Today's AFL-CIO press clips
TRANSPORTATION
‘Completely demoralized’: US railroad workers pushed to the brink
The Guardian
By Michael Sainato
March 14, 2022
Workers represented by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, and the Transportation Division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation unions mobilized and pushed for the right to strike over the new attendance policy, but a federal judge ruled the dispute was “minor” under the Railway Labor Act, meaning workers cannot legally strike over the policy. “This is a policy that, frankly, is just blind to the moment,” said Greg Regan, president of the transportation trades department, AFL-CIO, which represents 36 labor unions in the transportation industry. “They’re turning around and punishing their employees, because they’re faced with some of the challenges that they created themselves.”
LABOR AND ECONOMY
If you're not making $14.50 an hour, you probably can't afford to live in any US county
Business Insider
By Jason Lalljee
March 14, 2022
If you make federal minimum wage in the US, you probably can't afford to live in any of its towns. According to the Economic Policy Institute's updated Family Budget Calculator, a full-time worker with no children would need to make roughly $14.50 an hour to sustain themselves in the US county with the lowest cost of living: Orangeburg County, South Carolina. That's twice the current federal minimum wage of $7.25.
JOINING TOGETHER
Collins Aerospace, union reach agreement on contract; lockout ends at Troy plant
WHIO TV
By WHIO Staff
March 14, 2022
Collins Aerospace and UAW Local 128 have reached an agreement on a new contract, which will end a lockout of about 300 employees at the company’s plant in Troy. “If nothing else this lockout has made our union stronger,” said UAW Local 128 representative Joe Konicki. “My personal opinion is we all came together and weathered the adversity.” The lockout began in mid-February at the Waco Street plant. Union workers started picketing outside the business just after midnight on Feb. 21.
'Get this settled': Eaton striker says union members want to work, but won't back down
WQAD
By Shelby Kluver
March 14, 2022
25 days into the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) strike against Eaton Corporation's Davenport facility, a new round of talks are scheduled but a third contract isn't any closer to a vote. Now, after Eaton announced it had begun hiring permanent replacements and union workers would not be guaranteed their jobs upon conclusion of the strike, one IAM member has written a statement saying strikers want to be at work but aren't willing to back down.
IN THE STATES
Paid family and medical leave poised to become law in Delaware
WHYY
By Cris Barrish
March 14, 2022
Delaware is poised to become the 10th state to provide paid family leave after revisions to an earlier bill gained widespread legislative support as well as the backing of the state’s largest employer and most powerful business group.
EQUAL PAY
What Equal Pay Day 2022 Data Is—And Is Not—Telling Us
Forbes
By Holly Corbett
March 14, 2022
Equal Pay Day falls on March 15 this year, which signifies how far into the new year the average woman must work to be paid what the average man was paid the previous year. Last year Equal Pay Day landed farther into the year on March 23, and revealed a slightly larger gender wage gap of 82 cents on the dollar as compared to this year’s 83 cents. On the surface, this looks like progress. Yet these numbers are not telling the whole story. In February 2022, 1.1 million fewer women were in the labor force than at the start of the pandemic. The latest figure accounts only for the women who remained in the workforce full time, and fails to reflect the financial impact for the millions of women who lost their jobs or who were pushed out of the workforce due to lack of childcare or other factors—many of whom were low-paid workers—or the women moving to part-time jobs. This caused the overall median earnings for the women who remained working full time to rise. In fact, when comparing all women who worked with all men who worked—regardless of how many hours or weeks they worked—women were typically paid just 73 cents for every dollar paid to men—and the gap widens for many women of color. For example, overall Latinas were typically paid 49 cents, Native American women were typically paid 50 cents and Black women were typically paid 58 cents.
LABOR AND COMMUNITY
Local unions giving away prom dresses for students this spring
WDRB
By Tom Round
March 14, 2022
Students planning for prom this spring will have a place to browse for free dresses thanks to two local unions. United Auto Workers (UAW) and Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW) are partnering to provide prom dresses, shoes and accessories for students hoping to attend prom this spring. Gift cards and coupons for Men's Warehouse have also been collected for tuxedoes.