Antiwork

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/17755582

Sean O’Brien, general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, called out Republicans who oppose unions and big corporations in his remarks at the Republican National Convention, drawing mixed reactions at times from the crowd.

#Teamsters #Republicans #RNC

Summary

1. Sean O'Brien, the General President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, expressed gratitude towards the hardworking teamsters and union members in Milwaukee.
2. He thanked President Donald Trump for inviting him to speak at the Republican National Convention.
3. O'Brien highlighted the challenges faced by American workers and emphasized the importance of creating a bipartisan coalition to address these issues.
4. He praised President Trump for being open to hearing critical voices and discussed the Teamsters' history of working across the aisle with Republican lawmakers who support labor rights.
5. O'Brien also emphasized the importance of unions in advocating for fair wages, benefits, and working conditions, and called out corporate unions formed by major employers as detrimental to workers' rights.
6. The speaker discussed how companies like Amazon prioritize profits over the well-being of American workers, highlighting the disconnect between corporate elites and the working class.
7. They emphasized the importance of putting American workers first, advocating for trade policies that prioritize workers, legal protections for workers, and reforming labor laws to support unionization.
8. The speaker criticized massive corporations for exploiting workers and relying on public assistance instead of providing adequate benefits.
9. They called for meaningful change to ensure the security and prosperity of American workers, expressing a commitment to fighting for their rights.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/18349787

Years of brutal neoliberal capitalism combined with the left’s betrayal have led to widespread political demoralization.

Archived version: https://archive.ph/G9HS9

A Wenatchee fruit grower is facing $353,000 in fines for safety violations that led to a worker being buried alive in a trench collapse last fall in Othello.

Photographs obtained by the Washington Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) show multiple workers of Stemilt Ag Services LLC digging in a trench more than five feet deep and about 25-30 feet long without any type of cave-in protection such as sloping, shielding or shoring.

A crew of 10 workers was repairing an irrigation pipe when a portion of the trench caved in on one of the workers, knocking him down and burying him. His co-workers were able to uncover his face after a couple of minutes to allow him to breathe while they dug for another 10 minutes to get him out of the trench. He was taken to the hospital with multiple crush injuries to his head, face, and body.

“This could have easily ended in death, all because the employer chose to ignore rules to protect workers,” said Craig Blackwood, assistant director for L&I’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health.

L&I cited Stemilt in March with five willful serious violations in connection with the cave-in. There was no protective system inside the trench to prevent a collapse, and no ladder or way for the workers to get out of the trench within 25 feet of where they were working. The piles of dirt dug from the trench were not set back at least two feet away from the edge. Dirt piles too close to the trench can cause the walls to collapse.

Also, there was no one onsite with the knowledge needed to inspect the trench before workers went into it, and no training program for trenching and excavation work. The company was also cited for changing the scene by filling in the trench after the cave-in before L&I inspectors arrived.

Willful violations are among the most serious and mean the employer knew or should have known the safety requirements, but chose to ignore them. The company is appealing the new citation.

It’s not the first time Stemilt has been cited for trenching issues. The company was cited and fined nearly $17,000 in Quincy in 2021 for violating the same trenching safety rules.

“We hope the latest fines will be the wake-up call that motivates Stemilt to keep their workers safe, before someone is killed,” said Blackwood.

The company is now is now considered a severe violator and is subject to follow-up inspections to determine if the conditions still exist.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/16730069

Democracy at Work is a non-profit 501(c)3 that produces media and live events. Our work analyzes capitalism critically as a systemic problem and advocates for democratizing workplaces as part of a systemic solution. We seek a stronger, fuller democracy – in our politics and culture as well as in our economy - based on workers’ equal collaboration and shared leadership inside enterprises and throughout society.

[EU S14 E21] New Energies Organizing Unions

Not sure if this is the right place to ask. But I was interested in learning about how co-ops would function, so I was looking for some reading recommendations for the same. Would also be helpfulitf it included some comparisons of real life co-ops with more hierarchical organizations in the same sector

Non paywall https://archive.is/DCIVo