NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration released OneNYC, an update to predecessor Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s sustainability and resilience plan, PlaNYC. De Blasio’s additions claim to account for poverty and income inequality.
On a related note,over at Labor Press, James Parrott explains the recent growth in wages in NYC — but cautions that most of the increases are going to those who are already relatively well-compensated.
The Machinists union has withdrawn a petition to hold a union vote to organize Boeing workers in South Carolina due to what it’s calling “a toxic atmosphere and political interference” — including two organizers being held at gunpoint. (via KomoNews)
In an instance of nationwide backlash against Putin’s economic policies, wildcat strikes took hold across Russia this past week. (via NYTimes)
The Illinois Tollway board just did away with a 20-year-old agreement requiring contractors “to use union workers on construction projects in exchange for assurances against strikes, slowdowns or walkouts.” (via Chicago Tribune)
In an article by Nathan Schneider over at the Nation highlighting the battle over unpredictable scheduling and insufficient hours, the Retail Action Project’s efforts get some attention.
Getting amped for May Day next week? CultureStrike, in partnership with Mobilize the Immigrant Vote (MIV), has released an art-making kit to help you make “stencils, banners and other art projects for your future events, marches and actions.” Check it out.
Spring is officially upon us. We saw it in the Fight for 15 protests, bringing workers and activists to the streets in cities across the country. We see it in the upcoming days of action for climate justice. Possibility is in the air. How will you help fight for the world we want to see? Some updates from the week:
On Wednesday, workers in 200 cities walked out of work and took to the streets to fight for a $15 minimum wage. Was it the “largest protest by low-wage workers in US history”? It very well might have been.
Republican and Democratic lawmakers came to a deal on something! Unfortunately, it’s an agreement to give Pres. Obama fast-track authority on the Trans Pacific Partnership — meaning it will be negotiated in secret, and presented to congress for a yes-or-no vote, with no amendments allowed.
Nathan Schneider wrote an excellent story for VICE on Catalan bank robber and activist Enric Duran and the Catalan Integral Cooperative, an organizing initiative and network of cooperatives with potentially transformative political, social and economic implications. A must-read.
The Intercept published a video from Federal Prison Industries calling prison labor the “best kept secret in outsourcing” — what with prisoners being available for as little as 23 cents an hour. Charming stuff.
Denver cab drivers have started building a worker cooperative — an Uber-like service that’s worker-owned. (via Yes! Magazine)
Last weekend, Murphy served as a sponsor for the annual Organizing 2.0 Digital Boots conference. Lots of mingling, workshops, and conspiring. ‘Til next year!
A conversation about workers, communities and social justice
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