Labor Arts News & Updates

Editor’s Note...

Discounted tickets for Baristas vs Billionaires go on sale today—and with space limited, these screenings are likely to sell out quickly. Catch this powerful new documentary about Starbucks workers’ struggle to organize a union during its Washington DC International Film Festival run (April 18–19) and get a jump on the energy and issues that will be front and center when the 2026 DC Labor FilmFest officially launches on May Day at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center.

Filmmaker Mark Mori will be joined by Bob Judson and Dennis L.A. White for post-screening Q&As (which I’ll be moderating), making this a great opportunity to engage directly with the story behind this timely film.

- Chris

Note: These are Washington DC International Film Festival screenings; DCLFF AFI passes are not valid.

Buy tickets here; use code EARLYBIRD (April 3–5) for $11 tickets.

WEEKEND LABOR ARTS CALENDAR


Ongoing Events

JUST ADDED! Memorias de la Mujer Lotina: Arperillas, Women, and Coal in Chile (Champaign, IL)

Arperillas made by women in Chile create counter-narratives of urban history from women's perspectives and influence historical preservation planning and policy. On view through Sept. 5, 2026. Click here for more information.
Complete labor arts calendar listings here.

THIS WEEK'S LABOR HERITAGE POWER HOUR RADIO SHOW


Escape Room Workers Solve the Challenge

This week on the Labor Heritage Power Hour: Performers at a horror-themed escape room in Los Angeles organize the first union shop in the industry, a powerful labor landmark in Victor, Colorado reminds us of the violent roots of the labor movement, and the Coalition of Labor Union Women marks 50 years of labor, art, and organizing. Plus, Bette Midler takes on a Woody Guthrie classic, a new song from Mike Stout honors the Women of Steel, and the latest labor arts news from around the world.

LABOR ARTS NEWS BRIEFS


Musicians Union Leaders Defend Bruce Springsteen After Trump Attack: Leaders of the American Federation of Musicians are speaking out in defense of union member Bruce Springsteen following personal attacks by Donald Trump. Read more

UCLA Initiative Relaunches Website Documenting LA Labor History: The Memory Work Research Initiative at UCLA has relaunched its website documenting labor history in LA. Read more

UPDATE: New York Transit Museum Workers Vote Unanimously to Join AFSCME: The Transit Museum Collective voted unanimously to unionize with District Council 37 — New York city’s largest municipal employees union. Read more

SAG-AFTRA Communications Staff Union Voluntarily Recognized: Staffers joining the union after the vote include writers, magazine staffers, social media workers, audio and video producers, event planners and publicists. Read more

PICKET SIGN OF THE WEEK
University of Washington Library & Press Workers Walk Off The Job

Staff of the University of Washington Libraries and Press rallied across the university’s Seattle campus on Monday. Read more
Got picket sign? email us at info@laborheritage.org

LABOR VIDEO OF THE WEEK: “War” & “Born in the U.S.A.”

Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band perform the first two songs from their set for the opening night of their Land of Hope & Dreams American Tour live in Minneapolis on March 31.

LABOR QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Bette Midler

 ”You know, I've been around a long time, but I have never lived through what we are living through now. The great Woody Guthrie wrote this song many years ago. I changed some of the words to fit our times, and I hope you'll sing it when you're marching, because sometimes, people, sometimes you just gotta sing out.”

Introducing “All You Fascists Bound to Lose”
Got labor video? email us at info@laborheritage.org

LABOR SONG OF THE WEEK: “All You Fascists Bound to Lose” Bette Midler

LABOR LANDMARK OF THE WEEK: Spirit of Solidarity Monument

The monument commemorates the 1911 Grand Rapids furniture strike, a major labor action in which furniture workers in the nation’s leading furniture-manufacturing city launched a general strike.

Details on the LHF Labor Landmarks Map.

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On this week’s Labor History Today: We mark the founding of the Coalition of Labor Union Women in 1974, revisit the largest strike in Disneyland history, and explore Colorado’s labor wars through a bullet-scarred union hall. Plus, the legacy of the Triangle fire—and a new song honoring the Women of Steel.

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CLICK HERE for our complete labor arts calendar; look for our Labor Arts Calendar edition on Monday

TODAY'S LABOR HISTORY
1930: British Coal Miners win 7 1/2 hour day.

1954: UAW Local 833 strikes the Kohler bathroom fixtures company. The strike goes on for six years.

1968: Martin Luther King Jr. returns to Memphis to stand with striking AFSCME sanitation workers and delivers his "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech.

LAST WEEK’S QUIZ: The U.S. Supreme Court on March 20, 1991 ruled unanimously that employers could not exclude women from jobs where exposure to toxic chemicals could potentially damage a fetus.

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Women of Labor: Songs, Art & History (3/13)

Workers Celebrate Int’l Women’s Day (3/6)

Solidarity Rising: Strikes, Murals, and World Heritage (2/27)

Songs of Revolution and Protest (2/20)