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AFL-CIO: Reproductive Rights Are Worker Rights
AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler released the following statement on the 51st anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision:
Equal access to contraception and reproductive health care, regardless of where someone works or lives, is essential to workers’ fundamental freedoms and economic security. The 51st anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision is a solemn reminder that reproductive health care rights are also worker rights.
No one should feel like their doors of opportunity are slammed shut based on their pregnancy status. No one should worry about losing their paycheck or job to travel hundreds of miles to see a doctor. And no one should have their collectively bargained health care benefits infringed upon by laws that criminalize doctors and their patients.
Unions will continue to fight to level the playing field for low-income workers and workers of color who bear the brunt of policies that make it harder to access health care, family and medical leave, universal high-quality child care, food assistance, housing and other critical programs.
The AFL-CIO and its 12.5 million members are poised to vigorously defend our workers’ right to bargain for quality health care and the right to control our own bodies, and we will mobilize like never before ahead of the critical 2024 election to protect all the fundamental freedoms that matter to working people.
Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 01/22/2024 - 14:33Union Members Help People: The Working People Weekly List
Every week, we bring you a roundup of the top news and commentary about issues and events important to working families. Here’s the latest edition of the Working People Weekly List.
What's Ahead for the Labor Movement in 2024?: “CNBC's Kate Rogers on the gains workers saw in 2023 as a result of union activity, and what's ahead this year for companies, including Starbucks, on the labor front.”
Schoolhouse Electric Signs First Union Contract with IBEW Local 48: “A unit of about 50 electrical manufacturing workers at Schoolhouse Electric in Portland started 2024 with their first union contract as members of IBEW Local 48. The three-year agreement sets starting wages at $20 an hour, up from $18 an hour. Workers with at least nine months experience immediately received a 3% wage increase or 50 cents per hour pay bump, whichever was higher.”
Biden’s Acting Labor Secretary Su Critiques Corporate Greed: “It’s a presidential election year, and that means Cabinet secretaries often deviate from official duties to laud their presidential bosses, while the secretaries speak out on the hustings. Which is what Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su did on January 12 in addressing the AFL-CIO’s Martin Luther King commemorative conference—but with a difference. She said one aim of President Biden’s pro-union, pro-worker agenda is to combat the corporate greed that particularly has oppressed workers of color. ‘Dr. King preached that we cannot have racial justice without economic justice and we cannot have economic justice without racial justice,’ Su told the MLK delegates, meeting in Birmingham, Ala. ‘He dared us to imagine a world in which both exist.’”
‘There Needs to Be a Deadline’: Culinary Leader Mulls Stalled Contract Talks: “The head of Culinary Workers Union Local 226 said he expects to see hospitality worker picket lines in front of as many as 20 Strip and downtown casinos on the weekend before Las Vegas begins to host festivities surrounding Super Bowl LVIII. In an interview Saturday with The Nevada Independent, Culinary Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge said the union and representatives of Bartenders Union Local 165 are scheduling negotiating sessions with management from the 20 hotel-casino operators over the next 17 days. Any property that does not have a tentative agreement with the unions by 5 a.m. on Feb. 2 will see non-gaming employees represented by the labor organizations walk away from their jobs and set up picket lines.”
Madison's Newest Labor Unions Face Next Fight: Getting a Contract: “In Madison, other workers currently waiting for contracts include game testers at Middleton video game studio Raven Software, who voted in a union in May 2022; seamstresses and screenprinters at custom clothing company Crushin’ It Apparel, whose votes were tallied in November 2022, and bakers and bread sellers at Madison Sourdough Company, who voted in a union last April. Hundreds of office workers at Madison-based financial services company TruStage, who went on strike in May for the first time since unionizing in the 1940s, finally ratified a new contract in December after close to two years of negotiations—likely the longest lag in the company’s history.”
King's Dream: Rooted in Labor’s Rising: “This Martin Luther King Day comes just weeks after a year that’s been dubbed ‘the year of the strike’ because in 2023 there were well over 300 such work stoppages involving 450,000 union workers willing to take the risk of walking out on their employer—a 900% increase from just a few years earlier. Automakers, actors, writers, nurses and a long list of other occupations were fed up enough that they walked off their job by the tens of thousands. Meanwhile, the National Labor Relations Board reported in 2022 receiving over 2,500 applications for workplace union representation, a 53% increase over the previous year.”
Annual IBEW Breakfast Honors MLK and Promotes Strength of Organized Labor: “Friday morning, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Local Union 613, hosted their annual Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. breakfast at their Pulliam St. headquarters. Senators Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock were in attendance. They were joined by Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond and Atlanta City Council President Doug Shipman. Additionally, Ambassador Andrew Young and Wanda Cooper-Jones, the mother of Ahmaud Arbery, were in attendance.”
At MLK Conference, Unionists Strategize on Organizing the South: “Unionists at the AFL-CIO’s annual Martin Luther King conference, held January 12-14 in Montgomery, Ala., tackled what one panelist called a decades-long problem for the labor movement: Organizing the South. And that means both for more union victories, and members, and politically, too. ‘Dr. King said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?” Together, we are building a multiracial labor movement that fights for ALL working people to dismantle structural racism, protects our democracy, and defends our right to organize!’ Shuler said.”
‘Union Members Help People, Whether on the Shop Floor or Out in the Community’: “The AFL-CIO’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Civil and Human Rights Conference began on Friday ‘at a crucial moment for the labor and civil rights movements, as workers across the country are organizing at historic rates for dignity, respect and justice, both on the job and in our communities,” says the AFL-CIO. ‘We are facing unprecedented attacks on our rights from politicians and judges who would rather put the interests of corporations over the needs of working people.’ The movements came ‘together not only to strengthen the bond between our two movements, but also to reignite our shared commitment to democracy and winning racial and economic justice for all.’”
Nearly Half of SoCal Hotels Involved in Local Strike Have Reached Tentative Deals with Workers: “The new year has brought more progress in contract talks between Southern California hotels and the union that represents their workers. Unite Here Local 11 this week secured tentative agreements with four more properties in Los Angeles County. The union announced a deal with the Fairmont Miramar in Santa Monica on Monday. The union said Friday it had also secured deals with Sheraton Universal, Line Hotel and 1 Hotel West Hollywood.”
Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 01/22/2024 - 08:51Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Baton Rouge Paratransit Drivers Secure First Union Contract
Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our Service & Solidarity Spotlight series, we'll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
Paratransit drivers at Baton Rouge Capital Area Transit System in Louisiana ratified their first union contract, which includes 17.25% in wage increases. The workers, who provide on-demand transit for people with disabilities, are members of Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 260.
The contract also includes a training pay increase, matching employer contributions to workers' 401(k) accounts, life insurance, paid sick and bereavement days, a grievance procedure and other benefits.
Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 01/22/2024 - 08:49Service & Solidarity Spotlight: More Cannabis Workers in New Jersey Join UFCW Local 152
Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our Service & Solidarity Spotlight series, we'll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
Workers at the MPX/iAnthus cannabis dispensary in Atlantic City, New Jersey, voted to join United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 152. The 12 workers are employed as budtenders, who provide customer service, facilitate retail sales and fulfill online orders. Local 152 also represents workers in the state at the MPX/iAnthus grow facility in Pleasantville.
“These workers have put their trust in our union to help improve their lives, and we will fight for what they deserve,” Local 152 President Brian String said. “As the Local 152 Cannabis Division continues to grow, so does the power of our members in all of the industries we serve. These workers are seeking improvements to their wages, health care benefits, and scheduling accommodations. Their hard work has helped MPX become a success in Atlantic City and their first contract should reflect their contributions.”
Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 01/19/2024 - 08:56Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Registered Nurses at Northern Maine Medical Center Vote Overwhelmingly to Join MSNA/NNOC
Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our Service & Solidarity Spotlight series, we'll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
Registered nurses at Northern Maine Medical Center in Fort Kent, Maine, voted 62% in favor of joining the Maine State Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee (MSNA/NNOC). NNOC is an affiliate of National Nurses United (NNU). They say they joined the union because maintaining high levels of patient care requires that nurses have a say in decisions about patient care, and about recruitment and worker retention.
“We are thrilled that our co-workers voted ‘yes’ to join Maine State Nurses Association," said Brad Martinez, RN in the intensive care unit at NMMC. "Together, we share a vision of improving the level of care our families receive in our hospital."
Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 01/18/2024 - 08:18Service & Solidarity Spotlight: University of Oregon Graduate Students Reach Tentative Agreement, Avoiding Strike
Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our Service & Solidarity Spotlight series, we'll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
The Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation (GTFF), an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), reached a tentative agreement on Jan. 15 with the University of Oregon on a new three-year contract. The agreement avoids an employee strike that was scheduled to start Jan. 17. The deal brings a substantial pay raise to graduate employees, continues tuition and fee waivers, increases summer employment opportunities, continues health care coverage and includes other benefits.
“The deal we secured today will bring the minimum salary of all [half time] graduate employees…up to $2,550 a month in the first year,” GTFF’s announcement said. “The cumulative increases of GE salaries range from 18.98 percent to 45.32 percent over the life of the 3-year contract, depending on GE level and rate.”
A ratification vote is expected to be held later in the week.
Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 01/17/2024 - 09:29Local 1014 leaders look to build next generation of activists, create 500 new member kits
Tim O’Daniel and his fellow Local 1014L leaders understand the importance of engaging new members right as they come through the door of Akron General Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.
The past few years have made that difficult as their employer, like many in health care, moved their employee orientations to virtual meetings as opposed to in-person.
This year, however, the local will begin meeting with new hires face-to-face once again, and they’re hitting the ground running by creating 500 custom new member kits.
O’Daniel, who is the long-time president of Local 1014L, said engaging with new members is incredibly important, especially in health care, which is experiencing unprecedented challenges.
“Right now, the sector is struggling. I’ve never seen vacancies like this; people are leaving the sector in droves,” said O’Daniel. “People are burnt out, and workplace violence is a major problem.”
Because of this high turnover, O’Daniel wants to ensure the new members understand the value of a union and how people are working behind the scenes on a daily basis to fight for them. He believes this is vital for a union as big as theirs, which hovers around 835 members who work across dozens of departments.
“They have rights, but if you don’t know your rights you might assume you don’t have any,” said O’Daniel.
New members of Local 1014L will now each receive a folder including a variety of resources, including: a copy of their contract, Weingarten cards, a welcome brochure from the USW, a letter from O’Daniel, information on the dues structure, current officers list, and the local union meeting schedule.
O’Daniel said that if other union leaders are looking to create their own custom kits, they can find plenty of resources on the USW website. They can also reach out to Lisa Jordan in the USW Education Department to get copies of brochures and other handouts.
“You can always build upon them and tweak them,” he said.
For O’Daniel, getting members engaged and educated right at the beginning of their journey is all about growing the next generation of labor activists and ensuring the survival of the union.
“I’ve been here for more than 40 years, and I want to make sure the local is in the same condition or better than I found it in,” said O’Daniel. “Both me and our vice president want to make sure we leave it in good hands.”
Worker Wins: Ensuring the Future
Our latest roundup of worker wins includes numerous examples of working people organizing, bargaining and mobilizing for a better life.
Phoenix Passes Prevailing Wage Ordinance: Beginning July 2024, construction companies working on city of Phoenix projects that are valued at $4 million or more will have to give their employees union-level wages and benefits “consistent with local standards for a given type of work.” On Tuesday, Phoenix became the only city in Arizona to pass a prevailing wage ordinance for construction contractors. This local law will ensure that all construction workers receive fair compensation for skilled labor and is yet another example of how union wages raise industry standards for all workers.New Jersey Labor Movement Has Record Number of Union Members Sworn into the Legislature: The labor movement in New Jersey is making history with a total of nine union members serving in the 2024–2025 state Legislature. In addition to these newly elected lawmakers, 39 union members were sworn into office at all levels of government, from county commissioner to the school board. A brand new legislative session has just started in New Jersey and working people are ready for our officials to get to work fighting for us. Having union members in the General Assembly, Senate and other state agencies means working families have advocates on our side who are committed to protecting the right to join a union, the right to collective bargaining and the right to have a safe workplace.Journalists Organize at The Evansville Courier & Press: On Monday, journalists at The Evansville Courier & Press in southwestern Indiana launched their union, demanding Gannett, the largest owner of newspapers in the country, recognize them. One hundred percent of the workers signed a union card. Citing slashed resources, dwindling staff numbers and oversized workloads, the award-winning journalists at the Courier & Press joined together in a union to ensure they’ll be able to continue providing compelling and critical local reporting. These workers join the ranks of more than 600 industry colleagues from 17 other Gannett-owned newsrooms that have unionized with The NewsGuild-CWA since 2019. “We want to ensure a future for ourselves and news in Evansville,” said Sarah Loesch, a government reporter at the Evansville newspaper.Millions of Gig Workers Could Qualify as Employees Under New Biden-Era Rule: In a win in the fight against employee misclassification, the Department of Labor released a final rule Tuesday that could change the status of millions of gig economy workers from independent contractors to employees. It would take effect March 11. By changing their designation to employees, gig workers who previously didn’t have access to things like minimum wage standards, overtime pay, unemployment insurance and Social Security would now get these important, hard-fought protections and benefits. This walks back a Trump-era rule from 2021 that made it easier for corporations to categorize workers as independent contractors and therefore deny full protections to workers under federal labor law. Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su said this rule would “help create a level playing field for businesses, protect workers from being denied the right to fair pay and affirm the vital role true independent contractors play in our economy by allowing them to thrive.”BodyVox Dance Company Stagehands Win IATSE Contract: Union stagehands at BodyVox—a dance company in Portland, Oregon—unanimously ratified their first contract in December since joining Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 28. BodyVox is an internationally touring dance troupe, performance space and dance school that routinely hires temporary carpenters, camera operators and other stagehands for shows. While it’s common for dance companies to invite the same technicians back regularly, getting rehired can depend on unreliable factors like whether the production manager personally likes you. Now, rehiring is guaranteed through the contract. “It’s a relief to know that whoever the manager is, we will still have a job,” said Iain Chester, a stagehand electrician. Major wins also include a base wage that’s double what stagehands were making before announcing plans to organize with IATSE, annual cost-of-living adjustments, premium pay for certain holidays and more.Collapse of Planned Essentia, Marshfield Merger a Win for Patients, Workers and Minnesota: The Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA)—an affiliate of National Nurses United (NNU)—is rightfully celebrating a huge win in the fight against corporate consolidation, as the proposed merger between Essentia Health in Duluth, Minnesota, and Wisconsin’s Marshfield Clinic Health System crumbles. For months, the two health care giants have pursued plans to combine, raising serious concerns between patients and workers that the merger would threaten jobs, worsen working conditions, increase medical costs and concentrate even more corporate control over our health care system into the hands of the few. This victory is thanks in part to the efforts of MNA members and local community members who organized last year at the Minnesota Legislature for the passage of a new law to provide critical public oversight of proposed hospital mergers like the one considered by Essentia and Marshfield. This bill gave state officials power to check corporate interests driving mergers and regulate these consolidations based on their impact on patients and workers.Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin Resident and Fellow Nurses Overwhelmingly Vote to Join NNOC/NNU: Last week, registered nurses in the resident and fellow programs at Ascension Seton Medical Center in Austin, Texas (ASMCA) voted overwhelmingly—with 96% in favor—to join the National Nurses Organizing Committee (NNOC), an affiliate of National Nurses United (NNU). The union family at ASMCA is growing! Despite Ascension’s stance that RNs in the resident and fellow programs shouldn’t join their unionized colleagues, there are now more than 1,000 nurses represented by NNOC/NNU at ASMCA, bringing the total number of members represented throughout the Ascension system to more than 2,500. “Ascension has attempted to silence RNs here and across the country from speaking up about patient care issues. But, fortunately for our patients, our RN movement—including now five union election victories across four facilities in three states—continues onward,” said Zetta Hackleman, RN in the perioperative department and member of the contract bargaining team.Detroit Bus Drivers to Get Immediate Raise, Bigger Bonus Under New Agreement: The city of Detroit announced last Thursday that Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) bus drivers represented by Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 26 will see an immediate $3-per-hour raise. The raise comes after a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the city and ATU. While the collective bargaining agreement doesn't expire until July 1, 2025, Detroit has been struggling with a bus driver shortage since the COVID-19 pandemic, so the city and ATU worked together to reopen the contract early to give drivers a raise. Under the MOU, the quarterly attendance bonus also will increase to $1,500 for every driver who has no more than three unexcused absences per quarter. “This increase will help us hire and retain more drivers, so the public can know when they are at a stop and need to get to work or the doctor, DDOT is going to show up when we are supposed to. That’s everyone’s goal,” said ATU Local 26 President Schetrone Collier.Health Care Workers at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Vote to Join IAM: Nearly 1,000 patient care associates (PCAs) and psychiatric care technicians (PCTs) at the Ohio State University (OSU) Wexner Medical Center voted to join the Machinists (IAM) this week. Like so many health care professionals, at both Wexner Medical Center and other hospitals around the country, workers have sought out dignity at work, fair wages and the standards of care necessary to protect patients. “Alongside my colleagues, we came together knowing that we deserve to be heard to have a better quality of life for ourselves and others surrounding us. Having a union at OSU will strengthen us as a team and as a whole alongside the nurses. I am looking forward to our future with the IAM,” said Lyndsee Cody, PCA at Wexner Medical Center.Board Game Cafe Workers in NYC Win Election: Workers at Hex & Co.—the largest board game cafe company in Manhattan with three locations across New York City—have unionized with Workers United. Citing needs for fair wages, clear paths to promotions and better staffing levels, Hex Workers United is the first union at a board game bar in the city. Members emphasize that they share a passion for working with customers of all ages and want to be treated fairly while inspiring a love for games in others. “If an owner comes in and says, ‘We’re a family,’ you aren’t really going to buy that,” said Zev Anderman, a Hex & Co. worker. “That’s them trying to play nice so they don’t have to pay you more. But [in the union], I think we are a family.”Workers at Princeton’s Labyrinth Books Move to Stand Together in a Union: A few days before the end of 2023, Labyrinth Books staff members announced their intent to unionize with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union-UFCW (RWDSU-UFCW) so they can improve standards at both the official bookstore for Princeton University and across the industry. Labyrinth Books opened in 2007 and has since become the official partner of Princeton University and a hugely popular bookstore in the small college town. But despite the store’s well-loved community presence, worker wages don’t keep up with the staggering cost of living, and staff say insufficient leave and lack of transparency from management have been pain points. Rebecca Ziemann, who has been an employee since 2022, said of the union campaign: “If we didn’t care [about Labyrinth], we wouldn’t be working so hard to improve it.” This exciting momentum comes on the heels of workers at Barnes & Noble at Rutgers University voting unanimously last spring to unionize with RWDSU-UFCW, making it the first union bookstore in New Jersey.Colorado Alamo Drafthouse Workers Vote to Unionize: Workers at the Westminster, Colorado location of Alamo Drafthouse are organizing with the Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 7777. The Alamo Drafthouse’s flagship Austin, Texas theater’s workers voted to unionize in February 2022 and since then, staff at locations across California, New York and Texas have followed suit. Despite the movie theater chain seeing record profits, workers report issues like delayed paychecks, withholding of owed workers’ compensation and unaddressed workplace harassment complaints. Additionally, CWA says that three people involved in unionization efforts have been unlawfully fired—part of a larger string of union-busting activities workers in Colorado have faced.Connecticut’s First Cannabis Union Contract Ratified: Workers at Advanced Grow Labs (AGL) have made Connecticut history by voting to ratify the first union cannabis contract in the state. Represented by United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 919, the contract ratification comes months after workers at AGL formed the union in March 2023. Contract highlights include up to 25% wage increases over the next three years, increased holiday pay, job protection, secured retirement and more. “I am proud to be a part of the first cannabis union in Connecticut,” said AGL Production Technician Alanna Daniels. "This has been a huge milestone for the industry in the state and our company. I hope other workers can come together like we have.” Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 01/16/2024 - 10:07Tags: Organizing
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Workers Join UFCW Local 371
Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our Service & Solidarity Spotlight series, we'll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
More than 90 Ben & Jerry’s ice cream processing workers at the Waterbury, Vermont, plant joined United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 371.
“The UFCW is extremely proud to welcome the hard-working ice cream processors at Ben & Jerry’s Waterbury, Vermont, plant to our union family,” said UFCW International President Marc Perrone. “From Cherry Garcia to Chunky Monkey, Ben & Jerry’s workers at the Waterbury plant proudly make some of the country’s most recognizable ice cream flavors. As America’s food processing union, we are thrilled at the opportunity to not only represent, but uplift workers at such an iconic American brand, and we look forward to bringing this opportunity to other Unilever plants across the country. These workers know better than anyone that whether it’s in a cup or cone, union victory tastes sweet.”
“We applaud the Ben & Jerry’s Waterbury plant employees who made their voices heard today by joining the UFCW through card check recognition,” said Local 371 President Ronald Petronella. “Ben & Jerry’s are well known for their progressive politics, and we held them to their word.”
Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 01/16/2024 - 09:35Tags: Organizing