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Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Avatar VFX Workers Vote to Organize

AFL-CIO - Thu, 02/01/2024 - 07:57
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Avatar VFX Workers Vote to Organize

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.

Visual effects (VFX) artists who work on James Cameron’s "Avatar" movies voted to join the Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE). These workers include creatures costume leads, environment artists and workers in the stage, environments, render, post viz, sequence, turn over and kabuki departments. The unit doesn't include workers at contracted vendors who create VFX for "Avatar," such as those who work at Weta FX.

“I could not be more proud of my fellow visual effects workers on the 'Avatar' sequels for standing together to secure our right to collectively bargain for more equitable compensation and benefits,” post vis coordinator Patrick DeVaney said in a statement.

Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 02/01/2024 - 09:57

USW on Black History Month: We must all take action to ensure the survival of our democracy

Steelworker News - Thu, 02/01/2024 - 07:16

Contact: Chelsey Engel, cengel@usw.org, 412-212-8173 

(Pittsburgh) -- USW International President Dave McCall and Vice President of Human Affairs Kevin Mapp issued the following statement in honor of Black History Month:

“Black History Month is observed every February to recognize the many contributions Black Americans have made to our country’s culture and progress. But it is vital to remember that honoring Black history also requires fighting for a just future.

“Now, more than ever, the labor movement must be proactive in the battle against extremist attempts to thrust our country backward in time.

“We encourage USW activists to get involved in securing our democracy by joining voter outreach programs, volunteering at the polls, and educating our communities about issues impacting Black workers and families.

“We also invite all union members to attend this year’s USW Civil and Human Rights Conference, which will be held in Detroit, Mich., on June 9-12. We must all play our part in ensuring the survival of our values of equality, freedom, and dignity for all.”

The USW represents 850,000 workers employed in health care, metals, mining, pulp and paper, rubber, chemicals, glass, auto supply and the energy-producing industries, along with a growing number of workers in public sector, higher education, tech and service occupations.

Labor Activists Honor Dr. King, Strategize for the Future in Montgomery

USW Blog - Wed, 01/31/2024 - 10:27

More than 800 union activists, including members of the USW, gathered in Montgomery, Ala., for the 2024 AFL-CIO Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Civil and Human Rights Conference on Jan. 12-14.

This year’s conference was titled “Our Voice, Our Ballot, Our Future” in honor of Dr. King’s vision for collective action to safeguard the pillars of our democracy.

Keynotes and panels focused on topics including organizing the South, advocating for LGBTQ+ workers, and fighting for democracy in state legislatures. Conference members also enjoyed remarks from Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su.

Herm Santana, who serves as chair of the Civil and Human Rights Committee at Local 12775 in Indiana, said that the most impactful event of the conference for him was touring the Legacy Museum, which is located on the site of a cotton warehouse where enslaved Black people were forced to labor in bondage. The museum tells the story of slavery in America and its legacy through interactive media, first-person narratives, world-class art, and other exhibits.

“I saw images there that I don't think I will ever forget,” said Santana. “I am a Puerto Rican man, and while my culture is known for being mixed and all encompassing, it was a vivid reminder of why civil and human rights affects us all.”

Maggie Gamboa, who serves as grievance chair for Local 7600 in Southern California, was also incredibly moved by her tour of the museum as well as by attending a workshop on the struggles of migrant workers.

As the child of immigrants, Gamboa is well aware of the many obstacles the community faces, and her time at the conference reinstated her commitment to solidarity.

“At the end of the day, our battles extend past your specific job, background, or history,” she said. “There are so many willing to break us and keep us separated, which is why it is so important to educate our youth on the past so it doesn’t get repeated.”

Click here to view videos from the MLK Conference.

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Wellesley Non-Tenure-Track Faculty and Postdoctoral Scholars Win Union

AFL-CIO - Wed, 01/31/2024 - 08:22
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Wellesley Non-Tenure-Track Faculty and Postdoctoral Scholars Win Union

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.

Faculty on term appointments, instructors in science laboratories and postdoctoral scholars at Wellesley College in Massachusetts voted by an overwhelming majority to form the Wellesley Organized Academic Workers-UAW. The unit will represent approximately 125 workers.

“The non-tenure-track faculty teach 40% of the classes at Wellesley and the vast majority of us identify as women. Yet our salaries are too low to live independently in the Boston area,” said Erin Battat, a lecturer in the writing program. “I look forward to negotiating a strong contract that reflects Wellesley's core values of gender equality and being a community in which each member thrives. Together we'll make Wellesley a better place to teach, learn, and grow.”

Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 01/31/2024 - 10:22

Update on ATI Pension Annuitization

USW Blog - Tue, 01/30/2024 - 12:13

As you know, ATI has annuitized the pensions of more than 4,000 USW retirees. ATI alerted the USW of this plan on Oct. 17, 2023, less than 24-hours before issuing a news release on the morning of Oct. 18, 2023.

Annuitizing, also known as “derisking” pensions, has become more common. The USW requested more information from ATI regarding the transfer to Athene.

Lawyers from our Legal Department and from an outside firm that has represented the union in numerous pension cases are conducting a complete review of the annuitization to make sure all retirees’ rights are protected.

While we are still waiting for ATI to provide additional information so that we can then meet and discuss this further, the company confirmed that all participants should be receiving monthly payments with no additional action required.

We do not want any retirees or surviving spouses to miss a payment of a pension benefit they earned.

To date we are unaware of anyone not receiving payments due to them because of the annuitization.

Please notify the District 10 Office immediately, regardless of the facility you retired from if your payment is not made or you receive an incorrect amount. The District 10 Office telephone number is (412) 824-8140.

This issue applies solely to ATI retirees and does not impact any current ATI employees.

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: United Campus Workers of Virginia Lobby at State Capitol

AFL-CIO - Mon, 01/29/2024 - 07:46
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 - 09:46

A Sense of Urgency: The Working People Weekly List

AFL-CIO - Fri, 01/26/2024 - 09:17
A 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 - 11:17

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: NewsGuild Reaches Two-Year Agreement with Indianapolis Star

AFL-CIO - Fri, 01/26/2024 - 08:29
Service & 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 - 10:29

Wasiura on Leslie Marshall Show: Unions Build Strong Communities

USW Blog - Fri, 01/26/2024 - 07:31

USW District 4 Director Dave Wasiura this week appeared on the Leslie Marshall Show to discuss the positive impact unions and union members make on their communities as they help reduce economic inequality and advance worker-friendly policies that have widespread benefits.

“Unions give workers a voice in shaping their communities,” said Wasiura. “That includes increased civic engagement and more focused political power for working families. It's a win win-win all-around.”

Wasiura cited nurses at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, N.J., who were on an unfair labor practice strike for nearly five months last year. Their primary concerns centered not on wages, but on safer staffing ratios designed to protect both nurses and their patients.

“The labor dispute really came down to community, and how nurses could best continue providing top quality care for their patients over the long term,” Wasiura said.

“This wasn't about their personal interests or bettering themselves; it was, ‘I need more help on my job, so I can help people and save their lives.’”

Wasiura said the nurses fought to ensure they were safe at work and had the help they needed, so patients could be seen quickly and properly.

The USW is also using its deep community roots and relationships with federal agencies to help workers in Puerto Rico as they grapple with the recent privatization of their power grid.

“We are working together to rebuild the infrastructure for the power grid to make sure that every corner of the island is being touched by this renewal and sustainability of power, not just in the larger cities,” Wasiura said.

“We go to work every day for eight to 10 hours – sometimes longer,” said Wasiura. “We want those workplaces to be as safe and as healthy as possible.”

The full interview is available below.

Listen to "How Unions Help Communities" on Spreaker.

Worker Wins: Fighting for Worker Power

AFL-CIO - Thu, 01/25/2024 - 08:19
Worker 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

AFL-CIO - Thu, 01/25/2024 - 07:54
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 - 09:54

USW Congratulates Goodyear Workers, U.S. Lawmakers on Union Victory in Mexico

Steelworker News - Wed, 01/24/2024 - 09:44

Contact: Ben Davis, 412-562-2501, bdavis@usw.org

(Pittsburgh) – The United Steelworkers union (USW) today congratulated the Independent Union of Workers of Goodyear Mexico (SITGM) in San Luis Potosí on their successful negotiation of a collective bargaining agreement that brings their members under the coverage of Mexico’s industry-wide contract (contrato ley).

The contract will significantly increase wages, benefits and job security for the workers, who had been illegally excluded from the industry-wide contract since the plant opened in 2018.

“Fair contracts and a strong, democratically elected labor movement in Mexico benefit workers across North America,” said USW Vice President Emil Ramirez, who leads USW bargaining with Goodyear. “This deal will help close the gap between USW members and their Mexican counterparts, slowing the race to the bottom on wages and working conditions that hurts us all.”

After the company-installed CTM union was caught on security cameras stealing a ballot box in a previous vote, Goodyear was forced to negotiate with the SITGM as a result of a complaint filed under the Rapid Response Labor Mechanism of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). This led to an election in August that the Independent Union won by a vote of 899-30.

“The USW thanks the members of Congress who supported Goodyear workers in Mexico over the past six years and in particular Sen. Sherrod Brown, who worked tirelessly on their behalf,” said USW Rubber and Plastics Industry Conference Chair Kevin Johnsen.

“We also appreciate the Biden administration’s hard work on this case, especially the leadership and staff of the United States Department of Labor and the Office of the United States Trade Representative, as well as the actions of Mexican authorities who contributed to a positive outcome.”

The USW represents 850,000 workers in metals, mining, pulp and paper, rubber, chemicals, glass, auto supply and the energy-producing industries, along with a growing number of workers in health care, public sector, higher education, tech and service occupations.

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Support a Fair Contract for WGAE Members at Onion Inc.

AFL-CIO - Wed, 01/24/2024 - 07:28
Service & 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 - 09:28

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Politico and E&E News Staffers Win First Contract

AFL-CIO - Tue, 01/23/2024 - 07:57
Service & 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 - 09:57

AFL-CIO: Reproductive Rights Are Worker Rights

AFL-CIO - Mon, 01/22/2024 - 12:33
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 - 14:33

Union Members Help People: The Working People Weekly List

AFL-CIO - Mon, 01/22/2024 - 06:51
Union 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 - 08:51

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Baton Rouge Paratransit Drivers Secure First Union Contract

AFL-CIO - Mon, 01/22/2024 - 06:49
Service & 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 - 08:49

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: More Cannabis Workers in New Jersey Join UFCW Local 152

AFL-CIO - Fri, 01/19/2024 - 06:56
Service & 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 - 08:56

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Registered Nurses at Northern Maine Medical Center Vote Overwhelmingly to Join MSNA/NNOC

AFL-CIO - Thu, 01/18/2024 - 06:18
Service & 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 - 08:18

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: University of Oregon Graduate Students Reach Tentative Agreement, Avoiding Strike

AFL-CIO - Wed, 01/17/2024 - 07:29
Service & 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 - 09:29

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