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Members of the USW 3M Council began their Jan. 25 meeting mapping out a strategy for combating the chemical company’s attempts to change the pension structure they believe may be coming given a recent announcement regarding nonunion workers. 

3M announced in early January that it will freeze U.S. pension plans for nonunion employees, effective Dec. 31, 2028.

 USW International Secretary-Treasurer John Shinn, who oversees bargaining in the chemical sector, said that the situation starkly illustrates the benefits of forming a union and collectively bargaining a contract, namely that that management cannot unilaterally alter or eliminate benefits for USW members.

“We expect that 3M will likely try making changes to our members’ pensions in future negotiations, and we are going to have to be organized and have a well-planned campaign,” said Shinn.

Facing Down Other Changes

The group also addressed strategy around other proposed changes.

Members at multiple 3M locations are dealing with the company’s attempts to alter contractual overtime premium payments, with USW now hiring attorneys to handle arbitration at Cottage Grove. The changes primarily impact anyone who works a rotating shift or 12-hour shifts.

“We’re going to tell the company they can’t just jam changes down our throat,” said Shinn. “They have to work with us.”

Meanwhile, at the Tonawanda facility in New York, contract negotiations were nearing completion when 3M handed over a 150-page benefits book that included massive changes. At the time of the council meeting, the bargaining committee was hard at work reviewing the book and submitting their comments. 

The Tonawanda team is also hoping to make headway on a health and safety proposal as part of the union’s sector-wide plan to improve conditions at all USW-represented chemical facilities.

The 3M Council plans to meet in-person this April. Stay tuned for announcements regarding a date and location.

Click here to download this Action Call as a PDF

 New Hampshire Steelworkers:
We Showed Up in Force in January, We Need You Again 

Back in January, we asked you to show up at the statehouse and voice your opposition to House Bill 1377-FN, this year’s House version of so-called Right-to-Work (RTW), and you delivered! Now, we need your help again.

Next Wednesday, the House Labor Committee will be holding another public hearing, and they need to hear from us. 

So-called RTW is deliberately designed to make it harder for unions to help workers negotiate with their employers for better pay and working conditions. It deprives unions of the resources they need to organize and provide basic services to the workers they represent.

Backers of these laws claim they protect employees’ freedoms, but we know better. So-called RTW laws are nothing more than an attempt by corporate special interest groups to weaken unions or even go as far to abolish unions altogether—they couldn’t care less about the freedom of New Hampshire’s workers. 

Here are two ways you can join the fight! 

1. Come to Concord February 7th! 
   Time: 9:30 AM 
   Location: Legislative Office Building, Room 307 
   New Hampshire State Capitol 
   107 N Main St, Concord, NH 03301 
2. Tell the House Labor Committee that so-called Right to Work is WRONG for New Hampshire. 

 To sign in to register your position on a bill and/or submit testimony, click HERE. 

1. After clicking the link, fill in the content boxes with your first and last name, as well as your town, state, and email address. 
2. Select the date of the hearing on the calendar (2/7), by clicking on the relevant date. 
3. In the drop box below "Select the Committee," select House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services 
4. In the drop box below "Choose the Bill," select 9:30 AM - HB 1377 
5. Select the appropriate option for the "I am" drop box (likely "Member of the Public") 
6. Fill in the content box under "I'm Representing" with the business, organization, or group you are representing. If you are representing yourself only, write "myself." 
7. Under the “Indicate Your Position on this Bill,” check the circle that says "I Oppose this Bill" 
8. If you wish to speak during the hearing to present your testimony, you will need to attend in person at the State House, but you may upload your testimony if you cannot attend. 
9. If you wish to submit testimony on the bill, click the “Choose File” button to upload the testimony file from your computer. 
10. Once you have reviewed that the information that you have entered is accurate, click the “Submit” button at the bottom of the webpage. 

In the past, both democrats and republicans have come together and agreed RTW has no place in New Hampshire. We need that kind of solidary with workers once again. 

 For more information on this issue or how you can get more involved with Rapid Response, please contact District 4 Rapid Response Coordinator, Mark McDonald at mmcdonald@usw.org. 

Having Our Hard Work Respected: 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.

Growing in the Cannabis Industry: “Those of you who follow our updates a little more closely than the average partner might have noticed that over the past year or more, we’ve talked a lot about our successes in organizing in one particular industry: legal cannabis. In January, I was fortunate enough to attend one of our first ever bargaining sessions with a cannabis employer. As we continue to grow by leaps and abounds in this industry—we have yet another election in just over a week—I think it’s time we discussed it in detail so anyone with questions can understand why there’s been a strong focus on these workers.”

Workers at José Andrés’ The Bazaar Say They Want to Form Union: “Workers at José Andrés’ flashy D.C. restaurant The Bazaar have announced their intention to form a union with Unite Here Local 25. The union announcement did not say how many employees would be included, but the restaurant has a large staff. The union said it would include a range of jobs, including hosts, food runners, cooks, waiters, bartenders and more. Bloomberg reports it would cover about 140 employees. The union says a ‘supermajority’ of employees supported the move. It seeks management to voluntarily recognize their union.”

U.S. ‘Avatar’ Workers Vote to Unionize in Boost for VFX Organizing Effort: “U.S.-based visual effects artists who help bring James Cameron’s 'Avatar' epics to life have voted to unionize in a National Labor Relations Board election. Of an eligible 88 workers at Walt Disney Studios subsidiary TCF U.S. Productions 27 Inc., who assist with productions for Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment, 57 voted to join the union and 19 voted against, while two ballots were void. These workers include creatures costume leads and environment artists as well as others in the stage, environments, render, post viz, sequence, turn over and kabuki departments.”

Chicago Tribune’s Unionized Newsroom Staff to Go on Historic 24-Hour Strike Thursday: ‘Enough Is Enough’: “In what’s believed to be a first in Chicago newspaper history, reporters and other newsroom staffers at the Chicago Tribune plan to go on strike Thursday, joining hundreds of other Tribune Publishing employees in a nationwide action after years of contract negotiations. More than 200 journalists and production workers at seven newsrooms across the country are participating in the 24-hour strike to demand fair wages and that management not eliminate their 401(k) match benefits, according to a news release from The NewsGuild-CWA, which represents the employees.”

The Onion Union Reaches Tentative Deal with Management, Averting Strike: “A strike has been averted at The Onion and several of its sister publications, at least for now. Hours before their current labor agreement was set to expire, The Onion union—representing staffers at The Onion, Onion Labs, The A.V. Club, Deadspin and The Takeout—reached a tentative deal on a new contract with owners G/O Media. According to union, affiliated with the Writers Guild of America East, the new agreement ‘made important gains in wages and workplace protections.’ No other details were immediately available.”

Culinary Union Reaches Deal with Plaza, 13 Resorts Still Without Contracts: “The Culinary Union said a tentative new five-year contract has been reached with the Plaza in downtown Las Vegas. News of the deal came in early Wednesday morning. The union says the agreement covers about 250 hospitality workers. This comes just hours after Culinary announced a tentative agreement with Treasure Island on the Las Vegas Strip.”

Advocacy Group for Retirees Endorses Biden in Re-Election Bid: “A grassroots group advocating for retired Americans endorsed President Biden in his re-election bid Tuesday, citing his accomplishments that have benefitted seniors during his first term in office. The board of the Alliance for Retired Americans (ARA), a nonprofit group with more than 4 million members founded by the AFL-CIO, voted Tuesday to make the endorsement official, according to a release provided exclusively to The Hill.”

Duke Raleigh Hospital Maintenance Workers Vote to Join a Union: “‘We’re just trying to provide for our families, be treated fairly, and have our hard work respected,’ said Duke Raleigh worker Corey Brown in a press release from the state AFL-CIO. ‘People have kids, houses, and lives at stake, and before the hospital could do pretty much whatever they wanted. Now we will have the power to secure our future together.’”

Pitt Graduate Workers Request Union Recognition: “Graduate workers at Pitt are asking for voluntary recognition of their union, claiming majority support for collective bargaining. Hundreds of graduate workers, United Steelworkers organizers and unaffiliated supporters gathered on the first floor of the Cathedral of Learning Tuesday to deliver a letter to Chancellor Joan Gabel with a request.”

Union Members Secure Wage Increases at West Michigan Harding's Stores: “Union workers at Harding's stores in Hartford voted to ratify a new contract Friday. Members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 951, or UFCW, voted on Jan. 26 in favor of a three-year agreement for Harding's Store #965 that would feature significant wage increases for employees.”

Columbus Museum of Art Becomes First Ohio Museum to Ratify Union Contract: “The Columbus Museum of Art announced Tuesday it has ratified its first contract with AFSCME Ohio Council 8. The museum is the first in Ohio to ratify a union contract. Brooke Minto, the museum's executive director and CEO, said in a released statement, ‘The Columbus Museum of Art is happy to have reached its first collective bargaining agreement with AFSCME Ohio Council 8. This commitment signifies a mutual desire between both parties to achieve an agreement that is both equitable for our colleagues and economically viable for the organization.’”

Biden Orders U.S. Contractors to Reveal Salary Ranges in Job Ads: “The Biden administration plans to require companies with federal government contracts to disclose expected salary ranges in job postings, as part of a broader effort to boost race and gender pay equity. U.S. contractors, as well as federal agencies, will also be prohibited from using a job applicant’s compensation history to set their starting pay. ‘These new actions adopt commonsense policies that will help pay millions of workers fairly, close gender and racial wage gaps, and yield tangible benefits for the federal government and federal contractors,’ President Joe Biden said in a statement coinciding with the 15th anniversary of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. That law overturned a U.S. Supreme Court decision that restricted when workers could file pay discrimination complaints.”

Brown Prepared to Voluntarily Recognize Postdoc Union Pending Signature Validation: “The University will recognize the Brown Postdoc Labor Organization—the first dedicated union on campus for postdoctoral researchers and Dean’s Faculty Fellows—provided the signatories in BPLO’s petition for unionization are validated by federal mediators. BPLO filed a representation petition with the National Labor Relations board Dec. 28, roughly three weeks after they announced their intention to unionize. In administering the petition, organizers seek to demonstrate that they have enough support to form a union, according to Caroline Keroack, a postdoctoral research associate and BPLO organizer.”

Sports Illustrated Union Files Labor Grievance Over Mass Layoffs: “The union representing the staff of Sports Illustrated filed an unfair labor practice charge against the magazine’s publisher, alleging it engaged in illegal union-busting tactics when it sent layoff notices to all of the unionized staff, according to a copy of the complaint reviewed by The Washington Post. According to the complaint, the NewsGuild alleges Arena fired employees because of their ‘support of the Union engagement in Union activities and/or engagement in other protected activities.’”

500 Nurses at Chicago Area Hospital Plan Third Strike Since August: “Hundreds of nurses at a hospital in Joliet could be walking off the job again next week. The 500 union nurses at Ascension Saint Joseph in Joliet notified the hospital on Monday they plan to walk off the job for two days on Feb. 8 and 9. The same nurses also went on strike twice last year—in August and November—amid a contract standoff with management. The nurses said they're upset Ascension has implemented the terms of its ‘last, best and final’ contract offer, which the union rejected in December, claiming it failed to deal with their concerns over staffing.”

WSU’S Coalition of Academic Student Employees Ratifies Its First Contract: “At academic institutions nationwide, student workers continue to organize. Student staff at Washington State University are the latest to get a big win. The Coalition of Academic Student Employees has ratified its first union contract. With the agreement, student employees will get paid vacation for the first time, as well as earn six weeks of paid parental leave.”

Local Transit Union Members Are Near-Unanimous in Vote to Strike for Better Wages: “Bus drivers, mechanics and other members of the transit union voted to authorize a strike as they seek better pay and more safeguards in a new contract with their employer. Union members were able to vote through 6 a.m. on Friday. We've now learned the majority of those union members voted to strike rather than accept the latest contract offer from Transdev, which runs our public bus system for the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada.”

Down East Community Hospital Nurses Rally for Improved Working Conditions and Patient Safety: “Nurses and technicians at Down East Community Hospital are holding rallies this weekend to call attention to the chronic staffing shortage at the facility that they say is a safety issue. They're part of the Maine State Nurses Association and have been bargaining for a new contract since last September.”

Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 02/05/2024 - 14:12

Black History Month Profiles: Vonda Wilkins

This year, for Black History Month, we're taking a look at a group of leaders who are currently active making Black history across the labor movement. Check back daily for a new profile and meet some of the people working to improve not only their community, but also to improve conditions for working people across the country. Today's profile is Vonda Wilkins of the Communications Workers of America (CWA).

Vonda Wilkins is a proud union member and area vice president from CWA Local 7019 in Phoenix. Wilkins worked with other CWA members to successfully demand that her employer, Lumen Technologies, designate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a paid holiday for all employees. A member of the CWA national committee on Civil Rights & Equity, she has also facilitated training on how to build an anti-racist union. Wilkins' involvement in her union and other community groups is a testament to her unwavering dedication to social justice.

Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 02/05/2024 - 10:21

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Culinary Union Reaches Tentative Agreement with Downtown Grand Las Vegas; Strike Averted

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 UNITE HERE Culinary Union reached a tentative agreement on a new five-year contract with the Downtown Grand Hotel & Casino for nearly 200 hospitality workers. The contract took more than two years to fully achieve and there were thousands of workers who participated in rallies, protests, civil disobedience, picketing, surveys, picket sign making, strike voting, and delegations inside the properties. The contract secures historic protections and significant wage increases.

Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 02/05/2024 - 10:05

Contact: Jess Kamm Broomell, (412) 562-2444, jkamm@usw.org

(PITTSBURGH) – United Steelworkers (USW) International President David McCall today issued the following statement as workers continue to fight to enforce their contracts with U.S. Steel and protect the domestic steel industry:

“Steel is vital to our national security and critical infrastructure, and USW members are proud to manufacture some of the highest quality products in the world.

“Unfortunately, the proposed sale agreement between Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel puts our members’ and our nation’s interests in jeopardy.

“Today we received personal assurances that President Joe Biden has our backs. He’s always been a friend to the American worker and our union, and we’re grateful he’s taking an interest in this matter.

“It’s essential that we continue to safeguard our domestic steelmaking capacity, and we appreciate the president’s ongoing commitment to revitalizing our critical supply chains and rebuilding our nation’s economic strength.”

The USW represents 850,000 workers employed 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.

Economy Gains 353,000 Jobs in January; Unemployment Unchanged at 3.7%

The U.S. economy gained 353,000 jobs in January, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 3.7%, according to figures released Friday morning by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

January's biggest job gains were in professional and business services (+74,000), health care (+70,000), retail trade (+45,000), social assistance (+30,000), manufacturing (+23,000), government (+36,000), and information (+15,000). Employment declined in mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction (-5,000). Employment showed little change over the month in other major industries, including construction, wholesale trade, transportation and warehousing, financial activities, leisure and hospitality, and other services.

Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rates for teenagers (10.6%), Black Americans (5.3%), Hispanics (5.0%), adult men (3.6%), White Americans (3.4%), adult women (3.2%), and Asian Americans (2.9%), showed little or no change in January.

The number of long-term unemployed workers (those jobless for 27 weeks or longer) was little changed in January and accounted for 20.8% of the total number of people unemployed.

Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 02/02/2024 - 11:07

Black History Month Profiles: Kayleen Williams

This year, for Black History Month, we're taking a look at a group of leaders who are currently active making Black history across the labor movement. Check back daily for a new profile and meet some of the people working to improve not only their community, but also to improve conditions for working people across the country. Today's profile is Kayleen Williams of OPEIU.

Kayleen Williams is an executive board member and longtime steward of OPEIU Local 11 who has worked at NW Natural for more than 40 years. “Black History Month means honoring those ancestors who have gone before you, whether it’s Martin Luther King Jr., Henry Louis Gates, Malcolm X, Frederick Douglass or Fannie Lou Hamer.” With her union, she said, “You don’t fight alone, you fight as one body. The words ‘in solidarity’ mean something—it means you fight together, you stand together.”

Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 02/02/2024 - 11:00

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: 400 Workers at Auto Supplier Antolin Vote Overwhelmingly to Join UAW

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.

Nearly 400 workers at Antolin Interiors USA in Howell, Michigan, voted overwhelmingly to join International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) Local 163. The workers, who make instrument panels and door panels for Ford, General Motors, Stellantis and Paccar, organized to stand united and have a voice against management as a whole, to be on common ground, to work together rather than against each other and to gain more respect.

“Our organizing efforts at Antolin Howell have been successful. Our members chose to organize after many losses to the company,” said James Matheny, a materials worker. “We lose eight hours per week of our weekly total if we have a day off or even a holiday. Favoritism is rampant and policy is manipulated. We are now union brothers and sisters. We can fight for a fair contract and work with the company, so we all succeed!” 

Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 02/02/2024 - 10:43

Our tax dollars should not be used to subsidize union busting!

Click here for a printable PDF of this Info Alert.

A majority of Americans would join a union right now if they could, and working people across all sectors of the economy are organizing like never before. As a matter of fact, recent polling data shows that seventy-one percent of Americans support unions, the highest level in nearly 60 years, with eighty-eight percent of young people showing support for unions. People are fed up with an economy forcing them to swim upstream, working two jobs or more, just to make a decent living. Unions are the best tool we have as a working class to change the status quo. That’s why they are coming after us by drafting Georgia Senate Bill 362.

Senate Bill 362:

• Rewards Union Busting – SB 362 prohibits any businesses that receive state subsidies from voluntarily recognizing a union if workers have demonstrated majority support in their workplace. This could force workers into an unnecessary election to once again prove support leaving the employer more opportunity to bust the union. It quite literally awards businesses for being anti-union.
• Violates Federal Labor Law – Voluntary recognition of a union is protected by the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). These protections and prohibitions cannot be circumvented by state legislation and would subject the state (and its taxpayers) to years of costly litigation, all so the policy can be ultimately struck down by the courts.
• Discourages Economic Growth – SB 362 ties the hands of businesses that want to locate in Georgia in the future, driving some to other states that will not condition economic development support on how a business chooses to conduct their labor relations. The bill would impact all businesses receiving state funding, including those in USW represented sectors.

When workers are asking for basic rights and are supported by the employer, the state government stepping in to ban that recognition simultaneously harms workers AND takes away individual freedoms for business owners. Stay tuned to Rapid Response in the coming days to find out how you can help us push back on SB 362.

For additional information, please contact District 9 Rapid Response Coordinator, Shane Mitchell at smitchell@usw.org or 256-239-9981.

Click here for a printable PDF of this Info Alert.

What is HB160 you ask?

HB160 is a bipartisan bill that would require a standardized workplace posting that includes basic information about veterans’ benefits and programs available to them. Our nation is home to nearly 16 million veterans of the Armed Forces. Many have come home and entered the civilian workforce in a variety of occupations and industries. We’re extra proud of those who are USW members.

Both our state and nation have shown through policymaking that we respect and honor the patriotic service of our Veterans, and their families, by ensuring the existence of programs to assist in education and training, job placement, health care, and more. These programs help to ease the transition back into civilian life and ensure that families and communities are supported after giving selflessly for our country.

Postings will include the following information on programs and benefits:

• The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Crisis Line;
• Contact and website information for the Executive Office of Veterans' Services and the Department of Veterans' Services;
• Information about substance abuse and mental health treatment resources;
• Educational, workforce and training resources;
• Resources for tax benefits information;
• Information about obtaining a veteran’s indicator on a state driver’s license or identification card;
• Information about eligibility for unemployment insurance benefits under state or federal law;
• Legal services

Requiring a standardized workplace posting would make it easier on our vets to get the information for available programs and benefits.

HB160 has passed the Virginia State House. USW members Vince Harris, Veterans of Steel Chair at Local 8888, and Luke McCann also of Local 8888, shared their stories by testifying in the Labor and Commerce Sub Committee Hearing, reinforcing how critical our voices are in these fights!

There is still more work to be done!

Stay tuned for future action to get HB160 passed in the Virginia State Senate.

 For additional questions about this issue or ways to get involved in Rapid Response, contact Chad Conley,
USW District 8 Rapid Response Coordinator, at (606) 465-6862 or cconley@usw.org

Black History Month: A Reading List

This Black History Month, we at the AFL-CIO want to recognize that Black history is not a separate history; it’s not a single month. Black history is also America’s history, and it’s America’s labor history, too.

Black workers have always been a crucial part of the fight for justice in the labor movement, from helping to organize the meatpacking industry to the Pullman strike to the sanitation workers striking in Memphis, Tennessee. 

So this month, we celebrate great labor leaders like A. Philip Randolph, Hattie Canty, Bayard Rustin, Arlene Holt Baker and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who won historic victories for Black working people.  

But Black history is not just the past—it’s also the present. It’s also Black joy. It’s a celebration of culture and community. It’s coming together to fight for freedom and justice. 

That’s why we’ll be celebrating a new generation of Black labor leaders and activists as well, featuring workers from across the country. And it’s why labor will always be on the front lines of fighting against racism in the workplace and systemic racism and exploitation in our economic system. 

To that, our Civil, Human and Women’s Rights Department has put together a list of recommended reading for the month—and we’re making it easy for you to support Black authors and to buy union-made. We’ve sourced each book and linked to some union bookstore choices where you can order it online. 

• South to America - Imani Perry
• Until I Am Free: Fannie Lou Hamer's Enduring Message to America - Keisha Blain
• Walking the Way of Harriet Tubman: Public Mystic and Freedom Fighter - Therese Taylor-Stinson
• You Mean It or You Don't: James Baldwin's Radical Challenge - Jamie McGhee and Adam Hollowell
• Black Folk: The Roots of the Black Working Class - Blair Kelley Ph.D
• Stony the Road: Reconstruction, White Supremacy, and the Rise of Jim Crow - Henry Louis Gates Jr.
• To Shape a New World: Essays on the Political Philosophy of Martin Luther King, Jr. - Edited by Tommie Shelby and Brandon M. Terry
• The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration - Isabel Wilkerson

Please join the AFL-CIO in a month of lifting Black history and culture: reading, celebrating, scholarship, conversation and much more. 

Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 02/01/2024 - 14:01

Black History Month Profiles: Shamaiah Turner

This year, for Black History Month, we're taking a look at a group of leaders who are currently active making Black history across the labor movement. Check back daily for a new profile and meet some of the people working to improve not only their community, but also to improve conditions for working people across the country. Today's profile is Shamaiah Turner of SMART.

Since getting her start in construction as an 18-year-old AmeriCorps volunteer building houses with Habitat for Humanity, Shamaiah Turner has hit the ground running. She joined the union sheet metal industry in 2012 as a SMART Local 17 member after graduating from the Building Pathways pre-apprenticeship program in Boston, and eventually worked as a sub-foreman on various projects and created and chaired the Local 17 Women’s Committee. Currently, Turner is the chair for the SMART International Women’s Committee, a trustee on the SMART Recruitment and Retention Council and a Business Development Representative for the SMART Northeast Regional Council.

Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 02/01/2024 - 11:01

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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