Instead of protecting the rights of workers to join unions and bargain for a better life, a Republican-dominated National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in recent years took away the rights of millions of workers to be represented by unions, made it harder to form unions through majority sign-up, limited the ability of illegally fired workers to recover back pay and allowed employers to discriminate against union supporters in the hiring process.

In recent months, our allies on Capitol Hill joined our campaign for a fair NLRB that does its job to protect workers’ freedom to join a union. Last November, workers across the country protested the ongoing assault on worker rights by the Bush-appointed NLRB, saying until a pro-worker labor board is appointed, the agency should be "closed for renovations."

Now, it seems, workers have successfully stalled, if not derailed, the NLRB’s assault on workers’ rights until a new president can appoint new board members.

Two proposed Nevada ballot measures—thinly veiled attacks on workers and unions backed by secret out-of-state donors—bit the dust this week when the front group for the initiatives announced the measures would be withdrawn.

Nevadans for Nevada, a coalition of unions and community, civil rights and other groups filed suit challenging the two measures last week.

No city loves its cars like Los Angeles, and keeping those cars looking good is big business. The city of Los Angeles has more car washes—430—than any other metropolitan area in the country.

According to the Western Carwash Association, an industry trade group, car washes in Southern California average about $1 million gross annual income and can have a profit margin of up to a whopping 29 percent. But if you are one of the thousands of workers who shampoo, wax, dry and detail cars, you don’t see any of that profit—in fact, you may not get paid at all. You also may have to work long hours in 100-degree heat, with no lunch break, no fresh water to drink and risk getting sick by being exposed constantly to harsh and dangerous chemicals.

There was a time in the not too distant past when the nation's health care system seemed to work pretty well for a lot of people. That was before, says Caroline, a 61-year-old from California, the private insurance companies became the heart—though certainly not the soul—of health care in America.

Every time I see an insurance high rise building, I become a little livid knowing that they own those buildings with the blood and deaths of the rest of us. There was a time when hospitals were nonprofit…when doctors made a good living without gouging, when doctors had time for their patients instead of filling out insurance forms and waiting for the company to okay the procedure…with denials and delays, the patient now is either broke, sicker or dead.

Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) kicked off his campaign for re-election yesterday—and he was met by union members who are trying to tell the truth about Coleman’s poor record when it comes to issues that matter to working families.

Coleman flew to three events around the state and at each one, union members were out in force to confront Coleman about his anti-worker record. In St. Paul, Rochester and Duluth, labor leaders and activists talked about Coleman’s tight ties with big-money special interests and his deeply flawed votes.

Laura Askelin, president of the Southeast Minnesota Area Labor Council, points to Coleman’s voting record and his allegiance to the Bush agenda and says that Coleman won’t make the changes needed (see video above).

Economic Report:

On the heels of positive news for existing homes sales Tuesday, a new report says sales of new homes continued to decline in February. The Commerce Department said the median new home price dropped to $244,100 in February, down 8.2 percent, and the sales of new single family homes fell by 1.8 percent. The inventory of unsold new homes now stands at 471,000.

By Doug Cunningham

Thirteeen thousand Delta Airlines flight attendants will start voting April 23rd on whether or not to be represented by the Association of Flight Attendants- CWA. Voting will be open through June 3rd. AFA-CWA President Patricia Friend says it’s an exciting and historic time for Delta flight attendants who have engaged in one of the largest grassroots union organizing efforts in the union’s history.

A new report from Policy Matters Ohio alleges that workers in a Chinese factory that makes lightbulbs for General Electric have been exposed to mercury. The report by the nonprofit policy research organization also says that some workers had been forced to work 64-hour work weeks. GE says it is reviewing the report.

The shoe is on the other foot in China where workers are upset that they weren’t consulted when Kraft decided to relocate jobs. Jesse Russell reports:

U.S. workers are used to having no say when their jobs are moved to different states or out of the country to places like China and Mexico, but now, some Chinese workers are crying foul over Kraft’s plan to move operations from Beijing to Shanghai. According to Chinese labor law companies are required to consult with employees before making major changes that may impact the best interest of workers - such as moving jobs. On Tuesday the Chinese labor union representing the Chinese Kraft workers demanded that the company not only apologize to the 340 workers who could be out of work, but also give the workers a say in the relocation process. In a statement from Kraft Foods China, the company said it “offered higher compensation than the law requires, but employees have their own thoughts.”