Labor Movement

We all observed dramatic battles by organized labor in 2011. There were the broad militant struggles in Wisconsin by public workers responding to the vicious attacks from right-wing Republican Governor Walker. During the summer, CWA & IBEW members went on strike against Verizon. They battled against the demand for givebacks from the very profitable Verizon company. In Ohio, the labor movement mobilized its forces to repeal anti-labor laws by referendum and won a terrific victory, gaining 61% of the vote.

...The Occupy movement burst on the scene in 2011, influenced by the movements in North Africa and the Middle East. Even though it lacked a sophisticated analysis of society and it is a limited movement in terms of active participation, Occupy completely turned the tables on the capitalist politicians.

Recently in Socialist Appeal, we published a series of articles following a day in the life of a Jimmy John’s worker. As a former employee of Subway, another sandwich shop and currently the largest fast-food operation in the country, I can confirm that the conditions described reflect the conditions found throughout the fast-food industry, and would like to relay some of my own experiences.

In 1947, the Labor-Management Relations Act was passed with strong support from both the Democrats and Republicans.  This legislation has become known as the Taft-Hartley Act.  The history leading up to this draconian legislation against unions and its ramifications are discussed in this article.

On the last weekend of September, the AFL-CIO hosted over 800 young unionists from across the country in Minneapolis, MN for a weekend-long conference aiming to strengthen the ties between the youth and the labor movement. Eight Campaign for a Mass Party of Labor members from around the country attended the conference to engage our union brothers and sisters and raise the demand for a labor party.  Originally published by the Campaign for a Mass Party of Labor.

On Tuesday, November 8th, Ohio workers went to the polls and repealed Gov. John Kasich’s (R-OH) infamous, anti-union Senate Bill 5 (SB5). The lopsided 61%-39% vote represents a major victory for organized labor, which harnessed its significant resources to help achieve the victory. Labor spent $2.6 million to send out 825,000 pieces of mail, flyer over 3,000 worksites with over 4.1 million leaflets, and knocked on over 1 million doors.  Originally published by the Campaign for a Mass Party of Labor.

The current conflict between the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the most virulently anti-union politicians in Congress represents an escalation in the ongoing attack against organized labor. The two sides are at odds over a complaint filed on April 20 by the NLRB against Boeing for moving jobs away from its union-represented workers in the Puget Sound area, to South Carolina, a so-called “right to work” state with extremely low unionization.

On Sunday, August 7, 2011, 45,000 Verizon workers organized by Communication Workers of America (CWA) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) went on strike after Verizon management refused to back down on its demands that the company's workers accept cuts. It is very much in the interest of the public sector union workers to support this battle and make sure it is won. Solidarity and victory to the Verizon workers!

For nine months more than two hundred workers organized in BCTGM Local 48G in Keokuk, Iowa have been locked out by their employer, Roquette, for the “crime” of seeking further negotiation on a collective bargaining agreement rather than meekly submitting to a concessionary contract. Despite the fact that it is the workers of the plant who create its productive wealth, the company is trying to lower the living standards of their employees and break the power of the union.