Vice President Kamala Harris offers union support in Philadelphia visit
The Philadelphia Tribune
By Tom MacDonald
April 13, 2022
Liz Shuler, president of the national AFL-CIO talked about how the Biden-Harris administration was one of the most pro-union ever. “It looks like a national labor relations board that is ready to put an end to the days of captive audience meetings and bosses cornering employees about unions,” Shuler said. “Put that away. It looks like an administration that puts working people at the heart of their plans for recovery and for the future.”
TRANSPORTATION
TTD union asks federal regulators to delve into rail service, employment issues
Trains
By Bill Stephens
April 12, 2022
The Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIO has joined the chorus of organizations asking federal regulators to address Class I railroad service problems. “It is clear that a lack of oversight has allowed Class I railroads to operate in a manner that is harmful to shippers, employees, and the American public, and these issues will not resolve out of self-regulation by the carriers,” TTD President Greg Regan wrote in a letter sent to the Surface Transportation Board on Monday. “We urge the Board to continue to delve into the service issues faced by shippers, and how these issues have been caused or exacerbated by an overly reduced workforce.”
Food Supply Trouble Pinned on Railroad ‘Negligence,’ Layoffs
Bloomberg Government
By Lillianna Byington
April 12, 2022
Worker shortages caused by layoffs have hurt the U.S. economy by delaying freight rail shippers, the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO told the Surface Transportation Board rail regulator in a letter released Tuesday. It specifically called out grain companies’ concerns about disruption on tracks operated by Union Pacific Corp., Burlington Northern Santa Fe, and Norfolk Southern Corp. Rail labor unions, along with agriculture and energy shippers, say precision-scheduled railroading has allowed for leaner operations, but at the expense of job cuts and service problems. PSR is a strategy used by railroads to streamline their operations by adjusting their scheduling and using fewer rail cars. “The notion that our nation’s food supply chain is threatened by the continued negligence and intransigence of the railroad industry is both stunning and unacceptable,” Greg Regan, president of TTD, wrote to STB Chairman Martin Oberman.
JOINING TOGETHER
More flights canceled as Alaska Airlines, pilots union negotiate
Santa Barbara News-Press
By Spencer Pauley
April 13, 2022
Alaska Airlines and the Alaska Airlines Pilots Union continue contract negotiations as flights from the airlines continue being canceled. The pilots union has been negotiating with Alaska Airlines on a new contract since the spring of 2019. In an open letter to Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci, the pilots union asked him and the company to “do the right thing” and “provide the same quality-of-life and job security improvements that pilots at other major airlines already enjoy.” The pilots union said Alaska Airlines is trying to distract the public from the company’s mismanagement and failure to staff up enough for future flights despite receiving government support during the pandemic. “Alaska Airlines received a $2.3 billion bailout from American taxpayers during the pandemic to weather the economic downturn, retain its workforce and be ready to take advantage of the recovery we are now experiencing,” the pilots union said in a statement April 1. “Yet, despite all of this, Alaska Airlines failed to properly plan for increased travel demand and take the steps necessary to ensure it attracted and retained pilots.” Although employees of Alaska Airlines have shown their disapproval with the company through picketing, the pilots union is not on strike as of now. Alaska Airlines said in a statement that it is committed to reaching an agreement with the pilots that recognizes their contributions to the company.
Some Kansas City-area construction workers hit the picket line
KMBC
By Brian Johnson
April 12, 2022
The International Union of Painter and Allied Trades is on strike. After working through a pandemic with many members getting sick, they say they won't let inflation beat them. "We're not even getting a cost-of-living wage. It's a slap in the face to us. We feel disrespected," said Renee Adams, an IUPAT union painter. About 600 workers took up pickets Tuesday after months of failed negotiations.
LABOR AND COMMUNITY
Yahoo! Finance
April 13, 2022
The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) in partnership with the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) today kicks off more than 2,000 Fill the Boot fundraising events for 2022 on National Boot Day.