MUST READ
Progressive National Convention joins with AFL-CIO to advance racial and economic justice
Baptist News Global
By Jeff Brumley
Aug. 15, 2022
Martin Luther King Jr. also saw the connection between racism and economic oppression, AFL-CIO Treasurer Fred Redmond said during the town hall session. “Dr. King knew all too well that you could not have racial justice without economic justice. That’s why Dr. King worked so hard to bring the Civil Rights movement and the labor movement together,” he said. “Dr. King knew that social and racial equality depend on economic security. And that remains true today.” PNBC and AFL-CIO must collaborate now to resist surging voter suppression efforts and other existential threats, Redmond said. The denomination, to which King belonged, and the labor giant joined to promote the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1964.
VOTING RIGHTS
Progressive National Baptists, AFL-CIO reunite for midterms voter initiative
Religion News Service
By Adelle M. Banks
Aug. 11, 2022
“We share a mission of justice, fairness and opportunity for all people, especially those in underserved communities,” said AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond in a statement. “Our movements are uniquely connected. And now more than ever we need to strengthen that connection, come back together and rebuild the bond between faith and labor.”
JOINING TOGETHER
Equitas Health workers win union election
The Highland County Press
Aug. 15, 2022
“We are thrilled to welcome these essential frontline workers into our union,” said Melissa Cropper, President of the Ohio Federation of Teachers. “Like most people who decide to organize their unions, these workers love the work that they do and want to make sure they have the tools, resources and staff to be able to do their job well. We’re looking forward to supporting them through their contract negotiations and helping them win guaranteed standards that will reduce turnover and improve the care they provide to their clients.”
Nurses in Twin Cities, Duluth vote to authorize strike
MPR News
By Michelle Wiley
Aug. 16, 2022
Members of a major Minnesota nurses union have said they favor going on strike if negotiations don’t resolve differences with management of several health systems in the Twin Cities and Duluth. Around 15,000 members of the Minnesota Nurses Association cast ballots Monday on whether to authorize a strike, with the union announcing late Monday night that its members voted “overwhelmingly” in favor. “Nurses do not take this decision lightly, but we are determined to take a stand at the bargaining table, and on the sidewalk if necessary, to put patients before profits in our hospitals,” union President Mary Turner said in a statement after the vote.
Unionized workers at MASS MoCA plan one-day strike for Friday
WBUR
By The Associated Press
Aug. 16, 2022
Unionized workers at North Adams' Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, frustrated with the progress of contract negotiations, have authorized a one-day strike for later this week. The MASS MoCA workers have scheduled a strike and picket outside the museum from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. Friday, according to a statement released Monday. The union, affiliated with the United Auto Workers Local 2110, represents about 100 full- and part-time workers, including curators, educators, administrative staff, visitors services, custodial and other workers. The workers, citing low pay and job insecurity during the coronavirus pandemic, formed the union early last year, joining the staff of other renowned museums who have unionized, including Boston's Museum of Fine Arts and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
IN THE STATES
Union leader calls for better pay for Wichita firefighters
KFDI
Aug. 16, 2022
The president of the union representing Wichita firefighters told the city council Tuesday that better compensation is needed for the men and women in the fire department. Ted Bush, president of the International Association of Firefighters Local 135, spoke during a public hearing by the council on next year’s city budget. Bush said compensation has been stagnant in recent years and the city has fallen behind regional and state averages. He said the union has started contract negotiations with the city and that process is more important than ever. He said firefighters need to be fairly compensated and the city must have the capability to recruit and retain new firefighters. He said this will also be an important part of building morale among the city’s fire department staff.
UNION BUSTING
Deadline
By David Robb
Aug. 16, 2022
IATSE is accusing the Association of Independent Commercial Producers of “union busting” and providing companies with a “license to blacklist” production department workers engaged in unionizing efforts. “This is a slap in the face to every IATSE member,” said IATSE president Matt Loeb. “All workers should be able to make their voices heard without threats or fear of retaliation. In response to this escalation by the AICP, we will safeguard the democratic process with a variety of counter-retaliation measures, including publicly tracking instances where workers believe they have been retaliated against, and referring these cases to the National Labor Relations Board in cases where Federal Labor Law is violated.”