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USW Slams Nippon Plan to Acquire USS

Steelworker News - Mon, 12/18/2023 - 06:47

CONTACT: Jess Kamm Broomell, 412-562-2444, jkamm@usw.org

(Pittsburgh)The United Steelworkers (USW) International President David McCall today issued the following statement slamming an announced deal in which Japan’s Nippon Steel will purchase U.S. Steel:

“To say we’re disappointed in the announced deal between U.S. Steel and Nippon is an understatement, as it demonstrates the same greedy, shortsighted attitude that has guided U.S. Steel for far too long.

“We remained open throughout this process to working with U.S. Steel to keep this iconic American company domestically owned and operated, but instead it chose to push aside the concerns of its dedicated workforce and sell to a foreign-owned company.

“Neither U.S. Steel nor Nippon reached out to our union regarding the deal, which is in itself a violation of our partnership agreement that requires U.S. Steel to notify us of a change in control or business conditions.

“Based on this alone, the USW does not believe that Nippon understands the full breadth of the obligations of all our agreements, and we do not know whether it has the capacity to live up to our existing contract. This includes not just the day-to-day commitments of our labor agreement, but also significant obligations to fund pension and retiree insurance benefits that are the most extensive in the domestic steel industry.

“Our union intends to exercise the full measure of our agreements to ensure that whatever happens next with U.S. Steel, we protect the good, family-sustaining jobs we bargained. We also will strongly urge government regulators to carefully scrutinize this acquisition and determine if the proposed transaction serves the national security interests of the United States and benefits workers.

“No union has actively engaged in more acquisitions in its core industries than the USW, and rest assured, our union will hold management at U.S. Steel accountable to every letter of our collective bargaining and other existing agreements.”

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.

USW Nurses at Robert Wood Johnson Ratify Contract Securing Industry-Setting Staffing Standards

Steelworker News - Fri, 12/15/2023 - 15:31

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

(Edison, N.J.) – Members of United Steelworkers (USW) Local 4-200 today ratified a collective bargaining agreement with Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital New Brunswick that secures industry-setting staffing standards to protect both workers and patients.

Local 4-200 President Judy Danella said that it was the solidarity of the union’s 1,700 nurses and the support of the community that led to this agreement that ends the four-month-long unfair labor practice strike.

“This contract would not have been possible if the nurses hadn’t stood together and demanded what our patients deserve,” said Danella. “This campaign has always been about safety and quality care, and we are ready to get back to work doing what we love.”

The agreement includes not just guidelines but enforcement mechanisms to help ensure the hospital maintains safe staffing levels, as well as an infrastructure to facilitate greater communication between front-line nurses and the hospital’s administration.

The hospital will also add an additional 70 registered nurse (RN) positions, effective May 1, 2024. These positions will be a mixture of full-time and part-time employees.

“We are particularly proud that this contract includes accountability and communication, which will ensure that staffing will remain a top priority moving forward,” said Danella.

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.

Worker Wins: Best Contracts Ever

AFL-CIO - Fri, 12/15/2023 - 09:35
Worker Wins: Best Contracts Ever

Our latest roundup of worker wins includes numerous examples of working people organizing, bargaining and mobilizing for a better life. 

Ice Cream Producers Organize at Ben & Jerry’s Waterbury Plant: Workers at Ben & Jerry’s flagship plant in Waterbury, Vermont, won union recognition Wednesday by way of card-check and joined United Commercial and Food Workers (UFCW) Local 371. Ben & Jerry’s parent company, Unilever, agreed to neutrality in unionization efforts earlier this year, paving the way for ice cream processors to organize for representation at the iconic frozen treat brand. Workers at the plant have been organizing for months to ensure that they could codify the benefits and rights they currently have. Ronald Petronella, president of Local 371, applauded the neutrality commitment and said, “We’re just very pleased that Ben & Jerry’s chose to go down this path rather than to be in an adversarial situation.”Culinary Union Announces Tentative Agreements for New 5-Year Contracts with Mirage/Hard Rock and Tropicana: UNITE HERE Culinary Union in Las Vegas announced on Wednesday exciting new tentative agreements reached between The Mirage (now owned and operated by Hard Rock International) and Tropicana Las Vegas casino resorts. Calling the new five-year deals the “best contract[s] ever,” these negotiations impact some 2,000 hospitality workers in a city where the economy is famously driven by tourism. Earlier this month, another tentative agreement was made with the Four Seasons Las Vegas hotel that would cover an additional 300 hospitality workers. These wins come after the Culinary Union has already settled new contracts this year with the three casino giants, MGM Resorts, Caesars Entertainment and Wynn Resorts—ahead of massive events like the Formula One 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix and Super Bowl LVIII—ensuring the workers who make the entertainment capital of the world run are protected and paid fairly.Tech Workers at Princeton Public Schools File to Unionize: Technology workers at Princeton Public Schools in New Jersey unanimously submitted a petition to the New Jersey Public Employment Relations Commission to unionize with Office and Professional Employees (OPEIU) Local 32. The group, Princeton Public Schools Technology Association (PPSTA), requested voluntary recognition, but was refused. “We believe we can better address our job responsibilities once our concerns with staffing levels, budgetary constraints, and workplace conditions are reviewed and resolved,” the group said in the petition.Cannabis Workers in Colorado Ratify First Contract: Members of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 7 who work at the Green Dragon cannabis grow house in Denver overwhelmingly voted to ratify their first union contract. They are the first grow house unit to unionize under the new Colorado law that allows agriculture workers to form a union. The workers are concerned about workplace safety and job security at the facility. The new 18-month contract includes multiple raises during the lifetime of the agreement, two retention bonuses, the creation of a safety committee, protections against “at will” employment and accrued vacation time for the workers, which they previously did not have.In Historic Election, University Medical Center Nurses in New Orleans Vote to Join NNOC/NNU: Registered nurses at University Medical Center (UMC) New Orleans voted in favor of joining National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU), the union announced on Dec. 9. Despite a union-busting effort from management, nurses voted 82% in favor of the union with over 90% turnout. “This is a historic day for UMC, for New Orleans and the surrounding area, and for all of Louisiana and the South,” said Dionne Jones, an RN in the in-house nurse pool at UMC. “Nurses at our hospital wanted a voice so we can speak up for our patients and ourselves, and we wanted a seat at the table to be involved in shaping the future of our hospital. Now that we’ve won our union, we have both.”University of Hawaii Professional Assembly Votes to Join Forces with AFT: The University of Hawaii Professional Assembly (UHPA) board of directors voted unanimously to affiliate with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). The AFT executive council is expected to vote to accept the 3,000-member UHPA as an affiliate this week. “The UHPA board strongly believes it is a critical time to affiliate with the AFT to benefit our members. Academic freedom and the rights of faculty are increasingly under siege across the nation. Politics interfere with university decisions, and faculty are in the crosshairs,” said David Duffy, president of the UHPA board of directors and principal investigator of numerous botany- and zoology-related research projects that have secured millions of dollars in extramural (nonstate) grants for the University of Hawaii. “We also continually face challenges in our state with ongoing, meddlesome legislation that undermines the University of Hawaii’s autonomy and threatens individual faculty and programs—clear violations of our state constitution.”OPEIU Members and TruStage Reach Tentative Contract Agreement: Workers at TruStage, an insurance company based in Madison, Wisconsin, reached a tentative contract agreement after nearly two years of negotiations that led to a strike last spring. Office and Professional Employees (OPEIU) Local 39 represents 450 TruStage workers. “We will be taking the next week to meet with our members and to vote on the contract,” said Kathryn Bartlett-Mulvihill, OPEIU Local 39 president and business manager.After Nearly 5 Years, Engineering Association Member Timothy Hubbard Wins Back His Job: Timothy Hubbard, who was unjustly fired by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), won back his job, with back pay, after an arbitrator ruled in his favor. Hubbard is a member of the Engineering Association, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) Local 1937. He worked as a radiation protection technician at TVA and was a Local 1937 steward at the time he was fired. The arbitrator found that “the grievant’s termination is to be set aside and the grievant is to be returned to work with back pay and no loss of seniority or benefits.” “I have been waiting now for five years for this day to come,” Hubbard said. “I, and my union, knew that TVA fired me without cause, and did so without providing me any due process.…If I told you that this has not taken a toll on my family and me, both personally and professionally, I’d be lying. All of us as workers need the protections that come with a union card, and that is exactly what I got from my Union.”Netflix Production Accountants Unionize with IATSE: Production accountants who work at Netflix in New York and New Jersey unionized with Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 161. Production accountants are broadly responsible for “recording all financial transactions on a project; managing compliance; and paying third parties, cast and crew on TV shows and films.” “I don’t think it gets mentioned enough within our industry the importance that the accounting department plays within a production,” said second assistant production accountant Ignacio Brea. “The goal for all of us involved in this campaign is really to empower accountants across the board to just take ourselves more seriously, as well. Because accounting is an integral part of productions.”Conagra Maintenance Workers in Indiana Join UFCW Local 700: The 28 maintenance workers at Conagra Bakery joined United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 700 because they want the same benefits and treatment as their unionized colleagues who work in the processing division of the same plant and in the maintenance division at the other Conagra plant in Indianapolis. “We’re excited to work together and negotiate a contract that provides a good work-life balance and creates equitable treatment for everyone in the department,” said UFCW Local 700 President Tracy Bartak. “Conagra Bakery maintenance workers deserve the same type of job protections as everyone else in the plant.”SAG-AFTRA Members Approve 2023 TV/Theatrical Contracts Agreement: Members of SAG-AFTRA ratified the 2023 TV/Theatrical Agreement on Tuesday with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. Members approved the new, multiyear contracts covering television, theatrical and streaming production by a vote of 78%. The contract includes more than $1 billion in new compensation and benefit plan funding, outsized gains to the traditional residuals formulas, a new compensation model for performers working in streaming, a substantial bonus on top of existing streaming residuals structures, compensation escalation for principal and background actors, detailed informed consent and compensation guardrails for the use of artificial intelligence (AI), hair and makeup equity, meaningful protections for the casting process, sexual harassment prevention protections, and more. “I’m proud of our SAG-AFTRA membership,” SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher said. “They struck for 118 days to grant the TV/Theatrical Negotiating Committee the necessary leverage to secure over $1 billion in gains, along with the union’s first-ever protections around AI technology. Now they’ve locked in the gains by ratifying the contract. SAG-AFTRA members have remained incredibly engaged throughout this process, and I know they’ll continue their advocacy throughout our next negotiation cycle. This is a golden age for SAG-AFTRA, and our union has never been more powerful.”Hospital Doctors in Oregon and Washington Vote to Organize: Doctors at six Legacy Health hospitals in Oregon and Washington voted overwhelmingly to organize. The vote was certified by the National Labor Relations Board on Nov. 17. Hospital doctors are unionizing to improve local health care and give front-line providers a voice in the decisions that impact their patients’ care, communities’ health and hospital working conditions. The doctors will be members of the Pacific Northwest Hospital Medicine Association, an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). “We’re caring for more people who are sicker than ever before. We need more staff to give our patients the time and attention they need,” said Eric Seymour, a pediatric hospitalist at Randall Children’s Hospital in Portland, Oregon. “Hospital administrators aren’t at the bedside to see the problems and aren’t listening to providers’ solutions. We voted to unionize so the people caring for you can advocate for you and your family. We need a seat at the table to ensure we have the staff, tools and support we need to properly care for our patients.”WGAE Members at MSNBC Ratify First Union Contract: After more than two years of negotiations, Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE), members at MSNBC overwhelmingly ratified their first collective bargaining agreement on Tuesday. The nearly 300-member bargaining unit at MSNBC won a three-year contract that includes a minimum 3% pay increase every year for the next three years, a ratification bonus, guaranteed minimum severance for layoffs and other gains. “We are excited to say that we have ratified our first contract after 2 years of negotiations,” the union said in a statement. “We are proud to share that this contract addresses priority issues from our members like continued remote work flexibility, additional payment for performing extra work, night shift payment, and the right to turn down standby requests. The contract provides meaningful economic gains for our members.”Detroit Casino Council Members Ratify Historic New Contract with MGM Grand Detroit: Union members with the Detroit Casino Council voted overwhelmingly on Dec. 2 to ratify a new contract with MGM Grand Detroit after 47 days on strike. The five-year agreement covers 1,700 workers and includes the largest wage increases ever for MGM Grand Detroit workers, a bonus, no health care cost increases for employees, workload reductions, other job protections, first-ever technology contract language and more. The Detroit Casino Council includes UNITE HERE Local 24, UAW Local 7777, Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 324, the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Teamsters Local 1038. “Both my son and I have been on strike together, so for me the fight to protect our healthcare and win better wages was always about something bigger for my family and the next generation,” said Alicia Weaver, a guest room attendant for 24 years at MGM Grand Detroit and member of Local 24. “Together—with the rest of our MGM family who stood with us on that picket line in the rain and frigid temperatures—we made history, and I’m proud of what we accomplished by taking a stand together.”After Monthslong Strike, USW’s Nurses Win Safe Staffing at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital: United Steelworkers (USW) Local 4-200 and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey, reached a tentative contract agreement on Friday. Nurses have been on strike since Aug. 4. The union's 1,700 members must still vote to ratify the contract. “Safe staffing is essential to both patient care and reducing burnout among health care workers,” said Judy Danella, RN, president of Local 4-200. “This contract sets the necessary staffing ratios so that we can spend more time with each of our patients and keep ourselves safe on the job. This agreement was hard-fought, but our sacrifice ultimately paid off with a fair contract that addresses nurses’ most urgent concerns. The local bargaining committee unequivocally recommends ratification.” “This is a testament to the courageous leadership of these local unions and the solidarity of their members,” said New Jersey State AFL-CIO President Charles Wowkanech. “Also, the support for our sisters and brothers from every sector of our labor movement contributed to the victories of reaching collective bargaining agreements that will be voted on in the coming weeks. It’s been a long hard fight for all of these members, but thankfully, they were all eligible for unemployment insurance, which sustained many of them during the strike.”Solidarity Delivers! IBEW Local and Atlantic City Electric Reach Tentative Agreement: Members of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 210 reached a tentative agreement with Atlantic City Electric in New Jersey after a strike that began on Nov. 5. The contract still needs to be ratified by the workers. It includes pay increases, more vacation and holiday time, and a work-from-home option for some workers. In a statement, the IBEW said: “Late Friday evening IBEW local union 210 and Atlantic City Electric reached a tentative agreement. A ratification vote shall take place on Tuesday. The union is eager to get back to work, to once again provide the quality electric service the ratepayers of South Jersey deserve. I am proud of the solidarity that the members of 210 displayed during this entire process! It was truly inspirational to witness the support from the community and local businesses as we fought for a better future!”Experis Game Solutions Workers Win Vote to Organize with IAM: On Thursday, workers at Experis Game Solutions, a subsidiary of ManpowerGroup, voted to organize with the Machinists (IAM). The 42 test associates, software test engineers and data software analysts that form the new bargaining unit in Milwaukee will immediately begin preparing for contract negotiations. The workers are seeking to address low pay, burnout, a lack of job security and unaffordable health insurance, among other issues. “We could not be prouder of the forceful message Experis workers delivered to their employer yesterday: that they are ready to be compensated fairly for the skills and hard work they bring to their jobs every day,” said IAM District 10 Directing Business Representative Alex Hoekstra. “We welcome them into the IAM family and will have their backs at every step of the way as they negotiate their first contract. When 83% of workers agree that it’s time to bargain, it’s time to bargain.” Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 12/15/2023 - 11:35

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Labor, Civil Rights Organizations File Explosive Lawsuit Challenging Discriminatory, Unconstitutional Forced Labor in Alabama State Prisons

AFL-CIO - Fri, 12/15/2023 - 09:27
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Labor, Civil Rights Organizations File Explosive Lawsuit Challenging Discriminatory, Unconstitutional Forced Labor in Alabama State Prisons

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.

On Tuesday, the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union-UFCW (RWDSU-UFCW), AFL-CIO and the Union of Southern Service Workers (USSW) (the latter affiliated with SEIU), joined incarcerated workers and a local community organization to file a class-action lawsuit in response to the systemic exploitation and forced labor of Alabama’s incarcerated population. The suit alleges that the Alabama Department of Corrections denies Black Alabamians parole at twice the rate of their White counterparts in order to maintain a cheap labor force through wrongful detention. And though Black Alabamians are only a quarter of the state’s residents, they make up over 50% of the incarcerated population. 

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey and state Attorney General Steve Marshall are named as defendants in the lawsuit and are accused of acting as knowing architects of a “modern-day form of slavery” that generates $450 million annually for the state, all on the backs of unpaid, incarcerated workers. In a virtual press conference, AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond said, “Fighting to abolish forced labor is a priority for the AFL-CIO and the American labor movement. And we won’t rest until this corrupt, immoral scheme ends for good.”

Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 12/15/2023 - 11:27

USW Welcomes Inclusion of Key Enforcement Tools, TAA in House Select Committee on China Report

Steelworker News - Tue, 12/12/2023 - 08:34

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

(PITTSBURGH) – United Steelworkers (USW) International President David McCall released the following statement today in response to the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party’s comprehensive economic report and its more than 100 policy recommendations:

“The USW welcomes today’s report and the Select Committee’s efforts to find bipartisan solutions to the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) ongoing economic aggression.

“USW members can compete against anyone on a level playing field, but too often they instead face the CCP’s illegal trade practices. Our union applauds the committee’s work to safeguard domestic industries, and in particular its acknowledgment that Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China negatively impacts American workers.

“The USW further welcomes the committee’s clear prioritization of common-sense enforcement tools like the Leveling the Playing Field Act 2.0, as well as reforms to the Generalized System of Preferences and renewal for Section 421 of our nation’s trade code.

“As workers grapple with the consequences of unfair trade, Congress must restore their access to Trade Adjustment Assistance so they can gain new skills and quickly reenter the workforce. More than 84,000 workers are waiting for their TAA petitions to be heard since the program lapsed in 2022, and we also welcome its inclusion in this report.

“As the committee continues to confront the CCP, the USW urges caution on a number of fronts, including any potential amendments to Section 232 tariffs, which serve as a vital part of protecting our domestic industries.

“While it’s not possible for the USW to endorse all of the 150 policy recommendations in the report, our union thanks the committee for its work to hold the CCP accountable and protect American workers. We look forward to working with Congress to make many of these recommendations reality.”

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.

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: In Historic Election, University Medical Center Nurses in New Orleans Vote to Join NNOC/NNU

AFL-CIO - Tue, 12/12/2023 - 08:04
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: In Historic Election, University Medical Center Nurses in New Orleans Vote to Join NNOC/NNU

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 University Medical Center (UMC) New Orleans voted in favor of joining National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU), the union announced on Dec. 9. Despite a union-busting effort from management, nurses voted 82% in favor of the union with over 90% turnout.

“This is a historic day for UMC, for New Orleans and the surrounding area, and for all of Louisiana and the South,” said Dionne Jones, an RN in the in-house nurse pool at UMC. “Nurses at our hospital wanted a voice so we can speak up for our patients and ourselves, and we wanted a seat at the table to be involved in shaping the future of our hospital. Now that we’ve won our union, we have both.”

Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 12/12/2023 - 10:04

INVITATION: Jan. 12–14, MLK Civil and Human Rights Conference

AFL-CIO - Mon, 12/11/2023 - 08:24
INVITATION: Jan. 12–14, MLK Civil and Human Rights Conference

There’s simply nothing better than coming together with union members to strengthen the bond between the labor and civil rights movements. That’s why we’re thrilled to invite you to our Martin Luther King Jr. Civil and Human Rights Conference. We’ll be honoring Dr. King’s vision on the importance of collective action—at the voting booth, in the community and in the workplace.

Union members, will you join us? Here are the details.

WHAT:  2024 AFL-CIO Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Civil and Human Rights Conference

WHERE:  Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa at the Convention Center, Montgomery, Alabama

WHEN:  Jan. 12–14, 2024

Learn More

It’s a crucial moment for the labor and civil rights movements. Workers across the country are organizing at historic rates, demanding dignity, respect and justice, both on the job and in our communities. 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.

In January, we will come together to not only strengthen the bond between our two movements, but also to reignite our shared commitment to democracy and winning racial and economic justice for all. Please join us.

Thank you in advance for your support, and we look forward to seeing you in January!

Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 12/11/2023 - 10:24

Rapid Response Action Call: It's Time to Do the Right Thing

USW Blog - Fri, 12/08/2023 - 10:54

Click here to download a PDF version of this Action Call.

Tell your Representative that Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) needs to be renewed now

Workers whose jobs were destroyed by offshoring have been left in the cold for two years. They've been denied the job retraining and other benefits available for trade-displaced workers for decades — all because Congress has failed to act.

Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) provides up to two years of robust job training benefits for workers who lose their jobs to dumped and subsidized goods, changes in tariffs, and bad trade agreements. These impacts happen constantly as companies outsource and imported goods undermine domestic jobs.

Just over 84,000 workers are waiting for Congress to renew the TAA program. They have submitted petitions to the Department of Labor (DOL). Still, because Congress has not reauthorized TAA, the DOL cannot make determinations on these worker layoffs.

Congress now has an opportunity to help these workers.

Here's what's happening. - The House Ways and Means Committee is responsible for trade and tax issues. Our union has learned that this Committee is considering "marking up" a Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) bill. This bill would cut tariffs for many goods, including gold chains and luxury goods like high-end purses.

These tariff cuts would be awarded to importers who source from countries with terrible labor and environmental rights. The bill would also cut tariffs on imports that impact our members' jobs - like the tires thousands of USW members across the country build.

Here's our opportunity. - The Committee can add or subtract provisions by marking up a bill. The USW has asked this Committee to also renew TAA in any trade bill that cuts tariffs and not to cut duties on the goods our members make. Some in Congress want to renew GSP without renewing TAA and give back to importers the $1.47 billion in tariffs collected over the last couple of years since the program expired.

The Time to Speak Up is Now!

Click HERE to send a prewritten email to your Representative.

You can also call them using our direct connect number.

U.S. House: 1-866-202-5409

Tell them who you are, where you are from, and to let them know we want the Ways and Means Committee to renew TAA. Giving over a billion dollars to importers, while telling the American worker who lost their job to bad trade policy that Congress cannot help them is unacceptable.

Please take action today!

Economy Gains 199,000 Jobs in November; Unemployment Down to 3.7%

AFL-CIO - Fri, 12/08/2023 - 09:57
Economy Gains 199,000 Jobs in November; Unemployment Down to 3.7%

The U.S. economy gained 199,000 jobs in November, and the unemployment rate dropped to 3.7%, according to figures released Friday morning by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

November’s biggest job gains were in health care (+77,000), government (+49,000), leisure and hospitality (+40,000), manufacturing (+28,000), social assistance (+16,000), and information (+10,000). Employment declined in retail trade (-38,000) and transportation and warehousing (-5,000). Employment showed little change over the month in other major industries, including mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction; construction; wholesale trade; financial activities; professional and business services; and other services.

Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rate for teenagers (11.4%) edged down in November. The jobless rates for Black Americans (5.8%), Hispanics (4.6%), adult men (3.7%), Asian Americans (3.5%), White Americans (3.3%) and adult women (3.1%) showed little or no change over the month.

The number of long-term unemployed workers (those jobless for 27 weeks or longer) edged down in November and accounted for 18.3% of the total number of people unemployed.

Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 12/08/2023 - 11:57

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Conagra Maintenance Workers in Indiana Join UFCW Local 700

AFL-CIO - Fri, 12/08/2023 - 08:26
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Conagra Maintenance Workers in Indiana Join UFCW Local 700

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 28 maintenance workers at Conagra Bakery joined United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 700 because they want the same benefits and treatment as their unionized colleagues who work in the processing division of the same plant and in the maintenance division at the other Conagra plant in Indianapolis.

“We’re excited to work together and negotiate a contract that provides a good work-life balance and creates equitable treatment for everyone in the department,” said UFCW Local 700 President Tracy Bartak. “Conagra Bakery maintenance workers deserve the same type of job protections as everyone else in the plant.”

Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 12/08/2023 - 10:26

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: SAG-AFTRA Members Approve 2023 TV/Theatrical Contracts Agreement

AFL-CIO - Thu, 12/07/2023 - 07:56
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: SAG-AFTRA Members Approve 2023 TV/Theatrical Contracts Agreement

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 SAG-AFTRA ratified the 2023 TV/Theatrical Agreement on Tuesday with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. Members approved the new, multiyear contracts covering television, theatrical and streaming production by a vote of 78%. The contract includes more than $1 billion in new compensation and benefit plan funding, outsized gains to the traditional residuals formulas, a new compensation model for performers working in streaming, a substantial bonus on top of existing streaming residuals structures, compensation escalation for principal and background actors, detailed informed consent and compensation guardrails for the use of artificial intelligence (AI), hair and makeup equity, meaningful protections for the casting process, sexual harassment prevention protections, and more.

“I’m proud of our SAG-AFTRA membership,” SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher said. “They struck for 118 days to grant the TV/Theatrical Negotiating Committee the necessary leverage to secure over $1 billion in gains, along with the union’s first-ever protections around AI technology. Now they’ve locked in the gains by ratifying the contract. SAG-AFTRA members have remained incredibly engaged throughout this process, and I know they’ll continue their advocacy throughout our next negotiation cycle. This is a golden age for SAG-AFTRA, and our union has never been more powerful.”

Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 12/07/2023 - 09:56

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