The longshoremen of Local 1588 in Bayonne, NJ knew their place—they worked and kept their mouths shut. When your past union president, an exboxer named John DiGilio, is found floating in the Hackensack River with two bullet holes in his head, you don’t ask too many questions. When the man who usurped the local from him threatens to settle disputes with a blowtorch to the crotch, you don’t go to the union office to voice concerns about benefits or safety issues.
UPS CEO Carole Tomé’s Better, Not Bigger strategy is about cutting volume and Teamster jobs. South Carolina Local 509 has fought back and won new driver positions. Shop Stewards John Gacsey and Russell Sires share how the fight played out in their building in Palmetto.
President Shawn Fain led members of the United Autoworkers (UAW) to victory in the Stand Up strike against the Big Three automakers. Now, he’s facing trumped up allegations from a federal monitor who’s trying to tip the balance in the upcoming UAW election for International Union officers. Here’s what you need to know.
