Will the Democrats cut ties with union busters?

Looking forward to next week

Happy Tuesday, everyone. There won’t be an episode of Krystal Kyle & Friends this week, sadly due to a death in Krystal’s family. But we hope you’ll join us next week for more news analysis and in-depth conversation with a featured guest. And in this newsletter, we’re happy to give you a little taste of the news at the front of our minds, in preparation for next week.

Labor organizer extraordinaire and alum of the show Christian Smalls is gearing up with his fellow Amazon workers for another Amazon union election. A sorting center, LDJ5, votes next week on whether or not it will unionize, and in a piece for Jacobin, Alex Press covers the nefarious tactics Amazon is using to step up its union-busting game. From racist, sexist, and homophobic attacks on pro-union workers to misleading non-union workers about the benefits of organizing, Amazon’s $4.3 million anti-union campaign is waging all-out warfare. But Press includes comments from Amazon workers that reveal the hope, security, and opportunity they see in the prospect of a union. That $4.3 million may very well have been spent for nothing.

Jacobin @jacobin

In a massive victory, Amazon workers recently won a union at a warehouse in New York. So now the company is trying every trick in the union-busting playbook to throttle worker organizing at a second facility. Amazon Is Playing Dirty to Stop a Second Warehouse From UnionizingIn a massive victory, Amazon workers recently won a union at a warehouse in New York. So now the company is trying every trick in the union-busting playbook to throttle worker organizing at a second facility.jacobinmag.com

April 19th 2022

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Meanwhile, the unholy — though in no way unexpected — alliance between the Democratic Party and anti-union companies may be facing an end (at least, in one way). Eleanor Mueller reports for Politico that after the ties between GSG, a pollster that supported Amazon’s anti-union campaign, and the Democratic Party were publicized widely, the party is considering a policy to prevent any contracted consultant from participating in union-busting activities. The policy is now in the hands of the DNC — not an organization famous for championing the rights of workers. But given unions’ advocacy in favor of this policy, as well as the massive outcry over the party’s recent collaboration with GSG, we may be looking at the Democrats taking a step in the right direction.

For more discussion of the latest news from the labor movement and more, join us next week for Episode 70 of Krystal Kyle & Friends. See you soon!