Rich’s Label Blog

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:...

The body politic is crawling with dissent. Town meetings with legislators are uproarious with citizens of all political persuasions who are deeply concerned about their healthcare, Medicare, and Medicaid. Scientists are marching in defense of unbiased inquiry....

The body politic is crawling with dissent. Town meetings with legislators are uproarious with citizens of all political persuasions who are deeply concerned about their healthcare, Medicare and Medicaid. Scientists are marching in defense of unbiased inquiry....

Labor Day has great meaning to many. Yes, a three-day weekend filled with family gatherings, last-minute end of summer trips, barbecues and fun, but it means so much more to those of us in the Labor Movement. It’s a call to action. For the Union Label Department, it...

Social Security has a Union Label. The 1935 passage of the original Social Security act was preceded by long-term labor movement activism. Every subsequent improvement and extension of social security protection was moved forward by labor movement action. Protections for disabled workers, Medicare and Medicaid, all part of the Social Security program, were the result of pressure from the labor movement and its allies in government and beyond.

The split decision in the Friedrich’s case, an unveiled attack on public unions by rightwing opponents  to collective bargaining, produced a stalemate which leaves those rights as they were. In the event that the Supreme Court cannot reach a decision, the lower court...