Trade unions
Former UAW President Dennis Williams pleads guilty to embezzlement, facing slap-on-the-wrist sentence
By Shannon Jones, 2 October 2020
The charges Dennis Williams pled guilty to are mild considering the pervasive nature of the corruption and swindling that he oversaw during his long tenure as UAW secretary treasurer and later president.
Australian waterfront union shuts down industrial action at Patrick Terminals
By Patrick Davies, 2 October 2020
The Maritime Union of Australia is determined to contain and isolate the dispute while signalling its willingness to negotiate and impose company demands.
Protest strikes in German public sector and local transport
By Marianne Arens and Andy Niklaus, 1 October 2020
As part of the collective bargaining round for 2.3 million public sector workers, protest strikes are currently taking place in day-care centres and hospitals, town halls, government offices, savings banks, refuse companies and elsewhere.
Australian unions plead for continued secretive talks with government and employers
By Mike Head, 1 October 2020
Behind closed doors, the union chiefs have been discussing how to keep suppressing working class opposition to the destruction of jobs, wages and basic conditions.
New bailout for UK corporations as COVID-19 infections rocket
By Robert Stevens, 26 September 2020
Chancellor Sunak’s announcement was unveiled outside his office in Downing Street, flanked by Trades Union Congress General Secretary Frances O'Grady and Confederation of British Industry Director General Dame Carolyn Fairbairn.
Lessons of the University of Michigan graduate student strike
By the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (US), 26 September 2020
Throughout the course of the strike, many students admirably asserted that their fight was not only about the health and safety of themselves, but of the community as a whole.
Germany’s IG Metall trade union establishes fund to eliminate “overcapacity” in auto parts industry
By Dietmar Gaisenkersting, 25 September 2020
IG Metall established its own private equity fund earlier this summer to finance the restructuring of Germany’s auto industry.
Why is Unifor hiding details of the Ford Canada “pattern” contract?
Autoworkers must demand full disclosure prior to any ratification vote!
By Carl Bronski, 25 September 2020
If Unifor get its way, the 6,300 Ford Canada workers will not be allowed to even lay eyes on a copy of the proposed contract before being herded onto the electronic voting page at this Sunday’s online ratification meeting.
Hollywood unions ratify return to work agreement dictated by giant corporations
By Marc Wells, 25 September 2020
After months of negotiations behind closed doors, the Hollywood unions reached a return-to-work agreement that will expose entertainment industry workers to the COVID-19 contagion as television and film production resumes.
SEIU and Illinois Nurses Association announce tentative agreements with University of Illinois at Chicago
By James Martin and Marcus Day, 25 September 2020
Simultaneously with the announcement of the deal, SEIU 73 shut down the 10-day strike by 4,000 university workers without releasing the full details of the agreement.
After ordering Ford Canada workers to ignore strike deadline, Unifor announces job-cutting agreement
By Roger Jordan, 23 September 2020
The Unifor president refused to provide any details about the contract—signalling that the union has accepted further concessions and job cuts.
“NTEU Fightback” aims to replace the discredited Australian university union leadership
By Jack Turner, 22 September 2020
These supposed “socialists” are seeking to keep workers trapped within the industrial and political straitjacket of the trade unions.
UK unions use “consultative” strike ballots to suppress class struggle
By Barry Mason and Robert Stevens, 21 September 2020
The consultative ballot never implies action being taken, even if a massive vote in favour is returned.
Hospital merger between Beaumont and Advocate-Aurora Health faces internal opposition
By Kevin Reed, 15 September 2020
The merger plans have been slowed down by opposition from Beaumont staff and a group of donors who are calling on the Board of Directors to fire the management team.
Trade unions confer with big business Liberals on how to revive Canadian capitalism
By Roger Jordan, 12 September 2020
The government’s real agenda is for a rapid return to work, higher corporate profitability and “competitiveness,” and to advance Canadian imperialism’s predatory interests internationally.
Unions enforce pro-business restructure at Australia Post
By Jim Franklin and Oscar Grenfell, 11 September 2020
The unions are integrating themselves into management and enforcing a no-strike pledge, amid a major assault on the conditions of postal workers.
Speaking before auto union bureaucrats in Michigan, Biden makes nationalist appeal
By Patrick Martin, 10 September 2020
The Democratic nominee sought to maintain one of the most pernicious fictions of capitalist politics—that the union executives represent the working class, rather than serving as a corporate police force.
Australian Education Union endorses re-opening of schools in Melbourne
By Sue Phillips, 9 September 2020
The union functions as the willing and active accomplice of the government and the education department.
Quebec teachers denounce unions for their complicity in reckless school reopening
By Louis Girard, 4 September 2020
Across the province, workers, parents and medical experts have expressed deep concern about the government’s school reopening plans.
Teachers union and Democrats agree to resume in-person learning in New York City schools
By Jerry White, 2 September 2020
The deal that delays the opening by a week is aimed at countering the growing demands by teachers in the city and around the country for a nationwide work stoppage.
New York City transit workers and the COVID-19 pandemic: A timeline of criminal inaction and union betrayal
By Daniel de Vries and Sam Dalton, 2 September 2020
As transit workers face the dual threat of a second wave of coronavirus and budget disaster, the lessons must be drawn from the death of 146 colleagues.
Australian “assembly” of university workers seeks to head off rebellion against NTEU
By our correspondents, 2 September 2020
The online event was an attempt to divert the growing rank and file disgust over the union’s role in volunteering unprecedented sacrifices of jobs, pay and conditions.
Trotsky’s Last Year
Part Five
By David North, 2 September 2020
An appraisal, on the occasion of the eightieth anniversary of Trotsky’s assassination, of the work of the great theoretician and strategist of World Socialist Revolution during the final year of his life.
Australian Labor Party and unions agree to slash income support and working conditions
By Mike Head, 26 August 2020
The government’s latest measures were again drafted in closed-door talks with the ACTU and then signed off by the Labor Party.
“These same conditions exist all over the world”
Faurecia Gladstone Rank-and-File Safety Committee defends immigrant workers at Indiana parts plant, opposes back-to-school drive
By Tim Rivers, 26 August 2020
Workers at the plant are refusing leadership positions on the shop floor and others are leaving the factory in response to forced overtime and the disregard of medical work restrictions.
Feds propose 10-year oversight of UAW, Detroit News reports
By Jessica Goldstein and Marcus Day, 25 August 2020
The potential agreement would stop short of a full federal takeover of the UAW under the RICO Act, skirting the type of government trusteeship which the Teamsters union underwent following its prosecution in the late 1980s.
NTEU appeals for negotiations after Australia’s Macquarie University announces massive job cuts
By a correspondent, 25 August 2020
The trade union has signalled its willingness to enforce sweeping job destruction, in line with its role an industrial police force of management.
“They are killing people to save money”
Fiat Chrysler, UAW conspire to keep workers on the job after exposure to coronavirus
By Shannon Jones, 22 August 2020
In order to cut costs and boost profits, management and the UAW are seeking to eliminate the limited and inadequate safety protocols put in place in May.
Spanish unions agree to shut down Barcelona Nissan plants
By Alice Summers, 22 August 2020
The deal adds a further year to the ticking time-bomb of mass firings, postponing the approximately 25,000 job losses from the end of 2020 to the end of 2021.
Australian union cancels Sydney bus drivers’ strike
By Oscar Grenfell, 22 August 2020
The calling off of the stoppage is in line with the role played by the unions throughout the pandemic, in seeking to suppress all working-class opposition.
CUPE union shuts down 12-day strike at Port of Montreal
By Laurent Lafrance, 22 August 2020
Yesterday’s truce agreement marks the final stage in the union’s efforts to end the strike as quickly as possible and betray the legitimate demands of the rank and file.
Germany’s IG Metall trade union preparing to enforce jobs massacre and deep wage cuts
By Dietmar Gaisenkersting, 19 August 2020
Big business and the trade unions are exploiting the coronavirus pandemic to secure the upper hand in the global trade war by imposing savage attacks on workers.
Canada and the United States resume aluminum tariff war
By Carl Bronski, 13 August 2020
An unholy alliance of Ontario Premier Doug Ford, the federal Liberal government, and the United Steelworkers and Unifor trade unions is whipping up Canadian nationalism to justify retaliatory tariffs in answer to Trump’s “America First” protectionism.
Ex-UAW regional director forced to resign amid harassment investigation
By Jessica Goldstein, 8 August 2020
Region 2-B Director Richard Rankin presided over major attacks on workers, including the closure of the Lordstown, Ohio GM plant in 2019.
Union prepares sellout of Renault strike in Brazil
By Tomas Castanheira, 8 August 2020
The movement that involved thousands of workers and their families is under threat of being shutdown with an agreement that validates the destruction of 747 jobs.
The United Auto Workers: A criminal conspiracy against the working class
By Shannon Jones, 7 August 2020
From top executives to low-level functionaries, the entire UAW stands exposed as a criminal conspiracy directed against autoworkers.
NTEU enforces deep pay and job cuts at Australian universities
By Mike Head, 6 August 2020
In the latest outrage, the union is urging Adelaide University staff members to take wage cuts of up to 15 percent and still accept the elimination of 200 jobs.
As opposition mounts to reopening of schools, US teacher union opposes national strike
By David Brown, 30 July 2020
The American Federation of Teachers resolved to limit safety strikes to locals “on a case-by-case basis as a last resort.”
Vote “NO” to British Airways pilots’ contract! Form rank and file committees to oppose BALPA sell-out!
By Robert Stevens, 27 July 2020
BALPA has been engaged in talks for three months with BA, which is preparing to lay off 12,000 of its 42,000 workforce.
The “Strike for Black Lives” protest stunt
By Tom Hall, 22 July 2020
The “strike” was a union-organized stunt endorsed by business, the corporate media and the Democratic Party to divert anger over police violence and unsafe working conditions along racial lines.
Dutch unions sell out three-week strike against steel layoffs
By Harm Zonderland and Parwini Zora, 20 July 2020
Tata Steel has revived its long-standing “reorganisation plans,” exploiting the COVID-19 crisis to eliminate an estimated 1,250 to 3,000 jobs.
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