Service & Solidarity Spotlight: President Shuler Joins SAG-AFTRA and WGAE on Picket Line in New York
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.
AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, SAG-AFTRA New York Local Executive Director Rebecca Damon, and state and local labor leaders joined striking writers and performers on the picket line in front of Netflix’s New York office to demand a fair contract that delivers a fair share of the massive profits from streaming and other entertainment services to the writers and performers who are the lifeblood of the industry. The picket was organized by the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE), SAG-AFTRA and the New York City Central Labor Council (NYCCLC), led by President Vincent Alvarez (IBEW), and featured hundreds of performers, writers and other workers showing solidarity for the strike and joining in the demand for a fair contract.
Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 07/25/2023 - 10:03Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Workers at President Lincoln’s Cottage 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.
Workers at President Lincoln’s Cottage in Washington, D.C., have voted to form a union with the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW). They are the first D.C. museum staff to unionize with UAW. President Lincoln’s Cottage is a historic site and museum where Abraham Lincoln lived for more than a quarter of his presidency and developed the Emancipation Proclamation. “I’m thrilled about our unanimous election results because I think collective bargaining will help us live up to the principles we share with the public every day,” said organizing committee member Joan Cummins. “Our museum is a historical site of labor justice, and we’re ready to walk the walk!”
Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 07/24/2023 - 09:59Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants Demonstrate at SeaTac and Other Airports
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.
Alaska Airlines flight attendants, members of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA), are currently in contract negotiations with the airline. Negotiations have been ongoing since September and the flight attendants have started demonstrating at various airports. They are seeking pay increases and changes to work rules governing everything from rest periods to uniform stipends. “We are here to demand a fair contract,” said Paula Isla-McGill, president of the union’s Seattle local. “Flight attendants are front workers and instrumental in the success of Alaska Airlines. Our work rules and pay haven’t matched the success of the company.”
Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 07/21/2023 - 10:04Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Children’s Law Center Strikes for Improved Wages and Work Conditions
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.
Staff at the Children's Law Center in Brooklyn, New York, went on strike Monday, with more than 3,000 legal services workers demanding fair wages and improved working conditions. The staff, who are members of the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (UAW Local 2325), work in representing children in custody, visitation and guardianship litigation. More than 800 days have passed since the workers offered management their initial contract proposal. The union says management has refused to negotiate in good faith, thus necessitating the strike.
Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 07/20/2023 - 09:39Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Actors and Writers Explain How Supporters and Fans Can Support Them
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.
Actors and writers are on strike, fighting for their future, and fans and supporters are wondering how they can help. Here are what members of SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America (WGA) are asking supporters to do. First, people can share, like and comment on social media posts about the strike. Fans are encouraged to join picket lines in their local area or bring signs, water and snacks to picketers. Those who aren’t near a picket line can donate to SAG-AFTRA’s Entertainment Community Fund and nonaffiliated crowdsourced fundraisers like The Union Solidarity Coalition, Groceries for Writers and the Snacklist. Boycotting projects made by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) is not currently requested.
Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 07/19/2023 - 10:01Service & Solidarity Spotlight: American University Dining Workers Secure 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.
Workers at American University Kitchen approved a new contract with their employer, food service provider Compass Group, according to UNITE HERE Local 23, the union representing the workers. The new contract is now in effect and guarantees all employees under Compass a $20 minimum wage, which are “bigger raises than they have received in the last 21 years combined.” Additionally, health care for individual workers will become free by 2026 and all workers will be eligible for four weeks of paid parental leave. Local 23 also won guaranteed rights at work for transgender and nonbinary workers, new work accommodations for workers who are pregnant or have recently given birth, and specific job protections for workers dealing with family or intimate partner violence.
Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 07/18/2023 - 10:02Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Vermont’s Unions Respond to Flooding
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.
Vermont residents are again facing the reality of destruction on a massive scale. Roads are gone, cities and towns are flooded, and many residents remain cut off from the outside world. There are still serious dangers regarding the integrity of dams, and soon residents will face the problem of dwindling basic supplies like food and fuel. Vermonters have prevailed over such challenges before and will do so again.
Brave and heroic union members on the Department of Public Works and Agency of Transportation crews, utility workers, power plant workers, first responders, and hospital staff are working around the clock to make sure basic life-sustaining services continue to function, lives are saved, the power is kept on and roads are rebuilt.
But it will not just be by the hands of public servants that make recovery come to fruition. It will also be through the willful and collective action of other union members, other Vermonters, who are not regularly tasked with road work or other essential services during a crisis.
You can help today by making credit card contributions to the Union Community Fund at
go.aflcio.org/relief or by mail:
Union Community Fund
Note in the memo line: "Vermont Relief Efforts"
815 Black Lives Matter Plaza NW, Washington, DC 20006.
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: AFSCME Initiative Aims to ‘Staff the Front Lines’
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.
Understaffing of state and local government jobs has hit crisis levels, and AFSCME is fighting back by launching Staff the Front Lines. This initiative will focus on the nationwide shortage of public-sector workers, as half a million public-sector jobs are vacant. This shortage means vital public services aren’t being delivered and public-sector workers are exhausted from shouldering impossible workloads. The plan will focus on retention, recruitment and outreach. “This is a real issue and a real problem, not just for our union and for those who provide public services,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders. “It’s a real problem for the citizens who rely upon public services every single day.”
Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 07/13/2023 - 10:08Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Sega of America Workers Join CWA
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.
Sega of America workers voted to form Allied Employees Guild Improving Sega (AEGIS), an affiliate of the Communications Workers of America (CWA). The unit covers more than 200 jobs at Sega’s Irvine, California, office. AEGIS-CWA is the first union in the video game industry that spans multiple departments at a major company. Covered departments include marketing, games as a service, localization, product development and quality assurance. “We are overjoyed to celebrate our union election win as members of AEGIS-CWA,” said translator Ángel Gómez. “From the start of this campaign, it has been clear that we all care deeply about our work at SEGA. Now, through our union, we’ll be able to protect the parts of our jobs we love, and strengthen the benefits, pay and job stability available to all workers. Together we can build an even better SEGA. We hope our victory today is an inspiration to other workers across the gaming industry. Together, we can raise standards for all workers across the industry.”
Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 07/12/2023 - 10:05Take Action: WE NEED YOU to Support Nursing Home Safe Staffing
Right now we have the power to transform the state of our nursing homes in the United States.
We know there is a direct connection between low nursing home staffing and higher rates of falls, rehospitalizations, missed care and mortality.
A federal standard for safe staffing could significantly improve the level of care for nursing home residents and families who rely on these services. It also would provide workers with much-needed and overdue protections and support.
Right now, corporations are doing everything they can to lobby the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) against releasing this critical rule.
That’s why we need your help. We’re asking for all hands on deck to share your stories and testimonials and let the HHS know why nursing home staff and working families need safe staffing—now.
Are you a nursing home worker? Have you lived in a nursing home, or do you have a loved one who has? Or do you just want to improve the state of care in our country?
Take a few minutes of your time today and share your story.
For more background about the rule and how this will affect working families and care workers, please click here.
Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 07/11/2023 - 15:47Service & Solidarity Spotlight: George Washington University Hospital Registered Nurses Join D.C. Nurses Association/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 George Washington University Hospital (GWUH) voted to be represented by the D.C. Nurses Association, an affiliate of National Nurses United (NNU). The union effort comes during a nationwide nursing shortage, and the nurses at GWUH cited staffing shortages among the reasons to pursue a union.
“This is the biggest win for D.C. nurses in over four decades and is reflective of a sea change in organizing not only in the District of Columbia, but throughout the United States,” said Edward Smith, executive director of D.C. Nurses Association. “It shows that when nurses stand together against a billion-dollar, for profit, anti-union employer, we can still win.”
Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 07/11/2023 - 09:49Service & Solidarity Spotlight: California Electrical Workers Build the Energy Project of the Future
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 135 members of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 440 have worked on a $500 million project in the Southern California desert that represents the future of energy storage. The Desert Peak Energy Storage facility houses 459 identical shipping containers stacked floor to ceiling with lithium-ion batteries, which will be enough to provide power to more than 265,000 homes for up to four hours. Once completed, the 400-megawatt (MW) project will be the largest battery storage facility in the country, replacing the Crimson Energy Storage facility, also built by IBEW Local 440..
“This Southern California land is the perfect place for storage because it is close to load—power demand—and [has] plenty of sun and wind and land to site it,” said John Bzdawka, Sixth District Business Development international representative. “But projects in other places that were not viable even just a year ago now look like no-brainers. States are demanding it, and the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act are helping it. This work is coming. It’s ours if we can man it.”
Over the past two years, Local 440 has worked on six projects larger than 100 MW. Two more are breaking ground this year, including a 640-MW project that will be the next record holder. This growth in renewable energy generation and storage has been a primary driver of growth for the union. Southern California locals have added well over 1,000 new members over the past decade. Local 440 alone has doubled to 1,400 members.
“This is a global transformation, not just a California one. Rapid technological changes are driving investment, and federal law is driving it toward unions,” said Ninth District International Representative Micah Mitrosky. “If you look at it comprehensively, at generation and transmission, border to border, how many new members do we need to deliver on this? Double? Triple? When have we ever had a conversation like we are having today?”
Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 07/10/2023 - 09:52Economy Gains 209,000 Jobs in June; Unemployment Down Slightly to 3.6%
The U.S. economy gained 209,000 jobs in June, and the unemployment rate was down slightly to 3.6%, according to figures released Friday morning by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This jobs report shows there is still room to expand job opportunities for Americans.
June's biggest job gains were in government (+60,000), health care (+41,000), social assistance (+24,000), construction (+23,000), professional and business services (+21,000), and leisure and hospitality (+21,000). Employment declined in retail trade (-11,000) and transportation and warehousing (-7,000). Employment showed little or no change over the month in other major industries, including mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction; manufacturing; wholesale trade; information; financial activities and other services.
Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rate for White Americans (3.1%) declined in June. The jobless rates for teenagers (11.0%), Black Americans (6.0%), Hispanics (4.3%), adult men (3.4%), Asian Americans (3.2%) and adult women (3.1%) showed little change over the month.
The number of long-term unemployed workers (those jobless for 27 weeks or longer) was little changed in June and accounted for 18.5% of the total people unemployed.
Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 07/07/2023 - 12:18Worker Wins
Our latest roundup of worker wins begins with a series of wins for transit workers and includes numerous examples of working people organizing, bargaining and mobilizing for a better life.
Machinists at Spirit AeroSystems Vote to Accept Improved Contract Offer: Approximately 6,000 members of the Machinists (IAM) Local 839 at Spirit AeroSystems voted to ratify an improved four-year contract. The IAM members went on strike on June 24 and will return to work on July 5. The new contract includes significant improvements over the previous offer—which was rejected—including wage increases, improved prescription drug coverage and better overtime rules. The IAM members work at the Spirit AeroSystems plant in Wichita, Kansas, manufacturing major aerostructures for companies such as Boeing and Airbus, as well as defense and business jets. “We knew these negotiations were not going to be your typical set of talks,” said IAM Local 839 Chief Negotiator Jason Baze. “Our membership clearly said the original offer was unacceptable by rejecting it soundly. The committee returned to the table to address their concerns.” “At the end of the day, IAM members democratically decide what is acceptable to them during contract negotiations—and we always support their decision,” said IAM Southern Territory General Vice President Rickey Wallace. “These critical improvements demonstrate the power of collective bargaining. I am very proud of our Local 839 negotiating committee and membership.”
Alaska Fred Meyer Workers Join UFCW: In a huge win, workers from across 10 departments at the Fred Meyer in West Fairbanks, Alaska, voted to organize with United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1496. This is the first step on a long road to securing a fair contract, as they navigate the bargaining process against the backdrop of a possible Albertsons–Kroger merger. “The result of this vote is a big win in our pursuit of a better workplace,” said Kris Kozak, a worker in the home department at the Fred Meyer store in West Fairbanks. “I want to express my gratitude to each and every one of my fellow co-workers who dedicated their valuable time and effort in this process. We are confident that this union win will pave the way for a brighter future for everyone in our store. We look forward to coming together as a team and making Fred Meyer a better place for its workers, customers and the Fairbanks community. Our victory is a testament to our shared vision and the power of solidarity.”
Phoenix Becomes Second ‘Drunk Shakespeare’ Company to Organize with Equity: Actors, stage managers, bartenders and servers for “Drunk Shakespeare” in Phoenix became the second company of the franchise to organize with the Actors’ Equity Association (Equity). Chicago’s company joined several weeks ago. Workers for the Phoenix production unanimously chose to unionize to pursue achievable solutions to recurring problems. “We learn so much from each other—collaboration and communication make the show better and make the workplace better,” said Clara Kundin, a performer in “Drunk Shakespeare” Phoenix. “Going Equity means we can pull from a greater pool of actors next time we’re hiring. Union workplaces are strong workplaces.”
‘Drunk Shakespeare’ Workers Successfully Organize with Equity: Actors, stage managers, bartenders and servers of Chicago’s “Drunk Shakespeare” have achieved their goal of organizing with the Actors’ Equity Association (Equity). Within days of these workers filing their petition with the National Labor Relations Board, their employer, Meme Juice Productions, voluntarily recognized the new bargaining unit, known as Drunk Shakespeare United. Equity is currently in the process of filing the paperwork to certify this status. “Good now, some excellent fortune! We appreciate that the employer moved so swiftly to recognize the union, and we look forward to productive bargaining once the ink is dry,” said Kate Shindle, president of Equity. “These arts workers in Chicago took a bold step, knowing that bringing their voices to the table with management would make their workplace better. I also want to applaud Equity staff, especially the organizing department, for their collaboration and expertise. This is an awesome and inspiring victory.” The Chicago production of “Drunk Shakespeare” is one of five productions of the show currently running around the country but the only one unionized at present.
Veterans Affairs Registered Nurses Sign 3-Year Contract with NNOC/NNU: Registered nurses with National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU) at the Department of Veterans Affairs signed a three-year contract, which covers more than 14,000 RNs at 23 hospitals. “We are pleased that this protracted process is finally over and this agreement is signed,” said NNOC/NNU-VA Chair Irma Westmoreland, RN. “We are proud to have a new contract in place, but our work as registered nurses is never done. We must now keep our sleeves rolled up to tackle the understaffing conditions our nurses are facing across the country. We look forward to working with Secretary [Denis] McDonough to implement alternative work schedule flexibilities that will retain nurses and improve staffing levels for veterans. “Throughout the pandemic, VA nurses have worked tirelessly in extremely difficult conditions to provide care for the sickest of the sick. While providing this care, we have had to fight for optimal personal protection equipment, appropriate training and staffing, notification and testing following exposures, and proper infection controls. This has put us, our families, and our patients unnecessarily at risk. We hope the signing of this contract marks the beginning of a new era of renewed respect for the rights and lives of the nurses who advocate and care for our nation’s heroes.”
AFGE Wins Union Election at EPA Facility in Michigan: Tricia Paff, president of AFGE Local 37, discovered that remote workers at a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) facility in Ann Arbor, Michigan, were about to lose their union protections. Paff was on the AFGE-EPA contract negotiations team when she learned that remote workers at multiple EPA facilities were going to be removed from the bargaining unit after their duty station was changed. As Paff and the AFGE-EPA Council were investigating the issue, the Ann Arbor human resource director confirmed that her facility was indeed one of the locations that would be affected. Paff was able to get the action postponed, and 19 remote workers were able to vote and retain their union protections.
UNITE HERE's Culinary Union Announces Palms Casino Resort Has a Union Contract: UNITE HERE's Culinary Union Local 226 and Bartenders Union Local 165 reached an agreement with Palms Casino Resort on a first three-year contract to protect workers with health care benefits, fair wages and job security, and to respect the seniority rights for more than 900 employees. The agreement covers guest room attendants, cocktail and food servers, porters, cooks, bartenders and stewards. The contract includes standard union language on worker security regarding subcontracting, safety buttons, sexual harassment, workload, technology and immigration. Workers voted by an overwhelming majority of 95% to accept the new contract. “We celebrate this historic agreement with Palms, which protects workers with the best health care in Nevada, strong job security and fair wage increases,” said Ted Pappageorge, secretary-treasurer for the Culinary Union. “The San Manuel Gaming and Hospitality Authority and Palms Casino Resort have done the right thing by respecting their employees and recalling workers back to work with their seniority intact. The Culinary Union is proud to have reached an agreement for a strong union contract at Palms, which protects workers with the union standard we have fought to build and strengthen over 88 years. Congratulations to the workers on your new union contract and welcome to the union family!” Palms workers voted in April 2018 to unionize with the Culinary Union and Bartenders Union by an 84% majority under Palms’ previous operator, Station Casinos, the worst labor law violator in the history of the Nevada gaming industry.
CNET Media Workers Unionize with the Writers Guild of America, East: CNET writers, editors, video producers and other content creators have unionized with the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE). The workers are calling on CNET’s parent company, Red Ventures, to voluntarily recognize their union. In a letter delivered to management, the approximately 100-member bargaining unit, known as the CNET Media Workers Union, said: “The digital media landscape is transforming rapidly. In this time of instability, our diverse content teams need industry-standard job protections, fair compensation, editorial independence and a voice in the decision-making process, especially as automated technology threatens our jobs and reputations. A union will help us adapt to new business strategies while establishing high journalistic standards and practices. “By unionizing, we’re joining our peers at other digital media sites who have won security and benefits through negotiating unit-wide contracts. We feel that a union is the only way to guarantee job protections, defend editorial integrity and ensure standard cost-of-living raises as well as fair severance packages. A union would give us a voice on new AI and marketing initiatives and allow us to safeguard our workloads, bylines and careers. We look forward to bringing together our largely remote and siloed teams in this effort.” Lowell Peterson, executive director of the WGAE, said, “The people who write, edit, and create content for CNET are hard-working professionals who recognize that collective bargaining is an essential part of doing meaningful work and building sustainable careers. We anticipate the Company will honor their workers’ decision to be represented by the WGAE.”
Los Angeles’ Star Garden Dancers Become Nation’s Only Unionized Strippers: After a 15-month effort, dancers at the Star Garden Topless Dive Bar in North Hollywood, California, have gained union recognition and become the nation’s only unionized strippers. "If you have been following our journey, then you know this has been a long, exhausting fight, which is why this victory is so sweet,” said Reagan, one of the Star Garden dancers. “We put everything we have into this campaign, and we were fortunate to have the support and solidarity from the club’s patrons, our allies and friends, the labor movement, and our union, Actors' Equity Association.” Lawyers representing the owners of the Star Garden Topless Dive Bar agreed to recognize the union and will meet with Actors’ Equity Association (Equity) across the bargaining table within 30 days to negotiate a first contract. The club also will reopen for business and bring back dancers who were dismissed last year. As a result of the settlement, the National Labor Relations Board will count the votes this week and is expected to certify Equity as the bargaining agent for Star Garden’s dancers. This also is a first for Equity: “Strippers are live entertainers. While some elements of their job are unique, they are essentially performance artists, and have a lot in common with other Equity members who dance for a living,” said Actors’ Equity Association President Kate Shindle. “Every worker who wants a union deserves a union. The Star Garden dancers have been absolute warriors throughout this long process, and I'm thrilled that we’ve won recognition of their rights to safety and democracy in the workplace and representation at the bargaining table.” Dancers at Star Garden and other strip clubs routinely have issues with health and safety as well as compensation, including wage theft. Like workers in other occupations, they want health insurance and other benefits. And probably more than most, they need protection from sexual harassment.
Blue Bird Workers Vote to Join USW: Working people at Blue Bird Corp.’s Fort Valley, Ga., facility voted to join the United Steelworkers (USW), so they can address urgent concerns, including workplace health and safety, work-life balance, and fair pay. Some 1,400 workers will be represented by the USW. Blue Bird workers make school buses, including low-emission and zero-emission models. “We work hard, and we deserve fair pay, safe working conditions and to be treated with respect on the job,” said Patrick Watkins, a Blue Bird worker who served on the volunteer organizing committee. “It was clear that our only path forward was to take our future into our own hands—and that’s what we did today when we voted to organize.”
Over 300 Workers at Auto Parts Supplier Yanfeng Vote to Join UAW: More than 300 workers at the Yanfeng USA’s Riverside facility outside Kansas City, Missouri, voted to join the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) Local 710. This is the sixth Yangfeng facility to organize with the UAW, joining more than 1,000 union members at the company’s facilities in Highland Park, Romulus and Monroe, Michigan; Ontario, Canada; and McCalla, Alabama. The Yanfeng workers are organizing to put an end to low pay, the lack of seniority rights, understaffed shifts and little to no work-life balance. Workers of color also claim to have been discriminated against by management. “This struggle was about fair treatment for every worker and holding management accountable,” said Sharon Gilliam, a Yanfeng worker who helped lead the organizing drive. “We want every worker to be educated and informed of their rights and to empower them on the shop floor, and this is the first step.”
29,000 Machinists Members at United Airlines Ratify Industry-Leading Labor Agreements: Some 29,000 United Airlines workers, members of the Machinists (IAM), have ratified labor agreements that include the industry’s best wages and stronger job protections. Members ratified five contracts covering fleet service, passenger service, storekeeper, maintenance instructors, fleet technical instructors and related, and maintenance instructors. The 118 members in the security guard and central load planners classifications have not ratified their contracts. The IAM will continue to work on next steps for these members. Highlights of the ratified contracts include industry-best wage rates; the insourcing of five previously outsourced locations; protection of full-time employment and opportunities; the permanent prohibition of outsourcing for 17 additional U.S. locations; increased lead and specialty premiums; an extended system of no lay-off protection for tens of thousands more IAM members; an early opener for the next negotiations; and a signing bonus. “The IAM has once again set the bar for airline workers across the industry,” said IAM Air Transport Territory General Vice President Richie Johnsen. “We continue to have success reaching agreements that secure our work and turn airline jobs into family-sustaining careers.”
Equity Membership Ratifies New Unified Touring Agreement with The Broadway League: Actors’ Equity Association (Equity) and The Broadway League officially have a new contract governing touring productions, following the ratification by vote of Equity membership. The new touring agreement will be in effect through Sept. 7, 2026. “Creating a new, unified touring agreement has been a long-term goal, and it was a massive undertaking,” said Kate Shindle, president of Equity. “Thousands of collective hours—from the negotiating team, from Equity staff, from committees, from our members who mobilized to an historic degree—went into pouring this foundation that we can now build upon. We made some major gains: more competitive salaries, producer-paid housing options across the entire touring landscape, meaningful increases in per diem and some new models for coverage, so that the show can go on without the need for actors and stage managers to work when we’re sick or injured. The new contract contains advances in equity, diversity and inclusion, paid sick leave for everyone in the Equity company and safeguards for those who need reproductive and gender-affirming care. Touring is hard, and living on the road full time presents unique challenges. We will continue to focus on improving quality of life for the actors and stage managers who commit to bringing world-class theatre to communities across the country. I am grateful for the sustained, passionate and creative work of everyone who contributed to this negotiation.”
WGAE Members at BDG Win First Contract: Members of Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE), at BDG (Bustle Digital Group) reached a tentative agreement with management on a first union contract after more than two years of negotiations. They will vote shortly to ratify the contract, at which time details will be made public. In a statement, the BDG Union said: “We are elated to announce that we have a deal! Our first union contract could not have been achieved without an incredible amount of solidarity and fortitude by our current bargaining unit. We also owe a deep amount of gratitude to the many workers who have either left or been let go at BDG who fiercely supported this campaign over the more than two years of negotiations. In the contract, we won guaranteed minimum salary increases, strong benefits and fair severance and protection from layoffs. We look forward to sharing more details upon ratification.”
Equity Members and League of Resident Theatres Ratify New Agreement: Actors’ Equity Association (Equity), the national union representing more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers in live theater, and the League of Resident Theatres (LORT), the largest professional theater association of its kind in the United States, have ratified a new four-and-a-half-year agreement. “This agreement demonstrates that despite the hardships of the pandemic, we can build a stronger theater industry for the workers,” said Equity Assistant Executive Director Andrea Hoeschen, who served as lead negotiator for the union on this agreement. “We are grateful to LORT for working with us to create an agreement that increases wages and job opportunities as well as expanding worker protections. We are optimistic that this agreement will also afford LORT opportunities to recover from the pandemic and expand their audiences moving forward.” The contract includes meaningful salary increases and growth in all three job categories: chorus, principals and stage managers. It also widens equity, diversity and inclusion protections, including regarding hair styling and costuming, and expands protections against bullying, discrimination and harassment. It also expands flexibility in media and community outreach, enabling theaters to rebuild and grow audiences, and it creates additional opportunities for the development of new artistic work at LORT houses.
Tech Workers at findhelp Join OPEIU Local 1010: Tech workers at findhelp (formerly Aunt Bertha) voted 95–52 in an election certified by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for their labor union, the findhelp Solidarity Network. The union will now form a bargaining committee and negotiate its first union contract. “Today’s an exciting day for all findhelp employees—our union gives us a seat at the table and provides us a voice in our working conditions,” said Leah Norman, community engagement manager and organizing committee member. “Findhelp Solidarity Network looks forward to collaborating with findhelp management to negotiate a contract that fosters our ability to do our best work and support as many people as possible. As the labor movement grows in the tech industry, we are excited to be a part of it!” The union includes more than 165 curators, engineers, salespeople, business analysts, as well as production support, customer success and other classifications headquartered in Austin, Texas, and they will be represented by OPEIU’s Tech Workers Union Local 1010. “The workers of findhelp have spoken, and today we have shown that organized labor has a place at findhelp and in tech,” said Keith Young, a software engineer and organizing committee member. “I am optimistic we can look forward to a constructive and fruitful bargaining process between the Collective Bargaining Committee and management—the workers of findhelp deserve nothing less.”
Disney World Workers Secure 37% Pay Raises, Other Benefits: The 45,000 Disney World workers made it clear to the big mouse that they won’t work for crumbs. After standing strong for eight months and rejecting Disney’s piecemeal proposal in February, the Services Trades Council Union (STCU) won a historic contract with an $18 minimum wage. Workers still must vote on the proposal, but if approved, the workers will immediately see a bump in pay to $17 an hour (the current minimum wage for those employees is $15). The minimum wage will rise to $18 by the end of 2023. Over the next three years, the wage will go up another $2.50 to $5.60 an hour. The workers are members of six unions that make up the STCU. Those unions are Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 631, TCU/IAM Local 1908, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1625, UNITE HERE locals 737 and 362, and International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) Local 385. “Sticking together works,” says Eric Clinton, president of UNITE HERE Local 362, whose members include attraction workers who run rides, custodial workers and ticket sellers at the parks. “In 2018, the starting wage for Disney cast members was $10 an hour. And five years later, at the end of this year, it’s going to be $18 an hour. That is a pretty tremendous statistic when you think about it.”
Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 07/06/2023 - 15:35Making Good on His Promises: 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.
Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, Vows to Continue Fight for Equitable Opportunity: “In response to the U.S. Supreme Court decisions today in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill striking down affirmative action programs in higher education, Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO (WSLC) President April Sims and Secretary Treasurer Cherika Carter released the following statement:
‘Once more, a radical right-wing majority seeks to undo decades of precedent in favor of conservative ideology. The Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, has consistently supported affirmative action policies and considers them to be an important tool in our ongoing equity work. While the court’s decision is unfortunate, the WSLC will not stop working to ensure equitable opportunity for all. AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler released the following statement:
“America’s unions are deeply disappointed by today’s decision from the Supreme Court to reverse the longstanding precedent of affirmative action in college admissions. With this decision, universities no longer may use race as one of the criteria in admissions decisions, despite the value diversity in the student body demonstrably adds to the educational experience of all students and our communities. Other race-neutral measures fall short of the goal of increasing student body diversity—and this court now strikes a substantial blow to the ongoing fight for racial equity and economic justice.”’”
‘Biden Is Making Good on His Promises’: “Hundreds of union delegates representing the unions that comprise the Washington State Building and Construction Trades Council are gathering this week at the Seattle Convention Center for the organization’s 65th annual convention. The trade unions are celebrating the good construction jobs created in every corner of Washington state thanks to renewed federal infrastructure investments under the Biden administration.”
Unionized Hotel Workers Reach Deal With Biggest Employer on Eve of July 4 Weekend and Planned Strike: “As Los Angeles braces for the largest U.S. hotel worker strike in recent memory, the Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites in downtown Los Angeles announced that it had reached a tentative deal for higher pay and benefits Wednesday evening with the union representing its employees…. They are seeking higher pay, which might allow them to live in more expensive areas closer to their jobs, as well as improved benefits and working conditions. The Bonaventure deal is the first among many that will be needed to avert the planned strike. According to UNITE HERE Local 11 Co-President Kurt Petersen, workers are slated to ratify the deal in the coming days, and the agreement will set a standard for other hotels in the region.”
WGA Pickets Come to D.C.: Members and Supporters Demonstrate at Disney’s/Marvel’s ‘Captain America’ Shoot: “Writers Guild of America (WGA) members and supporters brought their pickets to Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, this time to demonstrate at a location for the next Captain America movie. About two dozen started picketing in the late afternoon about a block away from the White House, near the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and 15th Street.”
More Violent Workplaces: California Calls for Stricter Protections: “S. 553 is modeled on rules instituted in California in 2017 for the health care industry, and the bill has the support of influential worker advocacy organizations such as AFSCME. Nationally, 11 states have enacted similar laws requiring health care businesses to establish a violence prevention plan or program. An analysis of federal data shows that the number of health care sector–related workplace violence citations in California has sharply dropped since reaching a high in 2019.”
Unions, Including Culinary, Reach Deal to Organize Venetian, Palazzo Workers: “A decades-long standoff between Las Vegas’ largest unions and the Venetian and Palazzo ended Tuesday with the announcement that operators of the Strip properties would stand aside and allow the labor groups to organize the properties’ nongaming workforce. The joint announcement from Culinary Workers Union (CWU) Local 226, Bartenders Union Local 165, Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 501 and Teamsters Local 986 comes some 16 months after the Las Vegas Corp. sold the two resorts and the Venetian Expo for $6.25 billion to private equity firm Apollo Global Management and real estate investment trust VICI Properties. Apollo manages the two resorts under an agreement with VICI, the properties’ landlord.”
Storm King Labor Union Receives Management Recognition: “Workers at Storm King Art Center have successfully organized after management at the outdoor sculpture park recognized the new union, bringing to an end a lengthy process that spanned seven months and included two elections for two separate bargaining units. The 68 employees of the Storm King labor union will now be part of the Civil Service Employees Association Local 1000, the largest affiliate union of AFSCME.”
Strike at Lunds & Byerlys Averted With Tentative Contract Agreement: “Union workers have hammered out a tentative contract agreement with Lunds & Byerlys, averting a three-day strike that could have significantly impacted the upscale grocery chain. Representatives for United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 663 said the two-year deal, reached late Monday night, provides significant raises for both full-time and part-time positions by the fall of 2024 and secures worker-driven health care, which was a major sticking point.”
Ascension Seton Nurses Plan Largest RN Strike in Texas History: “Ascension Seton nurses are currently preparing for a historic nurses’ strike. On Monday, dozens of nurses gathered to make posters and picket signs ahead of their walkout planned for Tuesday outside of Ascension Seton Medical Center.”
AFL-CIO Endorses President Joe Biden for Reelection: “The AFL-CIO has endorsed President Biden’s reelection campaign in a major win for the president as he works to shore up labor support for his 2024 White House bid. The general board of AFL-CIO voted June 16 to endorse Biden and Vice President Harris—the earliest the AFL-CIO has ever voted to endorse in a presidential election. Biden rallied with union members June 17 in Philadelphia. ‘There’s absolutely no question that Joe Biden is the most pro-union president in our lifetimes,’ AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler said in a statement. ‘From bringing manufacturing jobs home to America to protecting our pensions and making historic investments in infrastructure, clean energy and education, we’ve never seen a president work so tirelessly to rebuild our economy from the bottom up and middle out.’”
Senate Labor Panel Passes PRO Act on Party-Line Vote: “By an 11–10 party-line vote—Democrats and independent Bernie Sanders for, all Republicans against—the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee approved the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. The measure has long been organized labor’s number one priority and would help level the playing field between workers and bosses in union organizing and workers’ rights while imposing higher fines on corporate labor law breakers. In a congratulatory tweet, the AFL-CIO declared, ‘Today, three crucial pro-worker bills passed the Senate HELP Committee! The PRO Act, Healthy Families Act and Paycheck Fairness Act will establish a long-overdue standard of fairness in every workplace and deliver the dignity and respect that all workers deserve.’”
Local Union Rejects Contract Offer From Schnucks, Authorizes Strike ‘Should It Become Necessary’: “UFCW Local Union 88—which represents more than 1,000 Schnucks Markets Inc., workers across Missouri and Illinois—on Thursday said its members ‘overwhelmingly’ voted to reject a contract offer from the St. Louis–based grocer. The local union said it has authorized leadership to call for a strike should it become necessary.”
Workers at Wilmington Nursing Facility Reach New Contract After Months of Tense Negotiations: “UFCW Local 27 Representative Jeffrey Hedrick says the new contract conditions include protections for workers with seniority; a quarter of the staff have worked at the facility for more than 10 years. ‘We did get some agreement that meant workers who had been there for a period of time—with seniority—would not be making less money than the new workers,’ he said. After unanimously ratifying the new contract on June 16, UFCW Local 27’s membership also voted to add the facility’s licensed practical nurses to the union; whether those nurses will fall under the newly negotiated contract or a separate contract is still undetermined.
Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 07/06/2023 - 11:04Service & Solidarity Spotlight: New Jersey CWA Activists Advocate for Pro-Worker Policies
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 Communications Workers of America (CWA) in New Jersey participated in a lobby day last Thursday to meet with their legislators and promote CWA’s legislative priorities. After attending a lobbying training, participants flooded the state legislature in Trenton and spoke with their representatives about the need to advance several pro-worker policies that would strengthen New Jersey’s working families, including the expansion of collective bargaining rights for local government and college workers, relief for local government workers from crushing health care premium increases and extension of the New Jersey Corporate Business Tax (CBT) surcharge. The members also attended various legislative committee hearings.
After their meetings with legislators, the CWA members joined community allies in front of the statehouse for a rally to call for the extension of the New Jersey CBT surcharge. This rally included a march from the statehouse to the Trenton office of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, where Christian Estevez, CWA District 1 New Jersey legislative and political director, spoke about the need to prioritize the funding of much-needed public services over tax breaks for big corporations and the billionaires that own them.
Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 07/06/2023 - 10:00Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Machinists at Spirit AeroSystems Vote to Accept Improved Contract Offer
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.
Approximately 6,000 members of the Machinists (IAM) Local 839 at Spirit AeroSystems voted to ratify an improved four-year contract. The IAM members went on strike on June 24 and will return to work on July 5. The new contract includes significant improvements over the previous offer—which was rejected—including wage increases, improved prescription drug coverage and better overtime rules. The IAM members work at the Spirit AeroSystems plant in Wichita, Kansas, manufacturing major aerostructures for companies such as Boeing and Airbus, as well as defense and business jets.
“We knew these negotiations were not going to be your typical set of talks,” said IAM Local 839 Chief Negotiator Jason Baze. “Our membership clearly said the original offer was unacceptable by rejecting it soundly. The committee returned to the table to address their concerns.”
“At the end of the day, IAM members democratically decide what is acceptable to them during contract negotiations—and we always support their decision,” said IAM Southern Territory General Vice President Rickey Wallace. “These critical improvements demonstrate the power of collective bargaining. I am very proud of our Local 839 negotiating committee and membership.”
Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 07/05/2023 - 10:30Pride Month Profiles: Sierra Kriston
For Pride Month this year, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various LGBTQ+ union members who have worked and continue to work at the intersection of civil and labor rights in the United States. Today's profile is Sierra Kriston of the Bricklayers (BAC).
Sierra Kriston joined BAC in 2014 as an apprentice bricklayer and became a journey-level bricklayer in 2018. Kriston is currently a field representative for BAC Local 23. "I am passionate about helping to encourage and support diversity and inclusion," Kriston said.
Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 06/30/2023 - 10:07Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Pride at Work Condemns Anti-LGBTQ+ Legislation
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.
Pride at Work Executive Director Jerame Davis wrote an op-ed condemning the nearly 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced in states across the country:
Not only are these bills bad for human and worker rights, but they are also detrimental to our democracy. Moreover, this wave of legislation is not being driven by public will. Poll after poll has shown that most Americans support queer and trans rights and view the number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills as political theater and a distraction.
State legislators are appealing to only the most extremist part of their base and secret money front-groups that have funded anti-trans attack ads, lobbied against the Equality Act and funded extremist school board candidates. Current disclosure loopholes allow corporations and billionaires to fund these candidates and positions with no transparency or accountability.
Research from the UCLA School of Law demonstrates that LGBTQ+ inclusive laws are strongly associated with democracy, and autocracies have been shown to be less inclusive regardless of public support for LGBTQ+ rights. This wave of anti-queer and trans legislation is a dangerous sign of democratic backsliding.
Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 06/29/2023 - 10:11Pride Month Profiles: Kathel Griffin
For Pride Month this year, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various LGBTQ+ union members who have worked and continue to work at the intersection of civil and labor rights in the United States. Today's profile is Kathel Griffin of Actors' Equity Association.
Kathel Griffin is an actor and member of Equity. Inspired to act after drag bans and laws impacting trans people's health care and rights to public spaces started moving through various state legislatures, Griffin worked with members of Equity’s trans, nonbinary and genderqueer community to organize a video project featuring Equity members from across the country. Griffin is also a member of Equity’s LGBTQ+ community and Member Education and Engagement Action team.
Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 06/29/2023 - 10:07
