Sydney school students condemn disciplining of Palestinian pupil for wearing keffiyeh
The disciplining of the youth, for wearing a keffiyeh, was clearly directed by the NSW Labor government.
Our reporters•
Educators Rank-and-File Committee
The Educators Rank-and-File Committee is an international network of educators, students, parents, and workers fighting for workers power in the schools, to stop the capitalist destruction of public education and eliminate COVID-19.
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University of Michigan-Dearborn signals “unprecedented” cuts and layoffs
Over 150 faculty, staff and students at the University of Michigan-Dearborn (UM-D) campus gathered on Tuesday, December 3 to protest looming department cuts and staff layoffs in the upcoming winter semester.
Matthew Brennan•
Record number of homeless school students in New York City—one in eight
Fifty-four percent of these children spent some time “doubled up,” or unavoidably sharing the housing of others, while another 41 percent are in families that sought space in city shelters, leaving over 7,000 children who may have spent some nights on the streets or the subway system.
Steve Light•
Drastic austerity measures planned for German universities
While the NATO powers escalate the war in Ukraine, the German ruling class is launching a frontal attack on students in order to finance its policy war and rearmament. Strict austerity is being demanded of universities in Berlin, Baden-Württemberg and other federal states.
Florian Hasek•
Joe Mount•
Mike Head•
Renae Cassimeda•
Alex Findijs•
Jane Wise•
The Canada Post strike at the crossroads: Postal Workers Rank-and-File Committee to hold public meeting on Sunday, December 8
Canada Post strikers are determined to wage a struggle. But they are being hamstrung by the disastrous policies of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers and Canadian Labour Congress, which are forcing the workers to stand alone against the combined strength of corporate Canada and its bought-and-paid-for political representatives.
our reporter•
Australian rank-and-file health workers support Woolworths workers’ strike
The Health Workers Rank-and File Committee—a group of doctors, nurses, pathology and ancillary health workers from across Australia—extends its full support and solidarity to striking Woolworths and Lineage Cold Storage workers.
Health Workers Rank-and File Committee•
Australian rank-and-file educators support striking Woolworths workers
“We say from bitter experience that to avoid yet another sell-out, you need to take matters out of the hands of the UWU bureaucrats.”
Our correspondents•
Berlin transport workers election: How to conduct the struggle against the trade union Verdi
The result of the recent Berlin Transport Company (BVG) staff council election in Berlin has revealed the extent of opposition to the public service union Verdi.
Transport Workers Action Committee•
Our reporters•
Tony Robson•
A striking Canada Post worker•
Health Workers Rank-and-File Committee •
Boeing Workers Rank-and-File Committee•
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the term “rank-and-file” mean and where does it come from?
“Rank-and-file” is originally a military term. It refers to the lower “ranks” of soldiers, who literally stand in lines or “files”. These soldiers have a different set of interests in preserving their lives than the officers or “brass” who prosecute the wars on behalf of the ruling elite.
Rank-and-file committees are of, by and for the rank-and-file workers, who have a different set of interests in preserving their lives than management, the bosses, the politicians, and the trade union apparatus, who send workers to die while defending the profits of the ruling elite.
Is it legal to build rank-and-file committees of educators and other workers to stop the spread of COVID-19?
Yes. The formation of rank-and-file committees is 100% completely legal under the First Amendment to the US Constitution.
The right to freedom of speech means you can say whatever you like about what you agree or disagree with. Freedom of association, also covered under the first amendment, means you have the right to associate with others who share your views, for political ends. You also have the right to petition the government for redress, to make demands on the government and tell them what you want them to do.
Does HIPAA law prevent schools or workplaces from disclosing information about the spread of COVID-19?
No. HIPAA has an exception for disclosures to prevent and control the spread of disease, but the state is deliberately not invoking this exception in order to conceal information from workers, so that they can pretend that what they are doing is safe when it’s not.
Rank-and-file educators have the right to know who’s gotten sick, where, when, and what happened. Rank-and-file committees have to demand this information, and have to share it with other workers as a matter of collective self defense.