MLK
'Union members help people, whether on the shop floor or out in the community'
Forward Kentucky
By Berry Craig
Jan. 12, 2024
The AFL-CIO’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Civil and Human Rights Conference began on Friday “at a crucial moment for the labor and civil rights movements, as workers across the country are organizing at historic rates for dignity, respect and justice, both on the job and in our communities,” says the AFL-CIO. “We are facing unprecedented attacks on our rights from politicians and judges who would rather put the interests of corporations over the needs of working people.” The movements came “together not only to strengthen the bond between our two movements, but also to reignite our shared commitment to democracy and winning racial and economic justice for all.”
ORGANIZING
Nearly half of SoCal hotels involved in local strike have reached tentative deals with workers
Los Angeles Times
By Suhauna Hussain
Jan. 12, 2024
The new year has brought more progress in contract talks between Southern California hotels and the union that represents their workers. Unite Here Local 11 this week secured tentative agreements with four more properties in Los Angeles County. The union announced a deal with the Fairmont Miramar in Santa Monica on Monday. The union said Friday it had also secured deals with Sheraton Universal, Line Hotel and 1 Hotel West Hollywood.
Kapi’olani and its unionized nurses prepare for weeklong strike
Star Advertiser
By Nina Wu
Jan. 11, 2024
Unionized nurses at Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women &Children said they will go on a weeklong strike later this month, and management assured the public that they have a plan to maintain the hospital’s quality of care. The Hawaii Nurses’ Association, which represents about 600 at Kapi‘olani, on Wednesday notified management of the strike after the two sides failed to reach a deal in contract negotiations. The strike is scheduled to take place from 7 a.m. Jan. 21 through 6:59 a.m. Jan. 28.
Musicians Set to Begin Contract Negotiations With Studios On AI, Streaming Priorities
The Hollywood Reporter
By Caitlin Huston
Jan. 12, 2024
The American Federation of Musicians will soon go into contract negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers with asks that cover many of the same subjects as actors and writers. The negotiations are set to take place on Jan. 22 through Jan. 31, excluding the weekend, with a rally planned for the first day of talks in front of the AMPTP headquarters. The contract under discussion, which covers musicians working on dramatic TV and film scoring, was originally set to expire in November, but was extended by six months amid the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
Student union strike: University of Oregon graduate employees rally as deadline nears
The Register-Guard
By Miranda Cyr
Jan. 12, 2024
Despite the rainy weather, over 150 people gathered in support of University of Oregon graduate student employees on Thursday as the university and the union continued bargaining over the union's contract. The Graduate Teaching Fellows Foundation held the rally and practice picket on the same day as a scheduled mediation session with the university. The rally, dubbed "UO's Last Chance" by organizers, was held on the Erb Memorial Union green, intending to be in the line of sight of those inside the bargaining meeting. Still, as of the afternoon, GTFF and UO were still in negotiations.
IATSE Chief: Workers “Ready to Fight” in Upcoming Contract Talks With Studios
The Hollywood Reporter
By Carolyn Giardina
Jan. 9, 2024
IATSE international president Matthew Loeb did not rule out a potential 2024 crew strike when several of his union’s contracts come due this year in an appearance on Tuesday. “Nothing is off the table, and we’re not going to give up our strength and our ability because they [studios] think they sapped us and everybody’s bank account got sapped because they were unreasonable for months and months,” asserted the crew union leader of his organization’s upcoming Basic Agreement negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, set to start in early March. “My folks aren’t going to just settle.” He added, “Folks are fed up … People are ready to fight and the studios would be ill-advised to assume that they’ve weakened us to the point where we can’t [strike].”
Second Wells Fargo branch employees vote in favor of a union
Reuters
By Reuters
Jan. 12, 2024
Wells Fargo (WFC.N) employees at a branch in Daytona, Florida, voted in favor of joining a union on Thursday, making it the second branch at the bank to do so. Last month employees at Wells Fargo's Albuquerque, New Mexico, branch voted to join the union. Elections at a branch in California are expected to be held later this month. With the unionization effort at its branches, Wells Fargo, has become one of the first major U.S. lender to have a unionized workforce.
Workers at Disney’s Traveling Lab Vote to Unionize With the Animation Guild
The Hollywood Reporter
By Katie Kilkenny
Jan. 12, 2024
Animation workers at Disney‘s Traveling Lab have voted to unionize with the Animation Guild in a move that continues to expand the union’s membership outside of the L.A. area. Out of nine ballots counted in a National Labor Relations Board election on Thursday, nine workers at the Lab — who live outside of L.A. County but work on Walt Disney Animation Studios projects — voted to join the subsidiary of crew union IATSE. The bargaining unit includes roles such as writer, character technical director, lighting artist, story artist and animator and encompasses workers who have contributed to projects including the studio’s recent release Wish. If no objections are raised in the next few days, the results will be certified and the union and the employer can begin to negotiate a first contract.
300 Culinary Union workers at Waldorf Astoria get 5-year deal
Las Vegas Review-Journal
By Marvin Clemons
Jan. 12, 2024
The Culinary Union has reached an agreement with the Waldorf Astoria on a new five-year contract. The union made the announcement on X Friday evening. No details were provided, but the post said some 300 hospitality workers were covered by the deal. A contract ratification vote will be scheduled soon, a Culinary Union spokeswoman said via email.
Second City teachers reach tentative contract, suspend planned strike
Yahoo! Finance
By Alysa Guffey
Jan. 12, 2024
Unionized teachers at the Second City Training Center in Old Town have reached a tentative deal with the comedy company, halting a strike planned for next week and ending a two-year dispute for a labor contract. After an 11-hour bargaining session Friday that resulted in the tentative contract agreement, the strike planned for Tuesday has been officially suspended, according to a social media post Saturday by the Association of International Comedy Educators (AICE), part of the Illinois Federation of Teachers.
Columbia Gas raised your rates while nickel and diming employees. They are standing up. (Opinion)
The Columbus Dispatch
By Eddie Hall
Jan. 13, 2024
The labor movement has entered a new era across the nation. Workers from virtually every sector are standing up for their rights — and winning. The labor movement has not seen this kind of momentum in years, whether it’s the Writers Guild of America, Amazon, or Kaiser Healthcare workers emerging victorious from work stoppages, or the United Auto Workers fighting against the Big Three manufacturers to protect workers’ rights. Here in Ohio, utility workers are fighting in that same spirit by launching a statewide organizing campaign for Columbia Gas workers. A majority of workers have signed union cards in two districts already – and we're pushing ahead to sign up Columbia Gas workers across the state.
IN THE STATES
IndyGo extending signing bonus, increasing starting pay for drivers, mechanics
WTHR
By WTHR.com staff
Jan. 11, 2024
IndyGo is beginning 2024 with expanded compensation for bus drivers and mechanics. In a press release, the company said it recently announced an extension of its $3,000 signing bonus for new hires applying to be a driver or mechanic. The signing bonus incentive began July 1, 2023. Additionally, IndyGo also said that it had recently approved pay increases for those positions, and the raises went into effect Jan. 1. The raises were a result of a collective bargaining agreement between IndyGo and Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1070 leadership. After training, starting pay for bus drivers is $23/hour, while mechanics start at $29/hour.
Missouri AFL-CIO’s Top Labor stories of 2023
Labor Tribune
By Jake Hummel
Jan. 15, 2024
The year 2023 was a great one for Missouri Labor, and 2024 will have challenges, some we know and some we cannot yet anticipate. But I know that whatever they are, Missouri’s unions will stick together! And this year, with all of our work, we’ll be celebrating a 2024 that was just as successful as 2023. Here’s a look at last year’s Top 11 Missouri Labor stories in no particular order: Missouri Gets A Unionized Library: Missouri started the year with no unionized libraries. That changed in May when Daniel Boone Regional Library Workers United (AFSCME) won their union election. The workers held a grinding series of bargaining sessions, which just culminated in their first contract at the end of December! Congrats to these workers, and we look forward to more of this in 2024!