Black History Month Profiles: Jane Hopkins
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 the conditions in their community, but also the conditions for working people across the country. Today's profile is Jane Hopkins.
Jane Hopkins is a nurse and an immigrant from Sierra Leone. She is a vice president for the Washington State Labor Council. She also has risen to the leadership of her union, SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, and was appointed to serve on the Biden-Harris COVID-19 Advisory Board.
Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 02/02/2021 - 10:24Service + Solidarity Spotlight: IBB Begins New Work at Philly Shipyard
Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
Members of the Boilermakers (IBB) at Philly Shipyard began a new era in maritime education with the cutting of steel for the new National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV). This is the initial major construction milestone for the first purpose-built, state-of-the-art training vessel for America’s state maritime academies. In addition to providing world-class training for America’s future mariners, the NSMV will be available to support humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions. “The International Brotherhood of Boilermakers was proud to work alongside President James Hart and the AFL-CIO Metal Trades Department, as well as others, to champion and ultimately secure this work at Philly Shipyard. Seeing our efforts come to fruition now is especially important, not only for the jobs it brings to the Boilermakers and other union crafts at Philly Shipyard, but also for the bolster it provides to America's national security,” said IBB International President Newton Jones.
In April, the Department of Transportation awarded a contract for up to five national security multi-mission vessels from TOTE Services. President James Hart (UA) of the Metal Trades Department, AFL-CIO, was instrumental in winning the contract. TOTE placed an initial order with Philly Shipyard for the first two vessels, with delivery to take place in the spring and winter of 2023. Members of IBB Local 19 in Philadelphia work at Philly Shipyard. Pictured above, members operate a plasma cutting machine that makes the first cut in a steel plate. The pieces will be transported to an assembly line where they will eventually become part of the first ship's keel.
Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 02/02/2021 - 09:39Tags: Community Service, COVID-19
Black History Month Profiles: Tanya Acker
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 Tanya Acker.
Tanya Acker has been active in the labor movement for more than 30 years. She was a member of American Federation of Musicians Local 148 in Atlanta. There she became involved in the A. Philip Randolph Institute (APRI), learning her dedication to service from her father, who also was active in APRI for decades. Acker now lives in Colorado, where she serves as the vice president for the state chapter of APRI.
Acker also serves as a member of the Colorado AFL-CIO Executive Board, where she chairs the Inclusion and Diversity Committee, an organized effort from the Colorado state federation to become more inclusive of race, gender, sexual orientation and gender identity, religious affiliation, class, immigration status, geographical representation and other traditionally marginalized communities. Acker led the state federation's blueprint for 2021, outlining the state federation's goals and objectives for internal policy, community engagement, education and training, strategic communication and state-level legislation.
Acker spoke last year with the "Labor Exchange," a Boulder, Colorado, radio show, about the importance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s work and the labor movement. Listen here.
Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 02/01/2021 - 10:15Service + Solidarity Spotlight: Gamble Joins Board of Energy Assistance Nonprofit
Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
UAW President Rory L. Gamble has been unanimously elected to serve on the board of directors of The Heat and Warmth Fund (THAW), an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that helps to keep Michigan families warm through utility assistance. Since its inception in 1985, THAW has distributed over $190 million in assistance to more than 256,000 Michigan households. Recipients of THAW assistance include the elderly, unemployed, underemployed and disabled individuals who find themselves in an energy crisis. More than 70% of the households assisted have a child or senior in the home.
“Over time, the structure may change in how we do things, but the heart and soul of this union giving back to our communities is as strong as it ever was,” Gamble said. “UAW members understand that our community work is an integral part of our core values as a union. Giving back is at the heart of the UAW culture and among our proudest achievements. And in this time of great need, we are so proud to be able to step up and help.”
Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 02/01/2021 - 09:39Transforming the Labor Landscape: 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.
The PRO Act Could Transform the Labor Landscape: "Joe Biden promised to be the most pro-union president in modern history. He has a chance to prove it by passing the PRO Act, a sweeping labor law reform bill. As Joe Biden enters the White House with slim majorities in the House and Senate, organized labor is making a concerted push for a major piece of legislation: the PRO Act. The bill is a wide-ranging labor law reform that would help workers fight back after decades of retreat in the face of aggressive employers. The AFL-CIO recently declared the PRO Act one of its top priorities. The International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) is leading the push for the PRO Act. The painters’ union organized its electoral work around the bill and has been holding public events on the legislation. Now, IUPAT is building up allies as it prepares to push the new presidential administration and Congress to pass the act."
What Biden and Congress Can Do to Support Unions: "In the last Congress, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the U.S. House of Representatives passed the most significant worker empowerment legislation since the Great Depression by creating a much fairer process for forming a union. It is called the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, or PRO Act. After an anti-worker majority blocked it in the Senate, reintroducing the PRO Act, passing it in both chambers of Congress and getting Biden's signature is vital to our economic recovery. The PRO Act would protect and empower workers to exercise their freedom to organize and bargain. It would make sure that workers can reach a first contract quickly after a union is recognized, end employers' practice of hiring permanent replacements to punish striking workers and finally hold corporations accountable by strengthening the National Labor Relations Board and allowing it to impose penalties on employers who retaliate against collective bargaining. It would also repeal so-called 'right to work' laws, which make it harder for working people to form unions and collectively bargain for better wages, benefits and working conditions."
Activision Blizzard Says Interviewing Diverse Candidates for Every Opening 'Unworkable': "Activision Blizzard is looking to avoid a shareholder proposal that it interview at least one diverse candidate when it hires for a position, according to a Vice report. The proposal was made separately to both Activision Blizzard and Electronic Arts by the AFL-CIO labor federation, which owns shares in both publishers. The proposal was based on the NFL's Rooney Rule, adopted in 2003 to require all of the football league's teams to interview at least one diverse candidate for every head coaching vacancy. It was later expanded to include vacancies for general managers and similar front office positions. In its letters to the publishers, the AFL-CIO argued for the adoption of the rule, saying, 'A diverse workforce at all levels of a company can enhance long-term company performance.'"
Local Union Halls Opening Up to Provide Space for Vaccinations: "Community organizations with space are stepping up to make room so more people in Lucas County can be vaccinated. Press conferences, job fairs and union organizing have all brought WTOL 11 to UAW Local 12's hall, but now they're preparing to administer 300 vaccines to eligible people in Lucas County on Tuesday."
Health Care Unions Find a Voice in the Pandemic: "Health care workers say they have been bitterly disappointed by their employers’ and government agencies’ response to the pandemic. Dire staff shortages, inadequate and persistent supplies of protective equipment, limited testing for the virus and pressure to work even if they might be sick have left many workers turning to the unions as their only ally. The virus has claimed the lives of more than 3,300 health care workers nationwide, according to one count. 'We wouldn’t be alive today if we didn’t have the union,' said Elizabeth Lalasz, a Chicago public hospital nurse and steward for National Nurses United. The country’s largest union of registered nurses, representing more than 170,000 nationwide, National Nurses was among the first to criticize hospitals’ lack of preparation and call for more protective equipment, like N95 masks. Despite the decades-long decline in the labor movement and the small numbers of unionized nurses, labor officials have seized on the pandemic fallout to organize new chapters and pursue contract talks for better conditions and benefits. National Nurses organized seven new bargaining units last year, compared to four in 2019."
Biden Toughens Buy American Rules: "'The Trump administration used the right words but never put in place policies to affect meaningful change,' Richard Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO, said in a statement. 'This executive order will close loopholes that allow agencies to sidestep Buy American requirements... [and] is a good first step in revitalizing U.S. manufacturing.'"
The Unfinished Story of Women at Work: 9to5 Yesterday, Today the PRO Act: "If you’ve never had to make coffee for your boss, it’s thanks to women who organized in the 1970s. And while the electric typewriter is no more, how women of that era organized is relevant—to current battles like organizing Big Tech, building care infrastructure and winning labor reform by passing the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act—so women can form and join unions now without fear. A new documentary, '9to5: The Story of a Movement,' captures the history of an organization started by a group of secretaries in the 1970s, and their sister union, SEIU District 925, and offers powerful insight for us today."
Mask Fights and a ‘Mob Mentality’: What Flight Attendants Faced Over the Last Year: "Aviation safety officials have received dozens of confidential complaints in the past year from attendants trying to enforce mask safety rules. The reports, filed in the Aviation Safety Reporting System database, at times describe a chaotic, unhinged workplace where passengers regularly abuse airline employees. The tension is at a level flight attendants have not seen before, said Paul Hartshorn Jr., a veteran attendant and a spokesman for the Association of Professional Flight Attendants union. 'I think we’re pretty well trained on how to handle a disruptive passenger,' said Mr. Hartshorn, 46. 'What we’re not trained to do and what we shouldn’t be dealing with is large groups of passengers inciting a riot with another group of passengers.'"
Biden’s ‘Buy American’ Manufacturing Order Called ‘Good First Step’ by Labor: "'This executive order will close loopholes that allow agencies to sidestep Buy American requirements and increase the thresholds for domestic content,' said AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka in a statement. 'This order is a good first step in revitalizing U.S. manufacturing, which [President Donald] Trump’s policies failed to do over the past four years,' Trumka said. The order will modify the rules for the Buy American program, reports the Associated Press, making it harder for contractors to qualify for a waiver and sell foreign-made goods to federal agencies. And it changes rules so that more of a manufactured product’s components must originate from U.S. factories."
Amazon Union Drive Takes Hold in Unlikely Place: "The largest, most viable effort to unionize Amazon in many years began last summer not in a union stronghold like New York or Michigan, but at a Fairfield Inn outside of Birmingham, in the right-to-work state of Alabama. It was late in the summer and a group of employees from a nearby Amazon warehouse contacted an organizer in the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union. They were fed up, they said, with the way the online retailer tracked their productivity, and wanted to discuss unionizing. 'The pandemic changed the way many people feel about their employers,' said Stuart Appelbaum, the retail union’s president. 'Many workers see the benefit of having a collective voice.' 'I am telling them they are part of a movement that is world wide,” said Michael Foster, a Black organizer in Bessemer, who works in a poultry plant 'I want them to know that we are important and we do matter.'"
NFL Players Endorse Amazon Warehouse Workers Unionization: "Amazon warehouse workers at the facility in Bessemer, Alabama will begin voting on what could become the first union in the technology giant's history on February 8. The National Football League Players Association (NFLPA), the union that represents more than 2,000 NFL players in the United States, has endorsed a union drive at an Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama, where workers are scheduled to begin voting in a historic union election on February 8. On Sunday, the NFLPA released a video on Twitter, where current and former NFL players, discussed the importance of union representation in improving their own wages, benefits, and working conditions, and how a union could do the same for Amazon employees."
Labor Groups Push Biden Administration on Union-Friendly Priorities: "'Robb’s removal is the first step toward giving workers a fair shot again, and we look forward to building on this victory by securing a worker-friendly NLRB and passing the PRO Act so all working people have the freedom to form a union,' Richard Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO, said in a statement Wednesday."
Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 01/29/2021 - 10:30Service + Solidarity Spotlight: Baltimore Teachers Union: Educators Hold Car Caravan
Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
Teachers and staff from the Baltimore Teachers Union (BTU), an affiliate of AFT, as well as parents and students, gathered Tuesday at a car caravan in Baltimore, outside the city’s school headquarters, in protest against the city’s rushed school reopening plans. The caravan was organized by the union’s COVID-19 task force as a part of a larger national day of action for safe schools.
“The Baltimore Teachers Union believes in-person learning should be expanded only when it’s safe,” the union said in a public statement. “We define safety based on the health metrics put forward by the CDC and City Schools own community indicators. On every major indicator, we remain in the highest risk of introduction and transmission of COVID-19 in the schools category, and far beyond City Schools’ own decision-making tree category of ‘limited or no in-person programs.’ Additionally, the vast majority of facilities have not been adequately equipped with ventilation upgrades needed, and staff have not been vaccinated.”
Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 01/29/2021 - 10:28Tags: Community Service, COVID-19
A Seat at the Table: In the States Roundup
It's time once again to take a look at the ways working people are making progress in the states. Click on any of the links to follow the state federations on Twitter.
Alabama AFL-CIO:
Rally support for Amazon employees on Feb 6th prior to their vote on February 8th. #1U @RWDSU @UFCW @D9Usw @IBEW @CWAUnion @AFLCIO pic.twitter.com/cFYLsEfd3r
— Alabama AFL-CIO (@AlabamaAFLCIO) January 28, 2021Alaska AFL-CIO:
We are on record supporting the emergency orders as they allow our city’s workers to work remotely when possible. They want to serve Anchorage residents without interruption and protect public health.#AnchorageAssembly
— Alaska AFL-CIO (@AKAFLCIO) January 13, 2021California Labor Federation:
The path out of this crisis will be paved by working people standing together in a #union. Workers need a voice on the job and a seat at the table more than ever. There is a lot of work to be done, but we're extremely optimistic. #TheFutureisUnionStrong ?https://t.co/h4KeSy58lr
— California Labor Federation (@CaliforniaLabor) January 27, 2021Colorado AFL-CIO:
President-Elect Biden can fill 4 positions on the 9-member USPS Board of Governors when he takes office. They could significantly change the course of the Postal Service - We need strong nominees to fight for the USPS we all deserve. #SaveThePostOffice https://t.co/ajtlvPFVFF
— Colorado AFL-CIO (@AFLCIOCO) January 14, 2021Connecticut AFL-CIO:
Correction Officer Sean Howard likely has permanent heart damage from contracting #COVID19 on the job. But he still is mandated to work 16 hour shifts due to chronic understaffing. @AFSCMECT4 @AFSCME https://t.co/qCA5hc90wx
— Connecticut AFL-CIO (@ConnAFLCIO) January 28, 2021Florida AFL-CIO:
"Rich Templin, legislative policy director with AFL-CIO Florida, said Florida developed under a motto of cheap land, cheap labor, and lax regulations. He believes workers here have always been underprotected."https://t.co/eZk2XTDXmW
— Florida AFL-CIO (@FLAFLCIO) January 27, 2021Georgia State AFL-CIO:
A word. ? https://t.co/RZTGKZDknB
— Georgia AFL-CIO (@AFLCIOGeorgia) January 26, 2021Illinois AFL-CIO:
NEW STUDY: 1 in 5 Upper Midwest Construction Workers Face Some Form of Wage Theft: https://t.co/K8lq9Am4jc
— Illinois AFL-CIO (@ILAFLCIO) January 14, 2021Indiana State AFL-CIO:
Instead of raising teacher pay, some Indiana legislators want to make it harder for our educators to be part of a union.
Talk about the wrong priorities. https://t.co/DEqvNF24Ut
Iowa Federation of Labor:
Join me and tell your senator to vote NO on school vouchers! Public tax dollars belong in public schools. #ialegis #NoVouchersIAhttps://t.co/JsTQVbHT3E
— Iowa AFL-CIO (@IowaAFLCIO) January 28, 2021Kentucky State AFL-CIO:
From @ForwardKy - authored by our own Executive Board member, Berry Craig:
“COVID is real. I know. So stop playing politics with your — and my — health.”https://t.co/bqgYCar9pi
Maine AFL-CIO:
If we want to create a working class movement for #ClimateJustice climate policies must respect workers’ rights & create good paying jobs with benefits. #mepolitics https://t.co/9SbvzKyjie
— Maine AFL-CIO (@MEAFLCIO) January 27, 2021Maryland State and D.C. AFL-CIO:
Pass. The. PRO Act. https://t.co/ZPAWxGy70d
— Maryland State and DC AFL-CIO (@MDDCStateFed) January 26, 2021Michigan State AFL-CIO:
Among other things, the plan calls on the #MILeg to permanently extend unemployment benefits to 26 weeks. This would bring our state in line with 40 other states, and provide hard-hit Michigan workers with the financial security and peace of mind they deserve. #MISOTS21 #1u https://t.co/MNCLZNRdph
— Michigan AFL-CIO ? (@MIAFLCIO) January 28, 2021Minnesota AFL-CIO:
Interested in a career in the union construction trades. Start at https://t.co/1Yz7wdTPno #1u @MNBldgTrades pic.twitter.com/serI5yhWHL
— Minnesota AFL-CIO (@MNAFLCIO) January 27, 2021Missouri AFL-CIO:
A little snow can’t stop our activism in fighting for Missourians! We continue to call on Senator Hawley to resign after his incitement of the insurrection at the Capitol riots. He is not representing Missourians! #ResignHawley pic.twitter.com/MIKiFdEPF7
— Missouri AFL-CIO (@MOAFLCIO) January 27, 2021Montana State AFL-CIO:
On Friday, Montanans spoke loud and clear against HB168. Now out-of-state interests are at it again with SB89. Here in Montana, we know the difference between standing up for working families and out of town special interests. Tell your representatives NO on #SB89! #MTLeg #MTpol pic.twitter.com/xPAKUsEm7x
— Montana AFL-CIO (@MTaflcio) January 25, 2021New Hampshire AFL-CIO:
WATCH: NH AFL-CIO @PresBrackett testifying before @TheNHSenate on why SB-61 is WRONG for our working people. ✊ #1u pic.twitter.com/oI6uHvfPFA
— NewHampshire AFL-CIO (@NHAFLCIO) January 26, 2021New Jersey State AFL-CIO:
“Having someone leading OSHA who stands for what the agency’s name means – occupational safety and health – that’s what every worker needs,” New Jersey State AFL-CIO President Charles Wowkanech said. https://t.co/YvM0bMW575
— New Jersey AFL-CIO (@NJAFLCIO) January 22, 2021New York State AFL-CIO:
#UnionStrong Podcast Ep 58: A Step Toward Diversifying Union Leadership. Learn more about the new Union LEAD scholarship to the NYS AFL-CIO/Cornell Union Leadership Institute. https://t.co/blF7XsX71r
— NYS AFL-CIO // #VotersDecided (@NYSAFLCIO) January 28, 2021North Carolina State AFL-CIO:
Paid sick days are FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE against an infectious disease, as they allow working people to stay home when sick instead of feeling pressured to work because they can't lose a paycheck. We MUST #ProtectAllWorkers. #ReleaseOurMoneyNC pic.twitter.com/2twS007ywS
— NC AFL-CIO // #VotersDecided (@NCStateAFLCIO) January 27, 2021North Dakota AFL-CIO:
ND Lawmakers Hear Plan for No-Cost Lunch for All Students https://t.co/kZrMQqkjp7
— North Dakota AFL-CIO (@NDAFLCIO) January 28, 2021Ohio AFL-CIO:
This is a great step in ensuring every American has a fair shot. Proud to be a part of the organization fighting to change systems that have for too long kept too many Americans down. https://t.co/4k5R1uvzqW
— Ohio AFL-CIO (@ohioaflcio) January 28, 2021Oklahoma State AFL-CIO:
We are sad to say Brother Henry Baskeyfield died this past Mon, Jan 18. Henry was president of AFSCME # 2875 and member of the OK AFL-CIO E-Board.
He will be missed.
His service will be held Sun, Jan 24, 2:30 pm.
Wildwood Community Church,
1501 24th Avenue N.E., Norman.
Oregon AFL-CIO:
Join us on Thursday, April 8 on Zoom for the 2021 Oregon Labor Lobby Day! https://t.co/g2weNuGB4h #1u #UnionStrong #ORleg #ORpol
— Oregon AFL-CIO (@OregonAFLCIO) January 26, 2021Pennsylvania AFL-CIO:
.@PERIatUMass released a report in partnership with @KRC_PA, @IBEW, @PaAFL_CIO, @PennFuture a day after @POTUS issued an executive order outlining support for many of the policies included in the #ReImagineAppalachia blueprint.https://t.co/ejRuKh3d2s
— PA AFL-CIO (@PaAFL_CIO) January 28, 2021Rhode Island AFL-CIO:
Opinion/Blais: Prospect payout to pensioners was no act of good faith https://t.co/YHUcdqsQ7v via @projo #1U #UNAP
— Rhode Island AFL-CIO (@riaflcio) January 26, 2021Tennessee AFL-CIO Labor Council:
We need to focus on the fight to close the gender pay gap, not widen it. #1u https://t.co/BYxU5ULOLs
— Tennessee AFL-CIO (@tnaflcio) January 28, 2021Texas AFL-CIO:
WATCH: Fair Shot Roundtable/Press Conference #txlege #1u https://t.co/18inyjbd4z via @FacebookWatch
— Texas AFL-CIO (@TexasAFLCIO) January 25, 2021Virginia AFL-CIO:
? BIG NEWS: Virginia becomes 1st in the nation to issue permanent workplace virus protection standards #workersfirst #1u #COVID #solidarity pic.twitter.com/9bZCZXAGxZ
— Virginia AFL-CIO (@Virginia_AFLCIO) January 23, 2021Washington State Labor Council:
Washington union leaders, staffers and rank-and-file members: Sign up to attend our (virtual) Legislative Lobbying Conference on Thursday, Feb. 4. Get updates on important bills and the opportunity to talk to your legislators about them! #1u #waleg https://t.co/TsRM9MLV6H
— Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO (@WAAFLCIO) January 21, 2021Wisconsin State AFL-CIO:
Republican plan to end the mask requirement could cost Wisconsinites $49 million in food benefits https://t.co/iQ4CCYARkc
— WI AFL-CIO (@wisaflcio) January 28, 2021 Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 01/28/2021 - 09:43Service + Solidarity Spotlight: Iowa Federation of Labor Joins Legal Complaint on Unsafe Working Conditions at State Capitol
Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
The Iowa Federation of Labor, along with several other state labor groups, filed a complaint with the Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Administration against state Senate and House leaders on Jan. 21, alleging they created an unsafe environment at the state Capitol building in Des Moines.
The leaders of five Iowa labor federations and two unions, including one that represents workers at the Capitol, said anti-worker legislators at the Capitol aren’t taking adequate safety precautions, such as requiring masks in the building or people to self-report positive tests. “Over the course of the last few weeks, you have refused to adopt safety precautions, when urged to do so by your colleagues and others, to keep our elected officials, legislative staff, building staff and visitors to the Iowa Capitol safe,” the leaders wrote in a letter accompanying the complaint.
“It’s their responsibility to make sure an employment or a place of employment is free of hazards,” Iowa Federation of Labor President Charlie Wishman (AFT) said in an interview. “If there is a threat of death or serious physical harm, which we believe there is with COVID-19, they have a responsibility as an employer to make sure things are as safe as possible.”
The letter was signed by leaders of the Iowa Federation of Labor, the Western Iowa Labor Federation, the South Central Iowa Federation of Labor, the Hawkeye Area Labor Council, Great River Area Labor Federation, AFSCME Council 61 and Teamsters Local 238.
Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 01/28/2021 - 09:31Tags: COVID-19, Community Service
Service + Solidarity Spotlight: USW Members at Minnesota Nursing Homes Secure Wage Increases Amid Coronavirus Surge
Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
As the coronavirus continues to surge in nursing homes across the United States, worker burnout and distress are at an all-time high. Staff retention was already an issue before the pandemic, and the chaos it has brought to these vulnerable facilities has turned it into an emergency. To help offset some of this burden placed on essential health care workers, a United Steelworkers (USW) local is doing all it can to negotiate wage increases for its members, such as those at Pennington Health Services in Thief River Falls, Minnesota. The coronavirus has hit the nursing home once again, straining the already short staff. Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) there have been able to secure a 14.2% wage increase. Workers at The Waterview Woods nursing home in Eveleth, Minnesota, won an increase in pay differential, an increase in health insurance coverage, and a $2 increase for LPNs and registered nurses. The facility, like Pennington, has been struck hard by the coronavirus and short-staffing. Workers at both facilities are members of USW Local 9349 and are part of separate bargaining units.
Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 01/27/2021 - 10:12Tags: COVID-19, Community Service
RWDSU-UFCW Leads Organizing Drive at Amazon Fulfillment Center in Alabama
The strongest effort to create a union at Amazon in many years is underway in Bessemer, Alabama. Organizers with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union-UFCW (RWDSU-UFCW) have been working with employees at the Amazon fulfillment center. By December, more than 2,000 workers had signed union cards, leading to an election set to begin in February. The company is engaging in union-busting activities in response, but the workers are not backing down. Many of the organizers and the employees at the fulfillment center are Black, and the organizers have focused on issues of racial equality and empowerment as a part of the drive.
Read more about the drive in The New York Times or on Twitter @BAmazonUnion and #BAmazonUnion.
Congratulations everyone, we’re thrilled to share we have a date for our #union election to begin. More details are coming soon but we wanted to share this incredible news! #1U #BamazonUnion #UnionStrong pic.twitter.com/T9cEmchmmo
— BAmazonUnion (@BAmazonUnion) January 15, 2021Warehouse workers in Bessemer, AL have come together to make Amazon a safer, better place to work. @NYT shares the story of how and why @BAmazonUnion workers began organizing with @RWDSU. #BAmazonUnion #UnionYes #1u
— Richard Trumka (@RichardTrumka) January 25, 2021Our fight to build power and unionize our facility began with workers talking to workers. Today, the @nytimes shared the critical story of how our fight to form a #union came to be. https://t.co/WzMGXn43Yq #1U #UnionStrong
— BAmazonUnion (@BAmazonUnion) January 25, 2021Workers united can never be defeated! During last night's game @NFLPA players pledged support for @BAmazonUnion and urged workers to vote #UnionYes! "Remember this union stands behind you and is inspired by your actions" -@JCTretter #1u #BAmazonUnionhttps://t.co/8jPb9FjuBx
— RWDSU (@RWDSU) January 25, 2021In convos with Amazon workers @RWDSU poultry worker Michael Foster focuses on solidarity: “I am telling them they are part of a movement that is worldwide. I want them to know that we are important & we do matter.” @BAmazonUnion #BAmazonUnion #UnionYes #1uhttps://t.co/EwxsgolMww
— RWDSU (@RWDSU) January 25, 2021In convos with workers, @RWDSU worker-organizer Mona Darby talks about the benefits of voting #UnionYes–like protections & job security. “You can pay me $25 an hour, but if you don’t treat me well, what’s that money worth?" #BAmazonUnion @BAmazonUnion #1uhttps://t.co/EwxsgolMww
— RWDSU (@RWDSU) January 25, 2021Union busting is disgusting—even when the anti-union propaganda is coming from a disguised Amazon drone!?
Have an afternoon laugh courtesy of @OnionIncUnion, and make sure to support the @BAmazonUnion! #UnionYes #BAmazonUnion #1uhttps://t.co/rQXjwP5PKg
The Unfinished Story of Women at Work: 9to5 Yesterday, Today the PRO Act
If you’ve never had to make coffee for your boss, it’s thanks to women who organized in the 1970s. And while the electric typewriter is no more, how women of that era organized is relevant—to current battles like organizing Big Tech, building care infrastructure and winning labor reform by passing the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act—so women can form and join unions now without fear.
A new documentary, "9to5: The Story of a Movement," captures the history of an organization started by a group of secretaries in the 1970s, and their sister union, SEIU District 925, and offers powerful insight for us today.
They were the biggest sector in the workforce, but women office workers in the 1970s were seen as servants or, like the wallpaper, they weren’t seen at all. The 9to5 organization changed the culture by using creative tactics like public awards for horrible bosses to name and shame bad behavior. They used humor to call it what it was: ridiculous and unacceptable.
The organization became a cultural phenomenon, with a movie starring Jane Fonda. It inspired Dolly Parton’s iconic song.
9to5 developed leaders from the bottom up, it was intersectional. Women with high school educations and college degrees were committee co-chairs, Black and White women led campaigns together, older and younger women worked together to plot strategy.
They recognized the power of a union. Women were organizing throughout the workforce, often building new organizations that collaborated with existing labor unions.
Unions leverage the power of workers standing together. If you are in a union, your employer has to negotiate a contract with wages, benefits and working conditions. It’s one of the most powerful tools for guaranteeing equal pay. That’s why the best way to close the gender pay gap is by joining a union.
And that’s why the AFL-CIO, the largest federation of unions in the United States, is also the largest working women’s organization in the country.
Look at UNITE HERE, the AFL-CIO’s powerhouse hotel and hospitality union affiliate. Bartenders, servers and room attendants—mostly women of color—stood up to a powerful hotel chain in 2019 to win pay increases and protect health benefits. More than that, they demanded panic buttons be put in the hands of housekeepers, one of the greatest victories of the #MeToo movement.
In the 1970s, language for sexual harassment didn’t even exist. 9to5 helped pioneer it. That legacy lives on in #MeToo and the power to say #TimesUp.
Ultimately, 9to5 grew nationally and voted to align with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) as an independent chapter. But the promise of the 1970s met the fierce resistance of a growing conservative movement and an all-out attack on unions. That union-busting tradition continues today.
For example, Google fired workers who tried to organize in 2019. And Big Tech is the biggest growth factor in the U.S. economy where there is almost no union presence. Without unions, we’re seeing a gluttony of power and profit.
But this corporate greed in the pandemic is stirring a renewed sense of worker solidarity. In Bessemer, Alabama, 6,000 workers at Amazon will vote to join the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union-UFCW (RWDSU-UFCW).
Following Kickstarter and Glitch, workers at Google and other Alphabet companies have started the Alphabet Workers Union, with the full support and investment of the Communications Workers of America (CWA). Taking a page from women organizing in the 1970s, it’s an innovative model for organizing.
One difference between now and then: The 1970s saw 12 million more women in the workforce by the end of the decade. In the pandemic, there are 4.5 million fewer women in the U.S. workforce than just 12 months ago.
One reason is the care crisis. Care jobs make all other jobs possible. And without paid family leave and good-paying care jobs, the burden of care is crushing women. We need a care infrastructure that covers everyone and makes sure all care jobs are good jobs with living wages.
So if we’re going to learn anything from history, it’s this: We need labor empowerment laws for the 21st century. A bill in Congress called the PRO Act will remove barriers to organizing and make it easier for the millions of working women who want to join and form unions. That, in turn, will help create unions in Big Tech and in the care economy, empowering the next generation of working women with equal pay and opportunities on the job.
The effort that defined a movement, for women, by women, lives on in the language we use even today at work. Through the 2020 organizing efforts, we have the newest term added to our vocabulary: Madam Vice President. And by continuing to tell the stories about women organizing, we continue to define our power to shape the future.
Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 01/26/2021 - 13:58A New Day: What Working People Are Doing This Week
Welcome to our regular feature, a look at what the various AFL-CIO unions and other working family organizations are doing across the country and beyond. The labor movement is big and active—here's a look at the broad range of activities we're engaged in this week.
Actors' Equity:
Tomorrow is #SwingDay! We'll be sharing videos from swings and theatre professionals throughout the day, so be sure to follow us and #EquityTeamSwing on IG and FB as well.
Want to join the celebration?
Download social media covers & a story template >> https://t.co/ZjmtWsmX19 pic.twitter.com/mse6dOhhbW
AFGE:
A new day is here for federal workers! https://t.co/oNth6IJCL4
— AFGE (@AFGENational) January 22, 2021AFSCME:
.@JulieSuCA is a fighter for economic justice, a proven and powerful advocate for working people, especially those in low-wage industries. She and @MartyJWalsh will be a dynamic team at @USDOL. Excited to partner with them. Let’s get to work. #1u pic.twitter.com/uKnMhTFmze
— AFSCME (@AFSCME) January 26, 2021Air Line Pilots Association:
Winter weather will hit much of the US & Canada this week. ALPA #pilots know they have to take extra steps to ensure their aircraft are #ReadyForTakeoff. Click below to learn how our pilots are #TrainedForLife, even for extreme winter weather. https://t.co/Xuv0J5cojq
— Air Line Pilots Association (@WeAreAlpa) January 25, 2021Alliance for Retired Americans:
The funds are there. Now the Biden administration must make helping people sign up and #GetCovered for 2021 a priority. https://t.co/fEUiCOrUKD
— Alliance for Retired Americans (@ActiveRetirees) January 25, 2021Amalgamated Transit Union:
Today, ATU International President John Costa opened up a zoom Negotiations and Contract Campaigns training for Local leaders across the ATU. #1u #TogetherWeFightTogetherWeWin pic.twitter.com/sQ64lVwO56
— ATU, Transit Union (@ATUComm) January 26, 2021American Federation of Musicians:
While COVID-19 has upended the media giant’s business, shuttering its theme parks for months, closing down its Broadway shows -- leaving many union workers out of work, Disney Leaders Still Rake in Millions ?https://t.co/LlbGffuwXl via @variety
— AFM (@The_AFM) January 21, 2021American Federation of Teachers:
It’s going to be a messy process but having centralized data collection is going to make it much easier for districts to know what they’re dealing with and when to reopen or return to remote. https://t.co/DW66Zch4FL
— AFT (@AFTunion) January 26, 2021American Postal Workers Union:
Live: President Dimondstein reports on our work & challenges in 2021. #APWUnited #SaveThePostOffice https://t.co/gJWI1iFqCl
— APWU National (@APWUnational) January 20, 2021Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance:
Lingering racist and ableist exclusions have left tipped workers and workers with disabilities out of the basic protection of the full federal minimum wage. It’s long past time for a federal baseline of $15 and #1FairWage #FightFor15 TAKE ACTION: https://t.co/D626kiNKOv
— Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (@APALAnational) January 26, 2021Association of Flight Attendants-CWA:
(1/2) From the first days of the pandemic, we’ve continued to perform essential jobs, keeping travel and cargo moving. But despite our role maintaining this critical industry, we are not yet in a priority tier for the vaccine in most of the country. https://t.co/Fgnh5roL2Z
— AFA-CWA (@afa_cwa) January 26, 2021Boilermakers:
Keep an eye ?️ out for the monthly issue of the IBB Update that hits inboxes Friday! ? Not subscribed? Sign-up for #BoilermakersUnion news updates at: https://t.co/6rInXnDk2V pic.twitter.com/uJP9TfS6hW
— Boilermakers Union (@boilermakernews) January 26, 2021Bricklayers:
This Day in Union History: 1/25/1937
After management fires two boiler room engineers for union activity, @transportworker union begin a sit-down strike and picket at a Brooklyn power plant. Two days later the engineers were rehired after members threatened to cut subway power. pic.twitter.com/2ctrVmkgSH
California School Employees Association:
CSEA encourages @CAgovernor @GavinNewsom to appoint @RobBonta as #CA's next AG. He will be a defender of the defenseless, a fighter for fair dealing, a guardian of justice, and a caretaker of the California Dream. pic.twitter.com/WdBF08Fer7
— CSEA (@CSEA_Now) January 19, 2021Coalition of Black Trade Unionists:
The Greatest. Period. #hankaaron https://t.co/PnrwCyjjvm
— CBTU (@CBTU72) January 22, 2021Coalition of Labor Union Women:
We congratulate President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. We now have the first woman vice president ever!
NEXT CHAPTER OF HERSTORY!
Find out why thousands of woman including our presidents are wearing pearls today: https://t.co/aitcOC0qzu pic.twitter.com/lGjly4yWBr
Communications Workers of America:
Let's get it done! #1u https://t.co/t9bUvyyQeI
— CWA (@CWAUnion) January 26, 2021Department for Professional Employees:
"KPL cited a recent study by the Department for Professional Employees, which found in 2019, just 5.3% of librarians identified as Black or African American, 7.1 percent as Hispanic or Latino, and 3.5 percent as Asian-American or Pacific Islander." https://t.co/noHUbkLavH
— Department for Professional Employees (@DPEaflcio) January 26, 2021Electrical Workers:
The #IBEW and the government of Ontario are teaming up to support women in the skilled trades. https://t.co/gpmZDGVMim
— IBEW (@IBEW) January 26, 2021Farm Labor Organizing Committee:
We are looking forward to organizing in Virginia and working VICPP! https://t.co/nGaWevRrrd
— Farm Labor Organizing Committee (@SupportFLOC) January 20, 2021Fire Fighters:
Viewing the 55th #IAFFConvention pic.twitter.com/psVq3TO6S3
— IAFF (@IAFFNewsDesk) January 26, 2021Heat and Frost Insulators:
Here is what you can expect from us when you start a career with the Insulators Union: secure retirement, livable wage, health insurance and room for advancement. Watch as this job changed these people's lives: https://t.co/9j9gPG2Jjz
— Insulators Union ? (@InsulatorsUnion) January 26, 2021International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers:
President Biden to Overturn Draconian Workforce Executive Orders https://t.co/CIWtAwkxMo
— IFPTE (@IFPTE) January 22, 2021Ironworkers:
Joe Biden’s Capitol Hill agenda includes an economic recovery proposal that will “make historic investments in infrastructure, manufacturing, research and development and clean energy.” https://t.co/cVGsFDIw0j
— Ironworkers. (@TheIronworkers) January 20, 2021Jobs With Justice:
Fran is only one missed shift away from not being able to afford the essentials.
The system is fundamentally broken when taking a single sick day means you can't make rent ??
Tell Congress to support @BobbyScott + @SenSanders' #RaiseTheWage Act ?? https://t.co/CYkZTDog3e pic.twitter.com/OZFTPevcTP
Labor Council for Latin American Advancement:
Because we are all a part of the change we want to see. Let’s start today!#Trabajadoras #SiPodemos #LatinosAreEssential #TheLatinoPromise #1u pic.twitter.com/0lSPsg7Xnx
— LCLAA (@LCLAA) January 21, 2021Laborers:
#LIUNA congratulates @jesslooman as the new deputy administrator of the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division. Looman is a pro-worker champion & will be a leading voice for working-class families across America.
READ MORE - https://t.co/qkUb2HkevH
Machinists:
Labor is doing its part in Ohio to help get the #COVID19 vaccine out to the community. Shoutout to our brothers and sisters @UAW Local 12 for doing what they can to help stop the spread. https://t.co/CzcIQ3JcRD
— Machinists Union ✈️?? (@MachinistsUnion) January 26, 2021Metal Trades Department:
Philly Shipyard has been awarded ship 3 and 4 of 5 ships by MARAD https://t.co/uRFZ1WOc5G
— Metal Trades Dept. (@metaltradesafl) January 19, 2021Mine Workers:
“If they think they can get away with this without a fight from the UMWA, they had better think again,” said Roberts. “Our members in Local Union 717 earned those benefits.."https://t.co/f8D6JaeOUx pic.twitter.com/V3Xgdrss3Z
— United Mine Workers (@MineWorkers) January 26, 2021Musical Artists:
Visit https://t.co/c31Mzi8ZQx to read Ray Menard's open letter to President Biden (@potus) and Vice President Harris (@vp) about the need for Arts funding & an Arts leader in the Cabinet! Also available on AGMA's website. pic.twitter.com/8HCDeUAV6d
— AGMA (@AGMusicalArtist) January 21, 2021National Air Traffic Controllers Association:
We have an amazing National Office staff that our membership can be very proud of. Today, we’re excited to highlight one of the newest members of our #NATCAfamily: Labor Relations Staff Attorney May Silverstein. Thank you for all you do, May! https://t.co/DP6BnXDCnt pic.twitter.com/thVlLv1cxz
— NATCA (@NATCA) January 25, 2021National Association of Letter Carriers:
NALC Executive Vice President Brian Renfroe offers tips on how to handle the morning process in his recent column in The Postal Record. #PostalRecord
? Read: https://t.co/j8Ljqasuk6
? Listen: https://t.co/1jp9n1Hwmn pic.twitter.com/9IYTK0k8Tr
National Day Laborer Organizing Network:
We said it once, we'll say it many more times. We don’t believe some must suffer for others to advance. #TrabajoSiMigraNO #MigrantJusticePlatform pic.twitter.com/p94jQMCwyU
— NDLON (@NDLON) January 22, 2021National Domestic Workers Alliance:
.@councilofdc, we need concrete workplace protections and solutions to challenges domestic workers face, intensified by the pandemic. Let's bring the DC Domestic Workers Protection Act to a vote. pic.twitter.com/GQPcQ9N81A
— Domestic Workers (@domesticworkers) January 26, 2021National Federation of Federal Employees:
Through our work with Congress, we were able to secure an extension for repayment of the involuntary tax deferrals, caused by the payroll tax scam ordered by the previous administration. This extension will lower the drain on paychecks for impacted #feds. https://t.co/diGx9wpaNY
— NFFE (@NFFE_Union) January 25, 2021National Nurses United:
We don't know how many #Covid19 variants are out there, or how widespread they are.
Genetic surveillance is needed to detect that, but the U.S. has analyzed < 1 percent of its samples.
It's more important than ever to follow the precautionary principle.https://t.co/QowuAosxUi
National Taxi Workers Alliance:
We’re outside Gracie Mansion to tell @NYCMayor : stop dragging your feet on debt relief for cabbies. Both the city Comptroller and the state Attorney General have vetted our plan. No more excuses, Mr. Mayor. pic.twitter.com/j24PSRwGrR
— NY Taxi Workers (@NYTWA) January 26, 2021NFL Players Association:
It's more than the game for the Acho family ? @TheSamAcho + @EmmanuelAcho will be joining us on Feb. 16 for the #AthleteAnd Workshop to talk about how they've been able to leverage their power for good and speak on causes that matter to them.
RSVP: https://t.co/nirAVVELmD pic.twitter.com/WnhlExTum7
North America's Building Trades Unions:
#BuildingTrades unions take pride in keeping our workforce safe on the job ?
Check out some of the key pieces of training our members are provided with! https://t.co/FyQbO6eKWB
Office and Professional Employees:
?Another HUGE victory for working people✊
In the past week, @JoeBiden:
?Fired Peter Robb,
✅Directed @USDOL to protect workers' benefits when they refuse to work in unsafe conditions, and
?Declared U.S. policy is to "encourage collective bargaining and union organizing" https://t.co/5NekDCbZIk
Painters and Allied Trades:
Our campaign to pass the PRO Act is proud to have the backing of @CaliforniaLabor, a federation representing more than 2.1 million workers in 1,200 local unions.
It will take all of us, across every industry, from coast to coast to win federal labor law reform in our country. pic.twitter.com/lqpsInaAZH
Plasterers and Cement Masons:
Congrats to #OPCMIA Local 555’s Liz Nichols, an outstanding Steel Edge Woman and union activist, for competing in the CBS reality show “Tough As Nails.” We wish her the best of luck as she demonstrates the brilliant craftspersonship of our great union. https://t.co/GGBwdS1pf9
— OPCMIA International (@opcmiaintl) January 26, 2021Professional Aviation Safety Specialists:
Federal employees serve the American public & should never have had collective bargaining & other rights taken away. PASS-represented employees at FAA & DoD should be focused on aviation safety & let their union focus on their workplace rights. #aviationsafety #publicservice #1u https://t.co/cMPlx84FPn
— PASS (@PASSNational) January 22, 2021Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union-UFCW:
Unions: a major inconvenience for those who wish to exploit workers. #UnionStrong #1u pic.twitter.com/ud0ZUmTBqD
— RWDSU (@RWDSU) January 26, 2021SAG-AFTRA:
SAG-AFTRA is committed to the principle that radio, television, and online news organizations should truly represent and reflect the communities they serve.https://t.co/m9iSfDTicU
— SAG-AFTRA NEWS (@sagaftranews) January 26, 2021Solidarity Center:
86% of women say they've been in road accidents while riding in transport vehicles for agricultural jobs in #Jordan. 40 percent+ say they experienced #sexualharassment or other forms of #genderbasedviolence while traveling to the agro-industrial complexes.https://t.co/1un88pw2Xh
— Solidarity Center (@SolidarityCntr) January 26, 2021The NewsGuild-CWA:
Check out this great thread on @DallasNewsGuild's campaign for family and parental leave. https://t.co/fq05fqapXu
— NewsGuild-CWA (@newsguild) January 26, 2021Theatrical Stage Employees:
BREAKING: Theatrical Stage Employees union formally offers labor and infrastructure to @WHCOVIDResponse and @fema in the effort to build field vaccination sites. pic.twitter.com/1IC8QlryDX
— IATSE (@IATSE) January 25, 2021Transport Workers Union:
New @whitehouse rules protect workers from covid-19 by requiring masks in transportation. Intl travelers will need a negative test to board planes. These steps will decrease exposure and save lives. https://t.co/yjO116iolx
— TWU (@transportworker) January 25, 2021Transportation Trades Department:
As the @SenateCommerce hearing begins to consider @PeteButtigieg for @USDOT, transportation labor wants to give a shoutout to #TeamPete. Please, allow us to introduce ourselves: pic.twitter.com/1xQ4ZDUfwL
— Transp. Trades Dept. (@TTDAFLCIO) January 21, 2021UAW:
"With the stroke of a pen, President Joe Biden today sent a strong message to American workers that our government will do all it can to support buying American products, made here by American workers, recommitting to the men and women of working America." https://t.co/Jyq86o2Rju
— UAW (@UAW) January 25, 2021Union Veterans Council:
The UVC and @PrideatWork are proud to work with the Biden administration to forge a more inclusive future for service members and workers across the country. pic.twitter.com/PqUWGP7If9
— Union Veterans Council (@unionveterans) January 25, 2021UNITE HERE:
STATEMENT from UNITE HERE President @DTaylorUH on Biden Immigration Bill
“UNITE HERE congratulates President Biden on the introduction of the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021, a legislative proposal to transform the American immigration system ... "https://t.co/IHwgv4ZFKf pic.twitter.com/75oHlfWkuk
United Food and Commercial Workers:
.@Instacart is firing nearly 2,000 grocery workers bravely putting their health at risk during #COVID to help feed families across the country.
As the union for @Instacart workers, @UFCW is demanding a halt to these ruthless cuts as #COVID cases surge. https://t.co/U0fJpLcD4o pic.twitter.com/8i6oyWCJSM
United Steelworkers:
. @JoyceWeston8 - The rate of workplace deaths is 36% higher in states with RTW laws, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. #RTWIsWrong #UnionStrong pic.twitter.com/eINr5uHrSa
— United Steelworkers (@steelworkers) January 26, 2021United Students Against Sweatshops:
REGISTER NOW for the 24th USAS Virtual Convention on March 6th and 7th, hosted by @usas_umd Local 54! Get pumped for a weekend full of organizing workshops, virtual actions, and amazing guest speakers! Register here: https://t.co/fkR1wazEeL pic.twitter.com/IA5MMGckFf
— USAS (@USAS) January 21, 2021Utility Workers:
Check out how some of our youngest new @UWUA369 members are making waves in the utility industry:https://t.co/HAishHjfYK
— UWUA National (@The_UWUA) January 26, 2021Working America:
SNEAK PREVIEW: Join us tomorrow for an advanced screening of #9to5PBS, the previously untold story of the movement that inspired the hit song by @DollyParton and the film by @JaneFonda. RSVP https://t.co/L0gzTWiA7y
— Working America (@WorkingAmerica) January 26, 2021Writers Guild of America, East:
RIP Walter Bernstein (1919-2021). A Guild member since the WGA was formed in 1954, Walter persevered being named to the Hollywood blacklist. He was a writer, and advocate for writers, his entire life.
Read the Guild's full statement at the link.
https://t.co/oyDHClNQ53
Service + Solidarity Spotlight: NFLPA Boosts RWDSU’s Campaign to Organize Amazon Workers in Alabama
Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
Members of the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) are lending their voice to support Amazon workers who are voting to form a union in Bessemer, Alabama. Lorenzo Alexander, a retired football player and member of the NFLPA Executive Committee, said: “I’ve been an active member of my union for the past ten years, and I understand that taking a vote on such an important decision can be difficult. But I find comfort and conviction that being a part of a union has protected our workers and our rights, especially during these challenging times.” All eyes are on the workers in Bessemer as they get ready to vote on forming a union. Earlier today, The New York Times shared the critical story of how the fight to form a union—supported by the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union-UFCW (RWDSU-UFCW)—came to be.
Support for our @BamazonUnion is rolling in! The @NFLPA is standing in solidarity with us and urging us to vote #unionYES! Check out messages of support from @JCTretter, @Michael31Thomas and @onemangang97, below, and full update here: https://t.co/SQxfwfDxrk #1U #Union pic.twitter.com/DCv0ZjBjCP
— BAmazonUnion (@BAmazonUnion) January 25, 2021 Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 01/26/2021 - 09:23Tags: COVID-19, Community Service
Raising Standards for the Tech Industry: Worker Wins
Despite the challenges of organizing during a deadly pandemic, working people across the country (and beyond) continue organizing, bargaining and mobilizing for a better life. This edition begins with:
Tech Workers Union Local 1010 Launched to Raise Standards for Tech Industry: Workers in the tech industry will get a boost with the launch of Tech Workers Union Local 1010, a new initiative from the Office and Professional Employees (OPEIU). The new local's mission is to raise industry standards and provide tech workers with a better future. OPEIU President Richard Lanigan said: “OPEIU has been investing resources in supporting tech workers as they organize to gain rights and raise standards in the workplace for many years, but now we’re focusing and strengthening that effort by having an organization dedicated to, created for and run by tech workers who understand the unique challenges facing the industry. We’re proud to be building solidarity with working people across the sector so together we can ensure tech workers have a strong voice in their workplaces.”
Emily's List Employees Win Voluntary Recognition from Management: Workers at Emily's List have joined OPEIU and secured voluntary recognition after a card-check process. Contract negotiations will begin soon and the new union, officially OPEIU Local 2, will seek open and protected discussions about race and inequality in the workplace, salary and promotion transparency and other protections. Samantha Bauman, an organizer at Emily's List, said: “I’m inspired by my colleagues who organized during one of the most consequential elections in our lifetimes and during a pandemic. Unionized workspaces empower employees. Voluntary recognition is a huge achievement and I look forward to what comes next.”
ACLU Staff United Votes to Join Nonprofit Professional Employees Union (NPEU): A supermajority of workers at ACLU voted to form ACLU Staff United, an affiliate of NPEU. They are requesting voluntary recognition and intend to focus on staffing diversity and a clear and equitable process for salaries, benefits, promotions and layoffs. In a statement, the Organizing Committee of ACLU Staff United said: “Every day, the workers of the ACLU work tirelessly to defend all of our rights. Today we have formally asked management for the support we need to do our job by forming ACLU Staff United. We are proud to carry on the ACLU’s 100-year legacy of supporting the rights of employees to unionize and bargain collectively. The ACLU began with our founders taking action to fight the anti-union crusades of the 1920s. As the workers of the ACLU of today, we believe in our mission, the work we do, and each other. We believe that the principles and values we promote and defend through that work should govern our offices as well: justice, equity, transparency, cooperation, and respect. To that end, we have come together to represent, support, engage and empower all ACLU workers.”
Housing Works Employees Form a Union with RWDSU-UFCW: More than 600 workers across all Housing Works locations in New York City voted to join the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union-UFCW (RWDSU-UFCW) by an overwhelming margin on Dec. 23. This organizing victory was the largest union election in New York in 2020 and marked the end of two years of organizing by the workers for fair representation and a seat at the table. Housing Works is a nonprofit that works with people living with and affected by HIV or AIDs and homelessness, and the workers in the bargaining unit handle maintenance, legal work, casework, social work, health care and retail at Housing Works facilities. “We’re proud to finally and officially welcome the 605 workers employed by Housing Works into our union,” said RWDSU-UFCW President Stuart Appelbaum. “These workers experienced a needlessly long fight to unionize their workplace. Their tenacity and fortitude never wavered in this unnecessarily long process, which was stalled by their employer at every turn. Together, they are ready to win a strong contract that will only enhance their ability to care for the Housing Works community.”
USW Strike at Constellium Ends with New 5-Year Contract: A strike of United Steelworkers (USW) who work at Constellium in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, ended after the members ratified a five-year contract with 15% raises, the elimination of wage tiers, seniority protections and other wins. The strike began on Dec. 15 when USW Local 200 went on strike after months of negotiations failed.
Crescent City Nurses Join California Nurses Association (CNA): With a vote of 85%, registered nurses at Sutter Coast Hospital in Crescent City, California, voted to join CNA, an affiliate of National Nurses United (NNU). The new unit is negotiating for safer staffing, a collective voice in patient care conditions, workplace violence protections, proper infectious disease controls and other health and safety protections. Niki Pope, an RN at Sutter Coast, said: “We are thrilled to be joining our 8,000 Sutter RN colleagues to bring a unified voice for advocating for safe patient care for our patients here in Crescent City, as well as throughout the Sutter system, which is even more critical in the midst of this deadly pandemic.”
Google Workers, Demanding Change at Work, Are Launching a Union with CWA: Workers at Google and other Alphabet companies announced the creation of the Alphabet Workers Union, with support from the Communications Workers of America (CWA)—the first of its kind in the company’s history. It will be the first union open to all employees and contractors at any Alphabet company, with dues-paying members, an elected board of directors and paid organizing staff. The new union is part of CWA’s Campaign to Organize Digital Employees (CODE-CWA) project, and workers will be members of CWA Local 1400. It follows successful union drives by other Google workers—like HCL Technologies contract workers in Pittsburgh and cafeteria workers now with UNITE HERE in the San Francisco Bay Area—as well as unions formed by workers at other tech companies like Kickstarter and Glitch. “We are a democratic, member-driven union, with experience building and sustaining worker power at some of America’s largest corporations,” said Local 1400 President Don Trementozzi. “This is a historic step toward making lasting improvements for workers at Google and other Alphabet companies.”
Live TV Musicians Ratify Contract with Streaming Residuals for the First Time: Members of the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) who perform live music for shows on ABC, CBS and NBC have ratified a new contract that provides streaming residuals for the first time. The contract covers musicians who appear on live shows that are streamed, including house bands, guest artists, backing musicians and others who work in the preparation of musical performances on the shows. Ray Hair, president of AFM, said that the win “is a fundamental, structural contract change that would not have been possible without the solidarity, activism, hard work, and enormous time investment of all involved in the negotiations, including musicians who created the #RespectUs campaign to highlight the inequities in their contract. I am thankful for the steadfast commitment of the Federation’s negotiating team towards protecting and improving the benefits our great musicians receive for their talented contributions to the television industry.”
New Jersey's Garden State Parkway Toll Collectors Win New Contract with Wage Increases: International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) Local 196 members who work as toll collectors and other jobs unanimously approved new contracts with the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. The new contracts provide wage increases, back pay and other benefits. Chapter 1 of Local 196 represents toll collectors and maintenance workers. Chapter 12 represents technicians and craft persons.Members of both locals have ratified the contract, he said. The old contract expired in 2019 and has roots back to a contract agreed to in 2011.
New Jersey Meals on Wheels Delivery Drivers Win New Contract: After a two-and-a-half year organizing drive, 80 drivers who deliver Meals on Wheels for the South Jersey Transportation Authority have voted to be represented by IFPTE. The divers are mostly African American women and are considered essential employees who deliver Meals on Wheels, shuttle seniors to doctors and other related tasks. The drivers unanimously ratified their first contract. “This victory could not have been possible without the assistance provided by New Jersey State AFL-CIO President Charles Wowkanech [IUOE],” said President Sean P. McBride of IFPTE Local 196.
Staff at Queens Defenders Join Growing Trend of Unionized Public Defenders: Some 70 staffers at Queens Defenders in New York city joined the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (UAW Local 2325), becoming the fourth of the city's public defender agencies to unionize. A number of other New York metropolitan-area nonprofit legal groups have also joined UAW recently. The staffers have asked for voluntary recognition from management. “A lot of offices have unionized and we were becoming one of the outliers. This helps us negotiate with the city for fair pay and reasonable caseloads and to be able to represent our clients better,” said staff attorney Christopher Van Zele. In addition to negotiating for their first contract, the lawyers and social workers will be seeking more organizational transparency and diversity in hiring and management.
More Than 100 Registered Nurses in Washington State Organize with IAM: More than 110 registered nurses (RNs) from CHI Franciscan Hospice Care Center in University Place, Washington, joined hands to vote to join the Machinists (IAM) by an 82% majority. Just two and a half weeks earlier, their co-workers who work as master social workers and bereavement counselors at the same facility chose the IAM as well. "I couldn’t be happier for these nurses and healthcare professionals who worked so hard to join the Machinists Union and have a seat at the table," said IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. "I am so proud of this organizing team that helped these workers join together and have their voices heard.”
Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 01/25/2021 - 11:44Tags: Organizing
Service + Solidarity Spotlight: Union Veterans Council and Pride At Work: End Ban on Transgender Service Members
Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
The Union Veterans Council and Pride At Work issued a joint statement Thursday calling for the immediate reversal of the Trump-era ban on patriotic Americans serving in the military. Banning transgender Americans from volunteer military service is an insult to our troops, the LGBTQ community and our nation’s founding principles, the constituency groups said. They added: “We call on the Biden administration to fulfill their campaign pledge to immediately reverse this failed and unprincipled policy and to commit the federal government to rebuilding the careers of service members already affected.”
Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 01/25/2021 - 09:34Big Tech Organizing: 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.
Big Tech Unionizing: "Workers at Google and other Alphabet companies have started the Alphabet Workers Union, in partnership with the Communications Workers of America. This is a breakthrough. It includes all workers. It follows union victories at Kickstarter and Glitch. This is Labor 2.0. Unions are for everyone, in every field. That’s why the labor movement is working to organize Big Tech and fighting for a fair and equitable future of work, in every sector. The AFL-CIO is even starting a technology institute, to leverage innovation for the labor movement, because the benefits of technology should create prosperity and security for everyone, not just the wealthy and powerful."
President Biden Picks Former United Steelworkers Safety Official to Lead OSHA: "President Joe Biden has tapped James S. Frederick, a Pittsburgh-area workplace safety advocate who spent 25 years with the United Steelworkers, to lead the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, signaling tougher federal enforcement on employers amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The nomination of Mr. Frederick, 53, to the federal workplace safety agency was announced Wednesday in a union press release a few hours before Mr. Biden took the oath of office at the U.S. Capitol."
Biden Moves to Oust Top Labor Board Attorney Peter Robb: "The Biden administration has asked for the resignation of the National Labor Relations Board’s general counsel, Trump-appointee Peter Robb, according to four people familiar with the decision. The White House notified Robb of its decision by letter, which specified he had until 5 p.m. Wednesday to voluntarily resign or be fired, two people with knowledge of the correspondence said. The NLRB enforces private-sector workers’ rights to organize, and its general counsel has sweeping authority to determine which types of cases the agency does or doesn’t pursue. Robb, a former management-side attorney who helped Ronald Reagan defeat the air traffic controller’s union, has pushed an aggressive, pro-business agenda at the labor board."
Biden Names Gensler as SEC Head in Push Toward More Scrutiny: "His appointment was cheered by Richard Trumka, the president of the AFL-CIO labor federation, in a sign that he was considered palatable on the left of the Democratic party. 'We applaud Joe Biden for choosing a man who stands up for public interest against Wall Street excess, is knowledgeable and has shown through his work during the Obama administration that he supports working families,' Mr Trumka wrote in a tweet on Monday morning."
Biden, AFL-CIO Labor Law Agendas Track Each Other: "Go to incoming Democratic President Joe Biden’s 'Building Back Better' agenda on his website and read through it. The word 'union,' the phrase 'right to organize' and especially the word 'worker' run through it like a constant thread. No wonder AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, in a Jan. 12 telephone press conference, considered Biden the most pro-worker president in decades. 'And in one week and one day, Joe Biden will be inaugurated and we’re ready to work with him.' That’s because two key items of pro-worker legislation top both Biden’s agenda and the Workers First Agenda Trumka unveiled at the press conference. And so does a lot of other legislation—from job safety and health rules to new infrastructure–the incoming U.S. chief executive advocates."
AFL- CIO Secretary Treasurer Liz Shuler Touts Workers First Agenda: "Liz Shuler, Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO was featured on today’s edition of the America’s Work Force Union Podcast. She spoke with host Ed 'Flash' Ferenc about how heartbreaking it was to hear President Trump incite violence at the Capitol, the 'worker first' agenda of 2021, and the Orsted Wind Farm project being a union job. New York State AFL-CIO President Mario Cilento also joined the podcast today. He discussed improved technology to communicate with workers and union members through an app called Union Strong, the NYS legislative agenda for 2021 and preventing layoffs in the future."
Biden must pass the Protecting the Right to Organize Act: "So America today needs more than anything solidarity and human dignity—the church's core teachings. The teaching that we are our brothers' and sisters' keepers, that we are not commodities whose value is determined by a flawed and arbitrary market, but human beings, souls, created in the image of God, and each of our worth is beyond price. And it is high time our nation's laws promoted solidarity and human dignity. That is why as Biden prepares to take office during a devastating pandemic and defining moment for our country, this is the moment to rewrite America's labor laws and pass the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. This piece of legislation would protect and empower workers to exercise our right to organize and bargain. It would make sure that workers can reach a first contract quickly after our union is recognized, end employers' practice of hiring permanent replacements to punish striking workers and hold corporations responsible. And it would ban so-called 'right to work,' a regime of state laws rooted in racism, that has left working people poorer and weaker."
Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 01/22/2021 - 10:16Service + Solidarity Spotlight: Inauguration 2021: Brought To You By Unions
Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
On Wednesday, we witnessed a nearly flawless inauguration ceremony that served to uplift Americans and help unify us on a path toward tackling the significant challenges we face as a country. Much of the inauguration was powered by union members. Leading up to the November election and continuing until the January runoff in Georgia, the labor movement contributed countless hours, including hundreds of thousands of phone calls made, postcards sent and doors knocked. Working people were key in determining which party controlled the White House and Congress.
As for Inauguration Day, the UAW produced the official inauguration masks (pictured, modeled by UAW member Phillip King). IATSE’s production of the event included the beautiful “Field of Flags” art display that lined the National Mall. The Pledge of Allegiance was spoken (and delivered in American Sign Language) by Andrea Hall, a longtime firefighter and IAFF member. Machinists (IAM) built and maintain Air Force One, which safely delivered the outgoing president to his new home and will carry President Biden as he executes the duties of the presidency. Members of SAG-AFTRA, like Tom Hanks, and other entertainment-related unions hosted or performed as part of the daylong event. Our thanks go out to these and all the other union members who helped elect Biden and Harris to the White House and who made the inauguration an inspiring event that opens a new and hopeful chapter in America’s history.
Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 01/22/2021 - 09:47Tags: Community Service, COVID-19
Service + Solidarity Spotlight: Ohio AFL-CIO Mobilizing in Support of Workers First Agenda
Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
The Ohio AFL-CIO has begun immediately mobilizing to make sure the Workers First Agenda is at the forefront of the first 100 days of the Biden administration as the state federation rolls out its legislative platform for 2021. It has coordinated with Sen. Sherrod Brown to do a series of virtual town halls with his staff in the state. These town halls give front-line workers a chance to provide direct input to Brown about what Ohio's working people, their families and their communities need to be successful. Workers in these forums have demanded immediate additional COVID relief that supports workers, investment in our communities through massive investment in infrastructure, and the right to organize through the immediate passage of the PRO Act. By the time these forums are finished, Brown’s office will have direct input from workers in all of our major industries, and from Ohio communities large and small, rural and urban, and everywhere in between.
Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 01/21/2021 - 09:56Tags: COVID-19, Community Service
Pathway to Progress: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Scripto Strike
History has long been portrayed as a series of "great men" taking great action to shape the world we live in. In recent decades, however, social historians have focused more on looking at history "from the bottom up," studying the vital role that working people played in our heritage. Working people built, and continue to build, the United States. In our new series, Pathway to Progress, we'll take a look at various people, places and events where working people played a key role in the progress our country has made, including those who are making history right now. Today's topic is the 1964-65 Scripto Strike in Atlanta and Martin Luther King Jr.
When talking about Martin Luther King Jr., it's important to note that he was an activist for economic and labor rights, not just civil rights. King's death came while he was in Memphis, Tennessee, supporting sanitation workers and AFSCME members. His support for unions and collective bargaining rights was a key part of his agenda and that support went public in Atlanta during the Scripto Strike that began in 1964.
In the 1960s, Scripto was a leading pen and pencil manufacturer. The company had a plant in Atlanta since 1931 and were not only one of the largest employers in the city, but the company took pride in being the preferred employer for Black women, particularly in the area of town closest to the plant. Scripto President James V. Carmichael was surprised in 1962, when the International Chemical Workers Union started organizing at the plant. Carmichael believed that he and Scripto should be exempt from race-based complaints, as he took pride as a progressive on the topic, providing better policies for Black workers than the rest of the White Atlanta business community. Carmichael was too far removed from Black workers, though, to understand their needs and hopes and he underestimated their desire for a voice and some power in their economic lives.
The Chemical Workers Union sent the Rev. James Hampton, a Black organizer who was also a Baptist minister, to work with the Scripto employees. He tied the union organizing he was doing to the work that Martin Luther King Jr. was doing with civil rights. Hampton reached out to Black Baptist ministers in the area, recognizing that many of the Scripto workers were parishioners at their churches. King and most of the other Black ministers supported the organizing drive, speaking on behalf of the workers from the pulpit.
Support from the churches significantly boosted the union drive such that by August 1963, the Chemical Workers had collected enough union cards to petition the National Labor Relations Board for a union election. Scripto was confident it would win the election, so it agreed to a quick turnaround and an election date was set for late September. Management quickly made some minor changes, such as organizing an employee committee and removing segregation signs from bathrooms and drinking fountains. Events that spring and summer across the country had the Scripto workers primed for action, however, as they saw civil rights demonstrations having an effect in the South and beyond.
Nearly 95% of the 1,005 eligible voters participated in the election on Sept. 27, 1963. The union side won, 519-428. Within a week, Scripto began to stall. It filed objections with the NLRB that the appeals to civil rights and race by organizers tainted the election and it should be invalidated. The NLRB repeatedly rejected Scripto's objections until June 9, 1964, when the NLRB in Washington, D.C., certified the Chemical Workers as the union representative for the plant's workers. Scripto stalled on contract negotiations as long as it could and organizers realized that a contract wouldn't come without a strike.
The day before Thanksgiving 1964, a mass of workers walked into the union office and demanded a strike. They worked tirelessly over the holiday and the picket lines were in place when the plant opened the day after Thanksgiving. The workers were unified. Even those who voted against the union largely supported the strike. The "no" vote for many was out of fear of management retaliation more than opposition to union goals and they rejected initial offers from Scripto as discriminatory. Approximately 85% of the plant's workforce were Black and most were classified as "unskilled workers." They were offered half the pay raise that the "skilled workers," who were mostly White, were to be given. The Chemical Workers membership wouldn't accept that deal.
The ministers of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference became involved in the strike because so many of their parishioners were Scripto employees. Led by SCLC director of affiliates C.T. Vivian, they brought their members' concerns about wages and working conditions at Scripto to King's attention. King and the other SCLC ministers, while philosophically sympathetic to the labor movement, they were Southerners and thus unions were outside their life experience. Once the cause of the Scripto workers was put on their radar, though, the potential for alliance was obvious to most, including King.
Vivian, King and others launched a nationwide boycott of Scripto products in support of the strike. As the strike moved on, management refused further pay increases and refused to withhold union dues from employee paychecks, despite giving some on salary increases. By Christmas, the union's resources were virtually exhausted and the company's leadership began to worry about two federal contracts they had and whether the company would be in compliance with an executive order on equal opportunity issued by President John F. Kennedy.
By that point, Carmichael had been replaced by Carl Singer as president and CEO of Scripto. Singer had just come off of a successful tenure as president of the Sealy Mattress Company in Chicago. Singer and King began a series of secret meetings and they worked out a broad framework to end the strike. The company negotiated in good faith and the strike came to an end on January 9, 1965, after six weeks. They soon agreed to a new contract and the Chemical Workers won most of what they asked for. Over time, the company moved towards a more favorable bargaining atmosphere and began to work more directly with the union by the 1970s until the plant shut down in 1977.
The unity established between the labor movement and the civil rights movement during the Scripto strike endured. The SCLC was heavily involved in the labor movement from that point forward and when asked if the Scripto strike would be King's only involvement in labor conflicts, he simply said, "There will be many more to follow." The Scripto strike taught King and others that solidarity and unity are key on the pathway to progress.
Source: Atlanta History Center
Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 01/19/2021 - 10:05Service + Solidarity Spotlight: ATU Local Leads Fight for Investment in Baltimore Transit System
Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
A coalition consisting of labor, elected officials and Johns Hopkins University was formed in central Maryland to fight for increased funding for the Baltimore region’s transit system. The group is pushing for $750 million in additional funding for the transit system, which it says is underfunded. President Mike McMillan of Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1300 spoke out in an interview with Maryland Matters. He said that his members who work on the front lines have to field customer complaints about the transit system, even though they do not control the budget. “Once they get the tools and the buses that are needed to help them perform their job successfully, they will ensure that the public will stay safe and get to where they need to be,” McMillan said of the members of Local 1300.
Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 01/19/2021 - 09:53Tags: Community Service, COVID-19
