NLRB
Labor Board: ‘Common law’—and common sense—defines joint employers
People’s World
By Mark Gruenberg
Nov. 1, 2023
That means it should be easier for workers to organize and bargain without being bounced from pillar to post when it comes to whom to bargain with or complain about. Using that same “basic common sense” explanation, AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler called the new rule “an important win” for workers. “The point of the rule is simple—when workers negotiate for fair wages and working conditions, companies shouldn’t be able to hide behind a subcontractor or staffing agency to deny us what we’ve rightfully earned. “Today, too many employers use intermediaries like staffing firms or temp agencies to evade their responsibilities under the law. This rule ensures union members can bargain with each company that has the power to make changes in the workplace. “The right to collectively bargain is nonexistent if the company that has the power to change workers’ terms and conditions of employment isn’t negotiating with workers.”
JOINING TOGETHER
‘Cautious optimism’ ahead of negotiations on SAG-AFTRA strike’s 111th day
KTLA
By Cameron Kiszla
Nov. 1, 2023
In a bit of serendipity, the Hollywood actors’ strike against television and movie producers hit its 111th day on Wednesday, Nov. 1, which is 11/1 when written numerically. To celebrate the coincidence, SAG-AFTRA encouraged members to join union officials at Disney Studios in Burbank ahead of more negotiations later Wednesday. Tuesday was “productive,” negotiation insiders told Variety, and there’s “cautious optimism” about a deal being reached.
New York Times tech workers to strike over return-to-office rules
Reuters
By Reuters
Oct. 30, 2023
Tech workers at the New York Times (NYT.N) plan to strike for half a day on Monday, accusing the publisher of attempting to unilaterally force them back to the office. The stoppage of work will start at 1 p.m. ET and the nearly 700 workers will hold demonstrations on Zoom and outside the company's headquarters in Manhattan, where some will wear Halloween costumes, said the Times Tech Guild (TTG). The New York Times issued its return-to-office policy before the tech guild was recognized early last year, when workers voted 404-88 to join the NewsGuild of New York, making TTG the largest tech union in the U.S. with bargaining rights.
SAG-AFTRA Negotiations to Continue Thursday
The Hollywood Reporter
By Katie Kilkenny
Nov. 1, 2023
Hollywood will remain in suspense on Thursday when the negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers are set to continue. The parties were still in negotiations as of Wednesday evening, talking over AI — which has proved to be a sticking point in the denouement of these contract talks — and other topics, said a union-side source. In a video message shared on SAG-AFTRA’s social media, Crabtree-Ireland emphasized that members of other entertainment unions, like IATSE and the Teamsters, had shown up as well. “Everybody is out here supporting us today and sending a message to these companies that they have to bring it across the finish line and make a fair deal with us,” he said.
Legislative Aides Ratify First-in-the-Nation Union Contract
Willamette Week
By Nigel Jaquiss
Nov. 1, 2023
The aides who staff Oregon’s 90 lawmakers (60 in the House, 30 in the Senate) have voted to accept a contract that will make Oregon’s legislative staff the first in the nation to unionize. Richard Murray, an organizer with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, which led the union drive, expressed satisfaction that the process, which began in late 2020, has reached a successful conclusion. “We are thrilled to welcome Oregon’s legislative assistants into the IBEW Local 89 union,” Murray said. “This historic agreement ensures that they will have the protections and benefits they deserve, providing them with a strong voice in their workplace and the opportunity for a prosperous future.”
Striking actors hold massive rally in Los Angeles as negotiations progress closer to a deal
Los Angeles Times
By Christi Carras
Nov. 1, 2023
As more than 3,000 striking actors and supporters united Wednesday at a massive rally in Los Angeles, the performers union, SAG-AFTRA, and the major Hollywood studios appeared to make progress on key issues and inch closer to a deal. SAG-AFTRA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have convened frequently over the past couple weeks in an effort to reach an agreement that would end the months-long work stoppage that has ground much of the entertainment industry to a halt.