Unions Topics

Democracy Now! stories, posts and pages that relate to Unions

Newest First | Oldest First
  • Wisconsin-button

    On First Anniversary of Wisconsin Uprising, Gov. Walker Fights Recall Effort by Energized Movement

    Today marks the first anniversary of the Wisconsin uprising that erupted after Republican Gov. Scott Walker announced plans to eliminate almost all collective bargaining rights for most public workers, as well as slash their pay and benefits. Now, one year later, Walker is in the midst of a recall effort and faces an investigation for campaign corruption. "People have begun to recognize that they shouldn’t just wait for elections,"...
    Feb 15, 2012 | Story
  • Superbowl_showbutton-1

    Occupy the Super Bowl: Indiana's New Anti-Union Law Sparks Protest at Sport's Biggest Spectacle

    Occupy protesters in Indianapolis are gearing up to use the media spotlight on Sunday’s Super Bowl XLVI to rally for union rights outside the statehouse. Earlier this week, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels signed a so-called "right to work" measure into law that critics say will result in lower wages and diminished collective bargaining rights. Indiana workers have received the backing of the National Football League Players Association,...
    Feb 03, 2012 | Story
  • Ask_mitt_romney_anything

    Laid-Off Steelworker: Mitt Romney and Bain Capital Profited by Shutting Down Kansas Steel Plant

    As Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney comes under fire in New Hampshire for touting his business experience, we look at how his private equity firm, Bain Capital, drove a Kansas City steel plant into bankruptcy, leading to some 750 layoffs and a federal bailout. Bain still walked away with millions of dollars in profits. We speak with Reuters reporter Andy Sullivan, who covered the story, and with Joe Soptic, a steelworker who lost...
    Jan 10, 2012 | Story
  • Indiana2

    As Statehouse Row Erupts over GOP Bill, Indiana Reps Debate Curbs on Right to Organize Unions

    A fight over workers’ right to unionize erupted in Indiana on Wednesday as Democratic state representatives stayed away from the House floor, depriving the Republican majority of a quorum needed to push through a measure that would prohibit union contracts at private sector workplaces from requiring workers to pay dues or other fees to a union. If enacted, it could give new momentum to legislators who have previously pushed such measures...
    Jan 05, 2012 | Story
  • William_gould_nlrb

    Crippling the Right to Organize: GOP Inaction May Leave National Labor Relations Board Inoperable

    The National Labor Relations Board, the government body that oversees labor complaints, is on the verge of being shut down. Under a U.S. Supreme Court ruling from last year, the NLRB must have a quorum of at least three of five members in order to operate. But one member’s term expires at month’s end, and Republicans have meanwhile refused to confirm President Obama’s two replacement nominees. Unless a solution is found, the...
    Dec 20, 2011 | Story
  • Cop18_qatar_doha

    Labor Leaders Call for Review of Decision to Host 2012 U.N. Climate Talks in Qatar

    The International Trade Union Confederation is condemning the decision by the United Nations to hold next year’s climate change conference in Qatar, a Gulf nation known for its restrictive labor laws. Migrant workers comprise 87 percent of Qatar’s workforce — none of them are allowed to form or join labor unions. Democracy Now! spoke yesterday with Sharan Burrow, head of the International Trade Union Confederation. "We’re...
    Dec 06, 2011 | Story
  • Uk_strike_pension

    Millions of British Public Sector Workers Take to the Streets in Historic General Strike

    In Britain, up to two million workers have marched in the streets during the largest mass protest in generations. Teachers, hospital staff, garbage collectors, firefighters and border guards are participating in a 24-hour strike organized by a coalition of 30 trade unions. About a thousand demonstrations and rallies are being held across the country. Public sector workers say proposed pension "reforms" will force them pay more and work...
    Nov 30, 2011 | Story
  • Seiu-brooklyn-bridge-ows

    SEIU President, Union Leaders Arrested in OWS Brooklyn Bridge Protest Demanding Job Creation

    Thursday’s protest marking the Occupy movement’s second month anniversary coincided with an event planned months earlier by unions and others. Marches were held on bridges across the country to draw attention to how federal funding to fix ailing infrastructure in the country could put unemployed people back to work. Protesters blocked bridges in Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, St. Louis, Houston, Milwaukee, Minneapolis,...
    Nov 18, 2011 | Story
  • Ohio_vote_web

    Election Day 2011: In State After State, "Remarkable Wins for Progressive Politics"

    Advocates for labor, women’s and immigration rights are celebrating a number of key victories in Tuesday’s state elections. In Ohio, voters defeated Republican Gov. John Kasich’s controversial limits on the collective bargaining rights of state employees. In Arizona, Russell Pearce, the architect of the state’s controversial anti-immigration law has lost his state senate seat in an unprecedented recall vote. Meanwhile,...
    Nov 09, 2011 | Story
  • Naomi_button

    Naomi Klein on Occupy Wall Street & Chile: Courage to Ask Questions We Don't Have Answers For

    In part two of our conversation with journalist and author Naomi Klein, she discusses how her book, "The Shock Doctrine," focuses in part on Chile, where the 1973 coup led to the privatization of education and now Chilean students are protesting in the streets. Klein talks about their demands and dismisses the critique that the related Occupy Wall Street movement lacks its own clear set of demands. [includes rush transcript]
    Oct 06, 2011 | Web Exclusive