Working Life

If only we could organize workers here at this rate: China’s government-sanctioned trade union has strengthened its foothold in McDonald’s Corp., a move that illustrates the increasing involvement by the All-China Federation of Trade Union in the work forces of multinational companies doing business in China. About 80% of the McDonald’s work force in China […]

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    I promise I won’t keep writing every day about the UAW–it might seem like favoritism–but, if you’re interested, there is a transcript of an on-line chat that UAW prez Ron Gettelfinger had with members.     One thing I found interesting was this little snippet: Ludington, Mich.: Gentlemen, as a Chrysler retiree and former chief […]

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The folks that are going to buy Chrysler–the private equity firm of Cerberus Capital Management–are working hard to reassure the UAW and rank-and-file workers that a bunch of workers are not heading for the unemployment line. I’m skeptical–mainly for the long haul. The Wall Street Journal has this today (subscription only):   Leaders of the […]

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Yesterday, I did a television interview about the buy-out of Chrysler by a private-equity firm. It was striking to me during that interview—and is reaffirmed if you read the MSM coverage of the story—how much the story is being framed entirely around the “sacrifices” that the rank-and-file workers will have to make to keep Chrysler […]

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I don’t really find this story to be too credible. UAW Group, Tracinda Discuss Bids for Chrysler By GINA CHON and JOHN D. STOLL April 23, 2007 Representatives of billionaire investor Kirk Kerkorian’s Tracinda Corp., which has proposed a $4.5 billion acquisition of DaimlerChrysler AG’s Chrysler Group, met yesterday with United Auto Workers members who […]

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Good for Steelworkers president Leo Gerard–from today’s Wall Street Journal– Unions in the U.S. and abroad have been slow to follow companies as they extend their overseas reach. The United Steelworkers and two of Britain’s largest unions are considering a daring move to catch up. The Steelworkers union is expected to sign an agreement tomorrow […]

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Today, Steve Greenhouse has a good story in The New York Times about the struggle of many food delivery workers to get a decent wage. They can usually be seen pedaling madly on Manhattan streets, often against traffic, rushing to satisfy New Yorkers’ capacious appetites for cold sesame noodles and General Tso’s chicken. Yu Guan […]

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This is going to be a tough fight for our sisters and brothers in the UAW (of which I am a member). The Wall Street Journal has a story previewing the bargaining convention taking place in Detroit next week: United Auto Workers union leaders will convene in Detroit next week for a critical collective bargaining […]

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I’m shocked, shocked, that the Republican mayor of New York would stoop to union-busting–particularly after so many of the city’s unions supported him for re-election (there is a healthy dose of sarcasm there): Day-Care Group: City Union-Busting By MEREDITH KOLODNER THE CHIEFMarch 16, 2007 The city’s day-care union and several elected officials charged last week […]

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Here’s an interesting development. The California Nurses Association, and its national arm, the National Nurses Organizing Committee, joined the AFL-CIO on Thursday. CNA represents 75,000 nurses throughout the country. It isn’t so much the affiliation that I find interesting–it’s one of the reasons given: the Federation’s endorsement of single-payer health care as the solution to […]

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