Last week I wrote about a 2-day strike by nurses working for Duke LifePoint’s UP Health System hospital in Marquette, Michigan, a protest against profound under-staffing that is leading to dangerous conditions for patients and the nursing staff who care for them. They’ve also been working without a contract with their new for-profit employer since July. Yesterday, nurses ended their […]

Nurses at UP Health System in Marquette, Michigan – run by Duke LifePoint – went on strike today to protest understaffing that has led to unsafe conditions for patients at the facility as well as the nurses who work there. In addition, they are demanding that the administrators of the facility begin bargaining with them in good faith on a […]

James O’Keefe, the “film” producer who spends his life trying to take down any organization valued by progressives with heavily-edited videos of “stings” he orchestrates has been spending time in Michigan this year trying to bring down the American Federation of Teachers. Fortunately, a combination of an O’Keefe operative’s stupidity and the intelligence of the AFT’s staff resulted O’Keefe’s crew […]

The show notes for Episode 48 are at http://www.eclectablog.com/2017/09/episode-48-this-movement-is-about-the-soul-of-our-country-wsg-seiu-pres-mary-kay-henry-mi-11-candidate-haley-stevens.html Last week we let you know that Friends of the Pod Dawn and Mike Wagner were worried they would lose their home to flooding from Hurricane Harvey. Mike is the composer of “Unclaimed”, our intro music into the Flint Water Crisis update each week. We are happy to report that they […]

In one of the major labor victories since Republicans made the birthplace of organized labor in America a so-called “right to work” state, 1000+ nurses at Traverse City’s Munson Medical Center will now be represented by a union for the first time: A vote to unionize registered nurses at Munson Medical Center will soon be certified. The two-day election took […]

In a recent op-ed in Composites World, a trade magazine for the advanced composites industry, North Thin Ply Technology (NTPT) CEO James Austin presents his view on what the protectionist approach to trade led by Donald Trump will likely lead to. His piece is titled “Process automation: A model response to Trumponomics and Brexit” and, in it, he contends that […]

The show notes for Episode 30 are at http://www.eclectablog.com/2017/05/episode-30-maybe-what-this-country-needs-is-one-big-enough-is-enough-march-wsg-cindy-estrada.html ASSKICKERS ALERT! Folks don't realize how close the GOP is to repealing the affordable care act right now. 1/ — Ben Wikler (@benwikler) April 29, 2017 TRUMPCARE UPDATE: Rules meeting Mon. to decide on a vote next week. Whipping moderates this weekend. Calls today, Mon. are vital. (pls RT) pic.twitter.com/Qs0FCtG8X2 — […]

Last week, the Koch brothers-funded group American for Prosperity held a “Day at the Capitol” event in Lansing, Michigan where they spelled out their corporatist agenda for Michigan (you can see the agenda HERE.) Numerous Republican legislators were on the agenda: House Speaker Tom Leonard Speaker Pro Tempore Lee Chatfield House Majority Floor Leader Dan Lauwers State Representative Lana Theis […]

The Ford Motor Co. announced today that it is expanding operations in three Michigan plants and will spend over a billion dollars in the process: Ford Motor Co. will invest $1.2 billion in three Michigan facilities to prepare for production of the all-new Ford Ranger and Bronco, and to support the company’s expansion into mobility. The company said Tuesday it […]

The following guest post was written by Jenny Doezema, a Kalamazoo resident who sends her children to Kalamazoo Public Schools. Enjoy. Earlier this month, Kalamazoo schools were closed when more than 1,900 students fell ill on the same day. The district closed all schools on a Friday to allow them to disinfect the school buildings over a long weekend. Other […]

The Monday after he was sworn in as Pr*sident, Donald Trump met first with CEOs of large corporations. Then, later in the day, he met with union leaders. The “Daily Guidance” issued by the White House the night before described the meeting as a “listening session with Union Leaders and American Workers.” A revised schedule sent around 10 a.m. on […]