POLITICS
Biden’s 9th Circuit Pick Has Union Support, Labor Law Chops
Bloomberg Law
By Robert Iafolla
June 30, 2021
“We are obviously very happy that the president is nominating Jennifer Sung,” said Craig Becker, general counsel for the AFL-CIO, a federation of 56 national and international unions. “We don’t have a lot of labor lawyers on the federal bench and it’s important to have judges with deep labor law experience who’ve represented working people.”
JOINING TOGETHER
Change.Org Workers Form A Union, Giving Labor Activists Another Win In Tech
NPR
By Bobby Allyn
June 30, 2021
From Google to lesser-known companies Glitch and Mapbox, the tech sector has seen a surge of union activism that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. While many tech workers enjoy generous pay and benefits, workers increasingly view organized labor as a way to advocate for contractors in riskier positions, improve workplace conditions and speak publicly, without fear of retaliation, about their employers' policies and decisions.
As reopening nears, Off-Broadway, Actors’ Equity negotiate the terms
Broadway News
By Caitlin Huston
June 30, 2021
As Off-Broadway theaters plan their post-pandemic returns, an expiring Actors’ Equity contract presents one major uncertainty. The contract between Actors’ Equity and the Off-Broadway League has been in place since November 2016 and is set to expire July 31. Off-Broadway theaters and producers are coming to the table with slashed budgets and rising costs related to safely welcoming casts and audiences back into theaters. Actors’ Equity is advocating on behalf of its members who have been out of work for more than a year.
McLaren Macomb Nurses Vote To Strike, Next Negotiation July 9
CBS Detroit
By Cryss Walker
June 30, 2021
Nearly 600 McLaren Macomb nurses could walk off the job as contract negotiations breakdown and union leaders say members feel over-worked and under-valued. Nurses at McLaren Macomb are saying enough is enough. Members from the Office and Professional Employees International Union Local 40 is accusing hospital management of caring more about the bottom line than the staff and patients.
Worthington Libraries board won't recognize union efforts
The Columbus Dispatch
By Dean Narciso
June 30, 2021
The Worthington Libraries board of trustees voted Monday night to not recognize a demand by library staff to unionize, forcing employees to move toward its own vote. The 6-1 vote by the seven-member board means that some 180 employees will decide for themselves at a future date whether they'll have union protection. And if a majority of those who eventually vote agree, a first-ever union will be formed at a Franklin County library.
IN THE STATES
How working people and unions fared in the 2021 session of the Washington Legislature
NW Labor Press
By Don McIntosh
June 30, 2021
Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, will soon issue its official report on the state legislature’s 2021 session. Based on a preliminary draft shared with the Labor Press, it was a pretty significant session for organized labor. In the 105-day session that closed April 25, lawmakers delivered tax reform, climate action, and expanded workers rights. Here are some highlights.