics issues cloud Chicago mayoral race
Unions Trying to Save the U.S. Postal Service
T-Mobile Guilty of Violating Labor Law Workers’ Rights, NLRB Rules
Time to Raise the Curtain on Fair Wages for Actors in LA’s Small Theater
Rep. Ellison Reintroduces Robin Hood Tax Bill - HR 1464
Amid union activity, Grand Central Baking closes cafe
Revealed: Gates Foundation's $1.4bn in fossil fuel investments
France decrees new rooftops must be covered in plants or solar panels
Conservationist murders threaten Costa Rica's eco-friendly reputation
Thousands Protest Against Government in Ecuador
US approves Amazon drone trial
Uber overtakes yellow taxis in NYC
Arctic sea ice hits record low
South Africa's Troubled Alliance and the Road Ahead
South Carolina's historically black college wages a battle for survival
Are the Prairies getting quieter? Songbirds are declining in number
Error in House budget understated spending cuts by $900 million
Crowds and Long Delays Fray Subway System and Riders’ Nerves *

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

March 19 News Update

'Right to work' fight over public employee unions heats up in Oregon

A look at California's emergency drought water restrictions
California tightens water regulations amid long drought

Administration sets record for withholding government files
What’s Scarier: Terrorism, or Governments Blocking Websites in its Name?

Why Are Toronto University Workers On Strike?
CUPE, University of Toronto reach new tentative deal

ATU Says DC Streetcar Workers Illegally Fired
Paid sick leave would create a healthier Minnesota, study shows
Interview: How Shorter Work Hours Can Help the Climate and Women’s Equality
Germany bans Uber's ridesharing service
Fed says no rate hike until better job market
Education Company Pearson Spies on Students' Social Media Accounts
Greek parliament adopts anti-poverty law despite EU row
Japan inches closer to final approval for nuclear reactor restart
Fidel Castro warns Venezuela is ready to confront US on sanctions
Isolated tribe ventures out of threatened Peru forests
Space Needle workers, labor activists rallying for higher pay
MAN Broadens Labor Union Talks to Trim Costs Amid Trucks Slump
Striking Oil Workers Emerge Victorious Thanks in Part to Green Solidarity
SF cathedral stops soaking homeless
Russian Far-Right Idol: The Man Who Started the War in Ukraine
A lot of anger, frustration and fear: Alberta unions nervous about budget
Union says care will suffer because of nursing cuts in Sudbury
A suspected gunman and the resilience of American hate groups
Louisiana Parish Fights Plan to Burn Tons of Propellant No One Wants *
Christie Administration Deal With Exxon Was Years in the Making *

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March 18 News Update

Striking Motiva workers approve contract
Exxon, union trade proposals for longer Beaumont refinery contract

A Smart Strategy to Defeat ‘Right to Work’
Walker and Rauner’s Assaults On Organized Labor Are Also an Opportunity

Protesters clash with police near new European bank HQ in Frankfurt
Riot in Frankfurt targets new ECB HQ

Judge clears way for Seattle's min. wage
New law allows reductions in certain retiree pensions
Labor Department orders Union Pacific to pay disciplined worker $350,000
VTA Workers to Vote Wednesday on Unionization
Why Auto Makers Are Building New Factories in Mexico, not the U.S.
Hamilton officials back off call for real-time dangerous rail cargo data
California Drought Enters 4th Year, Conservation Efforts and Worries Increase *
2 People to Make Pleas in West Virginia Chemical Spill Case *

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

March 17 News Update

U.S. refinery deal hits roadblocks at 8 striking plants

Alarming new data on melting Antarctic ice
Seychelles' climate change 'wake up' call
Drought-stricken California only has one year of water left
The argument for divesting from fossil fuels is becoming overwhelming


McDonald's workers allege injuries, unsafe conditions
McDonald's workers claim hazardous conditions in 19 U.S. cities
McDonald's workers detail on-job hazards

Machinists Seek to Hold Union Election at Boeing’s S.C. Plant
Consumers getting 'skinned' by health insurers
Using the Fed and trade to make the rich richer
Let’s Call It Like It Is
Standing On Our Own Shoulders
How Unions Can Grow Stronger in the Wake of Right To Work
GOP set to unveil budget blueprint, with cuts to safety net programs
N.Y.U. Professor Is Barred by United Arab Emirates *
Streetcar Revival Is Wavering in Some Cities *
Failed by Law and Courts, Troops Come Home to Repossessions *

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

March 16 Week In Review Now Online

You can view the new WIR here

March 16 News Update

Carbon emissions leveled off in 2014
Global emissions stall in 2014 following slowdown in China's economy
Oil Company Lease Stirs Revolt in Green Seattle *
Wind Could Power 35 Percent of U.S. Electricity by 2050

Strike at Marathon's Galveston Bay plant to continue
Steelworkers reach tentative pact to end refinery strike


Fight over Seattle's minimum wage could have national consequences
Harley laying off 169 workers in Kansas City
‘Right to Work’ battle in Wisconsin
Michigan residents blame plants for pollution
Conversations with Kay, Part 1
SEIU State Council Endorses Garcia Against Rahm Emanuel
L.A. teachers launch union drive at Alliance charter schools
Scotland’s Labor party and UK vote tumult
Brazilians swarm streets in anti-govt rally
Giving a Voice to Immigrant Workers in New York *

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

March 13 News Update

End of refinery strike in sight; gas prices may fall
Union says tentative deal reached to end U.S. refinery strike
Striking U.S. Oil Workers Reach National Pact With Shell
Tentative agreement reached in sprawling plant strike

Climate change scientist questioned for taking photos near Kinder Morgan site
By 2050 some US cities will be hotter every year than their current record
Starving Sea Lions Washing Ashore by the Hundreds in California *

Bangladesh factory collapse traps workers
US jails Palestinian for immigration fraud
Exide to shut down Vernon battery recycling plant, pay $50 million for clean-up
Volkswagen in Tennessee: Productivity’s Price
Civil rights activist Rev. Willie Barrow dies
Union workers rally at Nevada Capitol
Maine unions aim to bolster higher wages, kill right-to-work bills
Port of Oakland's largest terminal sends workers home amidst labor dispute
'I felt disrespected': No charges for Ferguson residents arrested in raid
RyKrisp shutdown ends close-knit workplace, good union jobs
Target Canada closing 16 stores next week
Sweden U-turn on Assange questioning
NI strike: Union outrage as Ambulance Service declares 'major incident'

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

March 12 News Update

Union signals possible proposal coming to end U.S. refinery strike
Strike talks move into third day

Israel demolishes EU-funded shelters in Jerusalem
Koch brothers refuse to cooperate with climate probe
Better Safe than Sorry
Push To Unionize Workers In Silicon Valley Gaining Traction
Targeting Unions: Right-To-Work Movement Bolstered By Wisconsin
Cambodian garment workers rise up and face a harsh crackdown
New Cuba US phone link established
3 Workers Killed in West Texas Oil Rig Explosion
Crown seeking to skip preliminary hearing for Lac-Mégantic train driver
Two police officers shot amid Ferguson protest
Muhammad Ali urges Iran to free jailed Post reporter Jason Rezaian
Dust collector eyed as possible cause of Grandview plant explosion

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

March 11 News Update

In freezing cold, striking U.S. refinery workers chop wood for fire
Another production unit down at BP Whiting Refinery
USW to ask city councils for support, rally in Chicago

China's Chongqing cuts carbon permit supply
Toxic Lead Pollution Left Its Mark in Andes Mountains

Minnesota AFL-CIO condemns charges against Black Lives Matter activists
Cuba throws weight behind Venezuela in row with US
Illinois official says work to cut local governments begins this week
Safe Patient Standard bill introduced in Minnesota House
United Airlines Tries Scapegoating Pilots for Safety Problems
Big fast food goes to court to battle Seattle minimum wage
Okla. students expelled over racist chant
Wikipedia to sue NSA over surveillance
NYU, grad student union agree on wages, benefits
Thomas Piketty on the Euro Zone: 'We Have Created a Monster'
In Spain, Rapid Rise of Leftists Has a Familiar Ring *
Target Cutting 1,700 Jobs, Mainly at Headquarters in Minneapolis *

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

March 10 News Update

Walker signs new anti-union measure in Wisconsin
Is right-to-work the kiss of death for labor unions?
How Scott Walker won by dividing and conquering Wisconsin unions
Unions Suffer Latest Defeat in Midwest With Signing of Wisconsin Measure *
It's Not Just Right-To-Work: Bills Targeting Unions Multiply *

USW and Shell are in Houston to Talk Again
U.S. investigates Torrance refinery explosion as contract talks resume

First W.Va. mining death of 2015 reported
In Florida, Officials Ban the Term 'Climate Change'
More than two million migratory birds killed in Cyprus
US senators try to undermine Iran nuclear talks
Greenpeace reminds Hollande of nuclear cut promise
Putin describes secret operation to seize Crimea
Fourth International statement on Ukraine
RNs Warn Fast Track, Trade Deals Threat to Public Health
Unions battle over Chicago Megabus drivers
EPA begins testing air in homes near South Bay Superfund sites
55 injured in NC when train, truck collide
Ports deepen canals at environmental cost

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.

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March 9 News Update

Selma Gathering Reflects on a Bloody Day in Civil Rights Fight *
There is still no racial justice in America in the years post-Selma
Wisconsin police fatally shoot Black teen
Madison police chief says shooting has similarities to Ferguson
Protests held after Black man is fatally shot by police officer in Wisconsin
Ferguson Is Now a Symbol, but Bias Knows No Border *


As Unions Hesitate, ‘Right to Work’ Advances
Walker Attacks Private Sector Workers
Photo Gallery: Last Stand against ‘Right to Work,’ March 5

A Third Blast on Oil Trains Stirs Scrutiny *
Another Obama regulator refuses to regulate
Utilities wage campaign against rooftop solar
Extract From This Changes Everything
Miami Port Project Smothers Coral Reef in Silt *
Smog documentary blocked by China after becoming viral hit
Revitalized climate movement draws 20,000 to London protest


International Women's Day's socialist roots
Women's equality isn't a zero sum game. It's vital for peace and prosperity
China Detains Women’s Rights Activists in Several Cities *

US unemployment falls to 5.5 percent
After a Bounce, Wage Growth Slumps to 0.1% *

Greece warns of referendum ahead of debt deal meeting
'We Don't Want to Go on Borrowing Forever'

Thousands protest GOP WV Legislature at union rally
Police block striking refinery workers from entering Shell Houston HQ
Indianapolis passes law to protect homeless as movement gains steam
Utah Senate approves LGBT anti-bias bill
Boston low-wage laborers beaten by winter
Charter School Hailed by Bush Ended in Ruin *
No sign drinking water polluted after Ont. train derailment, says CN
Conservative MP apologizes for 'offensive' temporary workers program comment
Tens of thousands of Israelis rally against PM ahead of vote
West Virginia bans abortions after 20 weeks over governor's veto
Israel fires at Gaza boats, kills Palestinian fisherman: hospital officials
Al Jazeera journalists' retrial delayed again
In New Exam for Cabbies, Knowledge of Streets Takes a Back Seat *

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