organized labor

Marquette University is holding a Politics and Film screening of Bread and Roses (2000) on October 14. The 2000 film, directed by Ken Loach, dramatizes the real-life Justice for Janitors campaign in Los Angeles, following cleaners fighting for union recognition and better wages. The event pairs the movie with a discussion of its political and labor themes as part of the university's film series.

Nurses at CommonSpirit Memorial Hospital have filed a formal petition for a union election, taking a concrete step toward collective representation. The filing sets the stage for an official vote on whether nurses will unionize at the hospital. The move reflects ongoing efforts by healthcare workers nationwide to organize over staffing, pay, and working conditions.

The American Federation of Government Employees, the largest union representing federal workers, has endorsed four candidates running for Congress in Colorado. The announcement signals the union's effort to shape Colorado's congressional races, backing contenders it views as supportive of federal employees and public service. The move adds organized labor's weight to the state's election contests.

Congressional candidate and union leader Forstag visited the Gallatin Labor Temple in Montana, sitting down with the Bozeman Daily Chronicle for a question-and-answer session during the stop. The visit underscores the candidate's ties to organized labor as the congressional race draws attention across the region, with the discussion covering campaign priorities and worker issues.

Union employees at Lutheran Hospital in Cleveland have reached a new contract agreement with the Cleveland Clinic. The deal ends negotiations over the workers' labor agreement, though details such as wage increases and staffing provisions have not yet been made public. The agreement covers unionized staff at the hospital, which operates within the Cleveland Clinic health system.

Members of the Human Rights Department within the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees have reformed their Meet and Confer Committee, a body where unionized staff and management discuss workplace conditions. The move signals renewed organization among department employees on labor matters, though details of the committee's agenda or leadership have not been made public.

Anniversary accounts mark the October 7, 1879 birth of Joe Hill in Gavle, Sweden. Hill became a radical labor organizer and songwriter for the Industrial Workers of the World, known as the Wobblies. He was later arrested and convicted on murder charges in Utah that he said were trumped up, making him one of the labor movement's most famous martyrs.

Mitchell Berman's gubernatorial campaign announced that WEAC and the NEA, Wisconsin's major teachers' unions, have endorsed his bid for governor. The backing from the state's largest education union and its national parent organization gives Berman organized labor support and grassroots reach in a race where education funding is expected to be a central issue. The endorsement was reported by WisPolitics.

Labor activists and union supporters are sharing the famous slogan 'Don't mourn. Organize.', associated with executed union organizer Joe Hill and long used by the Industrial Workers of the World. The phrase is being posted in discussions of working-class organizing and US politics, as a call to channel anger into union and workplace action rather than despair.

Gendebien met with union workers in Plattsburgh, New York, according to local news coverage from WPTZ. The details of the meeting, including what was discussed and which unions were represented, have not been made public. The meeting is drawing attention locally as organized labor remains a prominent issue in the region.

Creative teams working on Dungeons & Dragons have voted to join a union, citing pay discrepancies across the tabletop gaming company and concerns over forced use of artificial intelligence in their work. The move reflects wider tensions in the gaming industry, where workers are organizing over wages, job security, and the growing role of AI tools in creative production.

Workers at the Obama Foundation and the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago are organizing to form a union, saying they lack a real voice in workplace decisions. One employee summed up the frustration with the phrase 'We don't even have a seat at the table.' The push for collective bargaining at an institution bearing the former president's name is drawing attention given his ties to organized labor.

The American Federation of Government Employees, the largest union representing US federal workers, has endorsed Ray Pooley and Donavan McKinney in their campaigns for the US House of Representatives in Michigan. The endorsement signals organized labor's effort to influence congressional races, with the union backing candidates it sees as supportive of federal employees' interests.

Union workers at Walt Disney World are going door to door in Orange County, Florida, to campaign for Democratic candidates. The effort, reported by Florida Politics, reflects organized labor's push to mobilize voters in a politically contested state, with Disney employees leveraging their local presence to support Democrats in the Orlando-area county.

The Seafarers International Union announced that the labor movement is surging its grassroots outreach in the final four weeks before Election Day. The effort focuses on mobilizing members through door-knocking, phone banking and workplace conversations to boost turnout. With elections approaching, unions are intensifying voter contact efforts, underscoring organized labor's role in shaping the outcome.

Workers on the Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering teams at Wizards of the Coast have announced they are unionizing, joining the UWOTC-CWA union previously formed by the Arena team. The new union is demanding the company stop pushing generative AI, framing the technology as a threat to creative jobs at the tabletop gaming giant.

Workers on the Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering, and Duel Masters teams at Hasbro have unionized, joining the Communications Workers of America, according to gaming outlet Aftermath. The move covers staff behind Hasbro's biggest tabletop brands and adds to a wave of organizing across the games industry. Readers are sharing the news widely, with many voicing support for the workers.

Jimmy Williams, president of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, joined the Dropkick Murphys on stage to speak about union solidarity. He told the crowd that 'America's unions are in this fight,' pledging that organized labor will work to elect Democrats in the 2026 midterm elections. The moment highlights unions' early mobilization and their alignment with Democratic campaigns heading into the midterms.

An activist identified as Zack is calling for a general strike and revolutionary struggle, saying organizers are in contact with committees forming in working-class neighborhoods. He argues a growing radicalization is developing among young people disillusioned with the established bureaucracies and organizations. The remarks come amid broader labor organizing discussions, but details about the location, the groups involved, and the strike's scale remain unclear.

Labor Notes has published a review of a documentary depicting how workers organize and build a strike from the ground up. The piece frames the film as a portrait of collective action, examining how employees move from grievances to a coordinated work stoppage. It is being shared among labor organizers and readers interested in union strategy and workplace activism.

Staff on the Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering teams at Wizards of the Coast have announced they are unionizing, joining the UWOTC-CWA union previously formed by the Arena team. Alongside the unionization push, workers are demanding the company stop promoting the use of generative AI in its games and creative work. The move adds Wizards of the Coast to the growing list of gaming industry workplaces organizing around AI and labor concerns.