By Sahid Fawaz
Next time you hear someone complain workplace regulations and unions, remind them of the fire at the the Triangle Shirtwaist factory in 1911. Unrestrained by workplace safety laws, the factory owners had locked the exits to the stairwells so that the workers – mostly young women aged 16 to 23 – could not take unauthorized breaks. The result was the unnecessary deaths of 146 people who couldn’t escape the fire.
Michigan did it! It repealed the state’s “right to work” law. ABC News reports: “Michigan, long known as a mainstay of organized labor, on Friday became the first state in decades to repeal a union-restricting law known as ‘right-to-work’ that was passed over a decade ago by a Republican-controlled Legislature. The state’s “right-to-work” law had…
One of the most notorious anti-union CEOs in recent memory is gone from Starbucks, two weeks earlier than planned. CNN reports: “Starbucks’ new CEO Laxman Narasimhan has taken over the reins from interim CEO Howard Schultz, about two weeks sooner than planned. Narasimhan was named the company’s incoming CEO on October 1 of last year. Since then, he…
Los Angeles school workers and their union won a big victory today thanks to a state labor board denying the school district’s move for an injunction against next week’s planned strike. The Los Angeles Times reports: “A last-ditch legal effort by the Los Angeles school district has failed for now to avert a three-day strike…
Amazon workers in Kentucky are organizing for a voice on the job. CBS affiliate WKRC reports: “Dozens of Amazon workers and supporters rallied outside the Amazon Air facility in Hebron Saturday in favor of unionizing. Some KCVG workers at Amazon Air said they were frustrated with the latest pay increase amount they received amid inflation,…
Workers in Nebraska are protesting a controversial bill limiting the minimum wage for teenagers. 1011 Now reports: “Taking a step back—that was the theme at the Belmont Community Center on Saturday. That’s something organizers against LB327, which was spliced together with lb15 in committee, say the bill will do by keeping the minimum wage at…
A major strike is scheduled for next week as tens of thousands of LA school workers seek a living wage. The Los Angeles Times reports: “A three-day walkout planned by Los Angeles Unified School District teachers and school staff is looming and set for next week. The anticipated walkout would be the longest full disruption of education in…
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) introduced legislation in the U.S. Senate today to raise teachers pay to a minimum of $60,000 across the country. The senator’s website issued the following statement on this milestone legislation: As school districts across the country report serious staffing shortages largely due to unprecedented levels of stress, burnout, and low pay,…
A new study is further shattering the myth that minimum wage hikes kill jobs. Phys.org reports: “Restaurants, retail stores and other small businesses, long thought to be vulnerable to increases in the minimum wage, generally do not cut jobs and may actually benefit when governments raise minimum pay, according to a new study co-authored at…
CNBC reports: “General Motors will offer voluntary buyouts to a ‘majority’ of its 58,000 U.S. white-collar employees, as it aims to cut $2 billion in structural costs over the next two years, according to a letter sent to workers Thursday from CEO Mary Barra. The ‘Voluntary Separation Program,’ or VSP, will be offered to all U.S.…
