The year has had some labor victories. There were several big wins for the labor movement in 2015: the UAW (representing 142,000 workers) ratifying contracts at General Motors, Ford and Fiat Chrysler; Fueling Agents at Phoenix’ Airport unionizing with the Machinists; the American Federation of Government Employees welcoming more than 700 new members at federal facilities in Dallas, Fort Meade, Md., Phoenix and San Diego; Al Jazeera America unionizing with the Communications Workers of America; a unit of skilled-trades workers at Volkswagen’s Chattanooga plant voting to join the UAW (after interference by politicians and outside interests contributed to a narrow loss there in 2014); and UNITE HERE affiliates winning an organizing vote at Las Vegas’ Trump International Hotel. That drew notice, of course, because owner Donald Trump leads in the Republican presidential race – and campaigns on resentments by people who feel left behind, proclaiming he’ll “make America great again.” Workers wonder whether he’ll put his money where his mouth is and make their small part of the nation better, if not great, again.

Progressives hail Blankenship conviction. The United Mine Workers and job safety and health advocates hailed last month’s conviction of former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship for some of his actions concerning the fatal Upper Big Branch, W. Va., coal mine explosion five years ago.

“A message has gone out today to every coal operator in America who is willing to skirt mine safety and health laws: You do so at your own personal risk,” said Mine Workers President Cecil Roberts.

Wal-Mart asked Lockheed-Martin, FBI to spy on activists. In a tactic similar to the old FBI, which spied on union and civil rights leaders, Wal-Mart management reportedly hired defense contractor Lockheed-Martin to spy on activist workers and asked the FBI to participate, according to documents Our WalMart – an employee group that lobbies to improve pay and working conditions – filed with the National Labor Relations Board.

The spying involved tracking about 100 activists’ organizing of Black Friday protests in 2012 and 2013 and workers’ demanding a $15 hourly wage and the right to organize without company interference, harassment or retaliation.

“We are fighting for all workers to be paid a fair wage and enough hours to put food on the table and provide for our families,” said Mary Pat Tifft, a Wisconsin Wal-Mart employee. “To think that Wal-Mart found us such a threat that they would hire a defense contractor and engage the FBI is a mind-blowing abuse of power.”

Tifft wants elected officials “to launch an official investigation” of the case.

Teachers unions praise new school law. Leaders of the nation’s teachers unions – American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten, American Federation of School Administrators president Diann Woodard, and National Education Association president Lily Eskelsen-Garcia – lauded Congress for passing a new education aid law, which President Obama signed Dec. 10.

The Every Student Succeeds Act keeps the goal of bringing all U.S. students up to standards in reading and math, and keeps some – but not the huge number – of testing the feds use to determine the fates of teachers, students and schools.

“The test-and-punish policies of No Child Left Behind dogged educators and schools through a one-size-fits-all accountability system that has done little to promote a well-rounded and complete education for every student,” AFSA’s Woodard said.

The new law “maintains the historic federal resource commitment to children who are poor, re-envisions accountability that, until now, has been only about test scores and it gets the federal government out of teacher evaluation systems,” added AFT’s Weingarten.

News briefs courtesy of The Labor Paper