Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Enter The 2024 IAM Photo Contest
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.
Attention all IAM members who enjoy taking photos. The 2024 IAM Photography contest is now open, so get out your cameras or smartphones and start snapping some pics of your Union sisters and brothers.
The official call letter and entry forms can be found here.
Submit your pictures of IAM members in their workplace, union function, or performing community service for a chance to win a cash prize and have your photo featured in the 2024 IAM Calendar. The entry deadline is May 24, 2024.
Two dollars from each calendar sale is donated to Guide Dogs of America/Tender Loving Canines (GDA/TLC). You can order your 2024 Calendar here.
Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 03/06/2024 - 09:08Shuler: We All Share the Same Fight
Recently, the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations and the University of Illinois School of Labor and Employment Relations released data that showed the number of striking workers in the United States climbed 141 percent from 2022 to 2023.
That’s numbers-backed proof of the energy and hope that we feel every day, isn’t it? We are in a generation-defining moment—one in which workers are rightfully seizing our power and unrigging our economy so that it works for everyone, not just the ultra-wealthy.
Researchers documented 470 work stoppages involving about 539,000 workers last year. These work stoppages resulted in a total of roughly 24,874,522 strike days.
Across all those millions of days spent walking picket lines—regardless of in which part of the country our shoes hit the concrete—better pay, improved health and safety, and increased staffing were the top three demands.
And that tells me one thing for certain: At the end of the day, we all share the same fight. Regardless of whether we clock in to work in scrubs or a hard hat, whether we are educating the leaders of tomorrow or writing the next award-winning show of the season, or whether we work 9-to-5 or the night shift, our fight for a better future is one and the same. And we’re just getting started.
This post originally appeared at the Labor Tribune.
Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 03/05/2024 - 10:22Women's History Month Profiles: Christine Cambizaca
This year, for Women's History Month, we're taking a look at a group of leaders who are currently active making women's 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 Christine Cambizaca of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC).
In addition to being a proud member of NALC Connecticut Merged Branch 20, Christine Cambizaca is also a hero to her community. She had only been delivering mail for one month when she encountered a woman in danger. The woman had blood and bruises on her face and was being followed by a man with a knife. Cambizaca didn’t hesitate to offer her truck as a safe place for the woman to wait until police could apprehend the man. For her actions, Cambizaca was recognized as NALC 2022 National Hero of the Year.
Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 03/05/2024 - 10:16Tags: Women's History Month
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Farmers Markets Workers in the DMV Area Ratify First Union Contract
Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our Service & Solidarity Spotlight series, we'll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
About 25 members of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 400 who work at nearly 30 local FreshFarm farmers markets in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia voted in favor of ratifying their first union contract. This ratification is the first time farmers market workers in the country have secured a collective bargaining agreement. The contract includes higher wages, guaranteed annual raises, vacation time for seasonal employees, improved workplace conditions and safety standards, a labor-management committee to address ongoing concerns, and grievance and arbitration procedures to guarantee just discipline.
“We came together as a collective to improve our working conditions and create good jobs at FRESHFARM,” said Yuval Lev, who has been a FreshFarm market operator for three years. “We’re proud to codify these hard-fought gains in this historic contract and continue doing the work we love to serve the community. A big thank you goes out to everyone who has supported us—our fellow workers, farmers and vendors, and community members. We appreciate your support and look forward to seeing you at our unionized farmers markets!”
Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 03/05/2024 - 10:05This Is What Happens When Workers Get Power: 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.
We Must Start Preparing the U.S. Workforce for the Effects of AI—Now: “Recognizing that workers aren’t in a position to assess the downsides of AI, Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO union federation, has called for having a government agency vet AI technologies to determine whether they’re harmful to workers—just as the FDA vets drugs to make ‘sure drugs don’t kill people before they’re put out into the world.’”
The Marshall Project, Pulitzer-Winning Nonprofit Newsroom, to Unionize: “Staffers at the criminal justice journalism nonprofit the Marshall Project announced Thursday that they are unionizing, a move that puts the award-winning newsroom among the growing ranks of organized labor in the digital and nonprofit media world. The Marshall Project Guild will be part of the NewsGuild of New York, CWA Local 31003, and as a ‘wall-to-wall’ union will represent about 50 staffers on the editorial and business sides. The union, which has the support of more than 80% of the staff, is receiving voluntary recognition.”
Twin Cities Workers Headed for Massive Coordinated Strikes: “More than 13,000 workers around the Twin Cities—Teachers, Laborers, Service Employees and United Food and Commercial Workers, transit workers—are headed for coordinated strikes in mid-March unless their bosses, including Minneapolis city officials, reach new pacts with their union locals. The potential strikes by the ‘What Could We Win Together?’ coalition could see 8,000 janitors and security guards, members of SEIU Local 26, take a hike. Joining them would be 3,700 teachers and staffers from the St. Paul Federation of Teachers/AFT, 1,000 workers at 12 nursing homes represented by Local 26 and by UFCW Local 663 and 400 Minneapolis city workers, members of Laborers Local 363. Also in the coalition: 2,000 Metro Transit workers in Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1005.”
Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin Workers Vote to Unionize: “Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin Workers voted to unionize on Feb. 8, according to the Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Healthcare Professionals website. The ballot count revealed that 81% of workers voted to be represented by the Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Healthcare Professionals, according to Wisconsin Public Radio.”
Philadelphia School District Reaches Deal with Teachers Union: “The school district and the teachers union have tentatively agreed to a one-year contract extension to its current collective bargaining agreement. The current contract would have expired on Aug. 31. The union represents 13,000 teachers, counselors, nurses, secretaries and other school workers across 216 district schools. ‘This agreement, settled more than six months before the expiration of our current CBA (collective bargaining agreement), is a forward-thinking down payment on a long-term commitment to ensuring that our schools are fully staffed with qualified teachers and support staff,’ said Philadelphia Federation of Teachers President Jerry T. Jordan in a statement.”
Tempe Hotel Workers Are Picketing Their Employer and Guests Are Checking Out in Solidarity: “After hotel employees won union representation in 2015 after conducting a hunger strike to protest poor working conditions, Hernandez said workers have been more open to fighting for better protections and pay. She said workers have rallied around Borg since his suspension and subsequent termination. ‘We know our rights, and we’re going to fight for what we deserve,’ Hernandez said. Some of the guests staying at Tempe Mission Palms have also shown support for the workers on the picket line, according to Rachele Smith, a communications organizer for UNITE HERE Local 11. Smith said some guests have checked out of the hotel after learning about the ongoing picket.”
Corporate Giants Aim to Hobble National Labor Relations Board: “Corporate giants are taking aim at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and attempting to hobble the agency in charge of protecting unions and their members. Amazon, Starbucks, SpaceX and Trader Joe’s are all facing complaints from the NLRB over their alleged harassment, intimidation and illegal firings of unionizing employees. The companies have responded by challenging the constitutionality of the NLRB in federal court, which could upend the structure of the New Deal-era agency.”
AMC Theatres’ Workers at Universal City Location Attempt to Unionize: “The latest coming attraction for Universal Cinema AMC at CityWalk Hollywood? A union election at the National Labor Relations Board. On Feb. 20, the crew union IATSE petitioned the NLRB for an election to determine if 44 staffers at the Universal City location will decide to join their ranks. The union is attempting to represent a broad swath of roles—including ushers, cooks, bartenders, janitors and others—at the sprawling, 19-theater location, situated on the same campus as the Universal Studios theme park.”
Homegrown Sustainable Sandwiches Fired a Union Organizer—and Sparked an Organizing Drive: “Homegrown Sustainable Sandwiches, a Seattle-based chain, was founded with the mission of creating a more sustainable food system; however, as one former employee tells TRNN, Homegrown’s business model is ‘not actually sustainable for their workers.’ Workers at Homegrown voted overwhelmingly to unionize with UNITE HERE Local 8 in late 2022, and they have been fighting for a first contract ever since. In fact, workers from two Homegrown stores have been on strike since late last fall in protest of the unfair termination of union leader Sydney Lankford, who was fired after speaking up at a union delegation. As of this week, workers at the Redmond Homegrown location have been on strike for over 100 days. We talk with Sydney Lankford and Perry, two members of the Homegrown workers union who are currently on strike.”
Part-Time Adjuncts in Cinematic Arts Unionize at Southern California: “Part‐time adjunct faculty who teach at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts have unionized. The mail-in election took place this month among non-tenure-track adjuncts who work for the school remotely or at the University Park campus, according to information from the National Labor Relations Board. The tally was 206 to 13 out of 290 eligible voters, the NLRB said.”
Harvard Proctors and Tutors Plan to Launch Unionization Push: “Some Harvard residential tutors, proctors, and house aides are planning to publicly launch a campaign for unionization, an effort they have been quietly working towards since last spring. The group, called Harvard Union of Residential Advisors, has been organizing privately since May and plans to file a representation petition with the National Labor Relations Board.”
Starbucks and Union Agree to Work Out Framework for Contract Talks: “Starbucks and the union that represents employees in roughly 400 of its U.S. stores announced Tuesday that they were beginning discussions on a ‘foundational framework’ that would help the company reach labor agreements with unionized workers and resolve litigation between the two sides. The union greeted the development as a major shift in strategy for Starbucks, which has taken steps to resist union organizing at the company since the campaign began in 2021, moves that federal labor regulators have said violated labor law hundreds of times.”
Honoring Black History Month: “[February] marks…Black History Month. It can never be overstated the critical role Black unionists played and continue to play in building our modern Labor Movement, securing the hard-fought workplace protections that we all enjoy today, and advancing civil rights across the country. Black workers have been on the front lines of so many of the most pressing Labor rights issues of the times and have powerfully organized to fight systemic racism and exploitation. We still have so much to learn from the history of our country’s earliest Black trade unions; inspiring figures like A. Philip Randolph, Bayard Rustin, Hattie Canty, Clara Holder, Arlene Holt Baker and so many others; pivotal moments like the 1968 Memphis sanitation workers strike; and the ongoing efforts of Black workers across our country who are walking picket lines, leading our unions and driving change as we speak.”
Wells Fargo Workers at Apopka Bank File Petition to Unionize: “Bank workers at a Wells Fargo branch in Apopka have officially gone public with their desire to join Wells Fargo United, a union affiliated with the Communications Workers of America (CWA). This makes them the second Wells Fargo branch in Florida to seek unionization, and one of just a few nationwide.”
Nearly 60 New Members Join Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 562: “Congratulations to the nearly 60 new members of Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 562 who were initiated into the union last week. A few years back, Local 562 Business Manager John O’Mara started a new tradition with initiations by asking each individual to tell their ‘why.’ Here, a new member shares why he joined the union. ‘Hearing their answers and excitement to join the local is truly inspiring,’ Local 562 shared on its Facebook page. ‘Here is to keeping that same ‘why’ throughout your career, with the same enthusiasm.’”
AFSCME Members Vote to Ratify Agreement with Eastern Illinois University: “AFSCME members have voted to ratify the agreement with Eastern Illinois University. The union said the new contract will mean wage increases and parental leave for university employees. After nine months of bargaining and picketing that involved a federal mediator, a new union contract has been agreed upon.”
St. Paul Teachers Set March 11 Strike Date as Contract Talks Continue: “Leaders of the St. Paul Federation of Educators said Monday they’ve set March 11 as the date its members will strike if a contract deal with the district is not in place. Negotiations between the two sides continue. A mediation session is scheduled for Friday. In a statement, the union said while it did not make the decision lightly, it was necessary in order to ‘retain our educators in St. Paul through strong wages and affordable insurance, and continue to build the school communities that our students and their families deserve.’”
UAW President Shawn Fain on Labor's Comeback: ‘This is What Happens When Workers Get Power’: “Earlier this month, President Joe Biden paid a visit to the critical battleground state of Michigan. He came to Detroit—Motor City—to court union voters. Mr. Biden had just won the United Auto Workers' endorsement, and he was eager to share the spotlight with UAW president Shawn Fain. Fain told the crowd, ‘You know what the hell's going to happen if this man's not president, because we've seen what happens. Labor went backwards.’ ‘You all are the ones that brung me to the dance,’ Mr. Biden told union workers. ‘And I never left it.’”
Can a Tech Giant Be Woke?: “Liz Shuler, the AFL-CIO’s president, said Microsoft had gone further in collaborating with organized labor than almost any other major company. She said she first met Mr. Smith to discuss labor issues almost two years ago, at which point he told her, ‘If workers want a union, why shouldn’t they be able to form one?’ Then he added: ‘This is the prevailing winds of change in the country. I think Microsoft should be adapting to it instead of resisting it.’”
Striking Workers Could Soon Qualify for Unemployment Benefits: “Many workers who go on strike could soon gain a new bit of leverage against their employers: unemployment benefits. Lawmakers in several states are considering the novel approach of extending unemployment insurance to workers who hit the picket lines, saying it would help level the playing field with deep-pocketed companies that can starve their workforces in contract fights. Strikers do not qualify for such benefits in the vast majority of states.”
Union Workers Ratify New Meijer Contracts with Wage Increases, More Time Off: “Members of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 951 voted this week to ratify new contracts with Meijer that contain improvements to wages, paid time off, 401(k), health care and pay for more than 25,000 Meijer employees. The three separate, four-year contracts approved this week are effective Feb. 25. The contracts cover employees working in retail, distribution centers and transportation and retail facility maintenance and offer immediate wage increases of up to $1.50 per hour.”
Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 03/04/2024 - 09:59Women's History Month Profiles: Ann Flener-Gittlen
This year, for Women's History Month, we're taking a look at a group of leaders who are currently active making women's 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 Ann Flener-Gittlen of the United Steelworkers (USW).
Recently retired USW Women of Steel (WOS) Director Ann Flener-Gittlen was an active union member for over 50 years. Flener-Gittlen's long history of activism began in the 1970s with picket duty for several strikes against Rubbermaid Inc. She eventually became president of USW Local 302—after being told that a woman would never hold that position—and would go on to help establish the union’s WOS program. Flener-Gittlen has inspired steelworker women for decades and left a powerful mark on her union and beyond.
Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 03/04/2024 - 09:42Tags: Women's History Month
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Desert Sun NewsGuild 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 the Desert Sun NewsGuild in California agreed to a new contract that sets the highest pay floor at a Gannett publication. Highlights of the contract include a total compensation of $456,000 more in compensation over the next three years, an average 16.5% raise upon formal ratification of the contract, annual raises for all during the life of the three-year contract, new requirements during the hiring process for editors to attend DEI conferences for education and job recruitment, a key provision to promote diversity in hiring, the strongest protections against the use of artificial intelligence that any unionized Gannett newsroom has secured, strong protections for reductions in force and severance packages among other benefits.
Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 03/04/2024 - 09:22Women's History Month Profiles: Lori Ulrich
This year, for Women's History Month, we're taking a look at a group of leaders who are currently active making women's 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 Lori Ulrich of AFSCME.
As a disability services coordinator for Montgomery College, Lori Ulrich ensures that higher education is accessible to everyone. Once a Montgomery College student herself, Ulrich is passionate about helping every student succeed because she knows what it means to be in their shoes. She brings the ability to break down barriers with her to AFSCME Local 2380. Ulrich and her union brothers, sisters and siblings organize staff across the college's various campuses to advocate for additional resources and better services to help the students they support.
Kenneth Quinnell Sun, 03/03/2024 - 09:42Tags: Women's History Month
Women's History Month Profiles: Jillian Arnold
This year, for Women's History Month, we're taking a look at a group of leaders who are currently active making women's 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 Jillian Arnold of IATSE.
Jillian Arnold is a digital recording engineer and workflow developer who specializes in live broadcast production. In 2021, she became the first woman elected president of IATSE Local 695, Hollywood’s production sound, video and projection union. Arnold has been an IATSE member for more than 10 years and is a proud member of locals 600 and 695.
Kenneth Quinnell Sat, 03/02/2024 - 09:42Tags: Women's History Month
Women’s History Month: A Reading List
This Women's History Month, we at the AFL-CIO want to recognize that Women's history is not a separate history; it’s not a single month. Women's history is also America’s history, and it’s America’s labor history, too. Women workers have always been a crucial part of the fight for justice in the labor movement. And Women's history is not just the past—it’s also the present. That’s why we’ll be celebrating a new generation of women labor leaders and activists as well, featuring workers from across the country. 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 women authors and to buy union-made. We’ve sourced each book and linked to some union bookstore choices where you can order it online.
De Colores Means All of Us: Latina Views for a Multi-Colored Century, by Elizabeth Martínez (2017)
Working 9 to 5: A Women’s Movement, a Labor Union, and the Iconic Movie, by Ellen Cassedy (2022)
Fight Like Hell: The Untold History of American Labor, by Kim Kelly (2022)
Living for Change: An Autobiography, by Grace Lee Boggs (2016)
Tags: Women's History Month
Women's History Month Profiles: Claudia Rodriguez
This year, for Women's History Month, we're taking a look at a group of leaders who are currently active making women's 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 Claudia Rodriguez of SMART.
Claudia Rodriguez, a member of SMART Local 105 in Los Angeles, first heard about the sheet metal trade from a family friend. Four years later, she said, “I compete with myself daily to do my job better. I look forward to coming to work every single day, and that is contagious—even my co-workers get to feel that vibe and look forward to teaching me....If there’s any class available, I’m taking it. If there’s any opportunity for growth, I’m taking it. My life revolves around my trade. Two of my daughters followed my footsteps and joined the trade—that speaks for itself.”
Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 03/01/2024 - 09:49Tags: Women's History Month
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Fresno Paratransit Workers Secure New Contract; Avert Strike
Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our Service & Solidarity Spotlight series, we'll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
Bus drivers for the on-demand paratransit service Handy Ride in Fresno, California, secured a new contract on Monday, averting a possible strike that was approved by about a 90% vote. The workers are members of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1027. They ratified the new contract with National Transit Express, the city’s contractor providing transportation services for people with disabilities. The 76 drivers, mechanics and other workers who staff Fresno’s Handy Ride services will see a 12% raise this year and 4% raises for the next three years. The deal also includes new language that requires the company to give the union 30 days’ notice before introducing new technology, including artificial intelligence, into vehicles, during which the union can request to bargain over the effects of the technology.
“They really do deserve every single penny that they earn,” said Alfredo Molina, Local 1027’s treasurer. “They work day in, day out, dealing with the most vulnerable of folks out there in the community....We ratified a pretty strong contract.”
Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 03/01/2024 - 09:49Did Your Representative Vote to Protect Workers in 2023?
A lot of politicians in Washington, D.C., talk a big game about supporting the labor movement and backing policies that help working families.
But how do they vote?
Each year, the policy experts here at the AFL-CIO tally up all the votes that your U.S. House and Senate members took in Congress the previous year and then we release our AFL-CIO Legislative Scorecard—the definitive grade of whether your representative voted to protect or take away your rights.
Today, we released our new AFL-CIO Legislative Scorecard. How did your representative vote in 2023?
Approval ratings for Congress are at an all-time low, but support for unions is at one of the highest levels it’s been in decades, especially among young workers. Workers want to join unions to make our lives better—and we want leaders on Capitol Hill who will have our backs when we do.
The best way to protect our right to join a union is to hold our representatives accountable for the votes they take to protect existing labor laws or strengthen them. And on issue after issue—from workers’ rights to health care to education and even democracy itself—we need leaders who walk the walk to help America’s workers and our families.
Whether you approve or disapprove of your elected official’s record, please help us spread the word to your colleagues, friends and neighbors.
Thank you for helping to protect workers’ fundamental rights.
Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 02/29/2024 - 10:30Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Puerto Rico IKEA Workers Vote to Join IAM
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.
A group of 51 IKEA warehouse workers in Carolina, Puerto Rico, voted overwhelmingly to join the Machinists (IAM). The IAM also represents IKEA distribution center workers in Illinois, Georgia, Maryland and New Jersey.
“We could not be more thrilled to welcome Puerto Rico IKEA workers into our IAM family,” said IAM Southern Territory General Vice President Craig Martin. “We look forward to giving them the respect on the job they deserve. Our special thanks go out to Southern Territory Special Representative John Vigueras and Associate Organizer Jean Carlos Hernández Ocasio for their tremendous work on this campaign.”
Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 02/29/2024 - 10:20Tags: Organizing
Black History Month Profiles: Felicia Wilkerson
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 Felicia Wilkerson of AFSCME.
Helping the community is more than just a job for Felicia Wilkerson, it’s personal. When Wilkerson and her daughter faced homelessness, they turned to their neighbors and community organizations to help them get through it. Now, Wilkerson serves on the board of the Brethren Housing Association, helping others get back on their feet. And as an active member of AFSCME Local 3130, Wilkerson uses her voice on the job to bring her coworkers together and strengthen public services.
Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 02/28/2024 - 10:22Tags: Black History Month
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Philadelphia Federation of Teachers Announce Tentative Agreement on One-Year Contract Extension
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 Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT), an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), and the School District of Philadelphia jointly announced the settlement of a tentative agreement to a one-year contract extension to the existing collective bargaining agreement. The new agreement includes a 5% salary increase in September 2024, a retention and re-engagement bonus of $1,200, bonuses of $2,500 to be paid in June 2024 and September 2025 to eligible teachers in the Designated Schools Program, and other benefits.
“I am elated by this tentative agreement,” said PFT President Jerry Jordan. “Educators' working conditions and students' learning conditions go hand in glove, and that goes well beyond investing in classroom supplies. It means that the professionals that give so much of themselves and pour their hearts into educating our young people must be fairly compensated. This agreement, settled more than six months before the expiration of our current CBA, is a forward-thinking down payment on a long-term commitment to ensuring that our schools are fully staffed with qualified teachers and support staff.”
Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 02/28/2024 - 10:01Black History Month Profiles
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.
Check out the members we've featured this year:
- Shamaiah Turner
- Kayleen Williams
- Vonda Wilkins
- Lisa Dawn Cave
- Beverly Williams
- Keturah Johnson
- Brittani Murray
- Jarel Sanders
- Javonta Gatson
- James Allrich
- Sheria Smith
- Faye Brooks
- Timothy A. Williams
- Jerry T. Jordan
- Quenell Jones
- Erika White
- Sylvia McKenzie
- Myia Brown
- Chey Smith
- Willie E. Haywood
- Linda Powell
- Lisa Shelton
- Shereese Slate
Tags: Black History Month
A Terrible Idea: 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.
Fairfax Connector Suspends Bus Service as Workers Go on Strike: “Fairfax Connector workers have launched a strike after months of negotiations for a new labor contract with Transdev, the company that operates Fairfax County’s bus service. Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 689, which represents about 638 bus operators and mechanics for Fairfax Connector, announced the strike just after midnight Thursday. Workers began hitting picket lines at garages in Herndon, Lorton and on West Ox Road in the Fairfax area at 2 a.m. In a news release, the union said there remains ‘a vast divide’ between its demands and Transdev’s, and a strike became ‘unavoidable’ after 12 bargaining sessions due to ‘Transdev’s unfair labor practices and regressive bargaining.’”
Another Major Hollywood Union, the IATSE, Is Heading Into Studio Negotiations. Here's What To Know: “IATSE represents more than 150,000 below-the-line entertainment workers, from costume designers to motion picture editors. About 60,000 workers are affected by the two contracts coming up for negotiation. In 2021, IATSE threatened to go on strike, producing an overwhelming 98% authorization vote (with a whopping 90% turnout). But the worst was averted with an October agreement. This time around, the talks come on the heels of last year’s historic WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.”
Southwest Airlines Reaches Tentative Agreement with Transport Workers Union: “Southwest Airlines has reached a tentative agreement with a local unit of the Transport Workers Union that represents nearly 18,000 operations, provisioning, ramp and cargo agents, the company said on Thursday. The carrier did not provide any details about the agreement signed with TWU 555, which will communicate details of the deal directly to its members.”
Major Strikes in 2023 Set 20-Year Record, Labor Department Says: “American workers led 33 major strikes in 2023, the most in more than two decades, the Labor Department reported Wednesday, as a booming labor market fueled a strong year of activity for unions. In total, 458,900 workers participated in major strikes, defined as involving 1,000 or more workers, according to the Labor Department. That’s more than three times the number of strikes in 2022, according to the agency’s data, which excludes a lot of strikes at smaller workplaces.”
Vanderbilt Graduate Students Push for Official Campus Union: “Vanderbilt University graduate students have collected hundreds of union authorization cards from colleagues, leaders say—a major step in winning official recognition from the school before the end of the year. Late last year, campus organizers officially associated with the United Auto Workers, which claims more than 400,000 active union members, in hopes of unionizing an estimated 2,200 graduate student workers.”
Atlantic Theater Workers Vote to Join IATSE: “178 crewmembers of the Atlantic Theatre Company have voted in favor of joining The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE). This makes them the first group to unionize with IATSE in a major non-profit theater off-Broadway. Two weeks ago, workers at the off-Broadway musical ‘Titanique’ voted unanimously in favor of IATSE representation.”
UChicago Medicine Nurses Vote Authorize Strike as Negotiations Continue: “Nurses at UChicago Medicine gave union leaders the green light to call a strike. This comes as they continue to negotiate with management. Tuesday's 97% strike vote allowed union leaders to call a one-day strike over what they say are understaffing and patient safety concerns. No actual strike has been announced.”
Barnes & Noble on Manhattan's Upper West Side Files for Union Election: “Workers at the Barnes & Noble on West 82nd St. in the Upper West Side neighborhood of Manhattan filed for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board on February 20. Workers are seeking representation with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU). This marks the third unionization effort launched at a Barnes & Noble location in New York City in the past year. The move is only the latest in a series of labor efforts across many sectors of the book business in recent years, but especially in bookselling. In that sector, the RWDSU has been a big player, including leading successful organizing efforts at McNally Jackson and Greenlight Bookstore.”
Faith Leaders Call Out Racial Disparities in Pay for Sky Harbor Workers: “Public pressure is mounting on the city of Phoenix to address complaints against the company it uses to manage concessions at Sky Harbor International Airport as workers raise concerns about racial inequities in pay, discriminatory discipline and unsanitary conditions. Religious leaders sent a letter to Phoenix City Council on Thursday asking for officials to investigate allegations of racial disparities by airport contractor SSP America. The letter, signed by a diverse coalition of 31 clergy members from across the Valley, was received by Vice Mayor Yassamin Ansari during a press conference across the street from Phoenix City Hall. Workers and labor organizers from the Unite Here Local 11 joined the religious leaders at the media event.”
Sixteen Months on Strike at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: “Bob Batz, Jr., thought it would end quickly. ‘It's kind of cute now, that we thought getting into last December [2022] and January was a long time,’ Batz said. ‘Little did we know. [We said] ‘Oh, it’s Christmas and we're still on strike. We can't believe it.’’ Batz is one of 31 Newspaper Guild workers striking the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, owned by the family company Block Communications, Inc. Journalists at the Post-Gazette have been on strike since October 2022—making this strike the longest of the digital age—along with four other units: mailers, advertising workers, and Teamster truck drivers and pressmen.”
Unions Launch Crash Drive Against GOP Commission to Cut Social Security: “The AFL-CIO will play a big role in the fight, as it did, one speaker said, when it led the successful assault on GOP President George W. Bush’s 2005 plan to privatize Social Security, thus turning over its billions of dollars in annual revenue—taken from workers’ payroll taxes—to wolves of Wall Street. Federation President Liz Shuler called Johnson’s commission scheme ‘a terrible idea.’ Though she could not attend the press conference, Shuler added the Republican commission’s cuts ‘would push older Americans into poverty, take away people’s health care and end up costing the government more.’”
U.S. Unions Target the Housing Affordability Crisis as Their ‘Biggest Issue’: “As housing has become a top issue in strikes and protests in recent months, U.S. unions are pushing for change and backing innovative solutions for the housing affordability crisis. With U.S. house prices and rents rising in recent years, and high interest rates and inflation taking their toll, housing affordability has become a major issue at the bargaining table for U.S. labor unions. Many workers are facing 60-, 90-, even 120-minute commutes to work because they cannot afford to live near their jobs.”
Nonunion Restaurants Along the Vegas Strip are Fueling a Campaign to Organize Them: “For all the glitz of the Las Vegas Strip—home of the Bellagio’s fountain and several faux Wonders of the World—one of Vegas’ true wonders often goes unremarked: It is a union town, with 60,000 hospitality and restaurant workers represented by the Culinary Workers Union. But as the city has come back after the pandemic, hosting this year’s Super Bowl and swing-state campaign workers, that wonder is showing signs of stress. Nonunion restaurants have crept onto the Strip over the last decade, and the union estimates that today there are 10,000 nonunion jobs. ‘It’s a huge problem for us,’ said Ted Pappageorge, secretary-treasurer of the Culinary Workers Union, also known as UNITE HERE Local 26. Local 26 last summer took on one of organized labor’s monumental tasks: protecting and expanding union strongholds. The task is simple and immense. Immense, because it requires organizing those 10,000 workers across dozens of workplaces in an industry notoriously difficult to unionize. Simple, because so many nonunion workers now labor inside the same complexes where unions are already present.”
ABC6 Workers Announce Union Campaign: “Rhode Island and Southeast Massachusetts workers at local news station ABC6 are launching union organizing efforts, according to two employees with the unit’s organizing committee. The workers, who want to join the Communications Workers of America’s broadcast arm, The National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians (NABET), say they are calling for a union because of their concerns about understaffing, low and unequal wages, and outdated equipment. They also say their leadership may be empowering amateur community members to replace the jobs of their photographers in exchange for gift cards. On Friday would-be union members presented their leadership with a petition explaining their reasons for desiring to form a union, and, simultaneously, filed for an election with the National Labor Relations Board.”
Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 02/27/2024 - 10:36Black History Month Profiles: Shereese Slate
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 Shereese Slate of IATSE.
Shereese Slate’s passion for hair and beauty started at the early age of six years old. The Detroit native has worked on many commercials, music videos, and some television and film sets. In her spare time, Slate educates and speaks to students about their options and opportunities in television and film. "As a kid, I often would dream of seeing my name in lights. That dream finally came true in 2002 when I saw my name in the film credits for the first time. This was one of my proudest moments and it brought tears to my eyes."
Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 02/27/2024 - 10:19Tags: Black History Month
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Cannabis Workers in New Jersey Continue to Join UFCW Local 152
Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our Service & Solidarity Spotlight series, we'll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
Workers at the Design 710 cannabis dispensary in Atlantic City, New Jersey, joined United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 152. The five workers, who are employed as budtenders, formed a union by majority card-check. Local 152 plans to meet with these workers to begin the process of obtaining a first union contract. Over the past year, cannabis workers in New Jersey have been joining Local 152 across the state, including workers at The Botanist in Egg Harbor Township and Atlantic City, MPX/iAnthus grow facility in Pleasantville, MPX/iAnthus dispensary in Atlantic City, and Columbia Care Cannabist facility in Vineland.
“We are excited about representing workers from this growing industry for the purpose of collective bargaining,” said UFCW Local 152 President Brian String. “Together, we can make jobs in the cannabis industry a career choice for many individuals. We will strive to give our newest members the best representation in the entire labor movement.”
Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 02/27/2024 - 10:09
