by Shamus Cooke The labor movement had better do some deep soul searching, and fast. Although the defeat in Wisconsin is the horrible end to a local drama, the corporate winners hope to turn their victory into the beginning chapter of a national novel. The opening sentence was perhaps written recently in San Diego and…
Tag: labor
Learning from Wisconsin
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by Mark Vorpahl Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker not only defeated the recall, he did so easily, taking 54 percent of the vote. This is a big defeat for the union leadership who threw as many resources as they could afford behind this effort. How is it possible that this could have happened after all that…
It’s Only An Apocalypse When the Zombies Fight Back
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This article was original published on The State. by Adam Rothstein Before I even finish writing the phrase, “zombie apocalypse”, there is a good chance you’re horrified—by culturally over-determined boredom, rather than by monsters. The fantasy of the zombie outbreak is becoming ploddingly dull, fired into our crowded consciousness again and again, like rounds from…
AFL-CIO Declares Victory in Wisconsin in the Face of Defeat
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By Ann Robertson and Bill Leumer In the wake of the Wisconsin elections and the failure to unseat Governor Walker, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka has issued a victory statement of sorts, resorting to the most tortured and convoluted logic. For starters, Trumka proclaimed that, “Wisconsin took back its Senate.” Although he did not explain exactly…
Real Lessons from the Age of Industrial Violence
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The Gilded Age is very much in the news. In early April, President Obama derided a budget proposal favored by Mitt Romney as “thinly veiled Social Darwinism,” referring to ideas usually associated with such men as Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller. During his campaign to secure the Republican nomination, Newt Gingrich derided child-labor laws…
Oregon’s Anti-Teacher Offensive
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by Adam Sanchez. Nicole Bowmer contributed to this article. Oregon teachers are valiantly resisting an unprecedented attack on their schools and unions. Over the last month, teachers in four Oregon school districts have voted to go on strike, while other locals face painful budget cuts that will have a devastating effect on our schools. As…
M1: A Letter Regarding the May Day March
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This story is part of our feature about the many protest events on May 1, 2012. Visit the feature page to see more. by Victory Woodhull Hello there, My name is Victory and I participated in the unpermitted march on May Day. I wanted to offer a critical perspective on the effectiveness of the day…
A Partial History of US General Strikes
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This piece is from the Occupied News Wire. It was originally published at The New Inquiry. Oakland, 1946 “More Like a Revolution Than an Industrial Dispute” San Fransisco, 1934 “The general strike is quite another matter. That is a threat to the community. That is a menace to government. That is civil war.” Seattle, 1919…
UPDATED: East County Teachers Back to Work
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UPDATED at 10:10 a.m. According to a report from Occupy Portland Labor Solidarity committee, teachers and the school district have reached a tentative agreement and are going back to work at 10 a.m. this morning. By Emily Crum and Adam Sanchez After months at the negotiating table with intransigent school boards, 550 teachers from the…
Laborers’ Local 483 Bake Sale Calls Out Cuts to City Jobs and Services
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By Pete Shaw The recipe to combat looming budget cuts aimed at slicing away local jobs? Throw a bake sale. That’s what Laborers Local 483, which represents almost 700 City of Portland employees, did on Tuesday, April 17, outside City Hall. If the cuts go through, the job losses will impact all Portlanders–affecting street and…
