AFL-CIO Press Clips: July 19, 2022
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CEO pay gains far outpace rising wages, says new union report
Reuters
By Cole Horton and Ross Kerber
July 18, 2022
Corporate leaders' raises far outpaced wage gains that failed to keep up with inflation, said the AFL-CIO, in an annual report that has become widely cited as a measure of inequality trends in the U.S. "It's another version of more for them and less for us," said AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond on a conference call to introduce the report.
PAYWATCH/CEO PAY
CEOs Made 324 Times More Than Their Median Workers In 2021, Union Report Finds
Forbes
By Derek Saul
July 18, 2022
Chief executives at S&P 500 companies made 324 times more than the median workers at their companies in 2021 on average, according to an annual report from the U.S.’ largest labor union federation AFL-CIO released Monday morning, as the gap between compensation of top executives and workers continues to widen. The CEO-to-worker pay ratio is the largest since AFL-CIO began tracking the metric in 2018 and up from 299-to-1 in 2020. In a virtual press conference, Fred Redmond, AFL-CIO’s secretary treasurer, characterized the theme of the new report as “greedflation,” a nod to growing executive pay as inflation hovers at its highest level since 1981.
CEOs made 324 times more than average worker in 2021. Group calls it ‘greedflation’
Miami Herald
By Moira Ritter
July 18, 2022
“It’s another version of more for them and less for us,” Redmond said. “Instead of investing in their workforces by raising wages and keeping the prices of the goods and services in check, [executives’] solution is to reap record profits from rising prices and cause a recession that will put working people out of their jobs.”
The age of ‘greedflation’ is here: See how obscene CEO-to-worker pay ratios are right now
Fast Company
By Clint Rainey
July 18, 2022
Recently, the word “greedflation” has caught on to explain the out-of-control prices U.S. consumers are facing. It argues the rising cost of gas and groceries isn’t owing entirely to trade disruptions or expense hikes along the supply chain—corporate greed is as much to blame, and companies are using the veneer of inflation to justify upping prices, then awarding much of the extra profit to executives. A new report released today by the AFL-CIO gives that argument some new ammo. Its annual Executive Paywatch Report, a comprehensive database tracking CEO-to-worker pay ratios for over 20 years, reveals that S&P 500 CEOs averaged $18.3 million in compensation for 2021—324 times the median worker’s pay, and higher than both 2020’s pay ratio (299-to-1) and 2019’s ratio (264-to-1).
JOINING TOGETHER
Staff in several House offices begin the process of unionizing
Roll Call
By Chris Cioffi
July 18, 2022
Staffers who work for eight House Democrats are wasting no time in their plans to unionize, filing petitions Monday to kick off the process. It was the first day they could do so, as new rules went into effect allowing many legislative branch staffers to bargain collectively. Now they must wait on the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights to vet the petitions before holding secret ballot elections to decide whether they want a union to represent them. The interested staffers are employed by Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García, D-Ill., Reps. Andy Levin, D-Mich., Ro Khanna, D-Calif., Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Ted Lieu, D-Calif., and Cori Bush, D-Mo., according to the Congressional Workers Union.
City workers union in Tampa overwhelmingly approves new contract in a historic vote
WNMF
By McKenna Schueler
July 18, 2022
Blue-collar municipal workers represented by the city of Tampa’s largest labor union have overwhelmingly approved a new contract that delivers the “highest wage increase ever,” according to Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1464 President Steve Simon. According to Simon, the contract includes a record-high 18% pay raise for municipal workers over three years, including 9.5% just in the first year, plus a $1,000 sign-on bonus. For comparison, the union’s last contract, ratified in 2019, included 3% raises in September 2019 and 2020, and a 3.5% raise effective September 19, 2021.
Union: 3,000 U of M nurses, allies picket amid patient safety concerns and expired contract
Fox 17
By Alisha Dixon
July 18, 2022
According to the Michigan Nurses Association, nearly 3,000 U of M nurses and allies rallied at Fuller Park in Ann Arbor and then to the university’s hospital to bring attention to the fight for safe staffing amid an expired contract. The rally, union officials say, was a picket, not a strike or work stoppage. Nurses participating in today’s event were off duty and those who were on-duty, wore red during their shifts in solidarity. “Nurses are united in advocating for our patients,” said Renee Curtis, RN, president of MNA-UMPNC. “The patient safety incidents that are happening in our hospital because of long-term understaffing are totally unacceptable. We’re grateful for all the community support and we know the public understands that our working conditions are their care conditions. We’re going to stand strong to get what patients and nurses need.”
Eight U.S. House Offices File for the Right to Unionize
The New York Times
By Stephanie Lai
July 18, 2022
Aides to eight of the most progressive members of the House filed petitions on Monday to form unions in their offices, the first substantial action by congressional staff to organize collectively to bargain for better work conditions. The move, which has been in the works for more than a year, paves the way for House aides to begin negotiating on working conditions, promotion policies and paid and sick leave without the threat of retaliation — a right that other federal workers already enjoy. It follows a resolution passed in May that granted congressional staff members such labor protections for the first time and took effect Monday.
Hundreds on Strike at Sequoia Hospital Demanding New Contract
NBC Bay Area
By Bay City News
July 18, 2022
Hundreds of health care and support workers at Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City are striking Monday morning, calling for better working conditions and a new contract. Picketing was set to begin at 6 a.m. at the hospital located at 170 Alameda de las Pulgas. Nurses assistants, aides, surgical technologists, respiratory therapists, cooks and others will take part in the demonstration, according to the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 829.
Hilton San Diego Bayfront resumes contract negotiations ahead of Comic-Con
KPBS
By Jacob Aere
July 18, 2022
Negotiations resume Tuesday morning on a new two-year contract for roughly 600 employees at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront. The talks could determine whether a strike will happen during Comic-Con, which starts later this week. “If we don't have a contract done by Wednesday morning, we will pull everybody off the job and we will start protesting,” Unite Here Local 30 president Bridgette Browning said. Browning represents the unionized hotel workers as their contract negotiator. She said they’ve been without a new contract since their previous three-year agreement expired in November.
Workers OK deals at 5 Atlantic City casinos; 2 more remain
ABC6
By AP
July 18, 2022
Workers at five Atlantic City casinos have ratified new contracts giving them significant raises, and are now turning their attention to the two that have yet to settle, their union said last week. Officials with Local 54 of the Unite Here union said 99% of workers who voted in ratification elections approved the new pacts, under which housekeeping employees will immediately see their hourly salary increased to $18, up from varying levels at different casinos.