The union, named Nuemos Workers United (NWU) began their organizing drive with a rigorous internal petition signed by over 50 staff members (over 75% of workplace representation) listing demands to improve working conditions. The list of demands includes holding the employer accountable to comply with federal, state, and municipal labor laws, better pay compensation with a base rate of $30 an hour (including proportional raises) and safer staffing practices.

As service industry workers continue to form new unions and agitate against abject poverty and abuse from the bosses, the workers of NWU are a welcome addition to the fight for a stronger labor movement in the heart of Seattle, a bastion of the organized labor in the Pacific Northwest.

NWU is seeking community support. For more information, visit @nuemosworkers on Instagram.

The post Concert Venue Workers in Seattle Announce Organizing Drive first appeared on Labor Today.

The post Concert Venue Workers in Seattle Announce Organizing Drive appeared first on Labor Today.

Hiding work is central to union-busting. Employers have used multiple underhanded and easily glossed over tactics to deter workers from organizing and joining unions. Even though the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 makes union-busting illegal companies still find ways to go around federal and state laws.

Employers regularly use the services of union-busting consultants and agencies. Law firms such as Jackson Lewis, who are known for union-building, to represent corporations in labor disputes, lawsuits, and union related cases. Some of their most valuable clients include Google, Amazon, and multiple universities and colleges. Companies are also known to push “astroturf campaigns”. These campaigns are manufactured movements meant to impersonate grassroot movements. The corporate organizers of these campaigns manipulate and misinform employees who are either ignorant of unions or hold misplaced resentment toward unions to spread the rhetoric of union-busting consultants and agencies to their co-workers. Employers often attempt to intimidate employees with forced one on one meetings where they are subjected to forced consumption of anti-union propaganda spewed by management and union-busting consultants. Companies have been known to make empty promises to convince employees not to organize and often use their union-busting lawyers to delay union elections and contract negotiations in an attempt to create a loss of morale amongst workers. Employers also use social media to union-bust. Corporations monitor the posts of pro-union workers, flag employees who have pro-union posts, suppress posts by reporting them as spam and hiding them from worker eyes, employers or anti-union moles will often crash online chat groups and video calls in order to spy on and intimidate union organizers, and it has also been revealed that employers will send anti-union propaganda through text messages.

There are multiple effective ways to combat employers who attempt to hide work from the union. One way is to speak to fellow workers face to face whether it be in or outside of work. Human interaction is one of the oldest and most effective ways of organizing and spreading awareness. An important tool to use to fight union-busting is utilizing the press. Using news releases and press conferences help gain massive public support against anti-union movements and campaigns. Another tactic is using text messaging to contact co-workers in order to spread information and organize. Finally using online campaigning to expose corporate misformation and propaganda, bring attention to the shady union-busting tactics used by employers, secretly conducting investigations into the underhanded motives of companies, studying up on workers’ rights, keeping track of and documenting violations conducted by employers, and capturing the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) attention and getting them on your side.

As workers we must maintain pride and dignity and recognize that we are the foundations to all corporations around the country and deserving of workers’ rights, especially the right to unionize and organize. Like a hand, its individual fingers are weak and easily broken, but when those fingers come together into a fist its strength cannot be broken and can smash through any obstacle or adversary.

The post Employers Hiding Work from the Union: How to Spot It and What To Do About It first appeared on Labor Today.

The post Employers Hiding Work from the Union: How to Spot It and What To Do About It appeared first on Labor Today.

Retail is a notoriously difficult industry to unionize; chaotic schedules, high turnover, and a workforce that often sees the job as a temporary stop create clear challenges for organizing. The industry relies on exactly these problems to sow apathy, especially among young workers. Since many are just working here temporarily, it’s easy for them not to care. But with nearly one in five retail workers being under 24, they represent a large demographic that must be won. While conducting unionization campaigns, a main objective needs to make young workers care about the organizing drive.

These young workers often get erratic schedules, poor training, and dismissive feedback. Their youth is taken advantage of by older bosses with false promises of promotions, pressure to accept exploitation, underpaying them for doing higher paid work, and isolating verbal abuse. Unlike older coworkers, who are dependent on the company’s paycheck to pay their mortgages, insurance, and other bills, younger workers lack these economic ties. This creates a policy that seems to emphasize deliberately burning through young comrades, replacing them as they inevitably quit, which conveniently reset their replacements at the lowest pay scale. Highlighting this particular disrespect and countering it proved to be our most useful organizing tool.

Young workers are told that they don’t deserve higher pay because they are new and have less responsibility, even though they actually have one of the largest ranges of tasks to complete. Young workers need to be reminded that their shared class position is with everyone on the floor. With just a little encouragement, young workers formed their own internal group of friends who helped keep each other informed and motivated. Together, they dispelled the company’s anti-union propaganda for both themselves and helped the other workers they were in contact with see the truth.

Younger workers voted for the union not primarily because of economic pressures, as this job was a short stop on their way to adulthood, but because the company’s systematic disrespect and manipulation made them desperate for collective power. Fortunately, the organization was able to fill the desire for camaraderie with a group that recognized their contributions as meaningful. Increasing pay was an influential part of it but showing youth they deserved respect and that their labor earned them the right to demand more was the biggest factor for getting them to care about working conditions at a job they will soon leave.

Young workers are not planning to stay here long term. Many will move on to college, trades, or other cities within a year or two. Yet once shown respect, the youth were willing to fight to improve the lives of the workers who will follow behind them. They put their jobs on the line not because they needed the raise forever, but because they understood that no one should be treated the way the company treated them. That is the lesson for unions going forward. Improving conditions will always be the main driving factor, but for some workers, especially the youngest, must show them they deserve respect before they can imagine a better future. Youth will fight for others even when they won’t be there to collect the benefits. With any luck, these skills in understanding class consciousness, and the power of solidarity will follow them as they venture out into the world.

The post Youth – A Treasure for Unions first appeared on Labor Today.

The post Youth – A Treasure for Unions appeared first on Labor Today.

By James Dugan

Organizing Methods in the Steel Industry by William Z. Foster offers a potent plan for organizing labor to confront not only their bosses, but Monopoly Capital. Written after Foster suffered a heart attack and received treatment in the Soviet Union; its 28 pages are an instruction manual for the resuscitation of organized labor for the establishment of industrial unionism.

Foster advises cooperation between progressive and Left-wing elements in the labor movement noting that “only these elements [ ] have the necessary vision, flexibility and courage to go forward with such an important project as the organization of the 500,000 steel workers in the face of the powerful opposition of the Steel Trust and its capitalist allies.”

Foster says “The organization movement must be industrial and national in character. That is, (a) it must include every category of workers in the steel industry, not merely a thin stratum of skilled workers at the top; and (b) the drive must be carried on energetically and simultaneously in every steel center, not simply here and there spasmodically in individual mills or steel centers.’ For workers to build a class-oriented trade union movement of an industrial character, they need to look no further than Foster’s work.

His emphasis on creating a mass movement of the steel industry, a nationally critical industry, balances comprehensive motivation with rigorous self-criticism, optimism, and determined organizational discipline. To accomplish this, Foster says, “Hard work and sobriety are basic essentials for success. Chair-warmers and irresponsibles should be made to feel unwelcome in the organizing crew.”

Foster’s plan includes specific tactics for outreach members of racial and ethnic groups, youth and women. Foster suggests how an Amalgamated Association (A.A.) or mass organization could be constituted using demonstration, print, and broadcast. Foster posits that this should be balanced with focused interpersonal and relational work for developing and defending the members and organization.

His strategy’s hallmark is its inclusivity and remarkable efficiency.  Foster is thoroughly defensive of the membership and its work of uniting each of society’s layers of preexisting strata, forming the A.A. from the matrix his plan forms within these. This plan integrates his era’s primary social institutions including fraternity and church, to form the platform and to give physical space from which to mount the overall effort.

Industrial unionism gathers membership by forming flexible alliances, overlaid by a firm organizational structure focused on growing the union at every level, industry wide. Rank and file members need to be empowered to actively recruit members and build the union. His methodology offers the most capable means for workers to defeat the trustified industries.

The post Organized Steel Defends Workers and Democracy first appeared on Labor Today.

The post Organized Steel Defends Workers and Democracy appeared first on Labor Today.

On January 23, 2026, in negative temperatures, thousands of Minnesotans turned out in Minneapolis for a strike to protest the current administration’s policies. Multiple businesses across the city and state were also shut down in solidarity with the protests. At the same time of the protests downtown, another protest broke out at the Minneapolis-St Paul (MSP) airport as airport workers and clergy shut down the airport for a time to protest in solidarity. Over 100 clergy members were arrested.

On January 15, 2026, the Minnesota Regional Labor Council endorsed the action, calling it, “A Day of Truth and Freedom”. This was significant as the Minnesota Regional Labor Federal is composed of over 175 unions with 80,000+ members. The Minnesota AFL-CIO followed suit in endorsement. Many local unions did not call this action a “strike” though citing contracts that forbid striking. Many on the street called it a general strike and brought up parallels to the 1934 General Strike in Minneapolis.

The buildup to this was long time in coming. Since last year, federal agents had been conducting raids and harassing workers. On January 17, 2026, agents shot legal observer Renee Good as she was driving away. Federal agents had begun targeting ethnic communities around the country. As of writing of this article, on January 24, 2026, federal agents have shot another legal observer on the street that was being held down by multiple agents.

Other cities followed suit to the strike on Friday, with solidarity strikes and protests in Philadelphia, New York, Oakland, and other cities. The strikes appear to have the form of a pre-democratic labor front that is necessary to combat fascism and monopoly capitalism.

Even with the overwhelming support for the strike, some business union leaders pushed against it. There were reports of a local Teamsters union distributing flyers stating anyone who joined in the strike would be in breach of contract. Large businesses that have contracts and cooperate with the federal government, like Target, 3M, Best Buy, and Delta Airlines have stated nothing on the strike. The silence of the corporations echoes more loudly with Target stores being used as staging ground for ICE raids even as one Target made national news on January 13, 2026, when ICE kidnapped two workers from a Roseville, MN Target store.

LUEL is closing following this developing situation. LUEL calls on labor to unite with progressive groups and other civic groups to build an anti-monopoly coalition. Only then can labor develop into a fighting force that can combat the rising fascism brought on monopoly capitalism.

The post Minnesota Labor Walks Out in Mass Strike! first appeared on Labor Today.

The post Minnesota Labor Walks Out in Mass Strike! appeared first on Labor Today.

We earnestly request that all organizations worldwide—political, social, labor, governmental, and the general public—publicly and categorically reject the military aggression we suffered in the early hours of today, January 3, 2026, at the hands of the United States. We remain steadfast in our struggle; we will not rest until we overcome this abhorrent threat of foreign invasion. The people of Bolívar and Chávez remain steadfast in their struggle; we will not surrender or give in.

This attack only confirms what we have been denouncing to the world: this is not a fight against drug trafficking or terrorism; it is the most pestilent greed of a decadent empire desperately seeking to maintain its dying hegemony, its fangs drooling as it tries to deliver the final blow by seizing our strategic natural and energy resources, which we will defend with our very lives if necessary. At this hour (11:30 am) on January 3, 2026, our homeland is calm; however, we are organizing and preparing to face any event of this nature that may occur in the coming hours, days, weeks, etc. We expect your solidarity, mobilization, and international support so that, with renewed determination, we can continue fighting the most genocidal empire in the history of humankind.

Remember, today it is us, tomorrow it could be any other nation on the planet. In light of the foregoing, we categorically and unequivocally reiterate our support for the Revolutionary Socialist Government, led by the Constitutional President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, the Worker Commander, Nicolás Maduro Moros.

UNITED WE WILL WIN.
ONWARD TO VICTORY, ALWAYS.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE BOLIVARIAN NATIONAL UNION OF POSTAL WORKERS OF VENEZUELA (SINBTRAPOSTAL-VENEZUELA).

The post Statement from the Bolivarian National Union of Postal Workers of Venezuela on US Attacks on Venezuelan Sovereignty first appeared on Labor Today.

The post Statement from the Bolivarian National Union of Postal Workers of Venezuela on US Attacks on Venezuelan Sovereignty appeared first on Labor Today.

Safety, dignity and equality for all women”

On 25 November, International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) renews its struggle for a world free from violence, exploitation and war, recalling that in 2025 we will also celebrate 80 years of international trade union commitment alongside workers around the world.

Violence against women is never an individual or private matter. It is rooted in the power structures of capitalism, economic and social inequalities, patriarchal culture and the militarisation of territories. Wars, occupations and armed conflicts disproportionately affect women, increasing poverty, instability and insecurity. Similarly, economic exploitation, low wages, precarious work, lack of rights and the reduction of public services fuel violence and discrimination.

The WFTU fights for a world where women’s dignity and safety are top priorities, where work is safe and fairly paid, where every woman can live free from violence and fear. On this day, we remember in particular the situation in Palestine, where women today are suffering genocide and have been suffering the consequences of war, occupation and Israel’s policies of oppression for 77 years.

Trade union organisations affiliated to the WFTU have always maintained that the fight against violence against women is closely linked to the fight for workers’ rights, decent wages, safe housing, public education, healthcare and accessible social services. No woman can be free without access to economic resources, social protection and freedom from war and systemic violence.

On this day, the WFTU reaffirms:

• The need for effective legislation against all forms of violence, discrimination and exploitation;
• The right of women to safe work, decent wages and equal opportunities;
• The fight against imperialist wars and all forms of occupation;
• The right to education, contraception, social spaces and free public services, which are fundamental tools for women’s autonomy and protection;
• The need to combat patriarchy and the culture of violence, including through trade union campaigns, information campaigns and concrete actions on the ground.

The WFTU and its affiliates call on all trade unions and workers to mobilise, build international solidarity and support concrete actions against violence against women, predatory capitalism, exploitation and wars. Only collective struggle and the participation of workers can create a world where safety, dignity, equality and freedom are a reality for all women.

80 years of international trade union struggle.

Stop violence against women. Stop exploitation and war. Freedom and justice for Palestine.    Safety, dignity and equality for all women!

The post WFTU Statement on International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women first appeared on Labor Today.

The post WFTU Statement on International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women appeared first on Labor Today.

209 years after that date, the working people continue to fight for their definitive independence, in a context of the advance of capital that seeks a society without freedom or rights for workers. In this sense, the government headed by President Javier Milei is carrying out disastrous policies that go in the direction historically defined by the enemies of the people. However, the multiplicity of sectors across the country, including retirees, who are confronting their reactionary initiatives are a clear example that the people, as in those days, are willing to wage whatever battles are necessary to thwart the anti-popular and quisling attempts of the government and its allies, while also building a just and democratic society.

In this regard, from the National Coordinating Board of Retiree and Pensioner Organizations, we urge grassroots organizations to converge in common actions with a united attitude to achieve our objectives.

“THE ONLY BATTLE YOU LOSE IS THE ONE YOU ABANDON”
Argentina, July 7, 2025

The post ARGENTINA: Wednesday Retiree Update first appeared on Labor Today.

The post ARGENTINA: Wednesday Retiree Update appeared first on Labor Today.

The WFTU strongly condemns any collaboration with the war machine of the murderous state of Israel and calls for a boycott of Israel, especially for activities linked with its military operations and the crimes against Palestinians.

-Noting that on 26 January 2024, the International Criminal Court ordered Israel to ‘take all possible measures’ to ‘prevent’ genocide in Gaza, recognising that at least some of the rights claimed by South Africa and for which it sought protection were plausible.

-Noting that on 26 May 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel must ‘immediately’ stop its military offensive in Rafah, in southern Gaza, in response to South Africa’s request that the court issue this decision as an emergency measure, stating that Israel’s activities in Rafah constitute a ‘genocidal’ operation and threaten the survival of the Palestinian people.

-Noting that on 20 May 2024, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court announced that he had requested arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defence Minister Yoav Galant, accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

-And if the news published in various media outlets about the SINEDOR collaboration with the Israeli murderous state is true, we demand the immediate and unconditional end of the partnership without exception.

No support of the Israeli crimes
Stop the Genocide – Free Palestine

The post WFTU Condemns the Alleged Operations Carried Out by SINEDOR in Cooperation with Israeli Companies first appeared on Labor Today.

The post WFTU Condemns the Alleged Operations Carried Out by SINEDOR in Cooperation with Israeli Companies appeared first on Labor Today.

Labor, and in particular, a class-oriented trade union movement, has a crucial role to play within this Anti-Monopoly Coalition. Labor is to be the heart of this coalition. While the coalition is to unify all progressive and democratic forces (such as workers, students, urban professionals, farmers, small-business owners, etc.), the working class is the force that has the power, if leveraged correctly, to bring the economy to a halt until its demands are met. The workers control the production, the shipment, and even the commerce of goods. The bosses and monopolies that dictate policies to society are the ones who rely on the working class the most.

For labor to play the leading role in the Anti-Monopoly Coalition, it first has to work tirelessly to bring unity to the trade union movement. Concretely, this effort will have the following immediate goals:

1. Ending any prejudices within the unions, such as racism, sexism, and anti-immigrant sentiments, breaks up solidarity and even prevents entry to the organized labor movement by key sections of labor.
2. Organizing the unorganized to bring unity between unionized and non-unionized labor.
3. Pushing for a nationwide right to organize and against any attempts at systematic opening of shops, such as so-called “right to work” laws.
4. Amalgamating small craft unions into unions on industrial lines.
5. Pushing to overturn laws, such as the Taft-Hartley Act, which restrict solidarity strikes.
6. Forming caucuses within unions that struggle for trade union democracy, as the Teamsters for a Democratic Union (TDU) is working on.

As the Anti-Monopoly Coalition emerges, organized and militant labor must be ready to take leadership. To ensure success, labor has to work on the above goals. In working on these goals, militant labor leaders will inevitably clash with the bosses’ agents and reactionary trade union leaders within the unions that obstruct the independent political action of labor.

To learn more, join the Harry Bridges School of Labor class on July 2, 2025, called Labor and the Anti-Monopoly Coalition.

The post Labor Must Take the Lead in Building an Anti-Monopoly Coalition first appeared on Labor Today.

The post Labor Must Take the Lead in Building an Anti-Monopoly Coalition appeared first on Labor Today.