May: Organize to Change the World with Labor Action

May 1 is International Worker Day: Celebrate by Fighting for Unions & Better Wages!

Ukraine War: Anti-war Protests Around the World. Read Here.

NLRB sues Starbucks for retaliating against 3 workers involved in unionizing. Read more.

Senate confirms Ketanji Brown Jackson to be first Black woman to sit on Supreme Court. Read Here.

How Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter could impact its 7,000-plus employees. Read Here.

International Workers’ Day, also known as Labor Day in most countries and often referred to as May Day, is a celebration of working people that is promoted by the international labor movement and occurs every year on May Day (1 May).

“Wall Street didn’t build this country. The middle class built this country. And unions build the middle class.”

– President Joe Biden

Labor Updates!

Amazon Workers Win Vote to Unionize Warehouse in Staten Island! Read Here

Nurses Celebrate Step Forward for Gender Equity in California’s Workers’ Comp System

MORE Recent Union Organizing Wins by AFL-CIO here!

Why unions are good for workers—especially in a crisis like COVID-19

Federal labor law reform, including measures like the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, is necessary to unlock union growth because the current system is so rigged in favor of bosses.

The legislation would eliminate states’ ability to impose “right to work for less” laws, address misclassification of workers as independent contractors or supervisors, limit employer intimidation of workers through “captive audience meetings” and more. The labor law reform strategy ties the future of workers to political and legislative engagement.

Chart done by EPI

Listen to this KCSB Re-Broadcast (Start at 00:02:15) of the United States’ roots of the holiday, and what it might mean after nearly a century and a half. As usual, the songs, old and new, tell the story!

Ukrainian Immigration Update:

Department of Homeland Security data shows nearly 10,000 Ukrainians were processed at the U.S.-Mexico border between February 1 and April 6 – this show CBP has and can process people in high numbers. The proposed Ukraine TPS notice updated the eligibility date for U.S. presence from March, 2022 to April 11, 2022. This is a change that will allow thousands of Ukrainians who were not otherwise eligible in the original designation notice to potentially qualify now. It is important to understand how we got to this point. Here is an interesting take on who may have caused the Ukraine war: Click Here.

Republicans Embrace Costly Border Stunts, Dangerous Rhetoric and Ugly Politics by America’s Voice

Take Action.

Higher education should be accessible to everyone, regardless of economic status or background. Unfortunately, that’s not the reality in the United States. The cost of higher education has grown exponentially in our country, placing it out of reach for most students and families unless they agree to take on huge amounts of debt. Over 44 million Americans carry more than $1.7 trillion of student debt. Recently, President Joe Biden has signaled he is open to cancelng student loans: Read Here.

CANCEL STUDENT DEBT: $50K FOR EVERY BORROWER Petition – ACLU

Letter from Heather Cox Richardson on the State of Our Democracy

The Cost of Greed.

Gas prices hit an average of $4.12 a gallon in the past few months, reaching the highest they have been since ’14.

Meanwhile, oil and gas CEOs made nearly $45 million more in 2021 than they did in 2020, with 28 major companies like Shell, Exxon, BP and Marathon Petroleum giving out $394 million to their chief executives. Article Here.

We need to still pass what was called Build Back Better to lower energy and prescription drug prices and to make the wealthiest pay some of what they owe!

Good Reads.

Since the Industrial Revolution, impoverished working-class people have struggled for fair wages, hours, and treatment—with immigrants and Black people often facing the worst conditions. We celebrate Labor Day weekend this year amidst a deadly global pandemic; a growing unapologetic movement against policing and incarceration; and a new frontier in the struggle for workers’ rights, as teachers and postal workers organize against the ongoing efforts to dismantle these vital public services. Now more than ever, it is time to reflect on what can be achieved when workers realize their collective power and unite, and how we can get there again today.

12 Books Every Worker in America Should Read for Labor Day

New titles featured at Social Justice Books!

“We Need Love at the Center”

Florida passed a ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill that limits what educators can say about gender and sexuality, and could affect mental health services for all students.

Educators fear the wave of anti-gay laws threaten the supportive environments they try to build for LGBTQ students.