War Stories By Phil Cohen

During the spring of 2008, 49-year-old Steve Garrett worked a second shift in the ICQA (Incoming Quality Control Assurance) Department at the Kmart Distribution Center in Greensboro, North Carolina. This small department was responsible for inventory control, product inspection, and organizing storage space in the huge warehouse. Forklifts were used to transport pallets of merchandise for these purposes.

By Steve Wishnia

“We are putting out a distress signal to the American people,” says Chris Dols of the Federal Unionists Network.

The group, founded two years ago by leaders of locals in various federal employees’ unions, is organizing protests February 19 against the Trump-Musk administration’s assault on federal workers. It’s using the slogan “save our services.”

By Steve Wishnia

A federal judge in Boston on February 10 continued his halt on the Trump administration’s scheme to slash the federal workforce by offering to pay workers through September if they quit by Feb. 6.

By Steve Wishnia

In his first two weeks as President, Donald Trump launched a frontal assault on American workers, axing thousands of federal employees, illegally firing members of the National Labor Relations Board to deny it a functioning quorum, and staging immigration raids that snagged Puerto Ricans and military veterans.

By Joe Maniscalco

Things are bad for U.S. workers and they only appear to be getting worse. But how much do any of us who have never had to do it, know about what it’s really like being a migrant worker forced to leave behind everything and everyone that matters to us just to survive?

War Stories By Phil Cohen

In 1943, Frank Rizzo joined the Philadelphia Police Department, worked his way up through the ranks to captain, and was eventually appointed police commissioner in 1967. He not only supported, but encouraged police brutality, racism, and corruption throughout the department. Four years later, he was elected mayor.

By Ryn Gargulinski

The hangers on the floor were the last straw. The hangers had been accompanied by tissue paper squares and plastic bags on the floor, with more papers, bags, hangers and random shirts strewn across the front counter next to the register.

That’s what I walked into one morning at the shirt shop at my part-time gig – a colossal mess. My mind went into tantrum overdrive.

WAR STORIES By Phil Cohen

Editor’s Note: This is the final installment of Phil’s three-part saga chronicling his harrowing days trying to survive on the streets of Tehran and Kabul just prior to the Iranian Revolution and Russia's invasion of Afghanistan. 

We finally arrived at Kabul’s bus station at 10 p.m., where several taxis waited outside.  I glanced at my notes for the recommended hotel and appropriate cab fare, entered the rear door of the first car in line, stated my destination, requested the price upfront, and was told an amount consistent with my information.

WAR STORIES By Phil Cohen

Editor’s Note: This is Part II of Phil’s three-part saga chronicling his harrowing days trying to eke out a living on the streets of Tehran and Kabul just prior to the Iranian Revolution and Russia's invasion of Afghanistan. 

The guards aroused travelers at dawn and pointed us toward several white vans lined up near the crossing. I was instructed to board one of them, surrendered my bedroll to be tied on the roof but forcibly knocked the driver’s hand away as he reached for the guitar. When the rear door finally closed, I found myself in the most crowded environment I’d ever experienced. It made the New York subway during rush hour seem spacious by comparison.

WAR STORIES By Phil Cohen

Editor’s Note: This is Part I of Phil’s three-part saga chronicling his harrowing days trying to eke out a living on the streets of Tehran and Kabul just prior to the Iranian Revolution and Russia's invasion of Afghanistan. 

The road goes on forever and the party never ends – Robert Earl Keen

In 1976, I’d been driving medallion taxis in New York City for two years, working several long night shifts per week, sufficient to pay the rent on my small apartment. I found myself living a lifestyle similar to the Robert De Niro character in Taxi Driver, the ultimate cinematic portrayal of a lonely job in the heart of urban ugliness, violence and alienation.

By Ryn Gargulinski

You can find bad bosses as easily as you can find mushy cucumbers in Florida or rats in New York City. But let’s not forget there are a ton of good bosses out there as well. OK, maybe not a ton. But enough to bring joy to our hearts, meaning to our work and a smile to our face every time we set out to work on a project for them.

By Joe Maniscalco

You know the old saying, “Good guys finish last.” Even at Christmas.

But whoever said that didn’t have a fighting labor union behind them well prepared to work a little holiday magic on behalf of the rank & file.

WAR STORIES By Phil Cohen

Editor’s Note: This is Part II of “The Conveyor Belt Incident.” Check out Part I here.

Fighting for Cicero

At noon on June 1, I sat at the long table in the plant conference room with Cicero and the executive board to prep for the president’s grievance hearing. An hour later, management took their places across from us.

By Joe Maniscalco

Right now, Donald Trump is prepping to make good on a campaign pledge to begin deporting millions of hard-working  immigrants on Day One of his new administration.

WAR STORIES By Phil Cohen

Prologue

The most important part of a collective bargaining agreement lies in two simple words:  Just Cause.  Sometimes buried within the most unlikely contract article, you’ll find, “The company can discipline or fire employees for just cause.”

By Bob Hennelly

In the immediate aftermath of Vice President Kamala Harris’ defeat, the Washington Post op-ed page blamed the Democratic Party for its embrace of progressivism. This ignores entirely the decision to move the party to the center to accommodate  Rep. Lynn Cheney and her small army of disaffected Republicans who had been exiled out of their own party.

By Steve Wishnia

In a disastrous election that saw the most anti-labor President in recent history returned to the White House and labor champion Sherrod Brown of Ohio unseated from the Senate, several states voted to raise the minimum wage, enable workers to earn paid sick time off, and increase union rights for app-taxi drivers and cannabis workers.

By Joe Maniscalco

Having spent the last three years following New York City retirees and their counterparts in other states beat back repeated attempts to force them into profit-driven Medicare Advantage health insurance, we at Work-Bites are probably feeling less anxious about what comes next in this frightening country than some others might be today.

By Bob Hennelly

The other morning the quick drop in air temperature thanks to a near frost caused the loss of air in my tires requiring a stop by my local independently family owned gas station in Neptune, NJ.

By Bob Hennelly

At this week’s regular press conference Mayor Adams refused to answer WABC-TV’s N.J. Burkett’s question  about when was the last time that he had spoken to former President Trump or his team.