Top News from This Week:

Here are the top stories on our list this week: The last time New York City School Bus Drivers were on strike was 1979.  On Wednesday, New York City Bus Drivers went on strike for one simple reason, job protection.  The growing trend in our country to  find a "better deal" and save money by tossing workers' rights and lives aside, is outright inexcusable.  President Both let NYC Mayor Bloomberg know, "There's more to life than the bottom line." Read more.

America's Productivity Climbs while Wages stay Stagnant  For millions of workers, wages have flat-lined. Even while working for companies making record profits.  Take Caterpillar, who reported record profits last year, and shoved a six-year wage freeze for a majority of its blue-collar workers.  This trend continues to grow in our country as Steven Greenhouse of the NYTimes explains here. Target Janitors Locked in Overnight, Untrained, File OSHA Complaint 25 cleaners working at Target filed complaints with the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration alleging they have not received training in handling cleaning chemicals & are locked inside the building when performing their overnight duties.  Read more. Join Target Change. Whole Foods CEO Calls Obamacare Fascism , Regrets it In an interview with NPR, Whole Foods CEO, John Mackey referred to President Barack Obama's Health care plan as fascism.  He later publicly refined his statement, regretting the use of the word, sorta.  Read or listen to the entire interview here. Walmart to be Included in yet another Class-Action Lawsuit  Walmart has a sneaky strategy of domestically outsourcing to avoid labor violations.  Meaning, they've contracted parts of its U.S. supply chain to other companies so those companies end up taking blame for poor labor practices while Walmart walks away squeaky clean...grimy, huh?  Well the U.S. courts have caught on and included them in the warehouse workers' class-action suit!  Read more at AlterNet. Chicago Puts More Muscle into Wage Theft Laws A new ordinance in Chicago will empower the city to strip companies of their business licenses if they commit wage theft and cut corrners on paying employees proper wages. According to a 2008 study, 68% of low-wage workers were victims of wage theft.  Read more. Martin Luther King Jr. Day will be celebrated across our nation this weekend, we eternally honor Dr. King every day, for his courage and passion for fighting for equality in our country.  In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Saturday is the National Day of Service.  Millions of Americans will be volunteering in their community to make a difference.  Find one near you, here.

Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Today & Always

Cover of Martin Luther King, Jr.

On April 4, 1968, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., 39, was shot to death in Memphis, Tenn. after speaking to a group of striking AFCSME sanitation workers.  We remember him today and always as a man who tirelessly fought for the working class, social justice, and economic justice.

He fought to educate the American public on illnesses facing our country and culture, some of which are still plaguing our country today.  Dr. King was a leading voice against ‘Right-to-work’ legislation, legislation that was recently passed in Indiana, which weakens labor unions and rights of workers banding together to fight for a better quality of life.  In 1961 Dr. King gave his opinion on “Right-to-Work”:

“In our glorious fight for civil rights, we must guard against being fooled by false slogans, as 'right-to-work.' It provides no 'rights' and no 'works.' Its purpose is to destroy labor unions and the freedom of collective bargaining... We demand this fraud be stopped.”

In his last speech before Dr. King was assassinated 44 years ago today, he addressed a group of AFCSME striking Sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee. The beautiful words he spoke in 1968 still resonate today.

“You are demanding that this city will respect the dignity of labor. So often we overlook the work and the significance of those who are not in professional jobs, of those who are not in the so-called big jobs. But let me say to you tonight that whenever you are engaged in work that serves humanity and is for the building of humanity, it has dignity and it has worth.”

The words resonate with us as retail workers.  So often retail work throughout grocery stores is overlooked.  We thank you all, for serving our communities with professionalism, and making shopping a pleasant experience for New Yorkers.

The labor movement, fighting to better the lives of the working class, eternally honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and activists alike who fought and fight every day for social and economic justice.