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Service & Solidarity Spotlight: United Campus Workers of Virginia Lobby at State Capitol
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.
Last week, members United Campus Workers of Virginia (UCWVA), Local 2265 of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), participated Lobby Day at the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond. The members lobbied to secure collective bargaining for university workers and Child Care for All, a program designed to achieve universal pre-K child care, staffed by workers paid a living wage, for every campus worker in Virginia. The UCWVA members also held a rally on the Capitol grounds.
Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 01/29/2024 - 09:46A Sense of Urgency: 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.
Journalists at New York Daily News Walk Off Job for a Day: “Journalists at The New York Daily News walked off the job on Thursday for the first time in more than three decades. Newsroom workers at The Daily News Union, which formed in 2021, are in negotiations for their first contract. The union called a one-day work stoppage to protest staffing cuts, as well as a new policy that requires workers to get advance approval for overtime.”
Forbes Union Stages 3-Day Work Stoppage in Protest of Stalled Negotiations: “According to the guild, Forbes staffers have been fighting for two years for a 'first contract, only to be met with tired, union-busting tactics by Forbes management.' On Thursday, the NewsGuild of New York filed an unfair labor practice charge on behalf of the Forbes Union, 'or the company’s interference with protected union activity, discrimination based on protected union activity, and refusing to bargain in good faith.'”
Trulieve Magnolia Employees Unionize in First-Ever Election for Arizona Cannabis Agriculture Workers: “On Thursday, January 25, workers at the Trulieve Cannabis Corp central Phoenix production facility voted 37-4 in favor of unionizing with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) Local 99. The successful union election at Trulieve Magnolia is the first for Arizona agricultural workers in the cannabis industry, and only the second-ever union election to be administered by the Arizona Agricultural Labor Relations Board (AERB). Established in 1993, the AERB’s statutes are patterned after the National Labor Relations Act, which specifically excludes agricultural workers from its jurisdiction. The last and only time workers petitioned for union recognition through the board was in the year 2000 when workers at the Eurofresh tomato hothouse in Willcox voted to join UFCW Local 99.”
700 Culinary Union Workers at Strat Reach Deal: “Culinary Local 226 members at a north Strip casino reached a tentative agreement with employers, the union announced late Tuesday. The hospitality union representing about 700 employees at The Strat negotiated a five-year deal with improvements on wages, work quotas, protections from technology and more.”
Group of Seaport Hotel Workers Vote to Join Union After Months of Uncertainty: “A subset of workers at a hotel in the Seaport won a long-fought union vote last week, a conclusion to a year-long struggle after more than half of the workers lost their benefits. The Banquets and Convention Services department, composed of about 60 workers, at the Seaport Hotel Boston voted to join UNITE HERE Local 26 six months after they filed for an election, the union said.”
The Texas Tribune Is Unionizing: “Just under six months after the Texas Tribune weathered its first-ever round of layoffs, staff announced this morning that they are unionizing with the NewsGuild-CWA and asking for voluntary recognition from management by January 31. CEO Sonal Shah sent an email to staff 15 minutes after management was made aware of the union, writing, 'Our response is simple. If Tribune employees want to be represented by a union, we will respect their right to representation… We respect our colleagues’ right to collectively bargain.' Talk of unionizing began when management alluded to budget shortfalls in the spring of 2023, but it was the layoffs that 'created a sense of urgency to mobilize across the newsroom,' says Uriel García, an immigration reporter based in El Paso. Those layoffs, which affected 11% of the staff, were shocking—particularly the decision to fire the Tribune’s only dedicated criminal justice and demographic reporters. Many journalists were frustrated by the lack of explanation from management about the rationale behind the cuts.”
Plumbers & Steamfitters Union Recruiting Apprentices In the HV: “The local Plumbers & Steamfitters union will conduct a brief recruitment drive from Feb. 20 through March 4 for 20 plumber and steamfitter apprentices and five refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic apprentices in four Hudson Valley counties. Applications must be obtained in person and filled out at Local Union #21, which is located at 1024 McKinley Street in Peekskill.”
Condé Nast Union Workers Walk Out Following Layoff Announcement: “Roughly 400 members of the unionized staff at several Condé Nast brands, including Vogue, GQ and Vanity Fair, are walking off the job Tuesday in New York City, the NewsGuild of New York said.”
Hollywood Unions Show Solidarity as American Federation of Musicians Enters Negotiations with AMPTP: “The Hollywood unions are throwing their support behind the American Federation of Musicians as it begins its contract negotiations with the studios. The AFM entered into negotiations with the AMPTP for its new collective bargaining agreement on Monday, fighting for many of the same things the WGA and SAG-AFTRA did during last year’s dual strikes, including AI protections, increased wages, and improved streaming residuals.”
The ‘Year of Labor’ in 2023 Was Just the Beginning: “When people ask me why the Labor Movement just had its most dynamic and successful year in a generation, I tell them about workers like Alicia—people whose lives changed because they stood together with their co-workers. For all the talk about macro trends and economic factors, the driving force behind the 'Year of Labor' was simple: Being in a union makes your life better. We’re in a moment of profound uncertainty and disillusionment across this country. Americans are fed up with politicians, institutions and the status quo. Approval ratings for Congress and most major institutions have plummeted to well below 50%. The Labor Movement is the one exception. Polling shows 71% of Americans believe in unions—more than two-thirds of people in this country, the highest number in the past 60 years. Unions are where people seem to have increasingly placed their hopes, their dreams and their aspirations for a better future.”
What Labor Advocates Want from AI Policy: “Ask AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler what she wants from the federal government on artificial intelligence, and her first answer isn’t a surprise: Strengthen collective bargaining rights, like, generally. 'Through every industrial revolution, labor has been the force that has harnessed the technology and channeled it in a way that’s productive and safe,' Shuler said in an interview this month, speaking from a summit alongside the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. But Shuler is also laying out some more specific asks. For one: She’s lasering in regulations and investments related to training workers for jobs in the event of displacement.”
Feb. 2 Strike Deadline: Las Vegas Hospitality Union Works on New Contracts: “Ahead of their Feb. 2 strike deadline, the Culinary Union has reached tentative deals with two properties. On Saturday, the union negotiated a tentative agreement with Westgate for 1,000 employees. 'I’m really happy that we got this contract. I’m excited that the working people of Las Vegas are going to get the money they need to live fruitful lives,' said Brian Torres, a food runner for Westgate, in a written statement.”
L.A. Times Guild Calls for Strike as Owner Warns of Layoffs: “Union leaders at the Los Angeles Times have called for a one-day, multi-city walkout Friday following news that the esteemed newspaper will see dramatic staff cuts due to a widening budget deficit. According to the Times, the single-day strike would be the first in the paper’s 142-year history. The decision comes following news that Patrick Soon-Shiong, the publication’s owner, intended to trim the paper’s staff to address a budget deficit, with the Times reporting cuts could be as deep as 20% or the equivalent of at least 100 journalists.”
Unionized ‘Ridiculousness’ Staffers Leaflet Production In Effort to Start Negotiating First Contract: “Early on Friday morning, 10 unionized creative consultants on the MTV comedy show Ridiculousness distributed leaflets at the show’s production location in Van Nuys in an effort to start negotiating a first contract. The staffers unionized with the Writers Guild of America West after a National Labor Relations Board vote in September, but according to the WGA West, the production has yet to respond to their attempts to begin negotiating a contract. 'We are fighting for a fair contract with improved compensation and benefits for the 336 episodes of Ridiculousness we help to create annually,' the leaflets handed out on Friday state. 'We are currently compensated at a rate well below our peers writing for WGA-covered shows like Ridiculousness. While our workloads have increased substantially, our compensation has been stagnant.'”
Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 01/26/2024 - 11:17Service & Solidarity Spotlight: NewsGuild Reaches Two-Year Agreement with Indianapolis Star
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.
Members of the Indianapolis NewsGuild (an affiliate of The NewsGuild-CWA) who work as reporters and photographers reached a two-year agreement with The Indianapolis Star. The contract includes salary increases and other benefits.
"We're thrilled to have reached an agreement after more than three years at the table. The biggest win is our economics package, which will benefit every member of our bargaining unit," said Jenna Watson, president of TNG-CWA Local 34070 and a veteran photographer for the newspaper.
Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 01/26/2024 - 10:29Worker Wins: Fighting for Worker Power
Our latest roundup of worker wins includes numerous examples of working people organizing, bargaining and mobilizing for a better life.
New York Uber, Lyft Drivers to Receive Big Payouts from Historic AG Settlement: New York State Attorney General Letitia James announced a settlement with Uber and Lyft to recover $328 million in wages stolen from Uber and Lyft drivers in New York based on the complaint filed by the National Taxi Workers Alliance (NTWA). This case is the largest wage-theft back pay settlement in the history of the New York attorney general’s office. The NTWA first went to the office in 2015, but says it only took action under James’ leadership. Uber and Lyft had been withholding drivers’ wages as sales taxes and black car fund fees, cheating these workers out of their hard-earned income and preventing them from receiving valuable benefits available under New York labor laws. Additionally, under the settlements, Uber and Lyft have agreed to an “earnings floor,” guaranteeing drivers across the state are paid a minimum rate, from dispatch to completion of the ride, paid sick leave, proper hiring and earnings notices, and other improvements to working conditions.Nurses at Northern Maine Medical Center Vote to Unionize: Registered nurses (RNs) at Northern Maine Medical Center (NMMC) in Fort Kent, Maine, voted on Jan. 17 to join Maine State Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee (MSNA/NNOC), an affiliate of National Nurses United (NNU). Nearly two-thirds voted in favor of unionizing after filing the petition to organize late last year. Their core concerns include staffing and retention issues and nurses feeling as though they lack a say in the hospital policies that directly impact them and their patients. These concerns are all too common at nonunion hospitals around the country. The American Nurses Foundation released a study in 2022 that reported that nine out of 10 nurses surveyed believe their facilities are short-staffed. “Developing a solid union contract is what we have to do. A contract with staffing grids and ratios in place. That’s the big key to improving patient safety and working conditions for us,” NMMC RN Abby Pelletier said.Workers at News Site San Antonio Report Vote to Organize: San Antonio Report’s staff publicly announced on Tuesday that they are joining Media Guild of the West (a local of The NewsGuild-CWA) in order to secure better pay, job security and policies that will protect their journalistic integrity. With 100% support from all union-eligible employees at the local nonprofit news outlet, this decision was partly informed by witnessing staffing- and budget-related issues at similar publications. About five months ago, The Texas Tribune, one of Texas’ most visible nonprofit news websites for politics and public policy, announced it was laying off 10% of its staff after failing to hit revenue goals. "A Union is the best way—as part of our inevitable evolution—to codify the progress we’ve made and sustain our journalism for the future," said Iris Dimmick, a senior reporter for the San Antonio Report.Tentative Agreement with University of Oregon Averts Graduate Worker Strike: The Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation (GTFF)—an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT)—representing graduate workers at the University of Oregon (UO), announced on Monday it had reached a tentative agreement on a new three-year contract. The agreement comes after 10 months of contract negotiations between GTFF and the university, averting a large-scale strike that was slated to begin this week. The deal increases the minimum salary floor for graduate workers, provides more summer employment opportunities, improves child care resources and more. “We hope and expect that our members will be eager to ratify this historic contract, and we look forward to continuing to fight for worker power on our campus—as well as celebrating the powerful changes we have pushed forward at this institution already,” the bargaining team said in a statement released on Monday.Missouri Adopts CWA Labor Standards for $1.7B Broadband Expansion Program: Thanks to the local organizing work of Communications Workers of America (CWA) District 6’s Broadband Brigade, Missouri has adopted CWA’s proposed labor standards, which will create good union telecommunications jobs as broadband access expands throughout the state. Missouri received more than $1.7 billion in federal funding for its Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment Program to expand high-speed internet access to underserved communities through President Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure law. CWA’s labor standards include prioritizing telecom companies that use a directly employed workforce (not subcontractors), that hire locally, and that use training/apprenticeship programs to recruit and train a highly skilled workforce.Supreme Court Rejects Alaska’s Attack on Public Unions: On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy's attempt to undermine and weaken unions that represent state workers. In 2019, Dunleavy issued an order preventing public sector unions from automatically collecting union dues, rehashing the same argument that it infringes on free speech. ASEA/AFSCME Local 52, which represents workers who keep the state’s government agencies functioning, sued over this union-busting activity and won. Lower courts in Alaska then overturned the policy and now the highest court in the country has refused to hear the state’s appeal. This failure is the latest attempt by anti-worker groups to extend the Supreme Court’s 2018 Janus v. AFSCME ruling.Wells Fargo Workers in Florida Win Union Election: Bankers and tellers at a Wells Fargo branch in Daytona Beach, Florida, voted last week to join the Communications Workers of America’s (CWA’s) Wells Fargo Workers United. This is the second-ever successful election at the megabank. Momentum around organizing Wells Fargo branches is building quickly across the country. Just weeks ago staff at a branch in Albuquerque, New Mexico, became the first to win a union election, and workers in Wilmington, Delaware, filed for a union election soon after. Despite Wells Fargo’s anti-union attacks, these workers are fighting to secure a meaningful voice on the job to improve conditions for themselves and their customers.Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 01/25/2024 - 10:19
Tags: Organizing
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Health Care Workers in Virginia Ratify a Strong New 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.
More than 100 members of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 400 who work at Elizabeth Adam Crump Health and Rehab and Elizabeth House Assisted Living in Glen Allen, Virginia, ratified a new contract that strengthens wages and benefits. The two facilities are owned by Trio Healthcare. The three-year contract includes wage increases averaging 13% in the first year and 17% over the life of the agreement. The contract also includes an additional flexible holiday, improved arbitration procedures and other benefits.
“This was awesome, one of the best contracts we’ve ever had,” said Druscilla Mitchell, a Local 400 shop steward and certified nursing assistant. “We got a lot of people signed up as Local 400 members and that made a huge difference in bargaining. Everyone is pleased with the raises, the extra personal day and the other improvements we got. Union is the way to go!”
Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 01/25/2024 - 09:54Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Support a Fair Contract for WGAE Members at Onion Inc.
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.
Please participate in this action from the Writers Guild of America East:
"At contract negotiations on Thursday, January 11, WGAE members at Onion, Inc. presented G/O Media—Onion, Inc.'s parent company—with a strike pledge signed by 97% of the bargaining unit.
"The message of the pledge was clear: if they do not reach a fair deal before their current contract expires on January 31, the workers at Onion, Inc. are prepared to strike.
"Please take a moment to show your support for the Onion Union—the 34-member unit that comprises the creative staff at The Onion, The A.V. Club, Deadspin, and The Takeout—by sending a letter to executives at G/O Media urging them to agree to a fair contract by before January 31."
Click here to write a letter to G/O Media.
Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 01/24/2024 - 09:28Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Politico and E&E News Staffers Win First 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.
Politico and E&E News reached a tentative agreement for their first-ever union contract and are seeking to form The PEN Guild after 20 months of negotiations. The three-year contract includes higher pay that helps close inequities in the newsroom, layoff protections, enhanced protections against adoption of artificial intelligence and stronger benefits. The more than 270 members of PEN Guild, represented by The NewsGuild-CWA, must still vote to ratify the contract.
“We formed this union because our colleagues were overworked, underpaid and lacked basic protections,” said unit chair Tanya Snyder, a transportation reporter for Politico Pro. “This contract will benefit our journalists and lead to a healthier, stronger newsroom.”
Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 01/23/2024 - 09:57AFL-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 - 09:29Worker 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
The ‘Year of Labor’ in 2023 Was Just the Beginning
When Alicia Weaver, a guest room attendant at the MGM Grand Detroit, went on strike last year with UNITE HERE, she didn’t know how long she would be on the picket line. All she knew was she and her co-workers deserved more: Better wages, after 24 years on the job; decent health care, so she didn’t have to choose between a doctor’s visit and paying rent; a chance to grow professionally and have a future at the company—something that hit home for Alicia as she looked down the strike line and saw her own son, also an MGM Grand Detroit employee. After 47 days on the picket line in the Detroit winter—in rain and freezing temperatures—Alicia and her co-workers won historic raises, benefits, job security and opportunities to grow their careers.
When people ask me why the labor movement just had its most dynamic and successful year in a generation, I tell them about workers like Alicia—people whose lives changed because they stood together with their co-workers. For all the talk about macro trends and economic factors, the driving force behind the “Year of Labor” was simple: Being in a union makes your life better.
We’re in a moment of profound uncertainty and disillusionment across this country. Americans are fed up with politicians, institutions and the status quo. Approval ratings for Congress and most major institutions have plummeted to well below 50%. The labor movement is the one exception. Polling shows 71% of Americans believe in unions—more than two-thirds of people in this country, the highest number in the past 60 years. Unions are where people seem to have increasingly placed their hopes, their dreams and their aspirations for a better future.
It’s not hard to see why. Look around at the wins workers have earned, together, and the real change it makes in their lives and their families’ futures: UAW, which won 25% pay raises for employees' new contracts with the Big 3 automakers. The Teamsters, who took on UPS and won historic safety protections and wage increases. The Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA, who stood up to the Hollywood studios and won protections against artificial intelligence (AI) that provide security and peace of mind. Some 900,000 union members secured double-digit wage increases this year in their new contracts. That’s the power of solidarity.
People also look at the labor movement and see that it increasingly looks like them. We’re bringing together people of every background—white, Black, brown, Asian American and Pacific Islander, and Indigenous; young and old; white collar and blue collar—to take on the absurd economic inequality. We are working in common cause, and we are winning.
So, where do we go in 2024? The AFL-CIO (where I serve as president) represents 60 unions and 12.5 million workers across this country, and our goal is simple: To make sure every working person has a good job that pays a living wage. A job where they are treated with dignity and respect. A job where they are free to come together and organize with their co-workers when things aren’t right. For decades, whenever workers have tried to improve their lives in this country, they’ve run into roadblocks. Right now, we need to make sure every road leads to a union.
We’re doing that by organizing the new sectors of the economy. All over the South, billions of dollars from President Biden’s historic infrastructure packages are being invested in clean energy projects, many driven by companies like Blue Bird, an electric bus manufacturer, whose workers organized with the United Steelworkers (USW)—and we’ll do the same thing across the South and the whole country, setting a standard that every job created by these investments is a good, high-wage, union job.
This post originally appeared at The Messenger.
Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 01/12/2024 - 11:32Ready to Fight: 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.
Faculty at Second City Poised to Go on Strike: "The Chicago Federation of Labor said the faculty, music directors, and facilitators at Second City voted to join the Association of International Comedy Educators in 2021. The union said Second City leadership walked away from the table in December after three years of bargaining."
IATSE President: Workers 'Ready to Fight' in Upcoming Contract Talks with Studios: "IATSE international president Matthew Loeb did not rule out a potential 2024 crew strike when several of his union’s contracts come due this year in an appearance on Tuesday. 'Nothing is off the table, and we’re not going to give up our strength and our ability because they [studios] think they sapped us and everybody’s bank account got sapped because they were unreasonable for months and months,' asserted the crew union leader of his organization’s upcoming basic agreement negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, set to start in early March. 'My folks aren’t going to just settle.'"
Video Game Workers Need to Further Unionize in 2024: "2023 was great for gamers. An incredible amount of fantastic new video games were released, like Baldur’s Gate 3, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and far too many more to list. Many have called it the best year for video games in over a decade. However, as several media commentators have already pointed out, the year was also a terrible one for the people who make video games. Over 10,000 people were estimated to have been laid off in the video game industry over the past year, about 10 times the amount of layoffs in 2022."
Employees, Not ‘Independent Contractors’: Labor Department Cracks Down on Bosses’ Misclassification Abuse: "The AFL-CIO praised the new curbs on independent contractors when DOL issued its draft of this new rule this past October. 'By restoring commonsense rules to determine who is an employee, and making it harder for employers to intentionally misclassify their employees as independent contractors, DOL’s announcement will increase protections and expand benefits to so many working people who have been subjected to corporate work-arounds,' federation President Liz Shuler said."
Ascension Union Now More Than 1,000 Nurses Strong: "National Nurses United grew this week after 96% of nurses voted in 225 new members to the Ascension Seton nurses’ union. Those 225 join 825 already unionized nurses who have been negotiating a contract with Ascension since they unionized with 72% of nurses voting in favor in the fall of 2022. Crucially, the new members are residents and fellows, who were previously barred from joining."
Millions of Gig Workers Could Qualify as Employees Under New Biden Rule: "Millions of gig workers, janitors, home-care workers, construction workers and truckers could be considered employees rather than independent contractors under a final rule announced Tuesday by the Labor Department. The rule effectively expands the reach of federal labor laws that require employers to extend certain benefits and protections to workers classified as employees. Those include the right to the minimum wage, overtime pay, unemployment insurance and Social Security benefits—which employers are not required to provide to independent contractors. The rule will '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,' acting labor secretary Julie Su told reporters on a call Monday."
New Jersey Labor Movement Has Record Number of Union Members Sworn into the Legislature: "Today is the beginning of the new legislative session and the New Jersey State Labor Movement made history. The 2024/2025 Legislature will have a total of nine union members serving. They are State Senators Vin Gopal (IBEW Local 400), Paul Moriarty (SAG-AFTRA), Troy Singleton (UBC) and Latham Tiver (IUOE Local 825). In the Assembly are Wayne DeAngelo (IBEW Local 269), Christian Barranco (IBEW Local 102), Kevin Egan (IBEW Local 456), William Sampson (ILA) and Anthony Verrelli (UBC)."
Workplace Fatalities Up 5.7% in 2022: "'Every workplace fatality represents a family member who will never return home after a shift. An empty chair at the dinner table that never again will be filled. A loss that ripples through entire communities,' AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler said, 'We cannot and will not accept these tragedies as inevitable. Workplace deaths are preventable, but unchecked employers blame workers and treat people as disposable.'"
Las Vegas Hospitality Worker Unions Set Feb. 2 Strike Deadline: "Unions representing hospitality workers in Las Vegas said on Monday they will ask their 7,700 members to go on a strike on Feb. 2, if they do not have a labor contract by then. The Culinary Workers and Bartenders Unions are engaged in contract negotiations with 21 casino resorts in Las Vegas. The unions warned that they might launch targeted strikes sooner at individual properties if contract negotiations break down ahead of the strike deadline."
Twin Cities Postal Workers Rally Over Reported Spike in Targeted Robberies, Assaults: "Letter carriers for the United States Postal Service say violent crimes—namely assaults and robberies—against them have been through the roof in recent years. Union leadership for the National Association of Letter Carriers at a rally on the steps of Minneapolis’ central post office on Sunday said U.S. Postal Inspection Service data shows there have been 2,000 attacks against letter carriers across the country since 2020."
NLRB Complaint Alleges Lucid Fired Employees for Union Effort: "A federal labor regulator has filed a complaint against electric vehicle maker Lucid, accusing the company of firing two employees who supported a United Auto Workers union organizing effort at the company. The complaint was filed Tuesday by a regional director of the National Labor Relations Board in Arizona, who investigated the claim about the firings early last year. It was disclosed by the agency late Thursday."
IBEW Local 98 and Building Trades Announce The Superhero Project as Charity Partner for 2024 All Star Labor Classic: "The Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council has set a fundraising goal of $200,000 for the 2024 All Star Labor Classic, which would be the largest charitable donation the Superhero Project has ever received. This year’s showcase of the region’s best high school basketball players will be played on Sunday, April 14th at Holy Family University in Northeast Philadelphia."
At Least Five States Are Considering Requiring Full Minimum Wages for Tip Earners This Year: "Five states are deciding this year whether to ditch the practice of paying workers who earn tips less than the minimum wage. And activists say they’re bringing that fight to at least as many others, framing it as a key cost-of-living issue in an election year. Ballot measures pending in Michigan, Arizona, Ohio and Massachusetts, and a bill being reintroduced in Connecticut would eliminate a longstanding two-tiered pay system for tip-earning hourly workers like restaurant servers and bartenders, who earn a lower 'subminimum' wage than their nontipped counterparts. Only seven states already pay a single minimum wage regardless of tips. While more than two dozen others have raised subminimum pay for tip earners above the federal $2.13-an-hour floor—a rate last increased in 1991—those workers still earn less in base pay than their states’ minimum wage."
Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 01/12/2024 - 08:22Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Washington Conservation Action Staff Celebrates 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.
Washington Conservation Action (WCA) and Evergreen Workers Union (EWU) finalized a two-year contract. The EWU members, represented by the Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 7800, voted to organize in August 2021. WCA leadership voluntarily recognized the union and the agreement was ratified on Oct. 11, 2023.
“This is an exciting step forward, not only for us, but for Washington’s environmental, labor, and progressive movement as a whole. By coming together in solidarity, we are organized to fight for a more just, equitable, and sustainable future,” the EWU said. “We are glad to conclude the bargaining process and look forward to our contract advancing the organization’s commitment towards fairness, diversity, transparency, and a livable planet. The collective bargaining agreement is significant in its institution of policies that further promote justice, equity and inclusion not just within Washington Conservation Action, but also the labor movement at-large.”
Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 01/12/2024 - 08:19Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Giant and Safeway Workers in the DMV Area Ratify Strong, New Contracts
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 2,000 members of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 400 who work at Giant and Safeway stores in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia ratified new contracts that strengthen wages and protect benefits. The four-year contracts include average pay increases over four years of 24%, no increases in health care costs over the next four years, improved language on minimum hours for part-timers, pensions and safety, and other benefits. Members at Giant Food voted 1,340-266 and members at Safeway voted 761–131 in favor of ratifying the agreements.
Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 01/11/2024 - 10:32