Bill Bumpus Somerville MA - An injury to one is an injury to all

With their contract negotiations stalled, hundreds of San Francisco janitors represented by Service Employees (SEIU) Local 87 went on strike March 24.

Roughly 3,000 Bay Area janitors were laid off as the pandemic spread last year. Their union is now demanding a return to work for all laid-off workers—but with improvements.

With their contract negotiations stalled, hundreds of San Francisco janitors represented by Service Employees (SEIU) Local 87 went on strike March 24.

Roughly 3,000 Bay Area janitors were laid off as the pandemic spread last year. Their union is now demanding a return to work for all laid-off workers—but with improvements.

Whether you’re making your point in your union meeting or with a reporter on the picket line, a lot of crucial public speaking has to be improvised on the spot. No need to panic: off-the-cuff speaking is a skill that can be learned by anyone, like every other tool in your organizing kit.

Following last month’s tips on prepared speeches and presentation skills, here we’ll discuss how to give short improvised speeches and comments that come through loud and clear.

Whether you’re making your point in your union meeting or with a reporter on the picket line, a lot of crucial public speaking has to be improvised on the spot. No need to panic: off-the-cuff speaking is a skill that can be learned by anyone, like every other tool in your organizing kit.

Following last month’s tips on prepared speeches and presentation skills, here we’ll discuss how to give short improvised speeches and comments that come through loud and clear.

A lot of ink has been spilled to explain exactly what happened in the Suez Canal, where a massive container ship got wedged across the narrow channel, idling ships or forcing lengthy detours around South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope.

A lot of ink has been spilled to explain exactly what happened in the Suez Canal, where a massive container ship got wedged across the narrow channel, idling ships or forcing lengthy detours around South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope.

I often reflect upon how our local education association in the small town of Montclair, New Jersey, managed to garner the attention of national news during the Covid school reopening debate.

It’s quite simple, really—we organized. Organizing is a mindset, one that follows three principles:

1. Teach people how to treat you.

See every situation as more than just a moment. How you decide to deal with each incident tells everyone around you what will and won’t be tolerated.

I often reflect upon how our local education association in the small town of Montclair, New Jersey, managed to garner the attention of national news during the Covid school reopening debate.

It’s quite simple, really—we organized. Organizing is a mindset, one that follows three principles:

1. Teach people how to treat you.

See every situation as more than just a moment. How you decide to deal with each incident tells everyone around you what will and won’t be tolerated.

We’d like to tell you a story of our struggles with Covid and our safety concerns—and how we ended up getting two city councils to enact hazard pay by law.

As grocery store workers, we were called heroes early in the pandemic—but over time, we felt less and less valued. Expendable. Yet we are not victims; we rose up to demand better. To paraphrase Fredrick Douglass, we certainly did not get everything we fought for, but we certainly fought for everything we got.

We’d like to tell you a story of our struggles with Covid and our safety concerns—and how we ended up getting two city councils to enact hazard pay by law.

As grocery store workers, we were called heroes early in the pandemic—but over time, we felt less and less valued. Expendable. Yet we are not victims; we rose up to demand better. To paraphrase Fredrick Douglass, we certainly did not get everything we fought for, but we certainly fought for everything we got.

Cleaning workers and organizers from Hong Kong, the U.S., Malaysia, and Colombia gathered online for a global exchange organized by Lausan Collective on February 24. Frontline cleaning workers have faced rampant negligence from governments and corporations worldwide during the pandemic, despite being the first line of defense against the virus.

Cleaning workers and organizers from Hong Kong, the U.S., Malaysia, and Colombia gathered online for a global exchange organized by Lausan Collective on February 24. Frontline cleaning workers have faced rampant negligence from governments and corporations worldwide during the pandemic, despite being the first line of defense against the virus.

Thousands of Indian farmers have parked outside the capital Delhi for more than 100 days. They have pitched tents on five highways that lead to the city and say they will leave only when the federal government withdraws three new farm laws enacted last September. 

Thousands of Indian farmers have parked outside the capital Delhi for more than 100 days. They have pitched tents on five highways that lead to the city and say they will leave only when the federal government withdraws three new farm laws enacted last September. 

Listening is one of the most important skills for a workplace organizer. And you’ve got to allow yourself to be surprised about what you might hear—and what you do with it.

I was reminded of this recently while reading about the early days of organizing the Transport Workers Union in New York City’s subway and bus system. When TWU was getting its start, unions in the transit system had been severely repressed for decades, and had trouble holding ground.

Listening is one of the most important skills for a workplace organizer. And you’ve got to allow yourself to be surprised about what you might hear—and what you do with it.

I was reminded of this recently while reading about the early days of organizing the Transport Workers Union in New York City’s subway and bus system. When TWU was getting its start, unions in the transit system had been severely repressed for decades, and had trouble holding ground.

Voting in the National Labor Relations Board-conducted election at Amazon’s Bessemer, Alabama facility came to a close on Monday. In many ways the election was unusual, marked by the sheer size of the agreed bargaining unit (5,800 warehouse workers) and the length of voting (nearly two months of mail-balloting necessitated by the pandemic).

Voting in the National Labor Relations Board-conducted election at Amazon’s Bessemer, Alabama facility came to a close on Monday. In many ways the election was unusual, marked by the sheer size of the agreed bargaining unit (5,800 warehouse workers) and the length of voting (nearly two months of mail-balloting necessitated by the pandemic).