Defend free speech and the right to protest! Support activists targeted for protesting the genocide in Palestine! On Monday May 5th, Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt) in Boston placed two workers on indefinite administrative leave, and restricted students and threatened them with suspensions, for attending a student-organized demonstration two weeks prior that demandedContinue reading “Solidarity with MassArt Workers and Students: Protesting is Not a Crime!”
Tag Archives: union
Clark University Undergraduate Workers Strike for Union Recognition
by Lilly R. (Clark Class of 2026 & student worker) & Nick Wurst (SMART-TD Local 1473)(personal capacities)Worcester, MA On March 13, hundreds of undergraduate workers at Clark University in Worcester, MA took strike action in a fight for union rights for the 600+ undergrad campus workers. Independent Socialist Group (ISG) members participated in the strike,Continue reading “Clark University Undergraduate Workers Strike for Union Recognition “
ISG in Action: Solidarity with NALC at March 23 Rallies
Fight Privatization of the US Postal Service!A Strong Contract for NALC members and All USPS Workers/Unions This past Sunday March 23, members of the Independent Socialist Group joined in rallies organized by USPS union workers organized in the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) in Boston MA, Portland ME, and Providence RI. We stood withContinue reading “ISG in Action: Solidarity with NALC at March 23 Rallies”
More Strikes and Organizing, But No Breakthrough Yet
photo: IAM by Peggy WangMassachusetts Teachers Association (personal capacity)Boston, MA In 2024, there were several militant union actions. 33,000 Boeing workers went on strike for nearly 2 months, only settling after rejecting three tentative agreements negotiated by leadership. 50,000 East Coast longshoremen struck for three days, disrupting the flow of $3.5 billion in goods theyContinue reading “More Strikes and Organizing, But No Breakthrough Yet”
Support A Strong Contract for the Boston Teachers Union!
The Independent Socialist Group (ISG) supports the 10,000+ members of the Boston Teachers Union (BTU) in their fight for a contract to improve staffing and pay. The union wants a $4/hr increase for paraprofessionals, who make under $30,000/year yet are required to live in Boston, where median rent is almost $4,000/month. Inflation has gone upContinue reading “Support A Strong Contract for the Boston Teachers Union!”
Why We Need Public Ownership of the Railroads
Originally published April 2023. Updated April 2024. by Nicholas Wurst & Claire BaylerSMART-TD Local 1473 (personal capacity) & Railroad Workers United (personal capacities)Worcester, MA Check out publicrailnow.org and railroadworkersunited.org/support-public-ownership for more info. In October of 2022, amid the highly contentious battle over the Class 1 freight railroad workers’ contract, Railroad Workers United (RWU) adopted aContinue reading “Why We Need Public Ownership of the Railroads”
Nebraskan Independent’s Senate Race Shows Working Class Politics Can Win
by Allison ABoston MA Independent challenger Dan Osborn leads by 2 points in the 2024 US Senate election in Nebraska against two-term Republican incumbent Deb Fischer. Osborn has been working in a Kellogg’s factory in Omaha for 20 years. He is currently the president of Local 50G of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers, and GrainContinue reading “Nebraskan Independent’s Senate Race Shows Working Class Politics Can Win”
Unionizing Portland, Maine’s Coffee By Design
An interview with Lauren G., a barista at Coffee by Design.by ISG Maine Branch What sparked interest in unionizing? We were facing a huge amount of turnover and understaffing. Some resulted from poor planning because a good chunk of employees were leaving to go to college, and, at the same time, long-time workers decided theyContinue reading “Unionizing Portland, Maine’s Coffee By Design”
A BREAKTHROUGH FOR THE LABOR MOVEMENT?
by Jeff BoothBoston, MAAFSCME Local 3650 (personal capacity) Four high-profile, important union struggles ended recently. Wages, benefits, and working conditions were improved for hundreds of thousands of workers from the contract campaign at UPS, the UAW strike against all the “Big 3” auto companies, the largest healthcare workers strike in US history led by SEIU-UHWContinue reading “A BREAKTHROUGH FOR THE LABOR MOVEMENT?”
UAW Workers’ Strike Wins a Stronger Deal—Missed Opportunity for More
“Though the final contracts are significant improvements compared to past concessionary contracts, there are still important unresolved demands and issues. Wage increases aren’t enough to make up for pay losses due to inflation and give-backs during the Great Recession. Pensions, retiree healthcare, and other benefits and protections are not restored for all workers. All EV production jobs still don’t automatically fall under the national agreements. And the contracts accept the closure of many facilities and subsequent job losses. The UAW could have fought for more, especially considering only a third of their Big 3 members were called out on strike. General support for unions is the strongest it’s been in 60 years, and there was overwhelming public support (by a 4-1 margin) for the strike.”
Independent Socialist Group 