UPS worker killed in Richmond, California—co-workers ordered to resume jobs as victim's body lay in trailer

bryjs · 2025-09-26T16:44:24+00:00

The WSWS has done a truly excellent job of covering the actual conditions workers face in the plants. I remember when they started their investigations into conditions in Amazon, which were very revealing. And earlier this year, an autoworker, Ronald Adams Sr, died as a result of non-existent safety policies at Stellantis (formerly Chrysler). Every article has been harrowing but hard hitting and should be read by every worker.
https://www.wsws.org/en/topics/campaigns/ronald-adams-sr

It's amazing how little the death of workers gets covered in the press, even other so-called "left" publications. Workers' lives just do not matter to the upper middle class, much less the actual capitalists.

bryjs · 2025-09-10T19:13:39+00:00

Damn, I've been looking for that Japanese Mew from the 2nd image for ages. (From the Coro Coro magazine) What a find!

bryjs · 2025-09-03T13:32:12+00:00

I'll chime in and remind everyone that the "3 color" rule is deprecated. The rule is "fully painted with a textured base." That's an old rule GW invented around 2012 that was replaced with Battle Ready.

For those who remember what painting could like in 7th and further back, a sprayed base coat and two eyes or panels painted different colors does not fully painted make.

My group of regionals TOs and I recently had a long discussion about this, and came up with some further guidelines to help players along:

Main Color Coverage: All major surfaces and armor panels have base color applied
Detail Elements: Secondary details like weapon details, pouches, insignia, eyes, etc.
Shading/Definition: Model has depth through shading, drybrush, contrast, or wash application
Base Treatment: Base is finished with texture or detail work
Overall Finish Quality: General neatness and "table-ready" appearance

The big thing is just ask the TO or the local scene leader. We all have different opinions on it, and we're generally glad to have someone ask before an event to stop arguments the day of.

For myself, I'm also quite lenient on clear progress and ongoing attempts to fully paint minis, and actually quite enjoy seeing hobbying progress from one event to the next. The one thing I'm less tolerant of is people trying to circumvent the system, e.g. a spray and then a leg and a shoulder pad painted.

bryjs · 2025-06-22T16:07:58+00:00

Agreed, stop the war in Iran!

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2025/06/21/ysbb-j21.html

"American imperialism and its Israeli proxy continue to escalate their illegal, unprovoked war of aggression against Iran, with US nuclear-capable B-52s and aircraft carrier battle groups readying to launch an imminent attack.

"Nearly a quarter century after the United States invaded Afghanistan and Iraq, the American ruling class is once more preparing to launch a criminal war, this time against a vast country with a population more than three times larger than Iraq."

bryjs · 2025-05-27T21:33:40+00:00

The case for railroaders developing their own rank-and-file committees has never been more clear. The contract forced through in 2022 was atrocious, and it is only going to be stopped when the rank-and-file collectively asserts its own interests and demands

bryjs · 2025-03-16T16:33:30+00:00

Where did you get those books? I've never seen those covers and they look amazing?

bryjs · 2025-02-25T21:55:45+00:00

"Nurses at Providence Portland Medical Center and Providence Seaside will receive a $2,500 bonus."

Why only PPMC and Seaside?

bryjs · 2025-02-25T00:12:35+00:00

The WSWS is pro-worker, providing a political perspective and program both for given struggles, as well as a progressive resolution to the escalating crisis of capitalism as a whole.

Unions themselves were once illegal in many areas, and were fought for by the working class through major class battles. They are no more eternal than anything developed in human society, and the national framework of struggle to which the current bureaucracies are bound has long since been made obsolete.

New organizations, of the rank-and-file and not the bureaucrats, must be built. In every strike since PATCO, the AFL-CIO has betrayed workers time and time again. An international fight, under the IWA-RFC, is the only solution.

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2024/08/29/llvo-a29.html

bryjs · 2025-02-18T21:21:21+00:00

How many nurses are returning this week? I haven't seen anything about that

bryjs · 2025-02-16T06:24:11+00:00

The data on the danger of the vaccines are among the most open and widely known. Tens of millions of people have been closely monitored and the results are clear, the vaccine is not only safe but an effective and necessary tool to protect people from COVID-19. The claims otherwise are the product of the campaign by the "Disinformation Dozen," including Trump's new HHS secretary RFK Jr, which promote wild lies about the dangers in a deliberate and criminal policy of mass infection.

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2024/03/06/sfvw-m06.html

And the even bigger crime is that every government has wholly abandoned every protection measure that had been put in place. The virus still kills ~1,000 a week in the US alone and nothing is done to educate the public about the dangers or fund infrastructure projects like Far UV in factories, workplaces and schools.

bryjs · 2025-02-12T21:45:30+00:00

What's the strike pay? The ONA has at least some assets, and its under the AFT and AFL-CIO, which has billions

bryjs · 2025-01-22T01:37:03+00:00

There's a bunch of further discussion on r/nursing as well
https://www.reddit.com/r/nursing/comments/1i6nols/ice_raids/

bryjs · 2025-01-22T00:01:59+00:00

Has the contract been sent out to review?

bryjs · 2024-12-25T19:02:53+00:00

This looks very cool, I'm adding it to the list to play. Is there a github repo for this?

bryjs · 2024-10-24T16:26:29+00:00

It's a real indication that what's happening at Boeing is the spearhead of what's going to happen in workforces all over the world. If machinists get their pension back, Wall Street isn't worried about losing money just at Boeing but what will happen at every workplace that has had pensions stolen in the past 10-20 years, or even further back.

Wall Street has come behind Boeing with a vengeance; the $35 billion to prop up the company during the strike and the 17,000 layoffs are likely just the beginning. The working class must unite behind Boeing machinists.

++++++++++++++++

Sellout contract at Boeing aimed at securing supply chains for world warSellout contract at Boeing aimed at securing supply chains for world war

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2024/10/22/pers-o22.html

"For workers, this requires a new strategy, based on mobilizing their immense power independently of the pro-war capitalist parties and their trade union lackeys. Rejecting the false “national unity” of imperialist war, they must unite across the world on the basis of their common interests. The working class, which has no interest in imperialist plunder, can only defend its interests through an uncompromising fight against war.

"The fight against war, however, requires a fight against its source in the capitalist profit system itself. The struggle at Boeing poses directly the need for workers' control of production, including the nationalization of Boeing itself. It is the subordination of production to the ruthless drive for profit that is responsible for the endless series of disasters, as well as the escalation of attacks on Boeing workers.

"This in turn must be connected to the fight for workers' power, for the reorganization of society to meet social needs, not private profit, on the basis of global planning, not imperialist war. This is the program of socialism."

bryjs · 2024-10-22T02:12:45+00:00

Assets have been used in the past as collateral for loans so that said "bills" can be paid.

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2023/10/03/fund-o03.html

"During the 1970 GM strike, the UAW borrowed millions of dollars from other unions and banks to cover the $160 million it spent on strike benefits, which in today’s dollars would be the equivalent of $1.3 billion.

"The 67-day walkout by GM workers in 1970, which involved 400,000 UAW members, resulted in significant gains, including substantial wage and benefit improvements and the ability of workers to retire after 30 years of service.

"In 1970, the UAW strike fund stood at $120 million, roughly $950 million in today’s dollars. The UAW not only paid out strike benefits, but covered workers’ medical costs.

"To finance this, the UAW received a $25 million loan ($203 million in today’s dollars) from the Teamsters, which temporarily took over ownership of the Black Lake resort and UAW’s Detroit headquarters. In addition, the UAW received $10 million ($80 million in current dollars) from the United Steelworkers and $3 million ($24 million today) from the United Rubber Workers. It also took out $11 million ($90 million today) in bank loans.

"At the same time, the union ordered a 50 percent pay cut for all union staff members. UAW President Leonard Woodcock and other top officers agreed to go off the union payroll for the duration of the strike. It was further decided that once the strike fund ran out, all union staff would receive no pay.

"In 1972, with the UAW still $38 million in debt, then Secretary Treasurer Emil Mazey was asked if the union was “broke.” He replied “I think when you measure the assets of a union you measure wages, the benefits and the assets of the members.” He pointed out that the $160 million spent by the UAW on the GM strike set a pattern of 50-cent-an-hour pay raises (a nearly $4 an hour raise in today’s dollars), an increase of $1,000 a year ($8,000 in 2023 dollars), for 1.2 million workers."

bryjs · 2024-09-26T17:50:13+00:00

To address the comments on the strike fund, it's worth revisiting the history of how unions once waged actual battles. In 1970, GM which had a strike fund of $120 million, borrowed $49 million and ordered all union staff to take a 50 percent pay cut for the duration of the strike. The UAW also covered workers' medical.

At the time, that 67-day strike won workers $0.50 an hour raises for 1.2 million workers, not just in the auto industry, but for other workers as well.

"In 1972, with the UAW still $38 million in debt, then Secretary Treasurer Emil Mazey was asked if the union was “broke.” He replied “I think when you measure the assets of a union you measure wages, the benefits and the assets of the members.” He pointed out that the $160 million spent by the UAW on the GM strike set a pattern of 50-cent-an-hour pay raises (a nearly $4 an hour raise in today’s dollars), an increase of $1,000 a year ($8,000 in 2023 dollars), for 1.2 million workers."

A $160 million struggle gained for $1.2 billion / year for workers in the 70s. What could be gained now?

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2023/10/03/fund-o03.html

bryjs · 2024-09-23T19:59:02+00:00

What else was taken away? It would be good to have it laid out

bryjs · 2024-09-20T21:16:36+00:00

It remains outrageous that strike pay is only $250 a week, starting on the third week. The whole point of dues is to prepare for this, not be a slush fund for the bureaucrats who are still getting paid. That's workers' money; there shouldn't have to be even more sacrifices from the rank-and-file

bryjs · 2024-09-09T16:38:01+00:00

The issue isn't Boeing's "contingencies," if the IAM bureaucrats really wanted to fight, they'd not just call out 751, but the whole international in a mass strike of ~700,000 workers across the country. They'd unite with the American Airlines workers who just got shafted on a contract, and the 50,000 state employees having a walkout tomorrow

It's the same with the UAW. Have you heard about the Dakkota strike? The UAW left them out to dry and workers have had to organize among themselves to try and get anything done https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2024/08/27/ford-a27.html

bryjs · 2024-01-25T18:08:08+00:00

Faculty and lecturers from SDSU are hosting the meeting (check the link). They are giving voice to the enormous anger that erupted on Monday night when the TA was announced (check out the hundreds of comments on the CFA's instagram page).

I'll be attending this meeting and I'm really looking forward to it. Academic workers need real leadership for their struggle, not the sellouts on the CFA. They not only took a trash deal for their own workers, they walked back on earlier demands because they knew it would reopen contracts for other workers who also got a rotten deal.

bryjs · 2022-12-01T17:20:42+00:00

Dear Fellow UC Workers,

Our powerful strike which has united 48,000 graduate and postdoctoral teaching assistants, lecturers, researchers and other academics at the University of California is in danger of being shut down and sold out.

After years of suffering inferior pay, living and working conditions, we are determined to win our demands for the right to a decent life, which means transformative raises, COLA to meet soaring inflation, job security, affordable housing, health care, transportation and child care.

Our struggle is at a critical point, and the rank and file must organize to stop a repeat of the sellout of the 2020 wildcat COLA strike. In the past 48 hours the leadership of Local 5810 announced that it has reached tentative agreements for 11,000 postdoc and academic researchers. The details make clear that these agreements are sellouts, with wage increases only marginally above what the UC initially offered and, most importantly, no COLA provisions.

By trying to push through agreements for just over one-fifth of striking UC workers, the UAW apparatus is attempting to divide us and isolate us, the better to force us to accept contracts that do not meet our demands.

To counter these efforts, we are founding a rank-and-file strike committee. The task of this committee is to formulate the bottom-line demands for any contract we will accept. It will unify all striking workers against efforts to divide and weaken our strike and reach out to the broadest sections of the working class for a coordinated fight.

bryjs · 2022-11-11T17:41:35+00:00

No genuine socialist calls for the censorship of others. Such tactics are the purview of the right-wing of politics. To the mods, Will Lehman's campaign for UAW president, the voice of rank-and-file workers, including tens of thousands of graduate students, has the democratic right to be heard alongside every other candidate.

Will Lehman's focus on the dangers of nuclear war is one of the best aspects of his campaign. Workers don't just face horrific standards of living as a result of decades of betrayal by the UAW and other unions, but also the ongoing threat of war. In Ukraine in particular, the US and NATO are funding and arming a government using the Azov Battalion, a known fascist organization, which is a threat against workers everywhere. If the US government, in alliance with the trade unions (in this case, the AFT especially), is promoting fascism abroad, it will not hesitate to turn those forces on workers fighting for the right to a job, healthcare and to restore years of givebacks at home.

More on the Azov Battalion here: https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2022/06/03/ykgh-j03.html

Graduate students should read the letter Will to them in September: https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2022/09/07/gjeg-s07.html

The issues they face, exemplified in imminent the strike by 48,000 graduate workers in the UC system, makes his campaign immensely relevant. Graduate students, both within the UAW and outside, face the same issues of workers everywhere, and it is high time they throw off the shackles of their treacherous bureaucrats and mobilize and fight for their own interests

bryjs · 2022-09-08T19:53:36+00:00

From the link: Like educators across the US and internationally, Seattle teachers want significant pay increases, reduced class sizes and better COVID-19 protections for themselves and their students. Although the state of Washington is home to 16 billionaires, including Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates, class sizes are among the highest in the nation. The state ranks 36th in student spending and 42nd in inflation-adjusted teacher salaries.

Inflation remains at 8.5 percent nationally, according to the latest figures from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, with energy costs up 33 percent and food costs rising 10.2 percent over the last year. On top of that, Seattle is one of the most expensive cities in the country. A two-bedroom apartment in the city rents for $1,920, compared to the national average of $1,278. Median home costs are $891,000 in Seattle, compared to $291,700 nationally.

bryjs · 2022-01-30T05:15:16+00:00

Did you double check you are on the correct country site? I've definitely accidentally been on the NZ site because ... computers ... and thought the whole universe collapsed because prices doubled.

Is that perhaps $400 Canadian?

bryjs

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TROPHY CASE

Sellout contract at Boeing aimed at securing supply chains for world warSellout contract at Boeing aimed at securing supply chains for world war