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{{Short description|American non-profit organization}}
{{About|labor non-profit organization and network|alternative currency|Labour voucher}}

{{Multiple issues|{{more citations needed|date=April 2025}}
{{peacock|date=April 2025}}}}

{{Use American English|date=July 2022}}{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2022}}{{Infobox magazine
| title = Labor Notes
| image_file =
| image_size =
| image_alt =
| image_caption =
| editor = Mischa Gaus
| editor_title = Editor
| previous_editor = {{hlist|[[Jane Slaughter (journalist)|Jane Slaughter]]|[[Chris Kutalik]]}}
| staff_writer =
| frequency =
| circulation =
| category =
| company = Labor Education and Research Project
| publisher =
| firstdate = March 1979
| country = United States
| based = Detroit, Michigan<ref>{{cite book|author1=Bill Bigelow|author2=Bob Peterson|title=Rethinking Globalization: Teaching for Justice in an Unjust World|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gfv2NePkYngC&pg=PA380|accessdate=December 5, 2015|date=January 1, 2002|publisher=Rethinking Schools|isbn=978-0-942961-28-7|page=380}}</ref>
| language = English
| website =
| issn = 0275-4452
}}'''''Labor Notes''''' is a trade magazine supporting collective bargaining in the United States.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dawson |first=Chester |date=November 2023 |title=Toyota to Hike Pay for US Hourly Workers After UAW-Detroit Deals |url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=173413240&lang=en-gb&site=eds-live&scope=site |access-date=2025-04-08 |work=Bloomberg.com |via=[[EBSCOhost]]}}</ref> It is part of the [[Labor Education and Research Project]], an American non-profit organization and network for [[wikt:rank and file|rank-and-file]] [[trade union|union]] members and grassroots labor activists.

The magazine reports news and analysis about labor activity and problems facing the [[labor movement]]. In its pages it advocates for a revitalization of the labor movement through [[Social Movement Unionism]] and [[union democracy]]. ''Labor Notes'' is based out of [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]], with an East Coast office located in [[Brooklyn, New York]].

''Labor Notes'' is the product of a strategy by labor activists seeking to make grassroots connections across unions and industries. ''Labor Notes'' works to bridge the gap between isolated rank-and-file caucuses and reform groups (the most notable being [[Teamsters for a Democratic Union]]) in major unions such as the [[Teamsters]], the [[Steelworkers and Shipyard Workers for Equality|Steelworkers]], the [[United Auto Workers]], the [[Communications Workers of America]], the [[American Federation of Teachers]], and others.

==History==
Labor Notes was launched as an attempt to help further those linkages, following the [[Bituminous Coal Strike of 1977–1978]] and the wide-scale cross-union solidarity and energy it produced.

The hope was that these reform efforts would strengthen and consolidate the more widespread waves of union militancy found earlier in the decade. Headlines in the first year of Labor Notes had themes like, "Teamster Steelhaulers Show Muscle in Three Week Wildcat Strike".

The Reagan-era rollbacks on labor law protections put the labor movement on the defensive. Fledgling rank-and-file groups and Labor Notes began to refocus on how labor leaders seemed incapable of addressing the free fall for unions and working people in this decade.

As the fight against the employers’ offensive gathered force, Labor Notes provided information and arguments over concessions. In 1982, the first Labor Notes conference—''Organizing Against Concessions''—attracted hundreds of activists. Shortly after, in 1983, Labor Notes published one of its first books, ''Concessions and How to Beat Them'' by [[Jane Slaughter (journalist)|Jane Slaughter]].

Though anti-labor trends continued in the 1990s, labor also encountered signs of hope. The [[AFL-CIO]]’s leadership changed hands and the federation began devoting more resources to organizing new members, including Latino and other immigrant workers that the labor movement had traditionally ignored. Reformers briefly took control of the Teamsters union and led the 1997 strike at [[United Parcel Service|UPS]], one of the largest and most successful strikes in recent memory.

Throughout the 1990s, Labor Notes focused on issues like cross-border organizing and [[free trade]]. Labor Notes came out strongly against the [[North American Free Trade Agreement]] (NAFTA), publishing ''Unions and Free Trade'' by [[Kim Moody]] and Mary McGinn in 1992.

The year 2000 saw the flowering of the [[Global Justice Movement]] at massive protests against corporate globalization in [[Seattle]], [[Quebec]], and around the world. Labor Notes participated in many of these events and supported the union members and global justice activists who formed alliances with these movements. At the same time, Labor Notes was supporting the union victories of the Charleston Five longshore workers and telecommunications workers at Verizon.

In the immediate aftermath of the [[September 11, 2001 attacks]], Labor Notes reported on the massive public employee strike in Minnesota, where workers defied those who called them unpatriotic for striking, demanded a fair contract, and won. As immigrant workers centers grew as new forms of worker self-organization, Labor Notes reported on them and brought together the leaders of those centers to share views at its bi-annual conference.

More recently, Labor Notes reported on the massive immigrant demonstrations for immigrant rights and covered the development of U.S. Labor Against the War.

== Books ==
Labor Notes has published a number of books on labor-related themes. Its most well-known book is ''A Troublemaker’s Handbook: How to Fight Back Where You Work and Win'' by [[Dan La Botz]],<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0Q8uNAAACAAJ |title=A Troublemakers' Handbook: How to Fight Back Where You Work and Win! |publisher=Labor Notes |year=1991 |isbn=0-914093-04-5 |page=262}}</ref> in 1991 and its sequel in 2005, ''A Troublemaker’s Handbook 2'' by [[Jane Slaughter (journalist)|Jane Slaughter]]. Another popular book is ''Democracy is Power'', by Mike Parker and Martha Gruelle, printed 1999 and re-released in 2005.

==Conferences==
Every two years, Labor Notes holds a national conference that attracts over a thousand union members and leaders from across the United States, Canada, Mexico, and abroad. The purpose of these conferences is to help activists build networks based on common issues.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Organized labour}}
* [https://labornotes.org/ Official website]
* [https://archive.today/20050626075347/http://www.troublemakershandbook.org/Text/Reviews/CWA%20review.htm CWA News review of A Troublemakers' Handbook]

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Labor movement in the United States]]
[[Category:Political magazines published in the United States]]
[[Category:Magazines established in 1979]]
[[Category:Workers' rights organizations based in the United States]]
[[Category:Magazines published in Detroit]]
[[Category:1979 establishments in Michigan]]
[[Category:Organizations based in Detroit]]
[[Category:Union democracy]]

Labor Notes - Revision history

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