JOINING TOGETHER
Labor is having a moment in Colorado and beyond, but will that lead to more unionized workers?
Denver Post
By Judith Kohler
November 2, 2021
A vote on a union at an Aurora HelloFresh site is seen as a test of labor’s ability to flex its muscles at a time when workers are hard to find and union members who’ve been on the front lines in the pandemic are now on the picket line, seeking better conditions and pay. The mail-in vote at the HelloFresh facility in Aurora, where about 350 employees are eligible to cast ballots, started Oct. 28 and will run through Nov. 22. About 900 HelloFresh employees in Richmond, Calif., will start voting Nov. 18. The number of worksites, both in Colorado and across the county, wanting to organize seems to be growing by the week. “I know it’s a moment for labor, but it’s actually a moment for workers,” said Robert Lindgren, Colorado AFL-CIO political and organizing director. “I’m seeing people reexamining why they work at a given place and trying to find the best possible opportunity for them and their families.”
ArcelorMittal workers strike after contract expires
Richland Source
By Katie Ellington
November 1, 2021
Nearly 500 employees at ArcelorMittal are on strike after the company and United Steel Workers Local 3057 failed to come to an agreement during contract negotiations. Employees voted overwhelmingly in favor of a walkout when their contract expired at midnight on Sunday, according to USW representative Brian Sealy.
Scranton teachers poised to strike after talks go nowhere
New Canaan Advertiser
November 2, 2021
Teachers in the Scranton School District were poised to strike on Wednesday after failing to reach an agreement with the district on a new contract to replace one that expired more than four years ago. Teachers have been working under the terms of a contract that expired in 2017, with their last pay raise coming a year before that. Their union, the Scranton Federation of Teachers, notified the school district last week that a strike would begin at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday. Educators were expected to picket at most schools.
Point Park University and full-time faculty union reach tentative deal on contract
Pittsburgh Business Times
By Jordyn Hronec
November 2, 2021
Following a six-month negotiation and bargaining period, Point Park University administration and the union that represents its full-time faculty, The Newspaper Guild Local 38061, have reached a tentative deal.
LABOR AND ECONOMY
Business Insider
By Juliana Kaplan
November 3, 2021
Importantly, there's a mismatch between between businesses saying they're eager to hire and who's still out of work. For instance, in August, the Black unemployment rate went up, even as businesses said they were scrambling to hire. It's what Dr. William Spriggs — an economics professor at Howard University and the chief economist for the AFL-CIO — said was "the self-evident discrimination in the labor market revealing itself." The Black unemployment rate ticked a bit in September, but still remains elevated.