Labor
Chicago City Council passes Big Box wage law
July 27, 2006CHICAGO — In a 35-14 vote the Chicago City Council passed a wage ordinance, requiring “big box” retailers to pay their workers a living wage. The ordinance will require mega-retailers like Wal-Mart to pay their workers...
Read more
Jobs: now you see them, now you dont
July 21, 2006Workers and taxpayers often lose twice when states and cities give out huge corporate tax breaks in the name of “economic development.” Consider Raytheon Corp. In a 1995 “job blackmail” episode, it threatened to move jobs...
Read more
No fun, but shell keep marching
July 21, 2006Carina, 9, and her mother Gloria Herrera have been walking the picket line at Book Covers Inc. in Chicago since early June. The workers, members of United Steelworkers Local 1216, were forced out by company demands...
Read more
Security officers pick up the pace
July 21, 2006OAKLAND, Calif. — Taking a break from leading chants in front of Oakland’s landmark Tribune Tower July 13, Pamela Frazier recalled her experiences working at an unorganized jobsite. “Before I became active in the union,” said...
Read more
N.Y. teachers mull no contract, no work strategy
July 21, 2006Workers’ Correspondence It is about 15 months until the current contract between the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) and the city of New York expires, in October 2007. Already, the union is planning its strategy for...
Read more