Natascha Elena Uhlmann

One Battle After Another: The Big Contract Fights Coming in 2026

The coming year could keep the strikes rolling through steel mills, state offices, telephone lines, axle plants, baseball diamonds, and hospitals from coast to coast. Union contracts expiring in 2026 could open up major fights by manufacturing, education, entertainment, and government workers.

We Can’t Bridge the U.S.-Mexico Wage Gap Without Supporting Organizing in Mexico

The Mexican government is failing to prosecute violent retaliation and threats against workers who organize, says a new report, putting Mexico out of compliance with its trade agreement with the U.S. and Canada.

The report lists nine separate organizing campaigns in which threats were made against workers: in each instance, the authors found “little evidence of investigation or prosecution by the authorities.”

How Spray Tan Technicians and Sugaring Aestheticians Built their Groundbreaking Salon Chain Union

Most of us have had a manager we see too much of. For workers in the salon industry, that can take on a whole new meaning.

“My first day, I saw my manager naked because I spray tanned her,” said Tia-Marie Campbell, a spray tan technician who has worked at Sugared + Bronzed, a salon chain offering spray tanning and sugaring hair removal services, for three years.

Lavandería “tóxica” y delantales derretidos: la huelga de Mauser cumple dos meses

Muchos empleados de Mauser Packaging Solutions, en Chicago, temen el día de lavandería, y no por las razones habituales. Los trabajadores, que reacondicionan bidones de acero utilizados en el transporte de materiales como acetona, amoníaco y pintura, afirman tener acceso irregular a uniformes y equipo de protección.

Toxic Laundry, Melting Aprons: Mauser Strike Hits Two Months

Many employees at Chicago’s Mauser Packaging Solutions dread laundry day, and not for the usual reasons. The workers, who recondition steel drums used in the transport of materials like acetone, ammonia, and paint, say they have inconsistent access to uniforms and protective equipment.

SINTTIA pierde elección sindical en planta GM de San Luis Potosí

El Sindicato Independiente Nacional de Trabajadores y Trabajadoras de la Industria Automotriz (SINTTIA) perdió su intento de representar a los trabajadores de General Motors en la planta de SUV de la compañía en San Luis Potosí. Los trabajadores votaron a favor de unirse a otro sindicato, Carlos Leone, vinculado a la Confederación de Trabajadores de México (CTM), conocida por sus contratos favorables a los empleadores.

Independent Union Loses Bid to Represent Second Mexico GM Plant

The independent National Auto Workers Union (SINTTIA) lost its bid to represent General Motors workers at the company’s San Luis Potosí SUV plant. Workers there voted to join another union, Carlos Leone, with ties to the Confederation of Mexican Workers (CTM), which is notorious for its employer-friendly contracts.

Confront or Cave? Federal Pressure Splits the Building Trades

One of the last nationwide bastions of union jobs is getting jackhammered by the Trump administration. Members are languishing in ICE prisons without trial. Programs that protect members from racism and sexism are getting the axe.

In response, building trades officers are split: some are pleading, some are protesting, and others are surrendering without a fight.

Social Justice Artists: Apply for an Anne Feeney Hellraiser Grant

Blog: 
Blog
Author(s): 
Natascha Elena Uhlmann

UPDATE: We received 70 applications for the Anne Feeney Hellraiser Scholarship and were blown away by the creativity and talent. Narrowing it down to three winners was nearly impossible. The 2025 recipients are Crys Matthews, Taina Asili’s Fever Pitch Pilgrimage, and Creekbed Carter Hogan—artists continuing Anne Feeney’s legacy of promoting social justice and “raising hell” through their work.

Trabajadores de GM votarán la próxima semana sobre su representación sindical

Los trabajadores de una segunda planta de ensamblaje de General Motors en México votarán del 25 al 27 de junio sobre si unirse a SINTTIA (Sindicato Independiente Nacional de Trabajadoras y Trabajadores de la Industria Automotriz), el sindicato independiente que ganó una elección histórica para representar a los trabajadores de la planta de Silao de la compañía en 2022.

Pages