Labor Notes

 

IN THIS ISSUE: Philadelphia Municipal Workers Strike Before July 4 Celebrations LISTEN: Labor Notes Podcast—How to Win a Strong Contract Social Justice Artists: Apply for an Anne Feeney Hellraiser Grant Reactions to the GOP Budget Legislation UPCOMING EVENTS Workshop: Winning a Strong Contract Parts I & II: July 7 & 14 Who Has the Power? A Mapping Tool to Build our Movement: July 16 Webinar: Building Power Through Coordinated Bargaining and Contract Alignment: July 21 Stewards’ Workshop: Build a Steward Network: July 23 Secrets of a Successful Organizer: Sept. 8, 15, 22 North Carolina Troublemakers School: Sept. 20 Milwaukee Troublemakers School: Oct. 4 Philadelphia Municipal Workers Strike Before July 4 Celebrations by Paul Prescod Nine thousand blue-collar workers who make Philadelphia run went on strike July 1. After sacrificing through the pandemic and years of bruising inflation, they say they’re on strike so they can afford to live in the city they serve. Already, uncollected garbage is piling up as the workers, members of AFSCME District Council 33, defend their strike lines. SHOW FULL ARTICLE LISTEN: Labor Notes Podcast—"How to Win a Strong Contract" by Labor Notes Staff What's the secret of winning a strong contract? Hint: You won't find it at the negotiations table! In our "Winning a Strong Contract" workshop series, we talk about how we can build power away from the table to win our demands in bargaining.   Labor Notes Organizer Lisa Xu joins pod co-hosts Danielle Smith and Natascha Elena Ulhmann for an overview of the workshop, including concepts like the campaign mountain and campaign power spiral. SHOW EPISODE You can also listen to The Labor Notes Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and on our YouTube channel. Please rate and review our podcast wherever you listen! "Winning a Strong Contract Parts I & II" will be running the next two Mondays (July 7 and July 14th), and you can sign up at labornotes.org/events. Social Justice Artists: Apply for an Anne Feeney Hellraiser Grant by Natascha Elena Uhlmann Friends and family of legendary folk musician and “hellraiser” Anne Feeney have come together to announce a new round of grants for artists “on the frontlines of the fight against fascism.” The Anne Feeney Hellraiser Memorial Fund will provide three grants of up to $1,000 for emerging artists of any discipline who create art in support of social movements for justice. LEARN MORE AND APPLY Reactions to the GOP Budget Legislation  Economic Policy Institute president Heidi Shierholz denounces passage of GOP budget bill:  The Republican budget will gut Medicaid, slash food aid for families, and shutter rural hospitals—just to give tax breaks that will go overwhelmingly to the wealthy. It is a staggering upward redistribution of income. The bill also turbocharges an authoritarian-style immigration regime—funding internment camps, mass surveillance, and waves of deportations that will kill millions of jobs. SHOW FULL EPI STATEMENT North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) President Sean McGarvey issued the following statement on the Senate Republican Proposed Budget Bill:  If enacted, this stands to be the biggest job-killing bill in the history of this country. Simply put, it is the equivalent of terminating more than 1,000 Keystone XL pipeline projects. In some cases, it worsens the already harmful trajectory of the House-passed language, threatening an estimated 1.75 million construction jobs and over 3 billion work hours, which translates to $148 billion in lost annual wages and benefits. SHOW FULL NABTU STATEMENT Upcoming Events Visit labornotes.org/events for updates. Nobody will be turned away from a Labor Notes event, virtual or in-person, for lack of funds—if the registration fee is a barrier, email us. Workshop: Winning a Strong Contract Parts I & II We will cover the basics of building a Contract Action Team (CAT), putting together an escalating campaign (potentially culminating in a strike), and dynamics between the bargaining committee, CAT, and the membership. When: Mondays, July 7 & 14 Time: 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. PT Where: This is an online workshop and will be held via Zoom. Registration fee $15 - Regular Registration REGISTER HERE Prerequisites for this workshop: We strongly encourage workshop participants to also first attend our upcoming "Secrets of a Successful Organizer" workshop series in June.  Who Has the Power? A Mapping Tool to Build our Movement This workshop will teach skills to analyze power in the present moment to strategically build the workers movement we need. We’ll be joined by labor educator Stephanie Luce. This is an advanced workshop for those organizers who are already part of a union or other worker organizations. When: Wednesday, July 16 Time: 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern (4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Pacific) Where: This is an online workshop and will be held via Zoom. Registration fee $10 - Regular Registration REGISTER HERE Webinar: Building Power Through Coordinated Bargaining and Contract Alignment Join us for a discussion about how unions are coordinating bargaining and even aligning their contracts to maximize leverage in negotiations. We'll also discuss takeaways for workers seeking to align contracts leading up to the UAW's call for unified action on May Day 2028. When: Monday July 21 Time: 7 p.m. to 8:30 pm ET Registration: $10 This panel will feature: - Francisco Ortiz, the president of United Teachers Richmond in California - Jane Fox, a unit chair in UAW Local 2325, the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys - Chris Spurlock, a steward in Teamsters Local 135 at Zenith Logistics, a third-party operator for Kroger REGISTER HERE Stewards’ Workshop: Build a Steward Network Stewards are the backbone of the union! Learn how to build a strong stewards structure that helps workers use their power in the workplace to effectively fight the boss. When: Wednesday, July 23 Time: 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern (4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Pacific) Where: This is an online workshop and will be held via Zoom. Registration fee $10 - Regular registration REGISTER HERE Secrets of a Successful Organizer  Secrets of a Successful Organizer is Labor Notes' core organizing training, in three sessions full of lively participatory exercises. We welcome first-timers and repeat attendees looking to sharpen their skills. These workshops are based on our widely acclaimed book Secrets of a Successful Organizer. These trainings will be held via Zoom. When: Mondays, September 8, 15 and 22 Time: 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Eastern / 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Pacific Cost: $15 for the whole series. Includes access to all three sessions. REGISTER HERE North Carolina Troublemakers School Join labor activists from around North Carolina—and the whole region—to strategize, share skills, and learn how to organize to win. Whether you're new to unions or are an experienced union activist, there's something there for you. We encourage local unions to send a group of members. Date: September 20 Time: 10 am - 5 pm Location: Jordan High School, 6806 Garrett Rd., Durham, NC Registration fee $35 - Regular registration $15 - Low-income registration  REGISTER HERE   Milwaukee Troublemakers School Bringing together union members, labor activists, and local officers, a Labor Notes Troublemakers School is a space for building solidarity, and sharing successes, strategy, and inspiration. It’s a real shot in the arm for newbies and seasoned activists alike. When: 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 4, 2025 Where: Steamfitters Local 601 3300 S 103rd Street Milwaukee, WI 53227 Registration fee $30 - Regular registration $15 - Low-income registration  REGISTER HERE Event We Recommend: UALE 2025 Women's Southern Summer School At the Southern Summer School, women workers come together to learn about labor and leadership development, experience labor history and culture, and share stories. Contact Amanda Pacheco with questions at amanda_pacheco@ibew.org. When: Thursday, July 31 to Sunday, Aug. 3 Where: Port Authority 200 Port Authority Way, Charleston, SC Registration Price: $230 REGISTER HERE KEEP IN TOUCH! Subscribe to receive our monthly magazine ($30 a year).  Order a bundle subscription of five copies a month ($50 a year) or more to give out to your stewards and co-workers. Keep the organizing going. Donate to Labor Notes. Help us keep on reporting and organizing. Make a one-time donation or become a monthly donor at labornotes.org/donate. Write for Labor Notes. When you discover a good tactic, share the news! Thousands of readers in other workplaces can put the information to use. Email editors@labornotes.org. Visit the Labor Notes Store for books, knit caps, hoodies, T-shirts and more! Check it out at labornotes.org/store.