Labor Notes

"Every single time that you get frustrated or you run into a wall, someone from Labor Notes is going to be there to pick you up," Nora Meek, a founding member of the IATSE CREW reform caucus, says in our new video. Help us build a fighting labor movement! labornotes.org/donate

If nearly 1,000 UAW members move their bodies to picket lines at the end of the month, then the wheels on General Motors trucks won’t have axles to run on the road. UAW buttons read, “No Axles, No Trucks.” 2/2

United Auto Workers Local 2093 members at American Axle, a parts supplier for the Big 3 automakers, in Three Rivers, Michigan, are in gear after authorizing a strike in a 98 percent vote ahead of their May 31 contract expiration labornotes.org/2026/05/contra… 1/2

If you otherwise have the fundamentals of organizing in place but are still struggling to reach more people, make sure you’re paying attention to your list and not leaving an opportunity on the table, writes @l_l_xu labornotes.org/2026/05/list-b…

“To our members’ credit, they’ve had enough,” said Jon Krause, a member of the bargaining committee at United Auto Workers Local 2093. “They can’t afford to live like this, so at this point, they’re willing to fight.”

Workers have taken note of the lucrative management compensation packages and all the companies American Axle has bought over the years, while workers were fed a steady diet of concessions and closure threats. labornotes.org/2026/05/contra…

A two-day conference on June 4-5 will unveil the Tony Mazzocchi Archive, featuring not just OCAW-related documents but a wide-ranging oral history project that captures the voices of workers influenced by the visionary leadership and pragmatic radicalism that Tony embodied.

As an OCAW officer in New York, legislative director in Washington, and later the union’s national secretary-treasurer, Tony Mazzocchi managed to juggle day-to-day union responsibilities with a tireless commitment to building workers’ political power. labornotes.org/blogs/2026/04/…

On the Nurses Uncorked Podcast, Labor Notes Organizer @l_l_xu talks about union reform caucuses: what they are, why they matter, and how members use them to transform their unions from the bottom up. Watch here: youtube.com/watch?v=WRDKf9…

“We’re at a time when everyone’s expectations are being raised.” Workers are pushing for a labor movement that is more democratic, more militant, and more accountable to the rank and file.

A good strike is an exercise of power, not just a rowdier form of protest. Our strike guide walks through how workers can assess their leverage, build solidarity, identify pressure points, and prepare for a strike that can actually win. Learn more: labornotes.org/strikes

Alain Savard, an organizer with the Fédération du Commerce (FC) who translated the book into Québécois French, says it offers “an accessible first step toward developing unions as collective organizations that build class power.” Get your copy here: labornotes.org/secrets

Secrets of a Successful Organizer has now inspired multiple translations, podcasts, and even a tenant organizing manual. labornotes.org/blogs/2026/05/…

"It asks us to consider whether our current political approach is developing power or simply maintaining relationships with institutions that no longer command workers’ trust."

"The book challenges us to stop treating politics as something we do for members and start treating it as something we build with them—independently of the two parties," writes Steve Lawton, former president of CWA Local 1102. labornotes.org/2026/05/billio…

A stronger union won’t organize itself. Our guide to starting a union reform caucus offers practical advice for rank-and-file members ready to challenge business-as-usual and make their union a real fighting force. Learn more here: labornotes.org/caucuspacket

After workers involved in the lawsuit were let go, supporters rallied to demand their reinstatement. “It’s not just about one workplace,” said Ricardo Rosa of the Massachusetts Teachers Association, “but a pattern, where immigrant workers are treated as if they’re disposable.”

Workers at a seafood processing center in New Bedford say they were charged $100 a week just to keep their jobs. Now they’re fighting back in court. labornotes.org/blogs/2026/05/…

“If we care about young people in school, we have to care about their lives outside of school,” says MTA President Max Page. Page joins the pod to discuss a coalition-backed tax on millionaires that's now funding schools, transit, and more. Tune in here: labornotespodcast.podbean.com/e/massachusett…

"As a union organizer, I learned that organizers cannot be partisan or ideological in their approach. We need to meet workers where they are, find ways to unite them, and identify widely felt issues that can bring people into collective action," writes Steve Lawton.

Les Leopold's new book, The Billionaires Have Two Parties, asks working people what kind of political organization could actually represent them. From that foundation, Leopold shows that solidarity around economic issues may be the clearest way forward. labornotes.org/2026/05/billio…