In These Times

Out of Control

Too big to regulate, the banks need to be broken up. more

vol. 33, iss. 12    congress, corporations, economy

Workers, Students Take On University-Funded Hotel Firm

By David MobergFerdi Lazo escaped the civil war in El Salvador 22 years ago and moved to… more

Where Have All the Good Jobs Gone?

By David MobergPeople don’t just want a job. They want a good job. And over the past… more

Meet Rosie the Nurse, the New Face of Labor

By David MobergA quarter century ago the typical American union member was a white man who worked… more

French ‘Boss-Napping’ Workers Bring Plant-Closing Fight to US

By David Moberg French workers who “boss-napped” three managers last April to protest the closing of their American-owned… more

5,000 Protest Bank Power, Abuses, as ‘Showdown’ Culminates

By David Moberg CHICAGO–Angenita Tanner faces tough times. Her home-based child care business is threatened by potential Illinois… more

‘Showdown’ Protests Envision ‘New Economy’

By David Moberg CHICAGO—The 500 or more people who gathered across from the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Chicago… more

Trumka Sets AFL-CIO Standard for ‘Real’ Health Reform

By David Moberg As Congress haltingly moves toward approval of some version of health care reform legislation, AFL-CIO… more

It’s About Time for a Showdown With the Banks

By David MobergThe timing is near perfect. Just as the showdown over financial reform is heating up… more

After Right-Wing Attacks, SEIU Cuts Old ACORN Ties

By David Moberg Out of the blue, at a September 30 congressional hearing on the Consumer Financial Products… more

NYC Garment Workers: A Rags to Riches to Rags Story

By David MobergAt one point the garment industry was the largest employer in New York City, providing… more

Labor’s New Leader

The AFL-CIO stakes its future on Richard Trumka. more

vol. 33, iss. 11    afl-cio, labor

How to Create New Jobs Now—and Why

By David Moberg Even if they sometimes hesitate to call it a second stimulus, more progressive politicians and… more

Recession Still Going Strong. Will Congress Act (Again)?

By David Moberg        Many economists think the recession may be over, but 85 percent of voters surveyed in… more

How to Stop Leaks of Jobs—and CO2

By David Moberg What happens if the United States imposes a higher price on carbon-based energy—such as through… more

The Retail Devolution

Two new books explore corporate evil. more

vol. 33, iss. 10    books, corporations, wal-mart

Global Unions Tell G20: Create Jobs, Reduce Inequality

As political leaders of the world’s 20 major economies–the G20–meet in Pittsburgh this week, the global labor movement… more

Are Young Workers Ready for Unions (and Vice Versa)?

As the youngest national AFL-CIO officer ever elected, Liz Shuler, 39, the federation’s new secretary-treasurer, will—no surprise here—play… more

Taking the Helm, Trumka Calls for ‘New Kind of Labor Movement’

PITTSBURGH—Calling for the creation of “a new kind of labor movement” that meets the needs of a changing… more

Obama Rouses ‘House of Labor,’ as it Endorses Single-Payer

PITTSBURGH—Barack Obama on Tuesday roused AFL-CIO convention delegates, which have sometimes seemed subdued. But the president's speech was… more

Michael Moore Takes on Capitalism Itself

PITTSBURGH—After leading a march for single-payer health insurance from the AFL-CIO convention in Pittsburgh to a movie theater,… more

A New Road for Tires. A New Model for Trade?

PITTSBURGH—Steelworkers union president Leo Gerard makes no apologies for filing the trade action that led President Obama last… more

Sweeney’s Hopeful Farewell

PITTSBURGH—As AFL-CIO president John Sweeney prepares to step down this week, he opened the union federation’s convention on… more

For Labor Day: A Tale of ‘The Last Truck’

Just before Labor Day, Gallup reported a plunge in public approval of unions to 48 percent, the lowest… more

Some Good—But Mostly Bad—Job News

There’s good and bad news in today’s Bureau of Labor Statistics report. The bad news: 216,000 Americans lost… more

Bankers & Busboys: Economic Abuse at America’s Extremes

Last year, chief executives at the major bailed-out banks averaged $13.8 million in pay thanks to taxpayers saving… more

Young Workers: Worried and Ready for Action

Young workers are less secure, more financially squeezed and more worried–but also more geared up to work for… more

How Could Obama Reduce Economic Inequality?

What policies could the Obama administration pursue to reduce inequality? I was asked that question for a conference… more

Driving a Stake Through a Bad Health Policy’s Heart

In last year’s presidential race, Barack Obama scored points when he attacked John McCain for proposing to tax… more

A Hard-Won Victory—and Another Argument for EFCA

Earlier this year, I wrote about how workers often can’t get a first contract even when they organize… more

Writers Balk at Google’s Proposed Book Deal

This fall a federal judge’s ruling on a lawsuit against Google, the Internet search giant, could drastically shape… more

Who’s Got the Power?

Progressives find themselves outmaneuvered on healthcare reform. more

vol. 33, iss. 09    campaigns, congress, medical & health

Not Your Parents’ Labor Movement

Why the Republic sit-in failed to inspire other worker actions. more

vol. 33, iss. 08   

A (Small) Say on (Big) Executive Pay

The timing was fitting, if late. New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo just reported: on Thursday that nine… more

Labor Advocates, Unions Split Over Single Payer

As Democrats in Congress try to bridge differences on healthcare reform legislation, grassroots groups will converge on Washington… more

Anti-Wage Theft Legislation Introduced

Every year, employers steal billions of dollars from their workers. As Interfaith Worker Justice executive director Kim Bobo… more

Federal Minimum Wage Increases — But Hold the Champagne

There’s reason to celebrate on Friday, when the federal minimum wage increases from $6.55 to $7.25. About 4.5… more

Senate EFCA Compromise Reportedly Cuts ‘Card Check’; Unions Keep up Pressure

The New York Times reported today that Senate negotiators are nearing a compromise on the Employee Free Choice… more

In Mississippi River Town, Scrappy Union Escalates Wells Fargo Fight

Last May, Wells Fargo Bank told the roughly 100 employees of Quad City Die Casting that they would… more

Solidarity Reunited?

Unions rally around shrunken UNITE HERE as it takes on its former ally. more

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Can a Union Divided Stand?

UNITE HERE dissolves in conflict ... with a little help from SEIU. more

vol. 33, iss. 07   

Battling Over Employee Free Choice

The fate of labor’s top legislative priority is in the Senate’s hands. more

vol. 33, iss. 06    labor, politics

Flower Power

Colombian plantation workers are fighting an uphill battle to unionize and secure better working conditions. more

web only    labor, latin america

The Meltdown Goes Global

It is time to rethink capitalism. more

vol. 33, iss. 05    economy, international

Give CEO Pay the Pink Slip

Capping outsized salaries is the first step toward creating responsible corporations. more

vol. 33, iss. 04    corporations, economy

A Spectre is Haunting America

Ghosts of neoliberalism trouble Obama’s response to the recession more

vol. 33, iss. 03    civil liberties, economy, obama

The Anti-Blago

Amid a crowded field of Democratic contenders, Tom Geoghegan stands out. more

web only    campaigns, elections, politics

SEIU Split Widens

And many worry about the consequences for California healthcare workers and the labor movement. more

vol. 33, iss. 03    labor, medical & health

Ready to Rumble

Workers and Corporate America battle over the Employee Free Choice Act. more

vol. 33, iss. 02    labor, obama

Making the Feds Model Employers

Obama must put a stop to worker abuse by private contractors. more

vol. 33, iss. 01    labor, politics

Obama’s Labor Pick Is Good News for Workers

Senior Editor David Moberg looks at this week's labor news, including Obama's labor secretary pick, Detroit's holiday package, and the recent death of labor leader Ron Carey. more

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The Rise and Fall of Rod Blagojevich

The governor's apparent misdeeds were audacious even by Illinois standards, Senior Editor David Moberg says during this interview with "Democracy Now!" co-host Juan Gonzales, which aired Wednesday. more

web only    chicago, politics

Republic’s Battle Cry

Workers occupying a closed Chicago factory are sending a strong message to Washington: protect workers' rights. more

web only    activism, chicago, labor

Beyond Casino Capitalism

Bush let the gamblers run wild. Here's how Obama can rein them in. more

vol. 32, iss. 12    economy, obama

Obama and the Union Vote

Polls suggest mandate for reform surpasses support for Obama more

web only    elections, labor

The View From Ohio

Will voters in the economically ravaged Buckeye State 'get over' race and support Obama? more

vol. 32, iss. 11    elections, obama, ohio, race

Back for the Future

Progressives at the Democratic National Convention look to FDR as a model for an Obama presidency more

vol. 32, iss. 10    elections, voting

Dixie Turning Blue

Former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner's tepid keynote address to the Democratic convention Tuesday night was little noted and will… more

web only    america, politics

Moving Obama Left

After Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) secured his party's nomination in June, his tightly knit campaign message began to fray… more

vol. 32, iss. 09    elections, politics

Let Them Eat Free Markets

How deregulation fuels the global food crisis more

vol. 32, iss. 08    economy, food, international, trade

Our Imperfect Unions

Pick almost any metric -- fraction of workers in unions, lag of pay behind productivity increases, growing hours of… more

vol. 32, iss. 07   

Dismantling the Myth of McCain

How the Republican senator's maverick image is a sham more

vol. 32, iss. 07    elections, media, politics

Main Street Squeeze

Pick your metaphor for the current state of American workers: Are they squeezed? Caught? Crunched? Three new books --… more

vol. 32, iss. 06    economy, labor, workers

Winning the White Working Class

Tom Lewandowski, a former General Electric factory worker, heads the central labor union council in this northeastern Indiana city… more

vol. 32, iss. 06    obama, politics, working class

The Healthcare Union War

Tensions between the California Nurses Association and SEIU escalate at the Labor Notes conference more

web only   

Dissent in the Ranks

SEIU Is the Nation's Fastest Growing Union -- But at What Cost? more

vol. 32, iss. 05   

Actors Union Copies Writers’ Script

Strikes are rare these days. And winning one is almost as rare as sighting an ivory-billed woodpecker. But the… more

vol. 32, iss. 04   

Obamanomics

An energized constituency could push Obama's centrist economic plan to the left more

vol. 32, iss. 04   

All For None

Split on the candidates, unions hope to unite over a common agenda more

vol. 32, iss. 03   

Remembering Mazzocchi

A streetwise high school dropout, a fierce protagonist of workers against corporate power and a down-to-earth visionary, Tony Mazzocchi… more

vol. 32, iss. 02   

Mr./Ms. Change Goes to Washington

Candidates promises break from Bush, but how far will they go? more

vol. 32, iss. 02    elections

Lights! Camera! Collective Action!

The Writers Guild of America strikes to secure a piece of the pie in the Digital Age more

vol. 32, iss. 01    labor, movies

The Democrats’ Path to Victory

The public demand for progressive politics is growing stronger more

vol. 31, iss. 12    elections, politics

Treaty of Detroit Repealed

The new contracts demonstrate that companies without unions, global labor markets and corporate power are dictating the future for American autoworkers--even for those who are in a union more

vol. 31, iss. 12    corporations, labor

Has the Change Led to Wins?

Not yet, but organizers from the seven unions that split from the AFL-CIO have big plans. more

vol. 31, iss. 11    labor

Obama’s in the Eye of the Beholder

Can the junior senator from Illinois be both a stalwart progressive and a post-ideological unifier? more

vol. 31, iss. 10    elections, labor, politics

The Secret Lives of Plutocrats

In Richistan, Robert Frank offers a breezy, well-observed peek into this gated community. You too could visit if you graduate from "butler boot camp" and become a $120,000-a-year "household manager" more

vol. 31, iss. 09    books, economy, social justice

Universal Health Care for Wisconsin?

In late June, the Wisconsin state senate ratified "Healthy Wisconsin," a plan that is "the boldest and most comprehensive health care reform from any state," according to the Progressive States Network more

vol. 31, iss. 09    medical & health, politics

The Unions’ Man?

John Edwards does more than talk the talk on workers' but will he walk away with labor's endorsement? more

vol. 31, iss. 08    elections, labor

Iraqi Unions Fight the New Oil Law

"Written in the United States," the law would permit joint ownership of many Iraqi oil fields by foreign companies more

vol. 31, iss. 08    labor, middle east

What Vacation Days?

Despite being one of the richest nations, America denies its workers mandated paid vacations and sick days more

vol. 31, iss. 07    labor, social services

Whose Subsidy Is It Anyway?

Farmers take the heat, but Big Ag reaps the farm bill benefits more

vol. 31, iss. 06    agriculture, congress

Chicago Unions Flex Political Muscle

Instead of fighting Mayor Daley, labor movement goes after his aldermen pawns more

vol. 31, iss. 06    elections, labor

Making Trade Work for Everyone

Voters aren't happy with the reality of free trade--and Democrats are starting to listen more

vol. 31, iss. 05    labor, trade

Biofuels: Promise or Peril?

The answer depends on how governments regulate the industry more

vol. 31, iss. 04    agriculture, environment

The Health Care Monster Returns

Even Republicans acknowledge its ravages, but what's the best way to slay the beast? more

vol. 31, iss. 03    medical & health, social services

Solidarity Without Borders

Confronted with multinationals and business-friendly trade agreements, unions have begun to act globally more

vol. 31, iss. 02    economy, labor, trade

Does Andy Stern Talk His Walk?

High-profile victories by SEIU often run counter to its president's rhetoric about the 'power of persuasion' more

vol. 31, iss. 01    labor

Organizing the Outsiders

Indian lawyer Ela Bhatt helps give informal workers a voice more

vol. 30, iss. 12    asia, labor

Live At Your Own Risk

Yale Political Scientist Jacob Hacker says the widening gap between rich and poor is a "great risk shift" from collective institutions to individuals. more

vol. 30, iss. 12    books, economy, social services

What Did the Voters Say?

Economic insecurity trumps the politics of fear more

web only    economy, elections, politics, voting

Semper Fi: The Way to Win

Lane Evans' career in Congress teaches progresssives a lasting lesson. more

vol. 30, iss. 11    congress, politics

Is Diversity Enough?

Walter Benn Michaels asks us to consider the harm done when we worry about identity and forget about inequality more

vol. 30, iss. 10    activism, books, education, race

Teamsters Face a Contentious Election

As the AFL-CIO split and workers continue to lose ground, the teamesters face a contentious election. more

vol. 30, iss. 10    elections, labor, politics

The Death of Doha

The WTO model has collapsed. What's next? more

vol. 30, iss. 09    politics, trade

Nurses Fight to Retain Right to Unionize

An NLRB ruling undercut the rights of millions to unionize by reclassifying them as supervisors. more

vol. 30, iss. 08    labor, medical & health

Running on Empty

The United States' real problem with oil and energy policy goes beyond rising prices more

vol. 30, iss. 07    economy, politics

Rot in the Barrel

Take a moment to savor the convictions of top Enron executives Ken Lay and Jeffrey Skilling. Anything short of… more

vol. 30, iss. 07    corporations, corruption

Delphi Dodges Union Contracts

Bankruptcy is the newest tool in the corporate battle against workers more

vol. 30, iss. 06    economy, labor, trade

Troublemakers Are Great—But Are They Enough?

Workers who make trouble for their bosses (and their unions) met up at the Labor Notes Conference. more

web only    activism, corporations, labor