Labor Notes

"In reality, workers are people with genders, identities, and religious beliefs that shape their relationships with each other and the world—and that’s part of what can spur them to action." 2/2

Mamdani’s victory should put to rest the lie that workers are drawn only to simpleminded economic populism that casts social justice questions as distractions, wrote @Lfelizleon labornotes.org/2025/11/zohr... 1/2

You can also listen to The Labor Notes Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify: labornotespodcast.podbean.com 2/2

New on the Labor Notes Pod 🎙️ International solidarity is how we raise conditions for workers across borders. Few things make that clearer than the story of auto workers in Mexico who've dealt with bad bosses, sham unions, and decades of U.S. trade policy labornotespodcast.podbean.com/e/notes-on-t...

"Wilson organized a movement of voters who—sometimes for the first time—recognized the influence they could have by taking organized collective action," writes Natalie Wellen, president of UAW Local 4121 on the victory of Seattle mayor-elect Katie Wilson labornotes.org/blogs/2025/1...

🗓️Today (Thursday, Nov. 20, 8 p.m. ET): Stewards' Workshop on Dealing with Difficult Supervisors

Join other stewards from a variety of industries to talk about strategies for handling conflict with bad management!

There's still time to sign up! labornotes.org/events/2025/...

TDU provided tools to help members run a ‘vote no’ campaign on a weak contract, hold Zoom meetings with of hundreds of workers, and create leaflets in five languages 2/2

“We need to get respect for ourselves, by ourselves,” said Steve Tesfagiorgis, a custodian at the University of Minnesota, where workers organized a contract campaign and a victorious five-day strike in September against the wishes of local union officials labornotes.org/2025/11/team... 1/2

Employers in Mexico are flagrantly breaching their obligations to workers with few consequences. “The problem is not the law,” said Mexican labor activist Willebaldo Gómez Zuppa. “The problem is its enforcement.” labornotes.org/usmca-mexico...

YouTube video by Haymarket Books How Can Unions Defend Worker Power Against Trump 2.0?

Watch our full online panel now with @prospect.org and @haymarketbooks.org, featuring UAW Region 9A director Brandon Mancilla, Baltimore Teachers Union president Diamonté Brown, and Jackson Potter, VP @ctulocal1.bsky.social: www.youtube.com/watch?v=niZH...

The USMCA made some critical improvements to raise standards for workers in Mexico, but they haven't exactly led to the explosion in independent union organizing that many union activists there had hoped for. @nataschaelena.bsky.social reports labornotes.org/usmca-mexico...

YouTube video by Haymarket Books How Can Unions Defend Worker Power Against Trump 2.0?

"What's shocking is the escalation of attacks on immigrants, civil rights, unions, federal workers. It can be hard to think of a positive vision if we're defending the little we have." —Brandon Mancilla, Director of UAW Region 9A

Watch the livestream: www.youtube.com/watch?v=niZH...

The Mexican government is failing to prosecute violent retaliation and threats against workers who organize, says a new report, putting Mexico out of compliance with its trade agreement with the U.S. and Canada. @nataschaelena.bsky.social reports labornotes.org/usmca-mexico...

🚨Tonight, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 8 p.m. Eastern

There's still time to sign up! www.tickettailor.com/events/hayma...

How can the labor movement build power amid the attempted billionaire takeover during the second Trump presidency?

Join workers at a free online panel discussion on Tuesday, Nov. 18, with @prospect.org and @haymarketbooks.org

Sign up: www.tickettailor.com/events/hayma...

The union has organized 650 stores, but the company operates 10,000 stores in the U.S., so striking baristas are asking everyone to shun all Starbucks stores, whether union or not, for the duration of the strike, and to tell the company why labornotes.org/2025/11/no-c...

Indiana Casino Dealers Are Bringing Back the Recognition Strike There are no clocks in a casino, so the dealers all set their phone alarms for noon. Everyone was a bundle of nerves. Before work, a couple of people threw up. But when the cacophony of alarms sounded...

Wages are so low that management has an incentive to over-staff even during slow times, our editor Al Bradbury reports. “We went from 120 dealers to 200. They over-saturated our workforce. Paychecks are down almost $1,000 a month. That’s rent. That’s your car bill.” labornotes.org/2025/11/indi...

Canadian Postal Workers Strike Again Canadian postal workers are back on strike—again—as they fight to save a vital public service. Joël Lightbound, the cabinet minister responsible for Canada Post, on September 25 announced drastic chan...

“By staying on the job and continuing to wait for these demoralizing offers, we show that we accept this, we’re not going to fight. So we decided we’re going out.” labornotes.org/2025/11/cana...

Ten thousand Corewell nurses voted to join the Teamsters last year in one of the biggest private-sector union organizing victories in decades 2/2

Teamsters Highlight Renewed Militancy, Rank-and-File Power at 50th Annual TDU Convention At the 50th annual Teamsters for a Democratic Union convention, 550 Teamsters talked about building power in their workplaces, from UPS barns to school bus yards to the San Diego Zoo. They swapped tip...

Katherine Wallace, a nurse at Michigan’s Corewell Health, saw the nationwide practice pickets during the last UPS contract campaign and was inspired to join an organizing drive in her workplace labornotes.org/2025/11/team... 1/2

Sign up today! www.tickettailor.com/events/hayma...

Graphic features a photo of Starbucks workers on strike in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Story title is, "No Contract Means No Coffee as Starbucks Baristas Walk Out," reported by our editor Jenny Brown.

“It feels like we’re constantly being made to do more with less. They assume that by placing a time constraint on [orders] it will automatically solve the problem when, as we all know, staffing fixes these issues, nothing else.”
labornotes.org/2025/11/no-c...

🎯 The clock is ticking to register for the New Orleans Troublemakers School in December! Join labor activists from around the Gulf coast to strategize, share skills, and organize to win!

Saturday, December 6
IATSE Local 478, 511 N Hennessey St

Sign up labornotes.swoogo.com/notms2/9383808

Teamsters Highlight Renewed Militancy, Rank-and-File Power at 50th Annual TDU Convention At the 50th annual Teamsters for a Democratic Union convention, 550 Teamsters talked about building power in their workplaces, from UPS barns to school bus yards to the San Diego Zoo. They swapped tip...

“Strikes are back in the Teamsters,” said Dustin Roach, president of Local 135 in Indiana. “We’re not afraid to prepare for them. We’re not afraid to use them. We’re not afraid to win them.” labornotes.org/2025/11/team...

Title card for the Labor Notes Podcast Episode: Starbucks Workers Strike for a First Contract. The graphic features a mostly white and blue image of rallying Starbucks workers, with one worker in the foreground in color. She's holding a sign that says "No Contract, No Coffee!"

On Friday's episode of the Labor Notes Pod, @sbworkersunited.org member Sabina Aguirre, who works in Columbus, Ohio, said baristas are often so overworked trying to serve long lines of customers that they rush to make as many as 80 drinks an hour
labornotespodcast.podbean.com/e/starbucks-... 2/2

In the face of flagging sales, Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol launched a billion dollar program to refurbish stores to win customers “Back to Starbucks,” but baristas have said any solution must start with adequate staffing. Our editor Jenny Brown reports labornotes.org/2025/11/no-c... 1/2

This discussion is based on our Roundtable Series featuring contributions by organizers and scholars on how unions can fight the authoritarian consolidation of power under Trump and the billionaire capture of the economy

Read the pieces here: labornotes.org/content/how-... 2/2

A graphic for our upcoming online event, "How Can Unions Defend Worker Power Against Trump 2.0?" on Tuesday, Nov. 18, at 8 p.m. Eastern. The graphic has a pale purple background and features the headshots (from left to right), of panelists: Brandon Mancilla, UAW Region 9A Director, Diamonte Brown, President of the Baltimore Teachers Union, and Jackson Potter, VP, Chicago Teachers Union

🚨Tuesday, Nov. 18, 8 p.m. ET: Hear from UAW Region 9A director Brandon Mancilla; Baltimore Teachers Union president Diamonté Brown; and Jackson Potter, VP @ctulocal1.bsky.social, at our online panel with @prospect.org and @haymarketbooks.org

Sign up now! www.tickettailor.com/events/hayma... 1/2

No Contract, No Coffee | Starbucks Workers United Starbucks baristas brewing change. Join the movement for fair contracts, better wages, and worker protections.

Workers are asking customers not to buy coffee at any Starbucks location during their strike. Learn more: nocontractnocoffee.org

No Contract Means No Coffee as Starbucks Baristas Walk Out Chanting “What’s outrageous? Starbucks wages! What’s appalling? Starbucks stalling! What’s disgusting? Union busting!”, Starbucks workers at stores across the country walked out Thursday. They are on ...

The @sbworkersunited.org strike started with 65 stores in 40 cities, and could spread to as many as 550 stores.

The union said it is prepared to make this the “longest and largest unfair labor practice strike in Starbucks history.”

Our editor Jenny Brown reports labornotes.org/2025/11/no-c...