Rich’s Label Blog

Activist union teachers around the country continue to stack up victories and anti-union legislators continue to oppose workers’ union rights, as in Sen. Rand Paul’s (R-KY) introduction of a national right-to-work bill. The more things change, the more they remain the...

Assaults on the First Amendment continue as Republicans tried again unsuccessfully to pass Marco Rubio’s Combating BDS Act, a measure designed to protect Israel. Unfortunately, an act that criminalizes boycotts in one sphere may lead to criminalization of other...

The so-called “blue wave” that swept many Democrats and Progressives into office on November 6 contained a less-noticed labor wave. Not only were many of the successful candidates, who frequently washed away reactionary incumbents supported by the Labor Movement, but...

The 10 days following Thanksgiving are designated by the AFL-CIO as “Buy Union” week to encourage all union members to look for union-made goods and services when they buy for the Holiday Season. When you buy union, you’re supporting good jobs in American communities,...

The two years since the 2016 presidential election have been tumultuous. As noted in previous issues of the Label Letter, and this one, too, Labor has been lambasted and working people and their families have been hurt by Trump administration policies. The 2018...

The intent of Labor Day, as envisioned by our forefathers, has, of course, eroded over the years. Most see it as an opportunity to have a last trip to the beach or backyard barbeque, but in reality, the state of labor and capital today make it more important than ever...

Human rights, civil rights and labor right are inextricably connected. Just ask the people who are attacking them. the Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, for example.
DeVos has been roundly criticized for undermining protections against all manner of abuses to which students are subject.

It’s time for everyone to drop the word “reform” as applied to Trump administration policy changes. The right word can be chosen from the following: rip-off, scam, cheat, fraud or theft. The tax bill enacted by the Republicans rewards the party’s big-league donors....

Speakers at the Union Label Convention in St. Louis uniformly cited the key role played by solidarity in their various campaigns. Among the speaker were APWU President Mark Dimondstein, BCTGM Secretary-Treasurer Steve Bertelli and Missouri State AFL-CIO President Mike...

Atrocious working conditions in non-union auto parts plants are described in a scathing article in Bloomberg Businessweek called “The New Detroit” from its March-April cover story. The cover photo was of a one-armed victim of an industrial accident beside this line:...