Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a fierce advocate for working people and America’s labor movement. For King, the struggle for racial justice went hand in hand with the struggle for economic justice, and was driven by his belief that all people had the right to earn a fair and dignified living — regardless of
Ben Gross was not only a leader in the labor movement, but also an icon in the civil rights movement and in the fight for racially integrated housing. His accomplishments eventually led him to elected office and then positions within UAW leadership. When Gross passed away in 2012, the city of Milpitas held a memorial
Today the United States remembers civil rights icon, Rosa Parks, on Rosa Parks Day. The civil rights leader was arrested on Dec. 1, 1955, for refusing to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Her brave action that day helped spark national attention for the Montgomery Bus Boycott and furthered momentum of
CARMAKER’S ANTI-UNION CAMPAIGN UNDERMINES FREE AND FAIR ELECTION IN MISSISSIPPI CANTON, Miss. — The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has issued a new complaint alleging unfair labor practices against Nissan in advance of this week’s representation election for blue-collar employees at the company’s Canton plant. The new NLRB complaint, issued late Friday, alleges that Nissan threatened
Employees Demand Carmaker Respect Workers’ Rights to Vote for a Union without Fear of Retaliation Canton, Miss. — Citing a pattern of labor abuses by Nissan against its predominantly African-American workforce in Mississippi, employees today announced plans to vote on a union at the company’s Canton assembly plant. Nissan employees, with legal and technical assistance
Today at 1:30PM ET is the March on Mississippi! See the live stream below and watch our twitter feed for more updates, and check out the media roundup at the bottom. NEW LIVE STREAM LINK: https://www.facebook.com/GoodJobsNation/videos/1476774102357189/ Tweets by @UAW March on Mississippi Photo Gallery Special thanks to Change to Win, John Davis (UAW LUCA – Region 8)
February is Black History Month, and we’re taking a look back on the contributions of African-American leaders within the UAW like Nelson “Jack” Edwards. Jack Edwards would eventually be called Walter Reuther’s “point man for civil rights.” The road to that designation was filled with dedication to civil rights and the UAW for many years.
The following article appeared in the Detroit Free Press and was written by UAW Vice President and Director of the National Ford Department, Jimmy Settles. As we celebrate Black History Month, it is important to remember the historical importance of organized labor to black workers and their families, and unionism’s continued relevance today. It was
Today is an important date in civil rights history. Eighty-nine African-Americans, including Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks, voluntarily turned themselves in to authorities in Montgomery, Alabama, on Feb. 22, 1956, after being indicted under a 1921 law “prohibiting conspiracies that interfered with lawful business.” The statute, designed to break trade union action, outlawed
