Dec
2016 13
2016 13
MI House Passes Anti-Union Bills to Prevent Picketing and Facilitate Hiring of Scabs
Elections have consequences, and Michigan workers are about to find that out the hard way. The state House of Representatives has passed two bills that will make it harder for employees to picket and easier for employers to replace striking workers. Both bills passed along party lines, with Republicans supporting the anti-union efforts and...
Oct
2016 11
2016 11
San Jose Construction Workers Protest Use of Outside Labor: “It’s Pure and Simple Greed”
Construction workers took to the streets of San Jose late last month to voice their displeasure with Cupertino-based developer KT Urban. Their complaints do not begin and end with KT, however. Union members are frustrated with a growing shift in Silicon Valley toward hiring non-union workers on development projects: Workers say it’s part...
Jun
2016 7
2016 7
Building Trades Protest Unmet Local Hiring Mandates at Tesla Shareholders’ Meeting
Outside a recent Tesla shareholders meeting, members of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Northern Nevada (BCTCNN) rallied against what they view as unfair hiring practices at the company’s gigafactory in Sparks, NV. Inside, investors representing the union’s pension fund greeted Tesla CEO Elon Musk with a letter...
Mar
2016 2
2016 2
Put Them To the Tes: Union Workers Walk off High-end Nevada Carmaker Job Site Citing Local Hire
Nearly 350 construction workers walked off the job at Tesla’s battery manufacturing plant in northern Nevada on Monday. More than 100 picketed outside the main gate of the construction site, protesting what they see as the unfair labor practice of bringing out-of-state construction to the factory to be paid less than their Nevada...
Jul
2015 6
2015 6
French Officials Arrest Uber Executives; Taxi Drivers Riot and Strike Saying Service is Illegal
Last week, French authorities took a strident step in their quest to crack down on UberPOP, the country’s equivalent to UberX, by arresting Uber France CEO Thibaud Simphal and Uber Europe general manager Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty. The pair was charged them with several counts, including running an illegal taxi business. Police began...
Mar
2015 12
2015 12
7,000 Attend Workers Rising Rally in WV; Legislative Session Ends Saturday
Last weekend, thousands of West Virginia workers gathered at the state capitol in Charleston for the Mountaineer Workers Rising rally to protest the agenda of the state’s GOP. Since taking power in January, Republicans have pushed for several pieces of anti-worker legislation, including prevailing wage repeal, increased funding for...
Feb
2015 27
2015 27
Workers Rally at Nevada Legislature While Prevailing Wage-Limiting Bill is Discussed
A wage attack born in the Nevada Senate brought workers of all types together in protest on Thursday, the Las Vegas Sun reports: Union and nonunion workers overwhelmed hallways and committee rooms. They marched outside, waved banners and filled committee rooms to watch lawmakers vet SB119, one of the most controversial bills in this...
Feb
2015 23
2015 23
Former GOP Leader Slams Walker’s “Right-to-Work” Fast Tracking; $5.8B of Income Could Be Lost; Pair of Major AFL-CIO Rallies Planned
On Friday, Wisconsin Republicans called for a special session to pass “Right-to-Work” legislation. The bill has been ‘fast-tracked’ by Governor Scott Walker, meaning the public will be unable to comment on the anti-worker bill. Not surprisingly, given the nature of Wisconsin politics, the “Right-to-Work” bill being...
Nov
2014 14
2014 14
San Jose Plumbers Union Pickets Use of Out-of-State Workers
Members of Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 393 have been picketing the One South Market apartment complex in San Jose, California, claiming that out of town, non-union contractors are being used on the $150 million apartment tower and being paid below the area’s prevailing wage. Sacramento-based Iron Mechanical is currently installing...
Jul
2014 3
2014 3
L.A. Workers Flood City Hall Streets, Protest Predatory Bank Fees, Rising Share of Health Care Costs
With their contracts expiring at midnight, city workers in Los Angeles flooded the streets around city hall in protest on Tuesday. Secretaries, 911 dispatchers, traffic controllers, sanitation workers and members of local community groups led by the Fix LA Coalition gathered to oppose predatory fees the city pays to Wall Street banks. The...
Apr
2014 4
2014 4
McDonald’s Wage Theft Lawsuits Span the Nation as Poll Data Reveals Nearly Ubiquitous Exploitation
Gawker reports that a coalition of McDonald’s workers are suing the company for wage theft in New York, California, and Michigan. The workers, affiliated with the Fast Food Forward movement, claim the company forced them to work off-the-clock, shaved hours from their time cards, and failed to properly pay them overtime. According to a...
Mar
2014 28
2014 28
Nearly 1000 Protest “Right-to-Work,” Paycheck Deception, Wage-Slashing at Missouri Capitol
Close to a thousand union members joined at the Missouri state capitol this week to protest “Right-to-Work” legislation currently being considered by the legislature. House Speaker Tim Jones has made anti-union legislation a top priority with three harmful bills being considered. Speaking to the gathered crowd, Governor Jay Nixon...