Unions. What can we say — we love ‘em. And if recent news is any indication, the future’s looking (mostly) bright. Some developments from the past couple weeks…
Gawker Media became the first digital media company to be unionized (via CBS News)
Contingent faculty members at Barnard have moved to organize (via Columbia Spectator)
About 1,300 low-wage workers gathered in Detroit to celebrate minimum-wage hikes (via Al Jazeera)
On Wednesday, the NYC City Council passed the Fair Chance Act, blocking private companies with 4+ employees from discriminating against applicants based on arrest or criminal record (via Colorlines)
Internal training materials from Walmart reveal an unfortunately not-so-shocking anti-union bias. Steven Greenhouse describes in detail over at The Atlantic. (“How Walmart Persuades Its Workers Not to Unionize”)
Heroes in our midst and historical commemoration. Some highlights from the week…
This past Wednesday marked the official commemoration of the Triangle Factory Fire by the Workmen’s Circle. The fire took place in March 1911 and was the deadliest industrial disaster in the history of NYC, causing the deaths of 146 garment workers.
Wikileaks released a chapter from the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations. The Teamsters, like the rest of the labor movement, aren’t into it.
Missouri police will restrict the use of tear gas after a settlement that determined police need to warn protesters and give them time to disperse before using it (via Time).
Swarthmore students launched what’s being called the first indefinite occupation for fossil fuel divestment (via Waging Nonviolence)
As Seattle’s $15 minimum wage heads into effect, some question as to whether university and airport workers will be left behind. (via Next City)
Another March week gone by and it’s looking more like Feburary out in snowy New York City. Here at Murphy, martial arts met the workplace in a striking feature from our Arts & Culture section. And around the world of labor…
Speaking of the UAE, NYU Professor Andrew Ross found himself unexpectedly banned from the country as he went to board an Etihad Airline flight this week, following his criticism of the exploitation of migrant construction workers (via NYTimes).
NYCHA residents and advocates went to Albany to demand that Gov. Cuomo allocate $1.2bill/year toward public housing vs the currently-allocated $25mill (via CityLimits).
Two SEIU locals have thrown their support behind Chuy Garcia in his battle against Rahm Emmanuel to become Chicago Mayor (via Chicago Sun-Times).
Look how much the middle-class has shrunk! Wyoming and Alaska aren’t looking too bad right about now (via PEW).
The United Steelworkers and Royal Dutch Shell inch closer and closer to striking a deal, making a return to work by the end of March look increasingly possible. Meanwhile, locals continue to demonstrate.
Protests in Frankfurt, Germany against Eurozone’s “Laboratory for Austerity” (via Democracy Now).
One step closer to Right-to-Work in Wisconsin, ACA comes before the Supreme Court once more, the Feds release a report on policing in Ferguson, and more…
The Justice Department conducted two investigations—one looking into the shooting of Michael Brown, and another into the Ferguson Police Department. The first ruled that there was no prosecutable case against Darren Wilson. The second, that “Ferguson’s law enforcement practices are shaped by the City’s focus on revenue rather than by public safety needs.” More from Ta-Nehisi Coates at the Atlantic
The de Blasio administration has reached a project labor agreement with the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York, covering $3.5 billion of work and repairs at the New York City Housing Authority over the next three years
Unions as lazy and overpaid? Over at the LA Times, Michael Hiltzik begs to differ
To the weekend! February’s slowly passing by and NYC’s sticking to record-breaking lows. Here’s some news from this past week:
How can teachers unions expand their self-conception, looking at the interests of the whole working class? Bob Peterson offers some ideas via Portside. Want more on labor and education? Check out the latest issue of the New Labor Forum.
How is the social-solidarity movement in Greece and the rise of Syriza manifesting a “shift in how we think in collective ways about meeting basic needs”? Read “How Greece Put an Anti-Austerity, Anti-Capitalist Party in Power” by Sarah Leonard via the Nation
From earlier this month: From 1974-1979 a small town in Manitoba, Canada offered a basic income guarantee, shoring up incomes for its poorest residents. Whitney Mallet at Vice writes about the so-called “mincome”
Speaking of guaranteed income, Alaska pays out dividends to all of its residents from revenues generated via its North Slope oil. On the Commons describes this unique system via Shareable
Per Labor Secretary Thomas Perez, today’s the deadline for contract disputes between the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union which have slowed West Coast ports to a grind
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