Organized Labor

Hotel Workers Announce Organizing Drive At Masonic Temple

This is big news, and the culmination of literally years of organizing:  Workers at the Marriott Renaissance Hotel — the old Masonic Temple, between the State House and Providence Place Mall — are demanding recognition of their union.  Nearly 80% of workers have signed cards announcing their intent to organize.  The hotel, recipient of millions …

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Big win for North Smithfield bus drivers and SEIU

From Matt: Coming on the heels of 200 Providence Headstart workers voting to join SEIU and 600 nurses at Kent Hospital voting to join UNAP, North Smithfield school bus drivers voted “Union Yes!” today by voting to join SEIU. The 34 school bus drivers and aides work for First Student, Inc. and serve the town …

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Bad News for Working Families

Providence Business News reports big cuts to wages and health care in the Laborers’ International Union of North American Local 1033’s–the biggest union in town–new contract with the city.  Remember, lower wages and inaccessible health care for union workers means lower wages and inaccessible health care for everyone who works for a living:  The City of Providence …

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Press Conference in response to last night’s raids

An update for Dave’s coverage of last night’s immigration raids that took janitors across the state–RI Jobs with Justice and others are holding a press conference in about half an hour to respond to last night’s events: Last night ICE detained 31 people as they got to work. Stand together today to say we won’t …

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‘The hippies never had the work ethic’

In a series of articles that started running this weekend, Steve Peoples points out that, in fact, Big Labor bosses don’t actually run Rhode Island; as is the case throughout the country, union density is dropping, shedding 1,000 or more members each year. (There are many reasons for this, and labor’s situation would certainly improve …

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Women in the Labor Movement

Something cool at Brown this Wednesday for Women’s History Month: “Women in the Labor Movement” 4:30pm on Wednesday, March 5 Petteruti Lounge in Faunce House 75 Waterman St. Providence, RI Featuring Roxana Rivera RI Director of SEIU Local 615 and workers from Brown Learn about the role of women in leading and joining the labor …

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Newspaper Guild gets it on this weekend

The Providence Newspaper Guild Follies are this Friday — and with Rhode Island politically relevant at the national level, there’s hardcore speculation about who the surprise special guest might be. Making things even more intense — and making it even more likely that the presidential campaigns will be paying attention: The annual conference of the …

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‘Energy projects could jolt R.I. back to life’

Another bit of momentum in the push for a green economy in Rhode Island. This op-ed by George Nee and Chris Wilhite comes out of a working group of enviro advocates and trades unionists that Sens Miller and Moura, RI Jobs With Justice, and I have been convening: At the same time, Rhode Island’s excessive …

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Providence Daily Dose