Category: Labor Movement / Trade Unions

National Nurses Union: ‘End U.S. Blockade of Cuba’

On February 27, National Nurses United issued a press release calling for an end to the U.S. blockade of Cuba. NNU president Mary Turner called Washington’s efforts to asphyxiate the Cuban population by cutting off the nation’s supply of fuel “an unconscionable violation of human rights and international law.” She noted that the healthcare crisis created by lack of fuel, and electricity from oil-fired generation, particularly impacts pregnant women and children. “As nurses,” she said, “we will not be silent when our nation’s policies cause immense suffering for any people, whether at home or abroad.”

Minnesotans Keep the Heat on Despite ICE ‘Drawdown’

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota, February 19, 2026 — After nearly three months, the largest anti-immigrant operation in U.S. history has officially “ended” — beaten back by a massive, sustained, and well-organized resistance involving hundreds of thousands throughout the state of Minnesota and across the country. The fight for immigrant rights is at the center of turning the tide, of winning workers to the understanding that “an injury to one is an injury to all.” Convincing rank-and-file workers to take up the campaign for legalization of their immigrant brothers and sisters is part of pulling together the forces needed to fight for better working conditions and democratic rights for all. The success of the fight in Minnesota, which has drawn tens of thousands of working people, youth, and others into action — many of them for the very first time, is an example of where we need to begin.

Strategy & Tactics in Fighting Racist, Fascist Attacks (III)

This is the third of three parts with excerpts from a May 6, 1975, discussion among socialists led by Farrell Dobbs on strategy and tactics in the struggle against fascism. The lessons from this chapter of working-class history are relevant to similar issues that emerged in the mass resistance to ICE terror in Minneapolis over the last two months (December 2025 – January 2026).

Strategy & Tactics in Fighting Racist, Fascist Attacks (II)

This is the second of three parts with excerpts from a May 6, 1975, discussion among socialists led by Farrell Dobbs on strategy and tactics in the struggle against fascism. The lessons from this chapter of working-class history are relevant to similar issues that emerged in the mass resistance to ICE terror in Minneapolis over the last two months (December 2025 – January 2026).

Factory Explosion Kills Five Workers at Trikala, Greece

In the early morning hours of Monday, January 26, 2026, a powerful explosion ripped through the Violanta biscuit plant on the outskirts of Trikala, a city in Thessaly, central Greece, about 320 km (~ 200 miles) north of Athens, the country’s capital. According to the fire department, 11 workers were inside the factory’s affected production wing at the time. Rescue crews recovered the bodies of five women workers from the debris. The rest were pulled out alive, along with a firefighter who suffered minor injuries during the response.

ICE Murders 2nd Minneapolis Volunteer Observer in Cold Blood

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota, January 25, 2026 — Tens of thousands of protesters, as many as 50,000 by some estimates, marched through the streets of this city on January 23. It was a historic day of peaceful, often buoyant show of resistance against the federal government’s crackdown on immigrant workers and efforts to intimidate anyone protesting this terroristic invasion across the state. The promise of a calm Saturday disappeared shortly after 9 a.m. the next morning, January 24. That is when half a dozen Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol agents held down Alex Pretti and pumped 10 bullets into his body, killing him in cold blood.

‘ICE Out!’ No Work, School, or Shopping on Jan. 23 in Minnesota

Minnesotans will again take to the streets on Friday, January 23, in downtown Minneapolis to demand “ICE Out!” A coalition of labor and community groups has called a Day of Truth & Freedom, asking everyone to skip work, school, or shopping and instead march for an end to the Trump administration’s brutal anti-immigrant crackdown. It is a call that deserves support from all working people, youth, and everyone who cares about democratic rights.

Protests Erupt Against ICE Killing in Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota, January 12, 2026 — Two days ago, tens of thousands of people, according to unofficial police estimates, took to the streets here to protest the killing in cold blood of a legal observer by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent. It was the latest of angry protests that have erupted in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul. At least three other actions took place in the area also on January 10.
Three days earlier, on January 7, Renee Nicole Good was gunned down by ICE agent John F. Ross. She was observing and documenting a federal immigration operation in Minneapolis. Good was shot while attempting to drive away from the scene. Within hours, thousands of people gathered in the residential neighborhood near the site of the shooting to demand accountability and justice. Protests have been ongoing since. They show no sign of subsiding.

Artists, Staff Resist Trump Takeover of Kennedy Center

The installation of the new signage adding Trump’s name to the building is not just an example of the use of government power to feed the ego of the sitting president; it is yet another step in that march toward autocracy. The multiple changes at the Kennedy Center over the last year are a step toward reshaping cultural norms in the United States, which have undergone significant changes in the last half century — what Trump calls “woke culture.”

Border Agents Harass Striking Workers in Chicago

This article reports that striking workers in Chicago received an unwelcome visit on their picket line by Gregory Bovino, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection commander spearheading the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign. According to the Teamsters union, Bovino and his agents rolled up on the picket line of workers on strike against the Mauser company and asked to see identification. Bovino asked one of the workers if he was a U.S. citizen.

Minnesotans Defend Somali Community, Immigrant Workers

Residents of Minneapolis and St. Paul — the Twin Cities — are organizing to defend their Somali neighbors and other immigrants targeted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), challenging the rhetoric of U.S. president Donald Trump and members of his administration. A highlight of the organizing efforts was a December 3 rally held in subfreezing temperatures outside Signature Aviation, the private aircraft terminal at Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport. ICE agents frequently arrest immigrants leaving Immigration Court at the nearby Whipple Building and bring them directly to the terminal for deportation.

Chicago Unions, Community Groups Fight ICE Raids, Nat’l Guard Deployment Threats

This article documents the wave of protests in Chicago and its suburbs in September 2025 opposing stepped-up immigration raids and deportations and the Trump administration’s threats to deploy National Guard troops in this city. The protests, led by trade unions and community groups, prompted the White House to step back from deploying military forces here, at least for now.

An Injury to One Is an Injury to All: Let Kilmar Abrego García Go Home!

On August 22, 2025, Kilmar Abrego García, a sheet metal apprentice and member of International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART) Local 100, went home to his family in Maryland. The immigrant worker was released after months of incarceration, much of that in a notoriously brutal prison in El Salvador where he had been deported by the Department of Homeland Security without his constitutionally guaranteed right to due process. Three days later, ICE arrested Abrego García once again, and the government is trying to deport him to Uganda. This article describes the significance of the defense case of this immigrant worker for the labor movement and the entire working class.

National Guard’s Role in Strikebreaking: A Lesson from History

This article, which first appeared in the Marxist magazine New International in June 1938, is a review of a pamphlet published that year by the American Civil Liberties Union on the use of National Guard troops to break strikes. In light of the recent deployments of National Guard troops by U.S. president Donald Trump across the country, the lessons of history outlined in this article seem relevant today.

End Immigration Raids! Free David Huerta! Join June 9 Rallies

On Friday afternoon [June 5, 2025], military-gear-clad ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] agents launched aggressive raids throughout Los Angeles. At one location, SEIU-USWW President David Huerta was assaulted, injured and detained while advocating for immigrant workers. While he has been released from the hospital, he remains in federal custody. Since then, the Trump administration has only escalated its attacks on the Los Angeles community, deploying the military against our own people. This is a clear attack on our communities, workers and our First Amendment rights. Demand that David Huerta be freed and ICE raids end immediately. The SEIU-USSW is organizing rapid-response rallies around the country [on Monday, June 9] to show that we stand with him and all workers targeted by ICE. There are already rallies popping up. Check to see if there’s one near you or organize your own! seiu.co/FreeDavid

Free Trade vs. Protectionism

The recent sweeping tariffs the Trump administration imposed on goods imported from dozens of countries across the globe pose important questions: What’s in the best interests of working people, free trade or protectionism? Do tariffs really benefit U.S. workers, as most top labor union officials claim? This editorial tackles these questions.

North Carolina Amazon Workers Lose Union Vote

In a lopsided loss, Carolina Amazonians United for Solidarity and Empowerment (CAUSE) failed to secure a majority in a union vote held February 10-15 in Garner, North Carolina. The vote was 2,447 against to 829 for joining the union. About 76% of the approximately 4,300 workers eligible to vote cast ballots. Based on an interview with CAUSE co-founder and vice president Mary Hill, this article explores the reasons for this setback and what comes next.

Union Election Set at North Carolina Amazon Warehouse

On January 7, exactly three years since the founding of Carolina Amazonians United for Solidarity and Empowerment (CAUSE), the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruled that workers at Amazon’s RDU1 fulfillment center in Garner, North Carolina, have submitted union authorization cards exceeding the 30% threshold of employees required to trigger an election to choose or reject union representation. Voting is scheduled for February 10 – 15.

JFK8 Workers Authorize Strike, Demand Amazon Negotiate Union Contract

The following is a press release by the Amazon Labor Union – International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 1. World-Outlook is encouraging its readers to take the action the union suggests to support the workers at JFK8, Amazon’s giant fulfillment center in Staten Island, New York, as they are preparing to launch a strike demanding the company agree to negotiate a union contract.

Boeing Strikers Win What They Were Strong Enough to Take

After 53 days on strike, members of International Association of Machinists voted on November 4 to approve Boeing’s third contract offer. The most important gain for workers was a significant wage increase — 38% over four years. Boeing also agreed to bonus payments and increased company contributions to employee 401K plans, but did not restore the defined benefit pension plan that the company ended in 2014.

Boeing Strikers Reject Latest Contract Offer

In an October 23 vote, striking members of District 751 of the International Association of Machinists (IAM) rejected the aerospace giant’s latest contract offer by 64%. The union did not release figures on how many of its 33,000 members cast a ballot. The New York Times headline on the vote referred to the rejection as “resounding.”

North Carolina Amazon Workers Take Next Step Toward Union Organizing

Workers at Amazon’s massive RDU1 fulfillment center in Garner, outside of Raleigh, North Carolina, have taken the next step in their nearly three-year effort to win union recognition. On Labor Day, Carolina Amazonians United for Solidarity and Empowerment (C.A.U.S.E.) started collecting signatures on union representation cards that will then be submitted to the National Labor Relations Board, petitioning for an election. World-Outlook interviewed C.A.U.S.E. co-founder and vice president Mary Hill via video to learn more about this important fight.

Before Ethiopian Crash, Boeing Concealed Critical Safety Information

This article details how Boeing concealed information on a critical flight-control system in its 737 Max plane. Ethiopian Airlines pilots had requested the information after the 2018 catastrophic crash of the same type of aircraft operated by Lion Air, an Indonesian airline. Soon after the Ethiopian Airlines’ request, a 737 Max operated by this carrier nose-dived after taking off from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital, killing all 157 people on board. After a lengthy investigation, and facing criminal federal charges, Boeing reached a plea deal with the U.S. Justice Department to pay damages in order to avoid a public trial. Families of many of those killed in these crashes are now trying to block this deal and force the case to a trial.

Solidarity with Striking Dockworkers

More than 45,000 dockworkers, members of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), in 14 ports along the East and Gulf coasts of the United States — from Maine to Texas — went on strike October 1. It’s their first walkout since 1977. The entire working class should embrace their cause. The labor movement can help win the battle for public opinion and a fair contract. A victory in the strike will reverberate across the country and help everyone trying to improve wages, benefits, and job safety.

New York Amazon Delivery Drivers Join the Teamsters in Surge of Momentum

This article describes an accomplishment by hundreds of Amazon drivers at a delivery station in Queens, New York. A majority of these workers recently signed union authorization cards seeking representation by the Teamsters. They also marched on their employer’s offices on September 16 demanding the logistics giant recognize their union and negotiate a contract.

Angry Workers Begin Strike at Boeing

SEATTLE, September 12, 2024 — Members of International Association of Machinists (IAM) District 751, representing over 33,000 workers, voted by a stunning margin today to reject a new contract proposed by the Boeing Company and endorsed by the union’s top officials. “About 94.6% voted to reject the contract and 96% voted to strike, more than the two-thirds majority required by union rules to authorize a walkout,” reported The Seattle Times. The strike began at 12:01 am on September 13

Amazon Labor Union: ‘We’re Done Waiting’

The following letter from the Amazon Labor Union – International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 1 was sent on September 4, 2024, to workers at JFK8, Amazon’s giant warehouse in Staten Island, New York. It is aimed at reaching out to all JFK8 workers and drawing them into a discussion on determining a course of action to overcome Amazon’s obstructionism and force the company to negotiate a contract.

Many U.S. Flight Attendants Face Homelessness, Hunger

Based on interviews with many flight attendants, this article paints an accurate and damning picture of the economic and social conditions these workers face today. About 110,000 flight attendants are currently employed by 14 major, and many more regional, airlines across the United States. The dire job and living conditions facing thousands of flight attendants, graphically outlined in this article, are one example of the plight of millions of working people today.

Alabama Bus Manufacturing Workers Unionize, Win Decent Contract

This article reports on a successful union organizing drive at an electric bus manufacturing plant in Anniston, Alabama. A majority of the 600 workers at the factory run by New Flyer — a Canadian company — voted for union representation by the International Union of Electrical Workers-Communications Workers of America (IUE-CWA) in January 2024. By mid May, workers ratified a contract with major wage and benefit gains.

Amazon Labor Union Reform Caucus Wins Leadership Election at NY Warehouse

STATEN ISLAND, New York, August 1, 2024 — In an election for officers of the Amazon Labor Union–International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 1, held in July, the Democratic Reform Caucus candidates won all the positions. The union represents workers at Amazon’s giant JFK8 warehouse here. The results will be finalized after an August 6 deadline for filing objections.

California AFL-CIO: Remove Cuba from U.S. List of ‘State Sponsors of Terrorism’

SAN DIEGO, California — More than 700 delegates representing 2.3 million workers in nearly 2,000 union locals throughout California gathered here for the state AFL-CIO convention on July 16. Delegates unanimously passed a resolution opposing Washington’s inclusion of Cuba in its notorious list of “State Sponsors of Terrorism” (SSOT) and urging Cuba’s removal from it.

Amazon Labor Union Members Vote to Join the Teamsters

STATEN ISLAND, NEW YORK, June 18, 2024 — Workers at Amazon’s giant JFK8 fulfillment center here ratified affiliation with the 1.3-million-member International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT). The results were announced today. According to an Instagram live stream of the tally provided by the Amazon Labor Union (ALU), the vote to affiliate with the Teamsters was nearly unanimous, with 98.3 percent approving. Of the nearly 850 workers who cast ballots, 824 voted YES and 14 voted NO. Ten ballots were deemed invalid. The newly chartered local will represent Amazon warehouse workers at JFK8.

Young U.S. Unionist Seeks to Change His Country

This article appeared in the May 27, 2024, issue of Trabajadores (Workers), the daily newspaper in Cuba of the Confederation of Cuban Workers (CTC). Miguel Bautista, the U.S. unionist interviewed in the story, visited Cuba in late April-early May as part of the “Labor and Youth Activists” delegation organized by the Los Angeles Hands Off Cuba Committee.

‘Our Fight for Justice for the Working Class Continues’: UAW to press forward after setback in Alabama

This is a statement by Shawn Fain, President of the United Auto Workers (UAW), released by the union May 17, 2024. Fain responds to the results of the union recognition vote at the Mercedes manufacturing complex in Alabama, which workers lost by a 56% margin. “While this loss stings, these workers keep their heads held high,” said Fain. “These workers will win their fair share. And we will be there every step of the way to support them.” His statement makes plain that the UAW remains committed to a nationwide union organizing drive, with whatever ups and downs lie ahead.

Historic Victory: Volkswagen Workers Vote for Union

Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga, Tennessee, voted by a 73% margin for representation by the United Auto Workers (UAW). It is a huge accomplishment for the workers involved, for all auto workers, and for the labor movement and working class across the United States. The results have historic significance. The UAW failed in two previous attempts to organize VW, in 2014 and 2019. Other efforts to organize auto plants in the South have also been unsuccessful. In Chattanooga, workers won for the first time in a foreign-owned U.S. auto plant. It was also the first Southern auto factory where workers approved a union through an election since the 1940s. Chattanooga workers opened the door to extending unionization of other auto plants in the South and beyond, as part of the nationwide organizing drive the UAW launched last fall.

‘Your Defining Moment to Change Your Lives’: UAW President Speaks in Alabama

Shawn Fain, President of the United Auto Workers (UAW), gave a speech to Mercedes-Benz workers in Alabama, on March 24, 2024, which we are sharing in this post. The UAW has made progress in its effort to organize auto workers in this factory in Vance, Alamaba, as part of a nationwide campaign to organize non-union auto assembly, parts, and battery plants. The union announced the organizing drive on the heels of the significant victory in its strike against General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis — the Big Three — last year.

Volkswagen Auto Workers To Hold Union Election in April

When the United Auto Workers (UAW) scored a victory in its strike against General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis last year, the UAW announced a major campaign to organize workers at non-union auto assembly, parts, and battery plants. This article reports on an important breakthrough in this nationwide union organizing drive, at a Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where a union representation election is now set for April 17-19.

UAW Strike Scores Victory for Working Class

United Auto Workers (UAW) members who recently concluded a strike against General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis scored a victory for the union and the working class. For the first time in many years, a nationwide strike by industrial workers resulted in a substantial improvement in wages and working conditions. That strengthens the UAW and the entire working class. It is proof that union power can achieve results.

Solidarity with Striking Auto Workers!

On September 15, the United Auto Workers union (UAW) began a coordinated strike against the three major U.S. automakers. The UAW targeted one plant each at General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis, involving almost 13,000 workers. The union is acting to defend its members from the debilitating effects of the automakers’ decades-long campaign to slash the unionized workforce, drive down wages, and weaken the union by instituting a permanent two-tier wage and benefit system. This strike deserves the support of the entire labor movement and all working people.

Railroad Workers United: ‘We Would Never Concede Our Right to Strike’

In this article, Ron Kaminkow answers claims by U.S. representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that she voted to approve the anti-labor contract President Biden and Congress imposed on freight rail workers in late 2022 at the request of Railroad Workers United (RWU). Kaminkow is a railroad engineer working at Amtrak, a founder of the RWU and a member of its steering committee.