LABOR AND ECONOMY
Racial Equality in Jobless Aid Vies With Post-Covid Cost Cutting
Bloomberg Law
By Chris Marr
March 18, 2022
The state-level “changes that are taking place have been all in the wrong direction,” said William Spriggs, a Howard University professor and chief economist for the AFL-CIO. Such changes worsen racial disparity, he added, because Black workers average longer durations of unemployment.
A war on top of a pandemic lends uncertainty to US economic outlook
Boston Globe
By Jim Puzzanghera
March 19, 2022
“I would say other than World War II, this is the most uncertainty we’ve faced,” said William Spriggs, a Howard University economics professor and chief economist at the AFL-CIO organized labor federation. He noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin, who launched the invasion of Ukraine, is as unpredictable as the fast-mutating coronavirus.
JOINING TOGETHER
Will Orange County’s Grocery Workers Strike? Union Claims Unfair Labor Practices
Voice of OC
By Hosam Elattar
March 18, 2022
UFCW Local 324, which represents roughly 23,000 grocery and other retail workers in Orange County and parts of Los Angeles County, is one of seven branches that have filed unfair labor practice charges against Ralphs and Albertsons including Vons and Pavilions for allegedly undermining negotiations. Zinder said that a vote on authorizing the strike over unfair labor practices will take place next week and that Ralphs has tried to intimidate workers and spied on employees to stop them from engaging in union activities.
Electricians union calls strike at WTTW
Chicago Sun-Times
By David Roeder
March 16, 2022
Members of the electricians union called a strike Wednesday night at WTTW-Channel 11, saying the public television station has proposed harmful changes in work jurisdictions and job protections. Local 1220 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers began striking at 6 p.m. Wednesday after nearly a year of collective bargaining. IBEW said it represents nearly two dozen employees who work as technicians, graphic artists and floor crew members at Window to the World Communications, owner of WTTW.
Union workers at Chevron refinery prepare for strike on Monday
WTVB
By Gary McWilliams
March 20, 2022
The union representing workers at a Chevron oil refinery in Richmond, California, has told its members to prepare for a strike shortly after 12 a.m. on Monday barring agreement on a new labor contract. The United Steelworkers union at the 245,000 barrel-per-day plant outside of San Francisco said in a notice to members that it has canceled a contract extension, “offered the company a safe and orderly shutdown,” and was awaiting a reply from Chevron.\
Cleveland.com
By Jane Morice
March 20, 2022
A joint statement with details on the agreement between Playhouse Square and the International Association of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 160 will be released Monday, according to Dan O’Malley, the head of North Shore AFL-CIO. The IATSE Local 160 members are part of the North Shore AFL-CIO. The agreement was made in principle Saturday morning, said IATSE Local 160′s president John Galinac.