Labor Notes

08/28/2026

Dolly was already a superstar as a singer and songwriter, but she’d never been in a film. Alongside Jane Fonda and comedian Lily Tomlin, she turned out to be a natural in her role as Doralee Rhodes, the sweet and greatly annoyed target of lecherous attention from her evil boss. One day on the set she took out her guitar. “I’ve got a song,” she said.

Dolly Parton’s song, “9 to 5,” has endured as a beloved anthem for nearly half a century. What many people don’t know is that the direct inspiration for the song—and the hit movie—was the 9 to 5 working women’s movement that began in Boston in the early 1970’s. It was the movement th...

08/28/2026

Labor Notes Troublemakers Dispatch, August 28: Baristas Call for Boycott Until Starbucks Signs a Contract; UAW Members Voting for International Officers; Jackson Transit Workers Win Strike, Save Saturday Service; and more

Read this week's newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/labornotes/20260828dispatch-10304309

And don't miss an update! Keep up with rank-and-file news, upcoming workshops and Troublemakers Schools, and new episodes of the Labor Notes Podcast: https://labornotes.org/email-signup

08/27/2026

The UAW's ongoing mail ballot election for top officers will decide whether President Shawn Fain, who became famous for leading 2023’s Big 3 strike, will be able to continue the union’s about-face from its previous employer-friendly ways

United Auto Workers members are voting by mail ballot for their top officers, for the second time in the union’s 91 years. Ballots went out August 21 and are due back by October 5. The contest will decide whether President Shawn Fain, who became famous for leading 2023’s Stand-Up Strike against ...

08/26/2026

“CWA is a union with a long history of standing up to bullies and billionaire bosses. We will not be intimidated, and we will not be silenced in our solidarity with our members, with our communities, and with our neighbors.” https://labornotespodcast.podbean.com/e/unions-aren-t-backing-down-amid-reported-federal-infiltration-efforts/

The Trump Administration has been surveilling and investigating unions including the CWA and SEIU, as it targets groups resisting immigration raids in Minnesota, according to an NYT report this month.

But union members and representatives say they are undeterred. “We are proud of our work and will never apologize or back down because of these dirty tricks and intimidation,” said CWA Local 7250 President Kieran Knutson. Luis Feliz Leon reports: https://labornotes.org/2026/08/federal-spies-hunt-minnesota-unions-search-conspiracy-find-solidarity

Listen on the latest episode of the Labor Notes podcast: https://labornotespodcast.podbean.com/e/unions-aren-t-backing-down-amid-reported-federal-infiltration-efforts/

08/26/2026

United Auto Workers members are voting by mail ballot for their top officers, for the second time in the union’s 91 years.

The contest will decide whether President Shawn Fain, who became famous for leading 2023’s Stand-Up strike against the Big 3 automakers, will be able to continue the union’s about-face from its previous employer-friendly ways.

Luis Feliz Leon and Jane Slaughter report:

United Auto Workers members are voting by mail ballot for their top officers, for the second time in the union’s 91 years. Ballots went out August 21 and are due back by October 5. The contest will decide whether President Shawn Fain, who became famous for leading 2023’s Stand-Up Strike against ...

08/25/2026

Letter Carriers convention delegates bucked the executive council’s recommendation and directed the union toward lobbying for a wage boost in areas with a higher cost of living, as federal workers get

Labor Notes Editor Al Bradbury reports:

“The number one takeaway is that the times in the NALC, they are a-changing,” said Margo O’Neill of Branch 352 in Des Moines, Iowa, who attended her first Letter Carriers convention August 3-7 in Los Angeles. “It was quite different than any convention that I’ve been to,” said retiree ac...

08/24/2026

Agricultural machinery maker John Deere tested the mettle of the United Auto Workers this summer, probing for softness as the union heads into a leadership election. Voting ‘no’ on August 23, members essentially told Deere to stick it. Jane Slaughter reports:

This article has been updated from the version originally published August 11. –Editors The agricultural machinery maker John Deere tested the mettle of the United Auto Workers this summer, probing for softness as the union heads into a leadership election. Voting ‘no’ on August 23, members es...

08/24/2026

“We’ve gotta move forward, get some checks and balances,” said John Murphy of Letter Carriers Branch 4716 in Naples, Florida. “The younger members want their voices to be heard. They want more transparency, they want more democracy, they want more say.”

“The number one takeaway is that the times in the NALC, they are a-changing,” said Margo O’Neill of Branch 352 in Des Moines, Iowa, who attended her first Letter Carriers convention August 3-7 in Los Angeles. “It was quite different than any convention that I’ve been to,” said retiree ac...

08/24/2026

The Trump Administration has been surveilling and investigating unions including the CWA and SEIU, as it targets groups resisting immigration raids in Minnesota, according to an NYT report this month.

But union members and representatives say they are undeterred. “We are proud of our work and will never apologize or back down because of these dirty tricks and intimidation,” said CWA Local 7250 President Kieran Knutson. Luis Feliz Leon reports: https://labornotes.org/2026/08/federal-spies-hunt-minnesota-unions-search-conspiracy-find-solidarity

Listen on the latest episode of the Labor Notes podcast: https://labornotespodcast.podbean.com/e/unions-aren-t-backing-down-amid-reported-federal-infiltration-efforts/

08/21/2026

“The number one takeaway is that the times in the NALC, they are a-changing,” said Margo O’Neill of Branch 352 in Des Moines, Iowa, who attended her first Letter Carriers convention August 3-7 in Los Angeles

“The number one takeaway is that the times in the NALC, they are a-changing,” said Margo O’Neill of Branch 352 in Des Moines, Iowa, who attended her first Letter Carriers convention August 3-7 in Los Angeles. “It was quite different than any convention that I’ve been to,” said retiree ac...