‘Super Union’ Merger in the Works

Staff / Truthdig Apr 6, 2007 Britain's biggest union will meet with the United Steel Workers, a North American organization, to discuss the possibility of a merger. The resulting international mega-union would be one of the largest in the world. The head of the British group has previously expressed a desire to form "a single global trade union movement capable of challenging the might of multinationals." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Israelis Call Off General Strike

Staff / Truthdig Mar 21, 2007 Some 400,000 Israeli workers launched a general strike over unpaid wages that threatened to shut down the nation's economy. Needless to say, this isn't good news for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, whose popularity is down to 3 percent. Update: The eight-hour strike, which brought much of the country to a standstill, was called off after the labor union and the Finance Ministry came to a compromise. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Bill Would Let Airport Screeners Unionize

Staff / Truthdig Mar 7, 2007 An anti-terrorism bill making its way through the Senate would allow airport screeners to unionize. Republicans in Congress, ever the friends of working men and women, have fought against the provision, arguing that a screener union would threaten security and safety. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Greed by Any Other Name

Marie Cocco / Truthdig Mar 1, 2007 Opponents of a new law that would make it easier to form unions, including the president and some Republicans in Congress, have found a clever if shameless method of concealing their loyalty to corporate greed. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

This Doesn’t Look Like Dubai

Staff / Truthdig Feb 7, 2007 After paying roughly $2,000 each for work in the Persian Gulf, a group of Sri Lankan migrant workers was taken to Iraq, where they survived a month of imprisonment until they managed to contact the U.N. The International Organization of Migration says worsening conditions in Iraq have encouraged such abuses by labor recruiters. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Businesses Fight Over Minimum-Wage Law

Staff / Truthdig Jan 30, 2007 The business community is divided over minimum-wage legislation making its way through the Senate. While small businesses are celebrating the tax incentives included in the bill, major corporations are frustrated by the Democrats' requirement that every new tax break be matched by either a tax increase or a closed loophole. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Marie Cocco: Senators Hijack Minimum-Wage Increase

Marie Cocco / Truthdig Jan 18, 2007 Senate Democrats and Republicans have shamelessly joined in a bipartisan effort to pad the well-off at the expense of the working poor. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Trouble With Authority

Staff / Truthdig Jan 2, 2007 According to a new study by researchers at Florida State University, many Americans disapprove of their boss' behavior. Twenty-three percent said their superiors blamed others to protect themselves while 31 percent reported getting the silent treatment. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

American Companies Fight For Right to Bleed China

Staff / Truthdig Oct 13, 2006 In the face of vast poverty and exploitation, the Chinese government is about to enact a labor law that would strengthen the role of unions and protections for workers. But American corporations, eager to maintain their fiefdoms in the middle kingdom, have lobbied fiercely against the proposed legislation. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

UK’s Blair to Resign in 2007, Says Paper

Staff / Truthdig Sep 6, 2006 British Prime Minister Tony Blair has told aides that he will step down as the leader of his party on May 31, 2007, and resign as prime minister on July 26, according to the British tabloid The Sun. He had already announced he would not seek a fourth term in office, but this is the first news of a specific resignation date. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Overworked Laborers’ Day?

Staff / Truthdig Sep 4, 2006 OK, we had to do it Some snippets from a focus on the daily grind by the Washington Post: The Pew Research Center: "Americans believe that workers are worse off now than a generation ago -- toiling longer and harder for less in wages and benefits, for employers who aren't as loyal in jobs that aren't as secure" The Economic Policy Institute's "State of Working America 2006/2007": Productivity may have boomed in recent years, but family incomes have stalled Peter D Hart Research for the AFL-CIO repeats this pessimistic drumbeat: Fifty-five percent of Americans said their incomes were not keeping up with inflation; 38% predicted that the economy would worsen in the coming year Also, the origins of Labor Day, My Bad Boss Contest, a four-day workweek, labor statistics, quality of life, undocumented workers' rights More labor links? Put 'em here. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Europe Is Called Lax in Fight Against Child Trafficking

Staff / Truthdig Aug 31, 2006 A report by UNICEF and Terre des Hommes says Europe is not doing enough to address child trafficking, with thousands of children smuggled into Western Europe annually to become sex workers and slaves. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )