Labor & Employment Law

U.S., Canadian Workers Blast Golden Parachutes for Walker?s Banker Backers

Posted on March 22, 2011
      In a show of cross-border solidarity today, Canadian union members joined their U.S. counterparts in a march and rally at the Vancouver, B.C., shareholder meeting of a Canadian bank that bought the Wisconsin bank where top executives gave big campaign contributions to Gov...

Trumka: Grow America?s Economy by Investing in Infrastructure, Job Development

Posted on March 22, 2011
U.S. economic and trade policies over the past three decades have led to jobs lost offshore and a shrinking middle class, and the United States must address this economic bleed through trade policies and investment in infrastructure and manufacturing, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said today...

Montana Public Employees Join National, State AFL-CIO

Posted on March 21, 2011
Public employees in Montana have a stronger voice today after the Montana Public Employees Association (MPEA) announced it will affiliate with the national AFL-CIO and the Montana AFL-CIO. This affiliation will bring Montana?s public employees into the larger union movement at a time when support for the rights of public employees is stronger than ever...

New Hire Shows Wisconsin?s Not That Broke

Posted on March 21, 2011
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) says the Badger State is teetering on the brink of financial collapse, yet he finds a spare $150 million for corporate tax breaks and his top aides find a comfy job?with a $12,000 raise?for the girlfriend of one of his staunchest ally?s...

To access this complete feed in the blog feed reader login or register for free.

Brazilian Workers Back U.S. Public Employees

Posted on March 21, 2011
Six Brazilian labor confederations expressed their solidarity with public employees in Wisconsin and other states who are struggling to defend their right to bargain for middle-class jobs. In a letter to President Barack Obama, who is visiting South America, the trade union leaders called on the United States to guarantee ?full freedom of association, collective bargaining, and freedom of expression and assembly? for public employees...

Merger of AT&T and T-Mobile Good for Consumers, Workers

Posted on March 21, 2011
       The announcement over the weekend that AT&T is buying T-Mobile USA could benefit both consumers and employees. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka says the deal offers tens of thousands of T-Mobile USA employees the opportunity to benefit from the pro-worker policies of AT&T, the only unionized U...

Momentum Builds for Triangle Commemoration

Posted on March 21, 2011
       So much is going on around the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist fire, we want to recap the events we listed last week and point out a few more highlights.  The Labor Department announced today a mobile-optimized website to commemorate the anniversary, featuring an audio tour and background of the event...

First Anniversary Approaches for Health Care Reform Law

Posted on March 21, 2011
The Affordable Care Act turns one year old Wednesday and hundreds of events are scheduled around the country to mark the health care reform law?s anniversary and fight back against Republican attempts to repeal the law. Health Care for American Now (HCAN) Executive Director Ethan Rome says: One year later, Republicans still have no health care plan other than to take away prescription drug discounts for seniors, no-cost preventive care for everyone, small-business tax credits and consumer protections like the ban on denying care or charging more because of pre-existing medical conditions...

Republican Budget Cuts Would Cripple NLRB

Posted on March 21, 2011
Proposed Republican budget cuts to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) could force the agency to furlough workers for as many as 64 days between now and Sept. 30, according to a new report by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). The CRS report says if the $50 million cut House Republicans are seeking for the remainder of fiscal year 2011 was enacted, “the substantial reduction in work days would be dramatic...

Retirees to Wisconsin: Thank You for Inspiring Us

Posted on March 21, 2011
       Barbara J. Easterling is president of the Alliance for Retired Americans. She was previously the secretary-treasurer of the Communications Workers of America. For more information, visit www.retiredamericans.org. Speaking today in Madison, Wis...

Union Spy Finds Kidnap Ring in Second Mystery Novel

Posted on March 20, 2011
         This is a cross-post from the Northwest Labor Press. Using the pen name S.L. Stoner, union attorney Susan Stoner has published the second installment in her series of historical mystery novels. Drawing on meticulously researched local history, the books follow fictional trade union spy Sage Adair as he meets up with actual historic individuals in the Portland of the early 1900s...

Union Plus Scholarships Help Two Workers Pursue Their Dreams

Posted on March 19, 2011
    Laura Dely          Jennifer Wright Dorr at Union Plus sends us this feature about two Union Plus National Labor College scholarship winners.   Linda Murphy and Laura Dely both know the benefit of a higher education degree and through the Union Plus National Labor College scholarship program, they can achieve their goals of becoming college graduates...

Wis. Rally: People Power is Stronger Than Corporate Money

Posted on March 19, 2011
The crowd kept growing today as thousands marched on the Wisconsin state capitol to support the right of workers to bargain for a good life.  Here are some more of the tweets from today’s march:  tailorcut 4:03pm via web RT @Pamster99: Best poster today in Madison: “Freedom is having the right to speak...

?They Woke a Sleeping Giant?

Posted on March 19, 2011
Hundreds of enthusiastic working people continue to march at the Wisconsin state capitol in Madison. In addition to carrying signs and chanting, many people are signing recall petitions for Republican state senators who rigged  a vote to take away public employees’ right to collectively bargain...

Workers Rally in Wisconsin

Posted on March 19, 2011
Working people in Wisconsin continued to protest Gov. Scott Walker’s anti-worker agenda with a march and rally at the state capitol in Madison. Iraq war veterans and union members, especially from the Machinists (IAM)  and OPEIU are circling the Statehouse...

Hundreds Demand Chase Respect Human Rights

Posted on March 18, 2011
Hundreds of workers, religious leaders, community activists and farm worker advocates rallied and protested in 200 cities across the couintry today to demand that JP Morgan Chase respect the basic human rights of people to have decent places to live and work...

Wis. Workers Show Big Hearts By Helping Japan?s Survivors

Posted on March 18, 2011
Wisconsin’s public employees have rallied for more than four weeks against the elimination of their right to bargain for middle-class jobs–and despite their struggle, they still have room to help others.    In response to the tragic events in Japan, the more than 65,000  Wisconsin workers represented by AFSCME Councils 24, 40 and 48 are donating $50,000 to an earthquake relief fund established by RENGO, Japan?s trade union confederation on behalf of all AFSCME members nationwide...

Scott Walker?s Union-Busting Bill Passed Illegally in the Dead of Night

Posted on March 18, 2011
   Today, Dane County Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi issued a temporary restraining order blocking the implementation of the bill that strips hundreds of thousands of hard working Wisconsinites of their voice on the job. ?Judge Sumi confirmed today what we knew all along ? that the bill stripping hundreds of thousands of hard working Wisconsinites of their voice on the job was rammed through illegally in the dark of the night,? said Phil Neuenfeldt, President of the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO...

Green Labor Journal: 1 Million Green Jobs Came From Recovery Act

Posted on March 18, 2011
The Recovery Act’s green investments committed through the end of 2010 created or saved nearly 1 million jobs, according to a report by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) and the BlueGreen Alliance. This report provides evidence that the Recovery Act succeeded in responding to the nation’s economic crisis and that green investments create jobs while laying a foundation for the development of a 21st century green economy in the United States...

More on the Wis. Restraining Order

Posted on March 18, 2011
This is a cross post from the Wisconsin State Journal A Dane County judge Friday issued a temporary order blocking implementation of Gov. Scott Walker’s controversial measure limiting collective bargaining rights for public employees, saying a legislative committee likely violated the state Open Meetings Law when it rushed passage of the bill March 9...

Wisconsin Breaking: Judge Issues Restraining Order Against Bargaining Law

Posted on March 18, 2011
Jessica Arp, a reporter for WISC- TV in Madison Wis., tweets that a judge has issued a restraining order against the recently passed bill killing public employee bargaining rights. Here are her tweets: news3jessica Jessica Arp Sumi: I am issuing restraining order halting implementation of this act...

Georgia Education Union Growing Stronger Despite Threats

Posted on March 17, 2011
Tim Ryan of the Solidarity Center sends this report on the trade unions in the former Soviet republic of Georgia. Among the countries of the former Soviet Union, only in Georgia has the once government dominated union federation reformed and become a truly free trade union federation  However, its work to promote workers? rights and democracy has apparently rubbed the Georgian government the wrong way...

Biden, Solis Tell Workers: ?We Need Collective Bargaining?

Posted on March 17, 2011
    Vice President Biden and Labor Secretary Hilda Solis addressed the AFL-CIO Executive Council in March 2010.         Tens of thousands of working people under attack from Republican governors in 12 states received some high-level support and encouragement today...

Trumka: Strong Unions, Trained Workers Key to Global Prosperity

Posted on March 17, 2011
Speaking today to the prestigious Council on Foreign Relations, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka spelled out a comprehensive new vision for global trade and investment policies to create a global economy that is good for working people, the middle class and democracy?both here in the United States and around the world...

Live NOW: Join Teletown Hall with Joe Biden, Hilda Solis and Richard Trumka

Posted on March 17, 2011
Get the Adobe Flash Player to see this listen to the audio. // Vice President Joe Biden, Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka are speaking to 100,000 activists about the Republican assaults on collective bargaining in at least a dozen states...

ILO Praises Egypt?s First Steps on Workers? Rights

Posted on March 17, 2011
For decades under former President Hosni Mubarak, Egypt was one of the countries often cited by the International Labor Organization (ILO) as restricting or denying workers? freedom to join a union. This week, the ILO praised the new Egyptian leaders for taking the first steps towards recognizing that basic human right...

AFL-CIO on Colombian Labor and Human Rights

Posted on March 17, 2011
The AFL-CIO issued this statement today on the congressional benchmark document  on Colombian labor and human rights.  The Colombian Labor and Human Rights document released by Reps. Jim McGovern, George Miller, Rosa DeLauro, Mike Michaud, Jan Schakowsky and Linda Sanchez is a detailed, thoughtful, and powerful document...

Join the Fight: Become a Strategic Researcher!

Posted on March 17, 2011
Want to build on the momentum in Wisconsin, Ohio and elsewhere by joining the fight for workers? rights? Now?s the time to sign up for a course in strategic campaign research, writes Charles Taylor, coordinator for the AFL-CIO Center for Strategic Research recruitment program...

Working Families in Indiana, Across Nation Rally for Workers? Rights

Posted on March 17, 2011
       On Day 24 of rallies and marches at the Indiana Statehouse yesterday, many of the protesters were dressed in camouflage to symbolize that they were under siege. As Indiana State AFL-CIO President Nancy Guyott  told the crowd: We are wearing our camouflage to symbolize that working families and their communities are under siege...

U.S. Now Lags China in Production; Newt Says Create Jobs in Mexico

Posted on March 17, 2011
  Two recent items on the economy struck home in the past few days. One, the United States no longer is the world’s major goods producer. Our nation has now been eclipsed by China, which ended the United States’ 110-year run as the largest goods producer...

Bloggers, promote your law blog by nominating your blog for inclusion in USLaw.com's Law Blog Directory and RSS Reader. Benefits described.