Category Archives: Issues & Struggles

The Independent Socialist Group spoke with a second year graduate student and Teaching Assistant (TA) in the Physics Department who is a graduate worker union activist.  When did you become involved with the grad worker union at Temple? I first joined the union, Temple University Graduate Students’ Association (TUGSA), in March of this year, allowingContinue reading “Temple University Graduate Workers Poised to Strike for Fair Contract”

In a historic win on October 17, the Portland Starbucks location on 176 Middle Street voted to unionize. The 10-3 win makes the Middle Street location the first Starbucks to unionize in Portland, and the second Starbucks in Maine, right after the Biddeford location that successfully organized back in July. Both now join the ranksContinue reading “Solidarity With Portland Starbucks Union!”

By Peggy Wang (APA, MTA/NEA – personal capacity) Among the industries most vital to the economy is logistics and distribution, and one of its biggest players is Sysco. Sysco is the largest food distributor in the world, with an estimated 30% of the sector’s market sales in the U.S. alone [American Economic Liberties Project, 10/6/2022].Continue reading “Sysco Boston Teamsters Strike and Win a Better Contract!”

By Evren Pallares O Laoghaire, Teamsters Local 170 (personal capacity) On October 3rd at 10:30am, Clark University Graduate Workers United-Teamsters (CUGWU-Teamsters) in Worcester, Massachusetts went on strike after months of bad faith negotiations by Clark’s administration and legal team. The picket line, which interrupted deliveries and construction on campus, forced the administration back to theContinue reading “Clark Graduate Students Win First Contract After Successful 5-Day Strike Action”

By Jai Chavis On September 9th, 2022, Teamster Local 251 hosted a rally in support of striking Teamsters at the DHL shipping warehouse in Pawtucket, RI. The workers were on Day 82 of the strike, fighting for a starting wage increase to $23/hour and access to actually affordable healthcare benefits (since currently, the workers cannotContinue reading “Pawtucket Police Try to Break DHL Strike”

Informational Picket Burlington System Division – BMWED By Nicholas Wurst (Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers—Transportation Division Local 1473, personal capacity) The threat of a nationwide freight rail strike is back on the table. Railroad corporations and union representatives reached a tentative agreement on September 15th, less than 24 hours before the expiration ofContinue reading “National Rail Contract: Vote No and Prepare to Strike!”