Work Stoppage

We start this week’s episode with a check in with Doughnut Workers United, who finally officially won their unfair labor practice charges against Voodoo Doughnuts for illegally firing workers protesting unsafe working conditions during this summer’s heat wave.  Next, we go over the end of the Kellogg’s strike, covering the new contract’s wins but also the notable fact that it doesn’t eliminate the two tiered employment system.  Also this week, the longest nursing strike in 15 years may be about to end, as workers at St. Vincent’s hospital have reached a tentative agreement to end their 9 month long strike.  We also discuss a whistleblower at Apple who was fired for inquiring into potentially unsafe working conditions, and exposed the company’s culture of extreme (and probably illegal) levels of secrecy.  Pharmacists are yet another profession facing proletarianization, as the industry has been consolidated among a few huge firms, leading to low wages and massive overwork due to understaffing, so some are fighting back and launching a walkout.  Finally, one of the least talked about areas of healthcare is long term home care, where workers face brutal conditions, leading to workers in NYC protesting loopholes in labor law allowing them to be forced  to work 24 hour shifts. Donate to the Pharmacists’ strike fund: https://www.gofundme.com/f/rux92-national-pharmacist-and-technician-union Subscribe for additional Overtime episodes at patreon.com/workstoppage Join the discord: discord.gg/tDvmNzX Follow the pod @WorkStoppagePod on Twitter, John @facebookvillain, and Lina @solidaritybee.

It’s a heavy start to this week’s episode, as we begin with the horrific aftermath of the multi-state tornado system that killed over 80 people, including at least 14 workers forced to stay at their jobs by their management.  These workers were murdered by their employers in the pursuit of profit, for which the companies are unlikely to ever be brought to justice.  We follow up that difficult segment with an update on the Kellogg’s strike, where workers overwhelmingly rejected a tentative agreement that would have maintained the two-tier contract system, standing strong to protect the rights of future workers.  Moving on to the first unambiguously happy story of the episode, Starbucks workers in Buffalo won their union elections at two of the three Buffalo stores that held votes last week, and have inspired union drives in at least 6 more stores.  Also this week, workers at Activision Blizzard King went on strike to protest the firing of testers at Raven Software and also announced their drive to form the first unionized workforce at a major game studio.  We also discuss the IATSE strike on the set of the film “Nefarious”, where the right wing production company used Oklahoma’s right to work law and free child labor from a local technical school to try and evade union protections.  Finally, we close on a high note, as the biggest new bargaining unit of the year was recognized as 17,000 student researchers finally had their branch of the UAW recognized by the University of California system. Donate to the family of Larry Virden, killed by Amazon in the tornado: https://www.gofundme.com/f/2nd7wq-dads-funeral Support the striking Kellogg’s workers:  https://labor411.org/411-blog/five-ways-to-support-the-kellogg-strike/ Donate to the striking ABK workers: https://www.gofundme.com/f/abk-strike-fund Subscribe for additional Overtime episodes at patreon.com/workstoppage Join the discord: discord.gg/tDvmNzX Follow the pod @WorkStoppagePod on Twitter, John @facebookvillain, and Lina @solidaritybee.

On a very special interview episode of Work Stoppage, we were lucky enough to be joined by Charlie, a PhD student and organizer with Student Workers of Columbia, who are currently engaged in the largest strike in the country.  We discuss the history of student worker organizing at Columbia and the process students have been going through to try and get their first contract with the university.  We go over the conditions which led to the strike, from poverty wages in one of the most expensive cities in the world, to insufficient access to healthcare, dental care, childcare, and other issues.  Charlie explains some of the difficulties faced by the students, especially in the earlier strike this spring, of organizing during covid, but also how students and faculty have rallied around the striking student workers during the current strike.  Columbia has consistently refused to bargain in good faith with the workers, even going so far as to send an email to all students with veiled threats to fire workers who stay on strike.  We talk about how the community has responded to the strike, the student workers’ relationship with the broader labor movement including the UAW, and how our listeners can support the workers.   Support the workers by donating to their hardship fund : https://opencollective.com/student-workers-of-columbia/projects/withheld-stipends   Donate to feed the strikers: https://www.gofundme.com/f/feed-and-support-striking-student-workers   Subscribe for additional Overtime episodes at patreon.com/workstoppage   Join the discord: discord.gg/tDvmNzX   Follow the Student Workers of Columbia on Twitter @SW_Columbia, follow the pod @WorkStoppagePod, John @facebookvillain, and Lina @solidaritybee.

John's back, Lina's away, and businesses keep oppressing their workers. We start this week's episode with an Amazon roundup, as the NLRB officially orders a new election in Bessemer, the NY AG demands Christian Smalls be reinstated, and independent researchers find Amazon concealed 20,000 workplace related COVID cases. Next we have a rare discussion of labor relations in the sports world, as the owners in Major League Baseball have locked out the players is a dispute over player salaries. The big labor news of the week was the membership of the UAW voting to switch election of their leadership from an undemocratic delegate system to a one member, one vote system, potentially setting the stage for a new rank and file upsurge at next years convention. Workers at a Rich Products' ice cream cake plant in Los Angeles have been on strike for a month, as their multibillion dollar parent company refuses to give the workers a measly $1/hr raise and more than 3 sick days a year. Finally, we discuss the recent story of hackers accessing receipt printers and making them print out an "Antiwork Manifesto".   Jon Donaire Workers Strike Fund: https://www.gofundme.com/f/official-jon-donaire-strikers-gofundme-page   Subscribe for additional Overtime episodes at patreon.com/workstoppage   Join the discord: discord.gg/tDvmNzX   Follow the pod @WorkStoppagePod on Twitter, John @facebookvillain, and Lina @solidaritybee.

We weren’t able to line up everyone’s schedules this week so it’s just Lina and Dan on this week’s episode of Work Stoppage. We start with the Kellogg’s strike, where a new tentative agreement has been reached to potentially end the two month long strike. Next we discuss the international effort to reign in Amazon’s labor abuses with strikes around the world on Black Friday organized by the Make Amazon Pay coalition. Then we talk about yet another horrific example of modern slavery, this time with the breaking of a ring of trafficking and abuse of migrant workers in Georgia here in the US. We also cover the recent spate of sickouts, unionizations, strikes, and protests amongst school bus drivers all across the country, as they face paltry wages, chaotic schedules, and few safety protections. Finally, the art world has seen a surge in workplace organizing since the beginning of the pandemic, with visitor staff, creative workers, security guards, and many others uniting to fight back against the massive disparity in pay between the workers that keep museums running and the rich boards that direct them. Subscribe for additional Overtime episodes at patreon.com/workstoppage Join the discord: discord.gg/tDvmNzX Follow the pod @WorkStoppagePod on Twitter, John @facebookvillain, and Lina @solidaritybee.

The holidays are right around the corner but the class struggle never stops.  We start this weeks episode checking in with the Amazon Labor Union in New York, where issues with turnover and vicious union busting have forced the union to temporarily withdraw their NLRB election petition.  14,000 Kroger workers in Houston have voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike, which could start as soon as this week.  We finally got the results of the Teamsters election this week and it’s a landslide victory for Teamsters United and the TDU, with big implications for the struggle against UPS and Amazon in the coming years.  OSHA continues to serve its function running cover for corporations this week after they issued an insultingly small fine to Smithfield for inadequate safety measures during the pandemic.  Our big story this week, in one of the most inspiring victories of the year the Indian Farmers’ Movement has succeeded in forcing Modi and the BJP to announce the repeal of the three neoliberal farm laws that they’ve been fighting against for well over a year.  Finally, UPMC workers in Pittsburgh staged a one day strike last week demanding living wages, safe staffing, and health care that doesn’t leave them with mountains of medical debt. Subscribe for additional Overtime episodes at patreon.com/workstoppage Join the discord: discord.gg/tDvmNzX Follow the pod @WorkStoppagePod on Twitter, John @facebookvillain, and Lina @solidaritybee.

There are new contracts all over the place on this week’s episode of Work Stoppage.  We start with Kaiser Permanente, where a tentative agreement has been reached to prevent the planned implementation of a two tiered contract.  Then we discuss the end of the month long John Deere strike, after workers ratified a new deal which contains hard fought gains but maintains their two tiered system.  Also this week, IATSE has ratified a new contract against the wishes of a majority of union members due to the use of an undemocratic delegate system.  HelloFresh workers have faced sub-poverty wages, racist abuse from management, dangerous working conditions, and now a vicious union busting campaign as they fight for their right to collectively bargain.  Finally, Burgerville workers have fought hard for three years, making admirable gains for workers across the company, and now finally have a historic tentative contract agreement to become the first recognized fast food union in the country. Subscribe for additional Overtime episodes at patreon.com/workstoppage Join the discord: discord.gg/tDvmNzX Follow the pod @WorkStoppagePod on Twitter, John @facebookvillain, and Lina @solidaritybee.

We start this week’s episode of Work Stoppage catching up with some of the bigger strikes in the country.  First, Starbucks has pulled out all the stops in its union busting efforts, even bringing in former CEO and failed presidential candidate Howard Schultz to try and convince workers to vote against their union as ballots go out this week. Then we check in on the Kellogg’s strike, where the company has refused to budge on its two-tiered contract system and workers have dug in for the long haul.  Mercy Hospital workers have ended their 5 week long strike after ratifying a new contract that met all their key demands. 3000 student workers at Columbia University have gone on strike again over poverty wages, insufficient healthcare, and unfair grievance procedures. In Germany, 2500 Amazon workers with the Verdi union federation have struck over the company’s refusal to accept the industry standard collective bargaining agreement, while at the same time Amazon has been found to have illegally stolen $60M in tips from Flex drivers.  Finally, 800 teachers in Scranton, PA have struck after four years without a contract after suffering years of austerity budgets and rising class sizes. Support the striking Kellogg’s workers who have had their healthcare cut off:  https://bctgm.org/2021/10/08/5-ways-to-support-the-kelloggstrike/ Subscribe for additional Overtime episodes at patreon.com/workstoppage Join the discord: discord.gg/tDvmNzX Follow the pod @WorkStoppagePod on Twitter, John @facebookvillain, and Lina @solidaritybee. 

A lot has happened on the John Deere picket lines since we last talked about the strike, so we start there this week.  One UAW worker was tragically killed after being struck by a vehicle walking to their car from the picket line, and the union has turned down Deere’s most recent contract offer after it failed to remove the current two-tiered system.  We also follow up with the organized Netflix workers, who have filed unfair labor practice charges against the company, and Amazon workers in Staten Island have officially filed with the NLRB for a union election.  Also in New York, taxi drivers have been protesting for months, including a recent two week hunger strike and have finally won relief from predatory medallion debts often running well over half a million dollars for many drivers.  UFCW workers recently ended a six week strike at Heaven Hill bourbon distillery but their new contract was actually approved with only a minority of yes votes.  Finally, we’ve got a great example of malicious compliance as UPS drivers in Columbus show up en masse to screw with the company’s exploitative weekend scheduling practices. Relief fund for the family of the recently killed UAW striker: https://www.gofundme.com/f/ebzuse Subscribe for additional Overtime episodes at patreon.com/workstoppage Join the discord: discord.gg/tDvmNzX Follow the pod @WorkStoppagePod on Twitter, John @facebookvillain, and Lina @solidaritybee.

If you’re not a patron you can get the full episode by visiting patreon.com/workstoppage and support us with $5 a month. As a Labor News show, we talk about unions constantly and how vital they are to building any sort of socialist project. But the labor movement has been around a long time without prompting a revolution, so what should our organizing tactics be if our ultimate goal isn't just slightly better wages and working conditions, but a revolutionary transformation of society? On this patrons-only episode, Dan dives into Lenin's work to dig into the Marxist perspective on union organizing and its relationship to socialist politics. Contrasting the Bolsheviks' orientation on the trade union movement to revolutionary syndicalism and social democratic reformism, Lenin aimed for a dialectical approach to the process of raising working class consciousness both within and without the trade union movement. While acknowledging the different material conditions 100 years later, there's still a lot we can learn as organizers about the difficult balance of agitating within often reformist institutions in order to meet the masses where they are. This review of Lenin's theoretical work on the subject centers on the lessons learned from the long struggle for a unified workers movement and how we can apply them today.