Announcements 📜
We’re excited to announce the upcoming release of our brand new guide, “Unite and Win: the Workplace Organizer’s Handbook.” This has been a labor of love brought about by the work of many EWOC organizers and volunteers.
The handbook will include all of our training sessions with topics ranging from the organizing committee, the organizing conversation, how to inoculate, how to build united multiracial campaigns, and more.
“This guide lays out all of the most important steps of organizing, winning, and building up a strong union, and is written in clear, concise, and accessible language. There’s something in here for every union-curious worker, seasoned organizer, and spitfire revolutionary out there. Grab a copy for yourself or your favorite coworker, and get to work!” –Kim Kelly, author of “Fight Like Hell: The Untold History of American Labor.”
To learn about how you can pre-purchase your own copy or place a bulk order for a steep 50% discount, email [email protected].
Upcoming Events 🗓
TOMORROW, March 1, may be the last day to register for the 2024 Labor Notes Conference! Registration will be closing soon as the conference nears capacity!
When: Friday, April 19, 9 a.m. CT through Sunday, April 21, 3 p.m. CT
Where: Hyatt O’Hare, Rosemont (Chicago), Illinois
Registration: $185. Get $45 off if registered by March 1.
Scholarships are available! Register here!
2024 Labor Notes Conference: April 19–21, 2024, Chicago, Illinois
Join us for a weekend of education, inspiration, and connection at the largest gathering of union activists from all over the country! EWOC will host discussions and trainings on new organizing and first contracts at this exciting conference. We’ll also be launching our brand new workplace organizer’s handbook, “Unite and Win.” Fill out this form if you would like to be a part of the EWOC cohort at Labor Notes. Be sure to connect with us!
Labor Organizing and the NLRB: The Impact of Recent NLRB Decisions
February 15, 22, and 29, 7–8:30 p.m. ET
Rutgers LEARN, the CUNY-School of Labor and Urban Studies, and the Scontras Center for Labor and Community Education University of Southern Maine present a series of three stand-alone webinars on the recent NLRB decisions and rules. They hope to educate union officers, staff, activists and organizers on the lessons, pitfalls, and possible strategies relevant to Cemex, representation election procedures, and joint employer status decisions and rules. Register here!
Operation Dixie: Lessons for the Southern Workers
February 29, 7–8:30 p.m. ET
Operation Dixie was launched by the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) in early 1946 and ended in 1953. It was an ambitious attempt by the CIO to organize industry, particularly textiles, across the South. Join the Southern Workers Assembly with speakers from UE for a discussion on the history of southern organizing and how it can inform the current need to build worker organization and power across the U.S. South. Register Here!
Masters Degree Program in Union Leadership and Activism Info Session
Open House, March 12, 2024
UMass-Amherst Labor Center is holding informational webinars on their limited-residency masters degree program. The program comes highly recommended by EWOC’s Dave Kamper, who will be teaching labor history this summer. Learn more here.
EWOC in the News! 📰
Here’s where we celebrate EWOC campaign wins and EWOC mentions in the press
In Washington, DC, 17 court reporters voted in an NLRB election to have Court Reporters United represent them: 16–1! EWOC’s Richard Renner was present for the birth of this union.
Student dining hall workers form union, gain recognition from PERB (The Daily Nexus)
UC Santa Barbara student dining hall workers formed the first student dining hall union within the university system with support from EWOC’s Brad Hirn.
Contract Faculty United (CFU UAW), the union for full-time contract faculty at NYU have won their election, 553-72 (87%)! Support them on Instagram @cfuuaw
Denver Art Museum workers will vote on a union in early March (Colorado Sun)
A detailed examination of the wave of unionization within nonprofits and cultural institutions such as theaters and museums. EWOC’s Daphna Thier is significantly quoted as an authority on new organizing.
Union Democracy Is a Value, Not a Strategy (Jacobin)
An article in Jacobin written by EWOC’s Dave Kamper responding to Chris Bohner and inviting comradely critique and engagement.
EWOC has a Wikipedia page!
Thank you to all of our tech savvy supporters who have contributed to this page.
Workers at Nitehawk Cinema Prospect Park Are Unionizing (Jacobin)
Nitehawk workers marched on the boss with support from lead organizer, Alex Dinndorf and EWOC-NYC. Follow Nitehawk Workers Union via Twitter and Instagram @nitehawkunion.
“We hope we can be a part of something greater” (Screen Slate)
An interview with the Nitehawk Workers Union crediting EWOC’s involvement
Starbucks Workers United “A giant step forward”
The Starbucks Workers’ Union Has Finally Broken Through (Jacobin)
On February 27, Starbucks Workers United shared a message on X/Twitter, proclaiming, “THIS IS HUGE.” It was a statement from Sara Kelly, chief partner officer at Starbucks Coffee Company expressing a commitment to move forward on actions that would recognize the union. After more than two years of aggressive union-busting from founder Howard Schultz, who seemed to have a personal vendetta against the workers, this intractable Goliath corporation has finally moved. Congratulations to the Starbucks workers who DID NOT give up and inspired us ALL, one shop at a time. We celebrate your hard work and perseverance in the face of a behemoth like Starbucks.
Is the NLRB in jeopardy?
Amazon, SpaceX and Trader Joe’s challenge constitutionality of NLRB. Amazon has now joined Trader Joe’s and Elon Musk’s SpaceX in contending that the enforcement proceedings of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) are unconstitutional. These court cases are likely headed to the Supreme Court, which currently has a conservative super majority. Clearly an effort by these companies to deflect the NLRB’s ability to pursue pending Unfair Labor Practices against them; all three companies have numerous violations. The court ruling could also have implications for other governmental regulatory bodies such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Much of the legal jargon can be extremely obscure. Here are a few resources that might help you make sense of it.
Explainer: How is the ‘war on the administrative state’ faring at the Supreme Court? (Reuters)
Why Conservative Attacks on Federal Agencies Are at Odds with the Constitution (On Labor)
The Horrors of War
The US airman who self-immolated in front of the Israeli embassy enacted what he called, “an extreme form of protest.” As activists, we recognize the desperation in his unwillingness to be “complicit in a genocide.” Was this act any more revolting than the scenes of abject cruelty that we’re seeing everyday out of Gaza? Suicide vs. genocide. Can one horrifically violent death jolt our leaders into acknowledging the more than 30,000 innocent civilians killed in the last five months?
Over 10 million American workers are now represented by unions who have called for a ceasefire including the AFL-CIO, United Auto Workers (UAW), National Nurses United (NNU), American Postal Workers Union (APWU), United Electrical (UE), and more.
Join The National Labor Network for Ceasefire in calling for a permanent ceasefire now! Sign Here.
World of Work 🌍
Donate! Save the UE union hall solidarity murals!
The UE union hall in Chicago has been sold. The neighborhood has undergone intense gentrification, and it’s time for the union to move on from its legendary hall. UE is raising money to save the incredible murals that decorate the central staircase in this historically valuable building. There are too few art pieces made by and for workers. Anything you can give helps preserve these for generations to come!
Chicago passes Gaza cease-fire resolution as Johnson’s vote breaks tie (Chicago Sun-Times) Chicago becomes the largest city in the nation and among a handful of smaller city councils to demand a cease-fire in Gaza.
We’ll see you in Chicago at the Labor Notes Conference! Register by March 1!
Workers Plan To Unionize At Biggest U.S. Nuclear Fuel Factory (Huffpost Impact)
An exciting development in green energy organizing, nearly 700 employees in South Carolina will vote on whether to unionize with the IBEW.
Michigan becomes 1st state in decades to repeal ‘right-to-work’ law (PBS NewsHour)
A colossal policy win for the labor movement as Michigan becomes the first state in 58 years to repeal “right-to-work” laws.
Twenty-Five US Universities Face Calls To Cancel Starbucks Contracts (Portside)
Student organizers and faculty members at universities across the country are taking a stand against Starbucks’ union busting and unfair labor practices.
Workers go on strike at Fort Worth Molson Coors brewery (CBS News)
More than 400 striking workers describe overwork and unsafe working conditions in Ft. Worth, Texas while the company boasts a 9 percent increase in revenue to $11.7 billion. Teamsters union also prepares to strike at 12 breweries across the U.S. owned by Anheuser-Busch.
More than half of Alabama Mercedes-Benz plant workers signed union cards in 2 months (AL.com) Phenomenal news about the UAW’s efforts to unionize across the country coming from a right-to-work state.
Southern Autoworkers Organize, Business Class Tries to Wallop Them (The American Prospect) An outstanding in-depth look inside the UAW’s VW organizing project. There are many lessons to be learned, as well as a resounding endorsement of worker-led efforts.
New From Our Blog and Other Labor Resources 📚
Union Domino Effect Reaches New Jersey Bookstore by Aidan Majewski
How Labyrinth Books, an independent bookstore in Princeton, New Jersey, was mobilized to unionize.
An hour-long documentary film that memorializes Black autoworkers who confronted union officials and fought against exploitation and racism on the shop floor.
An incredible new video from the UAW breaking down how to organize and win your union.
This Week in Labor
FEBRUARY 27
1939 – The Supreme Court rules that sit-down strikes, a major organizing tool for industrial unions, are illegal.
Solidarity,
Team EWOC
