Happy freezing Friday! Here’s a bit of what’s been happening in the worlds of labor, the city, and beyond:
- 3,800 members of the United Steelworkers went on strike at 9 plants. Now in its 6th day, the strike has shut down 10% of US refining capacity and making for the union’s largest strike since 1980. At stake are workplace and community safety. In particular, the union is demanding shorter work hours and more employees.
- Croatia canceled the debt of 60,000 of its poorest residents
- NYC Mayor Bill Di Blasio’s State of the City address promised citywide ferry service, new housing construction, and a concerted effort to battle gentrification. How? The devil will, no doubt, be in the details.
- In Atlantic City, NJ on Tuesday, the casino workers’ union filed 27 charges of unfair labor practices against the owners of the Trump Taj Mahal casino.
- Violence and at least one death amid labor disputes in China, where migrant workers are suffering the effects of unpaid back wages.
- 257,000 new jobs were added in January
