Author Archive
David Bacon
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Don’t Punish the Dreamers—Punish the Corporations Driving Forced Migration
The "dreamers," young recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program—are the true children of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). More than anyone, they have paid the... MORE
Working · September 11, 2017
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40,000 AT&T Workers Begin 3-Day Strike
This story has been updated with the start of the strike. Around 40,000 members of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) at AT&T walked off their jobs Friday, for a three-day... MORE
Working · May 19, 2017
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Punishing Employers Who Hire Undocumented Immigrants Isn’t the Answer—Solidarity Is
The following was written in response to a previous post. It is clear in the article that its author, Buzz Malone, feels he is defending the interests of workers against employers. The... MORE
Working · November 30, 2016
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Revolt of the ‘Chapulines’: After Strike, Indigenous Mexican Farmworkers Vote To Unionize
Sometimes they call themselves chapulines. It's a Oaxacan inside joke. Chapulines are small insects, like grasshoppers. When they're toasted with lime and garlic, they're a delicacy that's as much... MORE
Working · May 25, 2016
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Undocumented Youth Are Here Through No Fault of Their Own. But It’s Not Their Parents’ Fault, Either
Using the phrase "no fault of their own" in discussing undocumented young people does not encourage us to look at the roots of the poverty and violence their families experience. MORE
Features · November 5, 2015
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The Long, Strange Tale of a California Farm’s Attempts To Break Its Workers’ Union
The strategy by one of the nation's largest growers to shed its obligation to sign a contract with the United Farm Workers was dealt a key setback last week. An administrative law... MORE
Working · September 24, 2015
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California Court Ruling Could Make It Nearly Impossible for Farmworkers To Win Union Contracts
On May 18 in Fresno, California, the state's Court of Appeals for the 5th District ruled that a key provision of the state's unique labor law for field workers is unconstitutional. Should... MORE
Working · June 17, 2015
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Panama’s Dockworkers Fight Poverty Wages—With Support From American Unionists
PANAMA CITY, PANAMA—You see a lot of parked taxis in the parking lot at the Panama Ports terminal here. But they're not waiting to give rides to longshore workers&mdash... MORE
Working · April 2, 2015
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An Oil Worker & a Union Staffer Explain Why 1,000s of Oil Workers Across the Country Are On Strike
Oil workers in multiple states around the country, as In These Times has reported over the last two weeks, are on strike for the first time in a... MORE
Working · February 12, 2015
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Immigrant Recycling Workers Win Strike, Union Drive in East Bay
SAN LEANDRO, CA—Within days of each other last week, two groups of Northern California recycling workers declared they'd had enough of what they see as regimes of indignity and discrimination.... MORE
Working · October 31, 2014
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Debunking 8 Myths About Why Central American Children Are Migrating
'Lax enforcement' is not the culprit—U.S. trade and immigration policies are. MORE
Features · July 8, 2014
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What Cesar Chavez Missed
The new film doesn't capture the diversity of the farmworkers' movement. MORE
Act Locally · May 15, 2014
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Giving Up on Congress, Immigrant Workers Stage Wave of Protests
For the last five months, community and labor activists, most of them young, have sat down in front of buses carrying people to detention centers for deportation. In Tucson, they obstructed and chained... MORE
Working · March 6, 2014
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All Over the World, Migrants Demand the Right to Stay at Home
A global consensus is emerging on immigration policy--and the U.S. isn't heeding it. MORE
Features · October 30, 2013
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Fighting To Stay Home
Violently evicted by their government and unwelcome in the U.S., Mexican mining unionists have nowhere to go. MORE
Features · September 9, 2013
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The Fast Against the Firings
OAKLAND, CALIF.--Even though the full Senate is debating the immigration reform bill S. 744, labor and community activists in northern California charge that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency of the federal... MORE
Uprising · June 19, 2013
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For Unionists, Iraq’s Oil War Rages On
The leader of Iraq’s oil union is being threatened with prison--again. MORE
Features · April 2, 2013
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RIP Leo Robinson, Soul of the Longshore
Leo Robinson was a leader of the longshore union in San Francisco. He died this week. For many of us, he was an example of what being an internationalist and a working-class activist... MORE
Working · January 19, 2013
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The Walmart Black Friday Protests
A photo essay on the ground outside the mega-retailer's store in Richmond, California. MORE
Features · November 26, 2012
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Mexico’s Labor Law Reform Sparks Massive Protests
A plan to gut labor protections has spurred unrest in Mexico’s streets. MORE
Features · October 16, 2012
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Workers Try to Organize Airport Subway, Get Fired
OAKLAND, CA—This city is supposed to be a union town, but out at the airport, workers say they're getting fired for trying to join one. The airport is administered by... MORE
Working · August 10, 2012
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Mexico’s Cananea Strikers: Fighting for the Right to a Union
Jacinto Martinez is the labor secretary of Section 65 of the Mineros, Mexico's union for miners and one of the oldest unions in the country. His union has been on strike for five... MORE
Working · May 16, 2012
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Seattle Port Strike Challenges ‘Independent Contractor’ Lie
Truck drivers in the Puget Sound shut down ports for two weeks—and begin to shift the balance of power. MORE
Features · February 21, 2012
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Domestic Workers and Their Children March for Rights in Calif.
SACRAMENTO, CALIF.—Early Tuesday morning, buses of domestic workers and their children began arriving at the huge grassy mall in front of California's state capitol building. Dozens of Mexican, Filipina and... MORE
Working · January 27, 2012
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Fighting the Firings
After years of 'silent raids' and federal workplace audits, unions and community allies are going on the offensive. MORE
Features · August 23, 2011
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Will Public Workers and Immigrants March Together on May Day?
One sign carried in almost every May Day march of the last few years says it all: "We are Workers, not Criminals!" Often it was held in the calloused hands of men and... MORE
Working · April 28, 2011
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A Labor Law Bosses Would Love
Backed by industrialists, Mexican politicians are on the verge of erasing most workers' rights. MORE
Features · April 19, 2011
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Protesters in San Francisco and Beyond Declare: ‘We Are One’ (SLIDESHOW)
On Monday, April 4—the 43rd anniversary of the death of Martin Luther King Jr., who was assassinated in Memphis while helping public-sector workers to organize—unionists and their allies marched in... MORE
Working · April 7, 2011
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Cesar Chavez, and the State of the Farm Workers Movement
The famous union activist would have turned 84 yesterday The U.S. media tends to view social movements as the creation of strong leaders, especially on those rare occasions when it looks at unions.... MORE
Working · April 1, 2011
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Foundry Workers Strike to Save Their Healthcare
Berkeley, Calif.—A strike of more than 450 workers in one of the largest foundries on the west coast brought production to a halt Sunday night, at Pacific Steel Castings. The work... MORE
Working · March 23, 2011
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Fired for the Crime of Working
Not much has changed for undocumented workers since Obama took office. MORE
Features · March 23, 2011
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Utah’s New Immigration Bills: A Blast From the Past
The state laws have been called "the nation's most liberal," but they're not much different from Cold War-era deportation policies. MORE
Act Locally · March 18, 2011
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Divide and Deport: On Immigration, Thom Hartmann and Lou Dobbs Have Much in Common
Hartmann says he wants to "put Lou Dobbs out to pasture." But a close look at his new book belies his progressive call to armsRadio host and author Thom Hartmann has a new... MORE
Working · February 28, 2011
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SLIDESHOW: In Oakland, Hunger Comprises All Races
All photos taken by David Bacon in Oakland, Calif., between August 21 and 28, 2009. Everyone knows Oakland, Calif., is a diverse community. Probably more people from more races and nationalities live in the city than... MORE
Working · December 10, 2009
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An American Garment Worker Asks, ‘Where’s the Freedom?’
Lisa Liu is a garment worker in Oakland, Calif. She recently told her story to Working In These Times contributor David Bacon... * * * * * I’m a seamstress in a factory with twelve... MORE
Working · September 1, 2009
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El Valiente Chicano
Bert Corona was a child of the line in the sand between the U.S. and Mexico – the problems of the millions of people crossing the border dominated his life. He was... MORE
Working · August 12, 2009
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Can Labor Get Out of This Mess? (Part Two)
[Editor’s note: The first part of this article can be read here.] One of the most important reasons why change is so hard for U.S. unions is the continuing legacy... MORE
Working · August 5, 2009
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Can Labor Get Out of This Mess? (Part One)
For anyone who loves the labor movement, it’s not unreasonable today to ask whether we’ve lost our way. California’s huge healthcare local is in trusteeship, its leading... MORE
Working · July 29, 2009
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The Story of an Eviction
OAKLAND, CA—At eight in the morning on Monday, ten Alameda County Sheriffs arrived in their patrol cars in front of the tan house on the corner of Tenth and Willow in... MORE
Working · July 22, 2009
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Will Unions Defend Undocumented Members?
On May 31, 254 people were fired in the southeast Los Angeles industrial enclave of Vernon. Their crime? According to Overhill Farms, their employer, they had bad Social Security numbers. Behind this accusation is the... MORE
Working · July 14, 2009
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The Midwest Union Rollback
Newly elected Republican governors nix public workers' collective bargaining rights MORE
Act Locally · February 24, 2005
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Lockout KO’d
San Francisco hotel workers triumph with help from city-by-city support MORE
Act Locally · December 22, 2004
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Grocery Workers Go to War Over Healthcare
Los Angeles—Mark Norton is one of 70,000 workers locked out or forced on strike in Southern California. Hundreds MORE
Features · January 27, 2004
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Workers Unite
Unions around the world oppose the drive for war MORE
Act Locally · February 28, 2003
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No Quiero Taco Bell!
David Bacon interviews Lucas Benitez of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. MORE
Features · April 12, 2002
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Test Unrest
California teachers are leading a backlash against high-stakes exams. MORE
Features · February 1, 2002
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The Charleston Five
South Carolina declares war on unions MORE
Features · October 1, 2001
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No Secret
NAFTA's side agreement fails to protect workers MORE
Act Locally · April 16, 2001