year of the worker: how labor struggles punctuated 2012

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http://www.nationofchange.org/year-worker-how-labor-struggles-punctuated-2012-1358433459



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Chicago teachers' monumental strike:

The Chicago Teachers Union garnered the support of parents, students and education advocates nationwide when the CTU went on strike on Sept. 10. The union marched throughout the streets of Chicago denouncing Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s privatization efforts -- both slashing the number of teachers in schools and increasing the sizes of classrooms. The strike pinpointed the source of the city’s deep-rooted problems of poverty and violence: a poor education system, or as CTU president Karen Lewis put it, an “educational apartheid.” The strike ended with a diminished focus on standardized testing, more funding for public schools and an average raise of 17.6 percent over the next four years for educators.

Walmart workers' fight against the corporate giant:

The struggle that captivated America’s labor movement this year was the long-awaited uprising of workers at Walmart, most notably during Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year. Citing chronically dangerous working conditions, Walmart warehouse workers in California and Illinois went on strike in September, which lent a wave of momentum to company employees across the country who expanded rallies and actions through the fall. Strikes and walkouts spread to more than 100 cities and eventually grew into a worldwide movement after a fire at a Walmart factory in Bangladesh killed 112 workers.

Right-to-work legislation pierces labor movement:

Despite daily rallies at the Indiana statehouse, anti-union “right-to-work” legislation was passed there in February, and passed in Michigan in December. Riot police warded off angry protesters as Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder signed the measure without any public discussion or committee hearings. The misnomer bill limits bargaining rights, and other proposed legislation dealt a blow to fair contract and fair wage laws. Although the bill passed, workers mobilized national support and framed economic inequality discussion around labor rights.

Workers take a stand for fair pay:

More than 1,300 American Crystal Sugar factory employees stood up to millionaire founder and CEO David Berg when they rejected the new contract proposal and were locked out of the job in August. Since Dec. 1, workers have rejected unfair contract negotiations four times.