Boston School Bus Drivers

Union chief: Grid workers did not break - CommonWealth Magazine

commonwealthmagazine.org

UNIONS MATTER. That’s the lesson of National Grid’s six-month lockout of 1,250 United Steelworkers. Withstanding the latest in a series of attacks on workers nationally, the men and women of Local...

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Team Solidarity- the Voice of United School Bus Union Workers

4 days ago

www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/la-teachers-strike-day-one_us_5c3d4f30e4b01c93e00cde95 ... See MoreSee Less

The Day Tens Of Thousands Of Teachers Took Los Angeles

huffingtonpost.com

Leaders say the strike is a fight for the future of public education.

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Team Solidarity- the Voice of United School Bus Union Workers

1 week ago

>The electronic-logging-device mandate, debates over unpaid breaks, and other concerns wracked truck drivers in 2018.

>Thousands of truckers are planning to protest the state of trucking with "a nationwide shutdown" on April 12...

>..The decline of Teamsters follows a decline in trucking pay and working conditions. A Business Insider analysis showed that median wages for truck drivers have decreased 21% on average since 1980. In some areas, they've declined as much as 50%. In 1977, the mean earnings of a unionized truck driver stood at $96,552 in 2018 dollars. The median earning of a truck driver now stands at $42,480.

www.businessinsider.com/black-smoke-matters-truck-drivers-plan-strike-without-union-2019-1?fbclid... ... See MoreSee Less

480.th

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Team Solidarity- the Voice of United School Bus Union Workers shared a link.

1 week ago

Here’s What a Real Strike Looks Like: 150 Million Say No to Despotism in India

commondreams.org

If a new trade union law goes into effect, India will essentially abandon any commitment to workplace democracy.. Indian cities never go silent. Sound is a constant feature—the horns of cars, the ch...

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Team Solidarity- the Voice of United School Bus Union Workers

1 week ago

>For years, many labor experts seemed ready to write the obituary of strikes in America. In 2017, the number of major strikes—those involving more than 1,000 workers—dwindled to just seven in the private sector. Indeed, over the past decade, there were just 13 major strikes a year on average. That’s less than one-sixth the average annual number in the 1980s (83), and less than one-twentieth the yearly average in the 1970s (288).In 1971 alone, 2.5 million private-sector workers went on strike, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics—that’s 100 times the number, 25,000, who went on strike in 2017.

>But then came 2018 and a startling surge of strikes in both the private and public sectors. More than 20,000 teachers and other school employees walked out in West Virginia in February, followed by at least 20,000 more in Oklahoma. Probably the biggest educators’ strike came in Arizona, where more than 40,000 walked out. There were smaller, but still large, teacher walkouts in Colorado, Kentucky, and North Carolina.

>This past September, 6,000 hotel workers went on strike against 26 Chicago hotels to demand year-round health coverage for all hotel workers. In October, 7,700 workers struck 23 Marriott hotels in eight cities, including Boston, Detroit, Honolulu, and San Francisco. In November, 15,000 patient-care workers, including radiology technicians, respiratory therapists, and pharmacy workers, held a three-day strike against the University of California’s medical centers in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Irvine, and Davis. An additional 24,000 union members, including truck drivers, gardeners, and cooks, struck in sympathy. And in one of the most startling work stoppages of all, an estimated 20,000 Google workers walked out on November 1 to protest how the company handled sexual harassment accusations against top managers. “That was remarkable,” says labor historian Nelson Lichtenstein, pleased to see that even the elite workers at one of the world’s more prominent tech companies recognize the effectiveness of collective worker action.
prospect.org/article/return-strike-0 ... See MoreSee Less

The Return of the Strike

prospect.org

This year, thousands of teachers, hotel workers, Google employees, and others walked off the job and won major gains. Which raises two questions: Why now? And will this continue?

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A People's Guide to Greater Boston

Team Solidarity- the Voice of United School Bus Union Workers shared A People's Guide to Greater Boston's post.

2 weeks ago

It would be good to hear from the super-exploited drivers, who suffered a substantial, unilateral rate decrease by their billionaire Uber/Lyft bosses just before Christmas 2018, and from whose below-legal-minimum-wage trip rate these proposed fees will be deducted. The drivers are living a 19th-century sharecropper's life, making below-poverty income, subject to the illegal legal status of "independent contractors" with zero employee benefits, paying for their own vehicles, gas, insurance, cleaning, maintenance, licensure, fees and government inspection, and in debt to the company store at the end of every 60+ hour week. Justice for Uber/Lyft Drivers, now! ... See MoreSee Less

It appears that Mayor Marty Walsh is pursuing some positive initiatives to provide some much-need funding for enhancing public transit and bikeability. It would be good to hear what groups like WalkB...

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Team Solidarity- the Voice of United School Bus Union Workers

2 weeks ago

>Like the Marriott strike in the fall, which ended with Boston workers gaining a number of significant benefits, the National Grid lockout showed that standing up to a major corporation can be a powerful tool if you stick with it, labor experts noted. And it could inspire other workers to do the same.

>“It’s been an interesting time for labor in Greater Boston, where people have stood up to really big corporate interests,” said Robert Forrant, a labor historian at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. “My sense is that workers are feeling backed into a corner.”
www.bostonglobe.com/business/2019/01/07/two-unions-approve-national-grid-contract/hEg7JnmsMWjT71C... ... See MoreSee Less

Two unions approve National Grid contract - The Boston Globe

bostonglobe.com

National Grid workers voted overwhelmingly on Monday to approve a new contract, putting an end to a lockout that left 1,250 gas workers and support staff out of work for six months.

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Team Solidarity- the Voice of United School Bus Union Workers

Unfortunately the unions have approved a two-tier contract which will only weaken them further.

2 weeks ago

“IN A MAJOR win for labor advocates, a federal court issued a long-awaited ruling last week finding that corporations could be held responsible for issues like wage discrimination or illegal job termination, even if the employees were subcontractors or working at a franchised company. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C Circuit determined that a business could be considered a so-called joint-employer if it exercised a certain level of “indirect control” over an employees’ working conditions, or if it reserved the authority to do so down the line. The question of who counts as a joint-employer has been integral to movements like Fight for 15, which aims to organize fast-food workers who toil away in franchised businesses.”
theintercept.com/2019/01/03/nlrb-joint-employer-ruling/?fbclid=IwAR0Hv15hR1yMKg_8LUaaiMrZNQRK8VsJ... ... See MoreSee Less

Workers Just Notched a Rare Win in Federal Court

theintercept.com

The decision concerns a ruling that the NLRB made about who counts as a joint-employer, a question that has been integral to movements like Fight for 15.

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Team Solidarity- the Voice of United School Bus Union Workers

2 weeks ago

This is federal declaration of war on drivers and union health & safety provisions.

>But truck drivers and union representatives said the rest breaks are important. Doing away with them just increases the bottom lines for trucking companies, while exhausting the men and women who spend weeks away from home transporting more than 70% of the nation's freight. ... See MoreSee Less

Rest breaks are a 'drag on the economy,' and the federal government says California truck drivers don’t need them

businessinsider.com

Truckers are paid per mile, which means they aren't compensated for time spent waiting for their shipments to load or unload or doing vehicle checks.

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Team Solidarity- the Voice of United School Bus Union Workers

The drivers should take them regardless

2 weeks ago

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Team Solidarity- the Voice of United School Bus Union Workers

2 weeks ago

>At least 21 such attacks have been leveled at Waymo vans in Chandler, as first reported by The Arizona Republic. Some analysts say they expect more such behavior as the nation moves into a broader discussion about the potential for driverless cars to unleash colossal changes in American society. The debate touches on fears ranging from eliminating jobs for drivers to ceding control over mobility to autonomous vehicles.

>“People are lashing out justifiably," said Douglas Rushkoff, a media theorist at City University of New York and author of the book “Throwing Rocks at the Google Bus.” He likened driverless cars to robotic incarnations of scabs — workers who refuse to join strikes or who take the place of those on strike.

>“There’s a growing sense that the giant corporations honing driverless technologies do not have our best interests at heart,” Mr. Rushkoff said. “Just think about the humans inside these vehicles, who are essentially training the artificial intelligence that will replace them.”
www.nytimes.com/2018/12/31/us/waymo-self-driving-cars-arizona-attacks.html ... See MoreSee Less

Wielding Rocks and Knives, Arizonans Attack Self-Driving Cars

nytimes.com

Some residents have responded to Waymo’s autonomous vehicle project by slashing tires, pelting vans with rocks and even drawing a gun on a vehicle.

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www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/22/florida-driverless-school-bus-ez10-generation-ii-shut-dow...

Team Solidarity- the Voice of United School Bus Union Workers shared a memory.

3 weeks ago

New Year's Resolution!
Drive Safely! ... See MoreSee Less

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Team Solidarity- the Voice of United School Bus Union Workers

4 weeks ago

End the illegal National Greed lockout, now!

Scabs OUT, Union workers IN!

>Fatimah, 19, of Medford, said her aunt lives in the complex with her five children, who are between the ages of nine and 16.

>The teen, who asked that her last name not be published because she fears her aunt could face retaliation, said the family is “cold, hungry, and scared.” They have no other options, though, so they are staying put until power is restored.

>“They’re trying to make use, due to having nowhere else to go,” Fatimah said. “It’s pretty rough.”

>The management office at the complex offered the family a space heater, Fatimah said, but it is too small to fully heat the space. She said the family is also unable to cook, so they are going to a nearby community center for free meals.

>“People are feeling neglected,” Fatimah said. “People are suffering.”
www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/12/24/roxbury-housing-development-has-gas-since-friday/IaoypoznA68... ... See MoreSee Less

Roxbury housing development has had no gas service since Friday - The Boston Globe

bostonglobe.com

The Academy Homes housing development in Roxbury has been without gas service since Friday, after utility crews found several leaks in the complex’s piping.

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www.boston25news.com/news/more-than-200-without-heat-and-hot-water-due-to-roxbury-gas-leak/893853134

www.bostonherald.com/2018/12/24/bill-extends-ui-benefits-to-locked-out-natural-gas-workers/

Team Solidarity- the Voice of United School Bus Union Workers

4 weeks ago

Boston Globe excerpt:

>As of August, there were over 8,000 Flex drivers in Massachusetts. Collectively, they have driven more than 9 million miles for the company since December 2016. That’s the month that Liss-Riordan filed suit against Amazon in Massachusetts for unfair labor practices (she’s filed another federal case that is also pending).

Liss-Riordan argues that by labeling Flex drivers independent contractors — like Uber, Lyft, and other delivery services — and failing to compensate them for gas, insurance, and phone plans, Amazon is violating labor laws.

In response to the suit, Amazon said, “Feedback from Flex drivers has been very positive — they really enjoy being their own boss.”

Its website sets even more lofty ambitions: “[H]ave more time to pursue your dreams and goals,” the company advertises. “Join us and put the power of Amazon behind you.”
www.bostonglobe.com/business/2018/12/21/race-against-clock-and-gas-gauge-amazon-driver-brings-you... ... See MoreSee Less

In a race against the clock — and gas gauge — Amazon driver brings you your packages - The Boston Globe

bostonglobe.com

As of August, there were over 8,000 Flex drivers in Massachusetts, who collectively have driven more than 9 million miles for the company since December 2016.

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Team Solidarity- the Voice of United School Bus Union Workers

4 weeks ago

www.workers.org/2018/12/20/we-are-not-robots-somali-workers-back-down-amazon/?fbclid=IwAR26GteJEY... ... See MoreSee Less

‘We are not robots:’ Somali workers back down Amazon

workers.org

Minneapolis – Chanting “Together we can make history/in every warehouse, in every city,” nearly 500 workers and supporters rallied in support of East African workers here on Dec. 14. The work…

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Team Solidarity- the Voice of United School Bus Union Workers added 20 new photos.

4 weeks ago

Photos by Howard Rotman ... See MoreSee Less

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Team Solidarity- the Voice of United School Bus Union Workers added 19 new photos.

1 month ago

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Team Solidarity- the Voice of United School Bus Union Workers added 40 new photos — with Johnny McInnis and 4 others.

1 month ago

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Team Solidarity- the Voice of United School Bus Union Workers added 40 new photos — with Johnny McInnis and 2 others.

1 month ago

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Team Solidarity- the Voice of United School Bus Union Workers

1 month ago

End the illegal lockout, now!

[excerpt] by AYANNA PRESSLEY, DARLENE LOMBOS, AND JESSICA TANG

>Without intervention from Baker, National Grid will continue to put working-class communities and communities of color at risk. The power to regulate and inspect utility companies, like National Grid, lies with the governor, but he has remained alarmingly quiet: quiet on his office’s role in overseeing the correction of Grade 1 leaks; quiet on National Grid’s refusal to appear before the Boston City Council, to answer tough questions about the safety of its pipelines; and quiet on its refusal to end the lockout and get the 1,250 highly trained men and women capable of averting a crisis back to work.

>Considering the gravity of the Grade 1 gas leaks, the recent tragedy in Lawrence, and the emerging pattern of potentially lethal gas leaks being found disproportionately in communities of color, it’s time for Baker to intervene and end the lockout.

>That’s why we’re joining together as mothers, leaders, and women of color to stand up for the health and safety of the black and brown families, teachers, and children the governor seems unwilling to stand up for.

>The Commonwealth’s Environmental Justice Policy says that “all people have a right to be protected from environmental hazards and to live in and enjoy a clean and healthful environment regardless of race, color, national origin, income or English language proficiency.”

>Baker has the power and the mandate to avert a preventable disaster. We’re urging him to answer the call before it’s too late.
www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2018/12/18/governor-baker-time-hold-gas-utilities-accountable/c7AePL4... ... See MoreSee Less

Governor Baker, it’s time to hold gas utilities accountable - The Boston Globe

bostonglobe.com

The safety of our communities depends on the governor using his power to intervene with National Grid.

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