Work Stoppage

Despite the holiday, workers never stop, so labor news doesn't either! After several stories of the agonizingly slow wheels of "justice" for workers in the legal system in our Headlines, we dive into our main stories. First we check in on the teachers of Beverly and Marblehead, MA, where new contracts have finally been ratified. Next we check in on the surge of organizing by the Teamsters at Amazon locations all over the country. Healthcare workers continue to unionize in big numbers, and not just nurses, we've got three stories this week of doctors unionizing. Shen Yun, everyone's least favorite billboard, have been SHOCKINGLY revealed to be using some extremely sketchy child labor practices. Finally, we check in with the ongoing strike by Canada Post workers, and some international solidarity. Join the discord: discord.gg/tDvmNzX  Follow the pod at instagram.com/workstoppage, @WorkStoppagePod on Twitter,  John @facebookvillain, and Lina @solidaritybee More info on the show at http://workstoppagepod.com/

Dive into the intricate relationship between U.S. labor unions and Zionism, especially during the Cold War. Discover how anti-communism shaped union support for U.S. imperialist policies, often stifling grassroots movements for Palestinian solidarity. Explore the contrasts between labor Zionism and Bundism, and uncover the real impacts of Israel's labor practices on indigenous populations. The discussion highlights a growing shift within unions toward advocating for Palestinian rights, showcasing a monumental change in labor activism.

We've got a jam packed episode, as workers all around the world are on the move. First we've got headlines covering stories in Germany, South Korea, California and Florida. For our first main story, workers at a Whole Foods in Philadelphia filed to unionize this week, in another major effort to push back against the exploitation of the Bezos empire. Also in Philly this week, city workers in three unions reached new agreements with significant wages and safety protections. We catch up with a flurry of recent incidents of crackdowns on anti-genocide speech by bosses and universities across the US. We also follow up with striking teachers in Massachusetts, where one strike has been settled and two continue. Canada Post workers also continued their strike this week, we discuss the conditions that led us here. Finally, the UAW made another major announcement this week that a majority of workers at Ford's new EV battery plant in Kentucky have signed cards to unionize. Join the discord: discord.gg/tDvmNzX Follow the pod at instagram.com/workstoppage, @WorkStoppagePod on Twitter, John @facebookvillain, and Lina @solidaritybee More info on the show at http://workstoppagepod.com/

If you're not a patron you can get the full episode by visiting patreon.com/workstoppage and support us with $5 a month. We are joined by C Moline a coordinating committee member of Build a Fighting NALC to talk about the many issues with the current TA that was presented to city postal workers by NALC national. We also go over working conditions for postal workers, international solidarity, and what the near future for NALC members looks like. From the 'Vote No' campaign to rallies in the streets, workers are organizing in the face of it being illegal for them to strike.  C Moline and others speaking in solidarity with Palestinian workers: https://www.youtube.com/live/wKrMIy97Nw0?t=99s Join the discord: discord.gg/tDvmNzX  Follow the pod at instagram.com/workstoppage, @WorkStoppagePod on Twitter,  John @facebookvillain, and Lina @solidaritybee More info on the show at http://workstoppagepod.com/

After updates on striking hotel workers, new UAW academic organizing, city workers in Philly and avian flu in dairy workers, we dive into our main stories. Michigan nurses won a massive union election this week as nearly 10,000 voted to join the Teamsters. The Canadian government stepped in on the side of the shipping companies this week and forced workers on both coasts into binding arbitration. Meanwhile, 55,000 striking Canada Post workers are challenging Prime Minister Trudeau to try it with them. We also check in on the strikes by teachers in Massachusetts and the repression they are facing from the state government. Zenimax workers held a one day strike this week to protest their employers' continued intransigence. Finally, delivery workers at Bimbo Bakeries in Washington State recently voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike after over a decade since their last cost of living raise. Join the discord: discord.gg/tDvmNzX  Follow the pod at instagram.com/workstoppage, @WorkStoppagePod on Twitter,  John @facebookvillain, and Lina @solidaritybee More info on the show at http://workstoppagepod.com/

It's impossible to start this week without discussing the fallout from the big election, so we start our main stories with a roundup of statements from union leaders in response to the new era of organizing. Next, we hear from dining workers at Clarkson University on their recent victory in securing a strong contract. Teachers in three towns in Massachusetts walked out on strike this week, defying state threats in their pursuit of fair working conditions for the lowest paid paraprofessionals. After last months strike by the ILA, this week lockouts began at Canadian ports on both sides of the country as the shipping monopolies attempt to force through more automation. Boeing machinists voted this week to accept the latest contract offer and return to work, winning historic wage increases. Finally, we discuss the heroic efforts by Cuban electrical workers to restore power to the country as it faces the inhumane effects of the US blockade. Join the discord: discord.gg/tDvmNzX  Follow the pod at instagram.com/workstoppage, @WorkStoppagePod on Twitter,  John @facebookvillain, and Lina @solidaritybee More info on the show at http://workstoppagepod.com/

This week, shocking labor headlines emerge, including the abrupt closure of a Chicago Pepsi plant. A grim report exposes high worker death rates in Saudi Arabia's NEOM project, while Philadelphia transit workers consider striking. Boeing faces pressure to improve offers for workers. Meanwhile, nurses in Hawaii celebrate a victory against a lockout, enhancing staffing ratios amid rising healthcare challenges. The discussion also critiques the exploitation within the gig economy and highlights recent labor movements in Guadeloupe, emphasizing the need for solidarity in the face of corporate strategies.

We are joined by Jeff Schuhrke, Assistant Professor of Labor Studies at Empire State University to discuss his new book Blue-Collar Empire: The Untold Story of US Labor's Global Anticommunist Crusade. This incredible book documents the sordid collaboration between the highest levels of the AFL and the CIA, how to understand this history of labor officials collaborating with imperialism, and how we can point to examples of US workers fighting back against this collaboration to change our unions into truly internationalist organizations standing with our fellow workers all around the world. As workers mobilize in the millions to oppose the US-backed genocide in Palestine, this history is more relevant today than ever before. Buy the book at: https://www.versobooks.com/products/2979-blue-collar-empire Join the discord: discord.gg/tDvmNzX Follow the pod at instagram.com/workstoppage, @WorkStoppagePod on Twitter, John @facebookvillain, and Lina @solidaritybee More info on the show at http://workstoppagepod.com/

We start this week with a quick check-in on rideshare drivers in NYC, hotel workers in Boston, and nurses in North Carolina and Michigan. For our first major story, letter carriers across the country in the NALC are organizing a national vote no campaign in response to a concessionary contract. We continue coverage of workers under attack for speaking out against the genocide in Palestine, from universities across the country, to the ACLU, to Microsoft. A recent report from Bloomberg described shocking working conditions at EV-maker Rivian's Illinois factory. Finally, Boeing workers rejected the company's latest offer and continue their fight for fair wages and a just retirement. Join the discord: discord.gg/tDvmNzX  Follow the pod at instagram.com/workstoppage, @WorkStoppagePod on Twitter,  John @facebookvillain, and Lina @solidaritybee More info on the show at http://workstoppagepod.com/

We are joined by Jeff Schuhrke, Assistant Professor of Labor Studies at Empire State University to discuss his new book Blue-Collar Empire: The Untold Story of US Labor's Global Anticommunist Crusade. This incredible book documents the sordid collaboration between the highest levels of the AFL and the CIA, how to understand this history of labor officials collaborating with imperialism, and how we can point to examples of US workers fighting back against this collaboration to change our unions into truly internationalist organizations standing with our fellow workers all around the world. As workers mobilize in the millions to oppose the US-backed genocide in Palestine, this history is more relevant today than ever before. Buy the book at: https://www.versobooks.com/products/2979-blue-collar-empire Join the discord: discord.gg/tDvmNzX  Follow the pod at instagram.com/workstoppage, @WorkStoppagePod on Twitter,  John @facebookvillain, and Lina @solidaritybee More info on the show at http://workstoppagepod.com/