WorkPlaceSafety

Union membership dropped in 2021, this week in the war on workers

Union membership as a percentage of all U.S. workers dropped from 10.8% to 10.3% in 2021, returning to its 2019 level. The bump in 2020 is instructive, since it came because, in the mass job loss of …

Sun Jan 23, 2022

COVID-19 protocols are a bad joke at many businesses, this week in the war on workers

At the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, essential workers were widely dubbed “heroes.” That didn’t mean they were treated well or protected with adequate safety measures, but people were talking …

Sun Jan 16, 2022

The Supreme Court's ruling against vaccine mandates is much, much worse than it seems

On Thursday afternoon, the Supreme Court ruled against COVID-19 mandates in a 6-3 vote, with all three Trump-appointed judges—who landed their roles thanks to a filibuster carve-out—voting that OSHA …

Fri Jan 14, 2022

Deadly tornado shows how companies value their employees, this week in the war on workers

My colleague Gabe Ortiz has been following the story of workers at a Kentucky candle factory who were threatened with firing if they tried to escape a deadly tornado. Those Kentucky workers aren’t …

Mon Dec 20, 2021

Public support for unions at its highest in decades, this week in the war on workers

Gallup’s annual pre-Labor Day poll on approval of unions is out, and unions hit their highest level since 1965. Sixty-eight percent of people told the pollster they approve of unions. In 1965, 71% …

Sat Sep 4, 2021

Vice President Harris breaks tie to confirm key labor appointee, this week in the war on workers

The National Labor Relations Board has a new general counsel after Vice President Kamala Harris broke a tie in the Senate to confirm Jennifer Abruzzo, 51-50. President Joe Biden fired Donald Trump’s …

Sat Jul 24, 2021

From Carl's Jr. to a gay club, Oregon workers suffered in the heat, this week in the war on workers

Workers suffered during recent heat waves around the country, and hitting the Pacific Northwest especially hard. We’ve talked about the need for heat protections for farmworkers, but they’re not the …

Sat Jul 17, 2021

Historic heat wave highlights the need for farmworker protections

Summer heat is a danger for farmworkers every year, with heat deaths happening steadily. But with climate change and heat waves like the one that hit the Pacific Northwest in recent weeks becoming …

Mon Jul 5, 2021

Black-owned distillery embraces its workers' union, this week in the war on workers

When workers at Du Nord Craft Spirits decided to form a union, joining UNITE HERE Local 17, the company voluntarily recognized them without any delay and in fact publicized the occasion itself. Du …

Sat Jun 19, 2021

Amazon is crushing Walmart in one metric: The rate of serious injuries in its warehouses

Immediately following a report that Amazon’s workplace injury rates were significantly higher than those of its top rivals, the online retail giant announced a tweak to its notorious “time off task” …

Thu Jun 3, 2021