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On Part 4 of our series looking at attempts to organize soldiers, we discuss the Scandinavian countries. While none of the various soldier unions formed in these countries transformed their society, they showed a wide range of levels of effectiveness. From Norway’s quasi-company union, to Sweden’s VVDM-esque liberal militancy, to Finland’s conscript mass organization which actually demanded peace, the Scandinavian militaries showed a broad range of organizing tactics. We discuss the results, comparison to the US, and whether conscription can ever be considered “progressive.”

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Follow the pod at instagram.com/workstoppage, @WorkStoppagePod on Twitter,  John @facebookvillain, and Lina @solidaritybee

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Lina is away this week so it’s just the boys on this episode of Work Stoppage. The UAW became the largest and most prominent union to join the calls for a ceasefire this week, the same week they launched the largest organizing drive the US has seen in years. Portland teachers ended their three week strike with a new contract with major wins. Sweden’s labor movement continues to shut down Tesla as Elon tries to sue them for striking. The RMT agreed to a new contract this week, ending their epic 18 month industrial dispute with rail operators. Despite it’s kid friendly branding, Lego is using all the same dirty tricks union busting at Legoland as the worst corporate offenders. We have a couple tragic stories this week: first the Indiana Department of Labor has placed the value of a workers life at just $7000. Second, a recent report from Brazil shows that Starbucks’ supply chain there is riddled with worker abuse and even slavery like conditions. Wisconsin workers launched a push this week to overturn the state ban on public unions. Finally, grad student workers at USC reached an agreement for a first contract this week, securing many hard fought protections and increased benefits.

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Follow the pod at instagram.com/workstoppage, @WorkStoppagePod on Twitter,  John @facebookvillain, and Lina @solidaritybee

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If you’re not a patron you can get the full episode by visiting patreon.com/workstoppage and support us with $5 a month.

For the third installment of our series discussing the history of attempts to unionize members of the military, based largely on the book Left Face: Soldier Unions and Resistance Movements in Modern Armies by David Cortright and Max Watts, we discuss the Dutch. From the 1960s to the 80s, with the Dutch military squarely in the middle of NATO’s confrontation with the USSR, multiple organizations were formed attempting to unionize soldiers. We discuss how the Dutch unions, especially the VVDM, seem to have had more success with straightforward union organizing issues than most, but that success came with strict limits.

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Follow the pod at instagram.com/workstoppage, @WorkStoppagePod on Twitter,  John @facebookvillain, and Lina @solidaritybee

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Black Friday means we’ve got a retail and service work news packed episode this week. First we start on a sad note discussing the end of the Medieval Times strike in California. Next we discuss the McCarthyite retaliation being faced by unionized public defenders in New York City for taking a stand in favor of Palestinian human rights. A recent piece in The Guardian exposes the way service workers from other countries are exploited by the J-1 work visa program. 20,000 cleaning workers in NYC are gearing up for a major contract fight as bosses try and force concessions. Macy’s workers in Washington State struck on Black Friday against incredibly low wages and constant understaffing. Wells Fargo workers in New Mexico and Alaska have filed to join the CWA, trying to break into the nearly entirely non union financial sector. Finally, we discuss the formation of a new democratic reform caucus in IATSE.

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Follow the pod at instagram.com/workstoppage, @WorkStoppagePod on Twitter,  John @facebookvillain, and Lina @solidaritybee

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If you’re not a patron you can get the full episode by visiting patreon.com/workstoppage and support us with $5 a month.

We’re back with the next installment of our discussion of attempts in (relatively) recent history to form unions within military organizations. In this episode we cover the brief period following the end of the Vietnam War when major public worker unions in the US began seriously considering organizing soldiers. We discuss a planned campaign by the AFGE to potentially add soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines to their membership, and the response from the state when they found out. We also discuss some of the internal organizing efforts like the Enlisted People’s Organizing Committee.  Next week, we’ll branch out into the rest of the world by discussing organizing efforts in the Dutch Armed Forces.

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Follow the pod at instagram.com/workstoppage, @WorkStoppagePod on Twitter,  John @facebookvillain, and Lina @solidaritybee

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The whole crew is back together again for another big week of labor news. After our weekly roundup of how workers around the world are standing up for Palestine, we get into a slew of stories about major new contracts. Kaiser Permanente workers ratified their new contract nearly unanimously after their historic three day strike last month. UAW workers at the Big 3 also ratified their new agreements won during the Stand Up Strike, as did the UAW workers at Mack Trucks. We also break down the details on the SAG-AFTRA deal released since last week. Garment workers in Bangladesh have been rising up for weeks now to demand a minimum wage just high enough to actually be able to eat, but have faced severe repression. Starbucks workers launched their biggest strike yet this week, Red Cup Rebellion 2, featuring over 5000 workers nationwide. Finally, 4000 researchers at NYU filed this week to join the UAW.

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Follow the pod at instagram.com/workstoppage, @WorkStoppagePod on Twitter and Bluesky,  John @facebookvillain, and Lina @solidaritybee

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The whole crew is a bit overwhelmed this week, Dan is sick, John’s class is in crunch mode, and Lina’s putting the finishing touches on the rest of the Military Unions series. So this week we’re unlocking one of our favorite Movie Time episodes for everyone. Both these labor movies are likely less well known by most of our audience, but they’re some of the best we’ve discussed. Part 2 of our series on attempts to organize in the military will arrive next week.

Original Description:
First we discuss 1963’s The Organizer, a working class drama about the early days of labor organizing in northern Italy in the late 1800s. The film covers the extreme exploitation of 19th century textile workers and their earliest attempts at organizing, even before major national unions existed. For our second film this week we watched Western Ghats (Merku Thodarchi Malai), from India’s southern state of Tamil Nadu. Western Ghats follows the struggle of landless workers forced to labor for the big landowners as they strive to become independent peasant farmers themselves. The film portrays the difficulties of peasants, the way debt is used to dispossess them, and the semi feudal conditions they face in many parts of the Global South in ways western cinema rarely covers.

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This week we are very happy to to be joined by Maximillian Alvarez Editor in Chief of The Real News Network and host of Working People Podcast. We start with highlighting some of the many brave actions by workers, activists, and unions in solidarity with Palestine in opposition to those complicit and exacerbating the genocide being enacted by Israel. From people blocking weapons ships in Oakland and Tacoma to Italy and commitments to action from unions in Belgium and the UK to solidarity statements in defiance of the AFL-CIO by the APWU. We then get to the TA reached by the Las Vegas Culinary Union which boasts some major gains. In Quebec, Canada 420k public workers strike for one day and vow to strike for longer if their demands are not met. We cover Tesla’s open statement on their intent to break labor law and how workers in Germany and Sweden are showing the company the might of worker power. Starbucks continues to break the law by once again promising raised to only non-union workers and SBWU workers are planning another massive action to fight back against the massive union busting company. In a huge story, SAG-AFTRA has reached a TA after 118 days on strike. We only have a few details at this point but we are excited for this possible major victory. We wrap up the episode celebrating another major union victory for Cornell Grad Students who won their union vote with 96% in favor!

Support the Starbucks Red Cup Rebellion: https://starbucksworkersunited.controlshift.app/calendars/red-cup-rebellion

Join the discord: discord.gg/tDvmNzX 

Follow the pod at instagram.com/workstoppage, @WorkStoppagePod on Twitter and Bluesky,  John @facebookvillain, and Lina @solidaritybee

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If you’re not a patron you can get the full episode by visiting patreon.com/workstoppage and support us with $5 a month.

One question that has arisen over and over in the history of revolutionary movements has been: what about the military? Does it make sense to try and organize soldiers, sailors, and airmen, especially if they come from working class backgrounds? Or is it a futile effort to try and break into such a hierarchical, rigid system? In this series, we’ll examine some of the history of attempts to organize soldiers into unions both in the United States and in many other countries. For our first episode, we’ll start with some attempts at union organizing in the US military in the immediate aftermath of the Vietnam War. We discuss what issues caused soldiers to dissent, how movements formed and disbanded, and what results, if any, were achieved by these groups. In future episodes, we’ll look at US movements in the era of the all volunteer military, and expand the discussion to other militaries around the world.

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Follow the pod at instagram.com/workstoppage, @WorkStoppagePod on Twitter,  John @facebookvillain, and Lina @solidaritybee

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This week we are joined by Alexander Edward of Minion Death Cult and long time UPS worker! We start with some follow-up on Walgreens and CVS walkouts, felony vandalism charges being dropped against University of California Grad Student Workers, and the Las Vegas Culinary Union where 35,000+ Workers are set to strike on Nov 10th. In our main stories we start with actions by workers with the support of many organizations to shut down INKAS, an arms dealer sending weapons to Israel in order to perpetuate their genocide on Palestinians. The fight by the RMT and the British public to save ticket stations has won the battle with the Tories and attempts to destroy ticket worker jobs and replace them with kiosks has failed. We then talk about 4500 Portland Teachers and staff who are on strike across the city from 80 schools. In media news, journalists at the Daily Herald fight back against union busting and the NYT Tech Guild walks out over the NYT’s return to office policy. U-Penn grad students revitalize the GET-UP union movement and file for an election and face repression from the administration. REI union workers and customers hold a day of action in protest of the company’s recent illegal firing of 275 workers. Finally we celebrate the victory of Disney Animators who joined the Animation Guild.

Organize an action in defense of Palestine: https://www.shutitdown4palestine.org/

Sign the Daily Herald petition: http://tinyurl.com/5n7w22jd

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