Blog

NY Times' "Peanut Case Shows Holes in Safety Net" Makes a Crucial Point

Workers from temp agencies are less invested in their jobs because they are paid poorly, trained poorly, treated poorly and are often looking for something better. They are less likely to report a health hazard because they can be fired at the drop of a hat and replaced. They are denied the rights entitled to unionized or regular workers. Management rarely has the capacity to fully train a transient, temporary workforce so a temp worker may not know proper health and safety protocols. This creates an obvious danger zone. Their lack of healthcare benefits and sick days brings workers' illnesses into the food processing facilities which than get passed on to consumers.

How Sustainable are "Florverde" Flowers?

Colombia 0808 028 NoraAfter years of trying to engage in a dialogue with Asocolflores over the labor standards in their Florverde certification program, we have many doubts about their concern for workers given their lack of interest in improving the labor rights component.
Florverde DOES NOT:
•    Give workers the right to form the organization of
their choice
. (instead promoting only  "information and participation

Workers Say, “Our only Hope is the Union” at Eagle Industries in New Bedford

In the months that have followed, workers who have publicly voiced their support for the union have been systematically isolated, harassed and threatened with losing their jobs. One woman told me, "If you speak to the person sitting next to you, the supervisor gives you a warning." Another worker was moved from her workstation amidst other workers and isolated in the back of the factory against a wall, where she is unable to talk with anyone, apparently because she was considered pro-union. Workers report that the company institutes a pay scale where employees that do not publicly support the union and friends of the management are given raises and offered overtime work before others, regardless of performance or seniority.

Global Education at Davos: World leaders, your Homework is Due, and Please Sit up Straight in Your Seat

I'm here calling for something that if achieved, will bring about a
terror already known to millions of children in the world 's richest
countries.

Homework.

It's not lost on me, as a product of the American educational
system, that's I'm here bending the ears of the elite about kids
getting to be somewhere I often made an excuse or feigned illness to
get out of attending as a child (To Mrs. Hoffman, if you're still
teaching 4th grade, I'm sorry. I was wrong. It turns out reading is
important.)

Let's get back to work and confirm Hilda Solis

I think the last election showed that folks in the US think enough is enough.  That's exactly why a handful of corporate profiteers and a handful of their buddies in Congress are grasping at any straws to cling to power -- including holding up Solis' confirmation.  Even the New York Times Editorial Board is chanting "Hilda! Hilda! Hilda!" and arguing that we need to grow union membership in the US because "strong labor unions help to push wages up by bargaining for more of the
pie to go for workers’ wages, rather than for bonuses and profits for

Imprisoned labor lawyer in the Philippines released!

With Atty. Saladero’s release, it
will be hard for the Philippine government prosecutors to sustain the charges
against the other named in the criminal warrant. However, much will be
determined by the judge’s order, which not yet available to the public. The
language in the judge’s order will mean a lot in terms of ensuring that all
those who were named in the complaint for political reasons, including Manny
Asuncion
, will be able to safely return to their families without fear of the
military coming to get them.

Here are two blog posts I wrote
about Atty. Saladero’s arrest last fall.

Pope: Unions Can Help Resolve Financial Crisis

The AFL-CIO Now Blog has some more thoughts on the role that faith leaders play in supporting worker rights.  For example, Interfaith Worker Justice does great work all across the US with a range of religious leaders and faith communities to organize in support of labor rights campaigns.  They have a great toolkit for religous leaders about the Employee Free Choice Act so that faith communities can support this legislation which would help increase the right of workers to join unions -- and improve the economy. 

Pages

Search form