Spirits were high at this year’s
Labor Notes conference held
in Chicago from April 19-21 as
thousands gathered to teach, learn,
and build solidarity across unions
and industries.
The three-day conference consisted of two-hour panels held concurrently on a wide range of topics, covering everything from artificial intelligence to pension funds to building power on the shop floor.
The format was primarily panelists made up of rank-and file union members sharing their knowledge and experience, with time reserved for questions and answers. However, the conference also included skill-building workshops, industry meetings, and special events.
Big U energy Following the massive labor actions of the UAW, Teamsters, and IATSE in 2023, there was a significant focus on both the resurgence of “big labor” and the lessons learned by rank-and file members of these unions throughout their nation-gripping fights with corporate America.
In 2023, the Teamsters executed a very public contract fight between its more than 240,000 drivers and warehouse workers at UPS and the company. The Union held visible “practice pickets” throughout the country, sending UPS a strong message that they were ready to shut down operations if the company fell short in negotiations.
Hours before the contract expiration —the deadline the Teamsters set for a strike—the Union and the company came to an agreement. The Teamsters’ demands included wage increases with a focus on part-timers, tier system elimination, and cooling systems in delivery trucks. From May to November last year, the Screen Writers Guild and SAG AFTRA (the screen actors’ union) struck simultaneously, seeking agreements on the use of artificial intelligence in the entertainment industry.
The three-day conference consisted of two-hour panels held concurrently on a wide range of topics, covering everything from artificial intelligence to pension funds to building power on the shop floor.
The format was primarily panelists made up of rank-and file union members sharing their knowledge and experience, with time reserved for questions and answers. However, the conference also included skill-building workshops, industry meetings, and special events.
Big U energy Following the massive labor actions of the UAW, Teamsters, and IATSE in 2023, there was a significant focus on both the resurgence of “big labor” and the lessons learned by rank-and file members of these unions throughout their nation-gripping fights with corporate America.
In 2023, the Teamsters executed a very public contract fight between its more than 240,000 drivers and warehouse workers at UPS and the company. The Union held visible “practice pickets” throughout the country, sending UPS a strong message that they were ready to shut down operations if the company fell short in negotiations.
Hours before the contract expiration —the deadline the Teamsters set for a strike—the Union and the company came to an agreement. The Teamsters’ demands included wage increases with a focus on part-timers, tier system elimination, and cooling systems in delivery trucks. From May to November last year, the Screen Writers Guild and SAG AFTRA (the screen actors’ union) struck simultaneously, seeking agreements on the use of artificial intelligence in the entertainment industry.
The United Auto Workers pulled
off a historic strike against “the Big
3” automakers: General Motors,
Ford Motor Co., and Stellantus
(which includes Chrysler). The
strike, which lasted just over a
month, was the first time in history
that the UAW took action against
all three automakers at once.
Taking a page out of the Association of Flight Attendants’ playbook, the UAW implemented the “CHAOS” method, also known as a “rolling strike,” where workers strike different plants or sections of the industry at different times rather than all going out at once. The company does not know which worksite will get struck or when, which adds to the company’s stress and helps to stretch out the Union’s strike fund.
In addition to these major actions, several teacher and nurse strikes have occurred since the last Labor Notes conference in 2022. Rank and file knowledge, including lessons learned from these actions, comprised many panels throughout the conference.
Leaders from these unions, including Sean O’Brien, President of Teamsters International, and Sean Fain, President of the UAW, also addressed large standing-room only audiences.
After several quiet and, in some cases, painful decades for unions in the U.S., one might wonder why the sleeping giant of labor is now awakening with such a roar. And if the why is obvious - years of supressed wages and dwindling working conditions amidst skyrocketing cost of living and the consolidation of wealth within a growing billionaire class then perhaps the question is more around the “how?”.
Rank and file agents of change The strong presence of union reform caucuses at Labor Notes sheds light on what has led to this moment: rank-and-file organizing.
Reform caucuses, such as Teamsters for a Democratic Union (TDU) and Unite All Workers
Taking a page out of the Association of Flight Attendants’ playbook, the UAW implemented the “CHAOS” method, also known as a “rolling strike,” where workers strike different plants or sections of the industry at different times rather than all going out at once. The company does not know which worksite will get struck or when, which adds to the company’s stress and helps to stretch out the Union’s strike fund.
In addition to these major actions, several teacher and nurse strikes have occurred since the last Labor Notes conference in 2022. Rank and file knowledge, including lessons learned from these actions, comprised many panels throughout the conference.
Leaders from these unions, including Sean O’Brien, President of Teamsters International, and Sean Fain, President of the UAW, also addressed large standing-room only audiences.
After several quiet and, in some cases, painful decades for unions in the U.S., one might wonder why the sleeping giant of labor is now awakening with such a roar. And if the why is obvious - years of supressed wages and dwindling working conditions amidst skyrocketing cost of living and the consolidation of wealth within a growing billionaire class then perhaps the question is more around the “how?”.
Rank and file agents of change The strong presence of union reform caucuses at Labor Notes sheds light on what has led to this moment: rank-and-file organizing.
Reform caucuses, such as Teamsters for a Democratic Union (TDU) and Unite All Workers
for Democracy (UAWD), the
reform caucus of the UAW, have
organized for years on platforms
to democratize the unions and run
candidates in union elections who
wish to return power to the rank
and file. The fruits of this labor
have recently, and quite powerfully,
begun to blossom.
After years of organizing and a ruling by a federal judge, two-thirds of UAW members voted to change the union election structure from a committee voting structure to direct elections or a one-member-one-vote model. A historic member election followed, placing Sean Fain, a long-time member of UAWD, into office as president.
Currently, members of the Teamsters directly elect the International President, but local affiliates don’t elect their leaders directly. A number of affiliates within the Teamsters, including a 31,000-member railroad worker local, are campaigning to change to direct elections with the help of TDU. There is also a one-member one-vote campaign waging within the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA), supported by union president Sara Nelson, who herself is among the ranks of emerging “fighting union” leaders.
Notably, the ILWU is among less than five American unions that elect its leaders through direct elections. And it always has. One TDU member at Labor Notes, speaking to 142 staff, stated, “You guys are the model, the ones who started it all.” The ILWU was founded through a struggle similar to those of today’s reform caucuses—a breakaway of rank-and-file union members from their prior union to found a bottom-up democratic organiztion. This is the famed origin story of the ILWU.
The Labor Notes conference has been a hotbed of reform organizing for many years, and even UAW President Sean Fain noted Labor Notes as where he first got involved in UAWD.
Strong youth unionists presence The large presence of young
After years of organizing and a ruling by a federal judge, two-thirds of UAW members voted to change the union election structure from a committee voting structure to direct elections or a one-member-one-vote model. A historic member election followed, placing Sean Fain, a long-time member of UAWD, into office as president.
Currently, members of the Teamsters directly elect the International President, but local affiliates don’t elect their leaders directly. A number of affiliates within the Teamsters, including a 31,000-member railroad worker local, are campaigning to change to direct elections with the help of TDU. There is also a one-member one-vote campaign waging within the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA), supported by union president Sara Nelson, who herself is among the ranks of emerging “fighting union” leaders.
Notably, the ILWU is among less than five American unions that elect its leaders through direct elections. And it always has. One TDU member at Labor Notes, speaking to 142 staff, stated, “You guys are the model, the ones who started it all.” The ILWU was founded through a struggle similar to those of today’s reform caucuses—a breakaway of rank-and-file union members from their prior union to found a bottom-up democratic organiztion. This is the famed origin story of the ILWU.
The Labor Notes conference has been a hotbed of reform organizing for many years, and even UAW President Sean Fain noted Labor Notes as where he first got involved in UAWD.
Strong youth unionists presence The large presence of young
unionists synergized with the
conference’s reform energy.
Hundreds of participants in their
20s and 30s eagerly attended
panels, workshops, and special
events.
This is a newer shift in Labor Notes’ audience and is credited with the unionization efforts of Starbucks Workers United and Amazon Labor United, which are led by young workers.
A number of the ILWU’s young worker committees, including those of Local 10 (Oakland), Local 23 (Tacoma), and Canada, were also in attendance. Young people at the conference packed organizing workshops and led several Palestine solidarity events and organizing.
ILWU in the house But the ILWU wasn’t just represented by the young worker committees at Labor Notes. Dozens of ILWU rank-and-file members attended, and a few even led workshops, including ones on beating apathy, choke points in the supply chain, artificial intelligence, and organizing new members.
Members organized a Longshore meet-up on Saturday evening of the conference to discuss industry issues and provide updates. Members of the Inland Boatman’s Union (IBU) and the International Longhshore Association (ILA) also attended the meeting.
Local 142 sent FTOs and staff to sharpen the skills and knowledge needed to build out the Local’s organizing and mobilizing programs. 142’s nine-member contingency attended different workshops to cover the most ground possible.
Interested ILWU members can view the feature panel talks held at Labor Notes on their YouTube channel, youtube.com/labornotes. Their website also houses a host of resources and readings to keep workers informed about national issues and support organizing and mobilizing efforts. You can access these resources at labornotes.org.
This is a newer shift in Labor Notes’ audience and is credited with the unionization efforts of Starbucks Workers United and Amazon Labor United, which are led by young workers.
A number of the ILWU’s young worker committees, including those of Local 10 (Oakland), Local 23 (Tacoma), and Canada, were also in attendance. Young people at the conference packed organizing workshops and led several Palestine solidarity events and organizing.
ILWU in the house But the ILWU wasn’t just represented by the young worker committees at Labor Notes. Dozens of ILWU rank-and-file members attended, and a few even led workshops, including ones on beating apathy, choke points in the supply chain, artificial intelligence, and organizing new members.
Members organized a Longshore meet-up on Saturday evening of the conference to discuss industry issues and provide updates. Members of the Inland Boatman’s Union (IBU) and the International Longhshore Association (ILA) also attended the meeting.
Local 142 sent FTOs and staff to sharpen the skills and knowledge needed to build out the Local’s organizing and mobilizing programs. 142’s nine-member contingency attended different workshops to cover the most ground possible.
Interested ILWU members can view the feature panel talks held at Labor Notes on their YouTube channel, youtube.com/labornotes. Their website also houses a host of resources and readings to keep workers informed about national issues and support organizing and mobilizing efforts. You can access these resources at labornotes.org.