Book Review
Expand or Perish: Hamilton Nolan’s Simple Message to the Labor Movement
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A conversation with a labor journalist and author eager to see labor seize on the post-pandemic surge of union enthusiasm.
History
An Interview with John See: Labor Historian and Video Innovator on Nearly 40 Years of Service to the Minnesota Labor Movement
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In October 2023, John See worked his last day at the Labor Education Service (LES) after a 39 year tenure. His office was a treasure trove of Minnesota union history—adorned with vintage Teamsters trucker hats, retro pins from the 70s, and a constant stack of VHS tapes digitizing onto one of the half dozen monitors where he was often seen fervently editing videos and coordinating audio visual work for major conventions. While See’s office may be cleared from the nearly four decades of ephemera, his legacy and dedication to Minnesota’s labor movement continues.
See concluded his career with a massive, archival project. He digitized thousands of tapes of the public access program, Minnesota at Work, which aired from 1984 into the early 2000s, featuring workers speaking about their lives and working conditions, working with Randy Croce, Howard Kling, and the late Martin Duffy. Along with Minnesota at Work, many different kinds of programs have been archived.
This Union Wants Meatpacking Companies to Foot the Bill for Child Labor Prevention
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Child labor law violations have been increasing in the U.S. and a Minnesota union local has an innovative solution.
Metro Transit Workers Say Improving Transit Starts with Better Working Conditions
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ATU 1005 members discuss pay, staffing, safety as TA is reached.
Minnesota Is Headed for a Workers vs. Bosses Showdown That’s 10 Years in the Making
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Labor and community organizations who have been aligning for years are escalating their fights at the same time.
Minnesota
“We Won’t Let Them Destroy Us”: Nurses at Illinois Hospital Strike Over Thanksgiving Week
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Nurses say unfair labor practices and denial of a staffing crisis are leaving workers with no choice but to strike during the holidays.
Media
Master Lock Factory in Milwaukee Closes After 100 Years
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After more than 100 years, Master Lock’s iconic factory in Milwaukee is shutting its doors in March 2024. The closure will result in 400 lost union jobs, and also mark the end of a former industrial region of the city that once housed some 50 plants. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfmKb2dvimU
The Real News, In These Times, and Workday Magazine speak with current and former Master Lock workers on what the closure of this longstanding plant means for them and their community. Transcript
The following is a transcript of the video
President Obama:
Hello, Milwaukee. That’s what we’ve got to be shooting for is to create opportunities for hardworking Americans to get in there and start making stuff again and sending it all over the world, products stamped with three proud words, “Made in America.” That’s what’s happening right here at Master Lock.
Minnesota
“What Could We Win Together?” Labor in Minnesota Gears up for a Major Escalation
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With a string of contracts expiring in the new year, Minnesota unions and community groups are gathering to unite around a strategy for a cleaner environment and better jobs, housing and schools.
They Sacrificed to Survive Bankruptcy. They Worked Through A Pandemic. Now, Autoworkers Have Had Enough.
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“I want to see them return what they promised to the workers that saved the company,” says a striking Stellantis worker in Minnesota.
“We Can’t Eat Prestige”: Inside the Unionization of the Science Museum of Minnesota
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The NLRB recently reinstated six workers at the Science Museum of Minnesota. Workers say the museum is still breaking labor law and failing to bargain in good faith.