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UE News Updates

The Forgotten Role of Medicare in Desegregating US Healthcare

The passage of Medicare in 1965 was a great victory for the US working class. Prior to Medicare, less than half of the elderly had any kind of medical insurance, and most working people struggled to pay for hospitalization and other major medical costs after they retired. Less well-known is the fact that Medicare also dealt a serious blow to racial segregation.

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UE Political Action Updates

Call to action: 10 days of action for climate, jobs and justice

We understand that the time to fight for immediate and bold climate action is now, but that the needed economic transition will not take place without strong guarantees for worker rights and good jobs for all. We call on all those across North America with similar concerns to engage in a series of actions from Earth Day to May Day that demonstrate the interconnection of climate justice and worker justice and the power that we have when we bring these movements together.

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UE News Features

The Distinct Perspective of a “Little Leftist Union”

In a new book, The Long Deep Grudge, historian Toni Gilpin recounts the history of the Farm Equipment Workers union (FE). Like UE and the ILWU, the FE practiced a militant and democratic form of unionism that contested the boss’s power on the shop floor as much as in contract negotiations. Throughout the book, Gilpin makes a compelling case that the aggressive shop-floor struggle conducted by rank-and-file FE members, and the majority-white FE’s deep commitment to racial equality, was inextricably connected to the left-wing views of the union's leadership.

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Information for Workers

More than 80 years of experience. Information for stewards, officers, and workers who want to know more about their rights, workplace issues and our union. Click here to subscribe to the UE Steward, our monthly publication for stewards. Click here to view more resources.

2019 in Review: The Strike Is Back!

After decades of retreat, workers are fighting back now using the most powerful weapon in our arsenal: the strike. The strike wave that began in 2018 when nearly 500,000 workers went on strike in 20 major work stoppages continued in 2019.

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Fighting "Right to Work"

UE has put together this collection of resources for doing political education about "right-to-work" and building effective unions in "right-to-work" conditions.

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Preparing for and Conducting a Strike: A UE Guide

A strike is always our last resort. As UE members we know that there are hundreds of ways to put pressure on an employer to settle a good contract. But the strike — or the threat of one — remains the single most powerful inducement to force employers to deal with the demands of workers. Remember - only your local membership can decide to strike - not UE Officers, staff or workers from other locals or shops.

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