The use of scab workers is a sore on the labor movement. And, as I recently discovered, scabs can also pose a danger to labor reporters.
That doesn’t stop me or In These Times from getting the real story.
But in order to continue to reveal the misdeeds of those in power, we need your help today.
This past June, when I was reporting on the Honeywell plant lockout from Metropolis, Ill., an Iraq War veteran who had broken the picket line at the plant stood up ready to knock me out after I asked him a question. Luckily, I was quickly surrounded by union workers who helped prevent any violence. Once again, I found myself in trouble while reporting a story for In These Times that nobody else was covering.
For 13 months, I provided coverage that union leaders have said was vital to helping resolve a lockout with one of the nation’s most powerful defense contractors. Coverage made possible through support from readers like you. Steelworker spokesman John Paul Smith wrote to In These Times:
“Our local, USW 7-669, would like to thank In These Times for its coverage of our lockout. It helped keep our struggle in the forefront of the progressive movement and drew attention to our fight, which was essential to our victories.”
While publications like the New York Times and Business Week merely mentioned the news of the lockout, I dug into the story, unveiling reports on how Honeywell cheated on training qualifications tests for scab replacement workers leading to a series of accidents at the uranium facility.“Daily Show” co-creator Lizz Winstead called my series on the Honeywell lockout, “Some of the most incredible reporting I have ever seen.” That reporting was made possible by In These Times—an independent media organization that provides a unique platform for hard-hitting coverage of workers’ issues. This is coverage you won’t find anywhere else.It is only through the support of readers like you that In These Times is able to publish stories like these. That is why I am asking you to make a donation to In These Times today. Your gift, no matter the amount, will help journalists like me stay on top of stories that matter.In the wake of Wisconsin, labor coverage is needed today more than ever. Yet few resources exist for labor reporters like myself. As we attempt to rebuild the labor movement in this country, These Times plays an essential role funding and publishing labor stories. Please click here to make a tax-deductible donation to In These Times today and help the movement grow.
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Mike Elk wrote for In These Times and its labor blog, Working In These Times, from 2010 to 2014. He is currently a labor reporter at Politico.
