Newsitem List

The World Socialist Web Site and Socialist Equality Party salute the 34,000 transit workers of New York City, whose courage in the face of draconian threats has provided an inspiring example of determination and solidarity to the working class throughout the United States and, indeed, internationally. The strike by transit workers is an event of international significance. Defying massive fines and even the threat of jail, the strike represents a direct challenge to a super-rich Wall Street e...

CHICAGO — “Today I am proud to join workers, community and religious leaders in an urgent call for stronger U.S. and international laws that protect workers’ rights on the job,” Illinois AFL-CIO President Margaret Blackshere told a Dec. 8 rally at the city’s historic Haymarket Square. More than 175 union members, activists, religious leaders and community supporters braved a snowstorm to join the observance of International Human Rights Week, Dec. 3-10....

New York City’s 34,000 bus and subway workers, defying threats of fines and imprisonment, walked off the job at 3:00 a.m. Tuesday morning after their union, Transport Workers Union Local 100, rejected the demands of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) for sweeping concessions on pensions, health care and working conditions....

New York City transit workers are on the brink of a historic confrontation in which every section of the working class has the most vital interest....

Two years of hard struggle by organized workers, supported by Batay Ouvriye, have yielded impressive results, showing once again that it is only by organizing themselves, rather than relying on governments, that working people can make real advances....

As a December 16 contract deadline nears, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and the administration of billionaire Republican Mayor Michael Blooomberg—backed by the major media—have launched an all-out campaign aimed at intimidating New York City’s nearly 34,000 bus and subway workers. Fines and even jailings are threatened if these workers dare to walk off their jobs against management’s demands for wholesale givebacks....

They earn a living day-to-day, painting houses, installing roofs, gardening and offering their work at a low cost. Day laborers are the most visible undocumented group of Latino immigrants in the United States, and their lives may soon change if a guest worker plan proposed this week by Pres. George Bush is approved by Congress....

Ford Motor Company plans to close at least five plants and eliminate 7,500 jobs, or 6 percent of its total North American work force, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal Friday. The job-slashing by Ford follows last month’s announcement by General Motors that it would eliminate 30,000 jobs and shutter 12 facilities in the US and Canada before the end of 2008....

The New York University graduate student strike has entered its 24th day. On November 9th, some of the school's graduate student teaching and research assistants went on strike in an effort to force the school to recognize the graduate student union. We host a debate between Michael Palm, chair of the student union, and Paul Boghossian, professor of philosophy who is representing the administration....

After years of creeping concessions, United Auto Workers (UAW) rank and filers received an offer they had to refuse. When Delphi proposed to cut workers' wages by two-thirds on October 8, the anger and anxiety wasn't limited to those working in the struggling auto parts company's plants-it spread to concerned workers across the auto industry....