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Published Commentary from Local Labor Leaders

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  5. Published Commentary from Local Labor Leaders

Despite Being Largely Forgotten, Labor Day's Purpose Remains Ever Relevant in Our Society

Author: John Kretzschmar

Publication: The Gateway

Date: September 17, 2018

Labor Day stands alone among our national holidays in that it is the only one dedicated to people who just do their jobs. It was enacted to honor those organizations that introduce meaningful democracy into the nation’s workplaces. [read more...]


Midlands Voices: Unions are Economic Tool for Fighting Income Inequality

Author: John Kretzschmar

Publication: Omaha World Herald

Date: September 2, 2018

Happy Labor Day. The economy is doing great … or is it? Unemployment is down and the GDP and the stock market are up, so things are looking good, right? Those would have been the only metrics that mattered in the 25-year period following World War II. We all did better, because we all did better. The nation’s prosperity was broadly and fairly shared.


Local View: Labor Movement's Work Never Done

Author: John Kretzschmar

Publication: Lincoln Journal Star

Date: August 30, 2018

Every first Monday in September, the nation honors the work of everyday wage earners who built this nation. Labor Day is the only national holiday dedicated to people like you and your family. [read more...]


Local View: Labor Day Celebrates Everyday Workers

Author: John Kretzschmar

Publication: Lincoln Journal Star

Date: September 3, 2017

Labor Day is America’s only national holiday celebrating the never-ending contributions of everyday people who sell their intelligence, experience and strength to employers to earn a living. [read more...]


In 2016, Do Wage Earners Still Want Labor Unions?

Author: John Kretzschmar

Publication: Lincoln Journal Star

Date: September 5, 2016

Union density in the United States has shrunk from a peak of about 35 percent coming out of World War II to under 11 percent today. Those who oppose unions argue that density is down because wage earners trust employers to have their backs. [read more...]


Labor Unions Deserve Appreciation

Author: John Kretzschmar

Publication: Omaha World Herald

Date: June 27, 2019

The fate of the American labor movement, particularly in the public sector, will be continually in the news as we near the November election. [read more...]


Unions Level the Playing Field for Workers

Author: Ken E. Mass

Publication: Omaha World Herald

Date: January 17, 2012

There is too little in the news about the reasons why unions exist and what they do to increase levels of fairness and justice in the workplace. The stories that appear are generally about conflict, and they usually portray organized labor as the problem. [read more...]


Unions Play Critical Role as Champions of Workers

Author: Chris Callihan

Publication: Omaha World Herald

Date: December 30, 2011

David Chapin, in his Dec. 21 Midlands Voices essay, has a narrow understanding of the proper role of government and labor unions. He does not appear to understand the benefits that unionization has bestowed upon the nation by expanding democracy, humanizing the workplace and improving our national standard of living. [read more...]


Share Nation's Wealth Broadly

Author: John Kretzschmar

Publication: Omaha World Herald

Date: September 5, 2011

Traditionally, Labor Day is the long weekend that ends the summer. It is also a time when the nation increases its level of political rhetoric. Moreover, it is a time when thoughtful people assess the state of the American worker. [read more...]


In the U.S. Labor Day Wasn't Always Celebrated in September

Author: John Kretzschmar

Publication: Prairie Fire

Date: August 2011

The holiday we call Labor Day is a contradiction. It is a holiday to relax and enjoy family and friends, not a day to labor. Nevertheless, thoughtful people use it as a time to reflect on the current state of American labor. [read more...]


Why What Happens in Wisconsin Matters in Nebraska

Author: John Kretzschmar

Publication: Prairie Fire

Date: May 2011

Protests in Madison, Wisconsin, during February and March over removing many collective bargaining rights from public sector employees in Wisconsin has reacquainted many Americans to what unions are, why they are necessary to protect workplace rights and how they go about accomplishing that task. [read more...]


Collective Bargaining Is A Human Right

Author: Edgar Moore

Publication: Omaha World Herald

Date: May 6, 2011

It appears that a combination of forces in Nebraska, including the Platt Foundation, The Plains State Legal Foundation and other business interest has decided that public sector workers in Nebraska should be treated like second class people in that they have decided it is to their advantage to deprive the state's public workers of the basic human right to bargain collectively for wages, hours and conditions of employment. This essay will examine the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the manner in which the CIR reaches decision in collective bargaining dispute settlement. [read more...]


It's Wrong to Blame Unions for States' Budget Shortfalls

Author: John Kretzschmar

Publication: Omaha World Herald

Date: February 7, 2011

There has been a lot of discussion lately about the compensation of employees represented by public-sector unions. In Nebraska, these unions fall under the purview of our Commission of Industrial Relations (CIR), the agency responsible for settling public-sector contract disputes in a fair, equitable and reasonable manner. [read more...]


Commission Serves Public with Fair Labor Negotiations

Author: Edgar Moore

Publication: Omaha World Herald

Date: November 3, 2010

Nebraska's Commission of Industrial Relations (CIR) has recently come under criticism from both the Platte Foundation and the Plains States Legal Foundation. They object to the decisions it has rendered. [read more...]


Unions' History Dedicated to Freedoms of Workers

Author: John Kretzeschmar

Publication: Omaha World Herald

Date: September 6, 2010

Labor Day is the only U.S. holiday dedicated to average Americans who work for a living. They sell their intelligence, experience and strength to an employer to earn a living. Their wages are an important component essential to keeping our nation's economic engine alive. [read more...]


Important Lessons Taught in History of Labor Unions

Author: John Kretzschmar

Publication: Omaha World Herald

Date: July 14, 2010

Local labor unions and organized labor in general are in the news of late. Judging by letters to the Public Pulse and Midlands Voices commentaries, in the words of an old labor song, “there are no neutrals there.” People either favor or oppose the very idea of a labor union. [read more...]


Understanding Organized Labor - Part I

Author: John Kretzschmar

Publication: Prairie Fire

Date: January 2009

It’s rare to have a broad understanding of the American labor movement. That’s a shame because over 90 percent of us earn our living as the employee half of the employer/employee relationship. [read more...]


Understanding Organized Labor - Part II: Getting a Feel for the Employee Free Choice Act

Author: John Kretzschmar

Publication: Prairie Fire

Date: February 2009

Our economy is in the worst crisis since the Great Depression. But unlike the weather, economic vicissitudes are influenced by pubic policy. [read more...]


Understanding Organized Labor - Part III: The Employee Free Choice Act

Author: John Kretzschmar

Publication: Prairie Fire

Date: March 2009

Organized labor has long known about the weakness of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). For well over 30 years, unions understood it was no longer an effective tool for supporting organizing and bargaining. [read more...]


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William Brennan Institute for Labor Studies

Contact Us
  • William Brennan Institute for Labor Studies
  • College of Public Affairs and Community Service
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  • 6001 Dodge Street
  • Omaha NE 68182
  • 402.554.5902
  • unowbils@unomaha.edu
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