Labor Notes

Labor Notes issues fanned out against a green background. The August/September issue is laid out on top of the stack, and its lead story is headlined, "Confront or Cave? Federal Pressure Splits the Building Trades."

In the August/September issue: Federal Pressure Splits the Building Trades; Amazon Workers Fight Automation; and more.

A $30 subscription to Labor Notes gets 11 issues to your door each year!

Subscribe by Tuesday, Sept. 16, to get the October issue: mailchi.mp/labornotes/f...

In Italy, Immigrant Workers Launch a Wave of Strikes for a 40-Hour Week Since early April, immigrant workers in the Tuscan city of Prato have staged a wave of strikes demanding their right to a 40-hour work week, or “8x5.” Organized by the union SUDD Cobas, these walkouts...

Immigrant workers in Prato, Italy have mounted a series of strike days this year against exploitative conditions like 14-hour workdays, union busting and dangerous machinery.

They've already won a 40-hour work week in 68 fashion workshops and warehouses: labornotes.org/blogs/2025/0...

You can also listen to the Labor Notes Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and our YouTube Channel: linktr.ee/labornotes

We're proud to be part of the Labor Radio Podcast Network: laborradionetwork.org #LaborRadioPod

NEW Labor Notes Pod: Build Power By Coordinating Bargaining

Francisco Ortiz, president of United Teachers Richmond in California, and Chris Spurlock, steward in Teamsters 135, shared their experiences at our recent panel: labornotespodcast.podbean.com/e/build-power-by-coordinating-your-bargaining/

Labor Notes issues fanned out against a green background. The August/September issue is laid out on top of the stack, and its lead story is headlined, "Confront or Cave? Federal Pressure Splits the Building Trades."

In the August/September issue: Federal Pressure Splits the Building Trades; Amazon Workers Fight Automation; and more.

A $30 subscription to Labor Notes gets 11 issues to your door each year!

Subscribe by Tuesday, Sept. 16, to get the October issue: mailchi.mp/labornotes/f...

Listen to the full episode, with our labor-climate organizer @keithbrowerbrown.bsky.social also
on the pod: labornotespodcast.podbean.com/e/construction-unions-face-a-choice-cave-or-defend-members/ 2/2 #LaborRadioPod

Some members are pushing their unions to take a more active stance in this political moment—the Latin American Electrical Workers Alliance (LAEWA), a caucus of members and staff, is organizing to get IBEW locals to adopt an immigrant defense resolution, said @nataschaelena.bsky.social 1/2

In Small-Town Oregon, Teacher Strike Threat and Community Support Stop Bad Proposal As educators fend off attacks at the federal and state level, they’re also seeing some local wins. From striking for more recess to demanding more nurses and support personnel, teachers across the cou...

Members of the Coquille Educators Association in Oregon built a credible strike threat to defeat a proposal to pile more students onto their already hectic daily schedules: labornotes.org/blogs/2025/0...

In Italy, Immigrant Workers Launch a Wave of Strikes for a 40-Hour Week Since early April, immigrant workers in the Tuscan city of Prato have staged a wave of strikes demanding their right to a 40-hour work week, or “8x5.” Organized by the union SUDD Cobas, these walkouts...

Since early April, immigrant textile and garment workers in the Tuscan city of Prato have staged a strike wave demanding their right to a 40-hour work week.

These walkouts have already won their demand in 68 fashion workshops and warehouses: labornotes.org/blogs/2025/0...

Independent Union Loses Bid to Represent Second Mexico GM Plant The independent National Auto Workers Union (SINTTIA) lost its bid to represent General Motors workers at the company’s San Luis Potosí SUV plant. Workers there voted to join another union, Carlos Leo...

The independent National Auto Workers Union (SINTTIA) lost a bid to represent GM workers at the company’s San Luis Potosí plant. Workers voted to join Carlos Leone, a union tied to the Confederation of Mexican Workers, which is notorious for its employer-friendly contracts:

NABTU leader Sean McGarvey, who'd called for Kilmar Abrego Garcia's release from an El Salvador prison and slammed the GOP budget as "the biggest job-killing bill in the history of this country,” now professes support for Trump's anti-immigrant agenda 3/3

Confront or Cave? Federal Pressure Splits the Building Trades One of the last nationwide bastions of union jobs is getting jackhammered by the Trump administration. Members are languishing in ICE prisons without trial. Programs that protect members from racism a...

...but construction union brass is largely avoiding conflict, report @nataschaelena.bsky.social and @keithbrowerbrown.bsky.social: labornotes.org/2025/07/conf... 2/3

This year, the Trump administration moved to slash minimum wages on all federal contracts by 25%, bringing it down to $13.30. It also targeted clean energy and infrastructure projects, canceling over $300 billion of funding at union construction sites... 1/3

“We’ve settled so much. We’ve given away so much,” said said Andrea Reynolds, a 27-year Kroger worker in Kokomo. “We’re done working for crumbs.” Caitlyn Clark of Essential Workers for Democracy reports: labornotes.org/2025/07/8000...

You can also listen to the Labor Notes Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and our YouTube Channel: linktr.ee/labornotes

We're proud to be part of the Labor Radio Podcast Network laborradionetwork.org #LaborRadioPod 2/2

Listen to the full episode, with our labor-climate organizer @keithbrowerbrown.bsky.social joining the pod: labornotespodcast.podbean.com/e/construction-unions-face-a-choice-cave-or-defend-members/ 1/2

Milwaukee Troublemakers School Bringing together union members, labor activists, and local officers, a Labor Notes Troublemakers School is a space for building solidarity, and sharing successes, strategy, and inspiration. It’s a re...

Sign up to join workers from around the Great Lakes and beyond on Saturday, October 4: labornotes.org/events/2025/...

8,000 Indiana Kroger Workers Vote Down Contract a Second Time Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 700 members across Indiana voted on July 10 and 11 to reject a tentative agreement covering 8,000 Kroger retail workers. This is the second contract Kroger wor...

“Members have seen other union contracts in our area, like Pepsi, Coke, and UPS. They know that there are better results with more action,” said Shahriar Sayeem, who has worked at Kroger in Fishers for 8 years: labornotes.org/2025/07/8000...

Listen to the full episode here: labornotespodcast.podbean.com/e/constructi...

#laborradiopod 2/2

Construction unions here have historically either struggled to or not really helped immigrant workers organize themselves, leaving a "Wild West" non-union sector fostered by companies who drag down wages and erode working conditions by repressing vulnerable undocumented workers 1/2

Confront or Cave? Federal Pressure Splits the Building Trades One of the last nationwide bastions of union jobs is getting jackhammered by the Trump administration. Members are languishing in ICE prisons without trial. Programs that protect members from racism a...

Read the story by @nataschaelena.bsky.social and @keithbrowerbrown.bsky.social: labornotes.org/2025/07/conf... 3/3

Listen to the full episode: labornotespodcast.podbean.com/e/constructi... 2/3

Women in the United Brotherhood of Carpenters said they've been infuriated by union brass shutting down longstanding union support for Sisters in the Brotherhood, the official women’s committee, along with smaller Black, LGBTQ, and Latino member groups 1/3

In Uncertain Times for Entertainment, IATSE Reformers See a Way Forward The International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees (IATSE) will hold its Quadrennial Convention in Hawaii starting July 28. The 2025 “Quad” convention would be business as usual, if not for ...

“If CREW can organize individual members with common grievances into larger campaigns for change, we will make the union stronger in the process,” said Alex McCarron, draftsperson in IATSE Local 52 and 829: labornotes.org/blogs/2025/07/uncertain-times-entertainment-iatse-reformers-see-way-forward

A graphic for our podcast episode, with the Labor Notes slingshot logo on the top left hand corner, and cut out images of our hosts Natascha Elena Uhlmann and Danielle Smith on either side. The title between them reads, "Construction union face a choice: cave or defend members?"

You can also listen to the Labor Notes Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and our YouTube Channel: linktr.ee/labornotes We're proud to be part of the Labor Radio Podcast Network! Check out shows on the network on laborradionetwork.org #LaborRadioPod

NEW on the Labor Notes Podcast: Our August/September issue features the divided response of building trades unions to Trump admin assaults on immigrant members and "DEI," and cancellation of hundreds of billions of dollars in construction projects:

“Anybody who thinks we have to ignore certain issues or avoid certain political conversations in order to grow the base, they don’t understand what it means to grow the base,” Andrews said 2/2

Immigration doesn't need to be "divisive." It can actually build the union. Ryan Andrews, an English teacher and member of the United Teachers of Los Angeles, said conversations on immigrant justice are boosting member engagement in his union and helping teachers organize to support students: 1/2

Confront or Cave? Federal Pressure Splits the Building Trades One of the last nationwide bastions of union jobs is getting jackhammered by the Trump administration. Members are languishing in ICE prisons without trial. Programs that protect members from racism a...

“The officers have been talking more progressively for years about supporting our sisters,” said ceiling specialist Laura Gabby. “The second the Trump administration starts pushing in an opposite direction, they fold immediately and throw in the towel?” labornotes.org/2025/07/conf...

Today, IATSE's reform caucus, CREW, is making efforts to reform the union around several core principals: Supporting Transparency, Accountability, New Ideas, and Democracy: labornotes.org/blogs/2025/0...