MUST READ
Atlanta SAG-AFTRA, WGA members solidify their stance on strikes, fair compensation
WABE
By Marlon Hyde
Aug. 24, 2023
On Tuesday evening, National Union Solidarity Day, thousands of local writers, actors and broadcasters gathered into Teamsters Local 728 to show support for their union amid the impending strikes of WGA and SAG-AFTRA, both currently in their 115th and 42nd days on the picket lines respectively. Atlanta represents over 3,000 SAG-AFTRA members and 121 WGA members, many of whom have been active on picket lines, social media and at rallies throughout the striking period. “There is an existential fight happening in the entertainment industry where corporations are changing the business model and how they’re compensating workers and using their image and likeness with technology,” said Liz Shuler, President of American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, the largest union federation in the U.S. “In terms of residuals … the business model has changed. And with streaming, we know that the companies are making billions of dollars, and the structure for compensating actors hasn’t caught up with the new model.”
JOINING TOGETHER
New York DRUNK SHAKESPEARE Joins Three Other Cities to Unionize with Actors' Equity Association
Broadway World
By Chloe Rabinowitz
Aug. 24, 2023
The actors, stage managers, bartenders and servers of Drunk Shakespeare in New York City, the longest-running of the productions nationwide, are now the fourth company of the theatrical franchise to unionize as Drunk Shakespeare United. Alongside their fellow workers in Chicago, Phoenix and Washington, D.C., they have designated Actors’ Equity Association, the national labor union representing more than 51,000 professional performers and stage managers in live theatre, as their bargaining representative.
Penn RAs will have union election despite university’s opposition, says national labor board
The Philadelphia Inquirer
By Abraham Gutman
Aug. 24, 2023
University of Pennsylvania students who work as residence hall assistants will hold a unionization vote this fall, the National Labor Relations Board decided this week. The decision rejects Penn’s claim that students aren’t employees and don’t have the right to form a union. About 220 student workers filed paperwork with the NLRB in March to join the Office and Professional Employees International Union Local 153, which represents students in universities around the region.p
Tens of thousands of Kaiser healthcare workers to vote on possible strike
Los Angeles Times
By Emily Alpert Reyes
Aug. 24, 2023
“Patient care is in crisis at Kaiser Permanente,” said Linda Bridges, president of one of the unions in the coalition, OPEIU Local 2 in Silver Spring, Md. “Staffing was decimated during the pandemic and it has not gotten any better. The problem we’re dealing with is Kaiser is not hearing us.
IN THE STATES
GOP lawmakers propose eliminating work permits for Wisconsin's 14- and 15-year-olds
Wisconsin Public Radio
By Joe Schulz
Aug. 24, 2023
The Wisconsin AFL-CIO says the bill rolls back protections for minors in the workplace. Stephanie Bloomingdale, the organization’s president, said she was "shocked" to learn of the proposal last week. "This is a dangerous strategy, and it should be stopped immediately," she said. "We understand the value of kids having part-time jobs, learning work ethic and having to learn some skills, but they need to be safe at work and requiring a work permit for kids as young as 14 and 15 is important."
Northwest Labor Press
By Graham Trainor
Aug. 24, 2023
Oregon is known for being a leader in many ways. The first state to declare Labor Day as a public holiday. The protection of our beautiful coastline and beaches as a public good. The nation’s first bottle bill. Unfortunately, over the last few years a different statistic has come to the forefront, culminating with the 2023 Oregon Legislature: the most legislative walkouts and the second-longest walkout in American history. Oregon has seen an enormous uptick in walkouts, with six just since 2019. Oregon voters weighed in on the issue in 2022 when they overwhelmingly passed Measure 113 to change the Oregon Constitution and disqualify legislators from reelection if they have at least 10 unexcused absences. The measure passed with over 68% of the statewide vote. Voters in 34 of Oregon’s 36 counties voted in favor of the measure, including communities that state senate Republicans who have led these walkouts represent. When working people don’t show up to work, we don’t get paid, and we can lose our job. Voters sent a clear message that lawmakers need to show up and do their job, just like us.