MUST READ
Philadelphia Museum Workers Vote for Strike as Union Talks Stall
Hyperallergic
By Jasmine Liu
The Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) Union voted last night, August 30, in favor of a strike authorization by a 99% margin during the most well-attended meeting in its history. The vote came just days after the union filed an unfair labor practice complaint against the museum. The strike authorization raises the stakes of ongoing negotiations between the union and management which have been underway since October 2020. In August 2020, the PMA unionized with the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees District Council 47 union (AFSCME DC 47), becoming the first wall-to-wall union at a major American museum.
ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY AND CLIMATE
Electric battery maker to locate factory in northern WVa
AP
By John Raby
Aug. 30, 2022
The energy startup SPARKZ said Tuesday it will locate an electric battery factory in northern West Virginia. The batteries will be built at a 482,000-square-foot (4.5-hectare) plant in Taylor County off U.S. Route 50 near Bridgeport, the company said in a statement. The plant, which eventually will employ 350 workers, originally was a glass factory that ceased operations in 2009. In March the Livermore, California-based company announced intentions to build the plant. An agreement with the United Mine Workers union was announced in May to recruit and train dislocated miners to be the factory’s first production workers. West Virginia has lost thousands of jobs in mining and other resource extraction industries in recent years.
JOINING TOGETHER
Actors' Equity Association Applauds Senate Passage of California SB 1116
Broadway World
By Chloe Rabinowitz
Aug. 31, 2022
Actors' Equity Association released the following statement applauding the passage of California Senate Bill 1116, a measure introduced by Senator Anthony Portantino (D - Burbank) which creates a payroll fund to support small nonprofit performing arts organizations (SNPAOs). The bill passed the California Senate Floor today and is headed to the Governor's desk for signature. "Unfortunately, live arts workers in California have still not fully recovered from a double hit - the COVID shutdown on top of years of under investment in the arts," said Brandon Lorenz, National Director of Public Policy for Actors' Equity Association. "The live arts are a huge economic driver in communities across California. SB 1116 came together after months of collaboration with small nonprofit employers and it will ensure that arts workers themselves actually benefit from arts funding. I'm grateful for the leadership for Senator Portantino in getting this innovative bill to the floor for a vote and hope that Gov. Newsom will sign it without delay."
Philadelphia Museum of Art workers’ union authorizes strike
The Philadelphia Tribune
By Peter Crimmins
Aug. 31, 2022
The worker’s union of the Philadelphia Museum of Art has authorized a strike. On Tuesday night the union met to vote, and it says 99% voted in favor. The vote does not mean the union is on strike, nor that it will strike, but the unit has agreed to if necessary during contract negotiations. The widespread union covering many departments at the museum formed in 2020, and has been negotiating its first contract with management for 22 months. Last Friday, it filed charges against the museum with the National Labor Relations Board.
OHSU, healthcare workers reach impasse on negotiations
KOIN
By Hailey Dunn
Aug. 31, 2022
Talks between Oregon Health & Science University and thousands of union workers came to a standstill Tuesday after nearly six months of negotiations. AFSCME Local 328, the union representing more than 7,400 OHSU employees, declared an impasse in negotiations with OHSU after an overwhelming majority of members voted. Now, the union and OHSU will have to present final offers by the end of the day on Wednesday, Sept. 7. This will be followed by a mandatory 30-day cooling-off period where the two teams will periodically meet for mediation. Union members could legally strike after the 30 days if the bargaining team deems that option necessary. OHSU will have to be advised of the possible strike 10 days before it starts, however.
UPDATE: United Steelworkers strike averted at BAE Systems, tentative agreement reached
York Daily Record
By Angel Albring
Aug. 31, 2022
The United Steelworkers (USW) Local 7687 announced that a strike at BAE Systems in York has been averted, just minutes before 800 workers had planned to walked out. USW and BAE Systems reached a tentative five-year agreement that increases wages, strengthens retirement security and improves access to paid vacation time, according to a statement from USW. USW District 10 director Bernie Hall credited the workers' commitment and solidarity for reaching the agreement and averting an unfair labor practice strike.
Delta Pilots to Picket Thursday at Hartsfield-Jackson and Other Airports
Aviation Pros
By Kelly Yamanouchi
Aug. 31, 2022
Delta Air Lines pilots plan to picket at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta on Thursday ahead of the busy Labor Day travel weekend as they push for a new labor contract. Pilots in uniform plan to assemble on the Terminal South curbside holding signs from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. The informational picketing is part of a broader round of labor demonstrations planned at airport hubs across the country by members of the Air Line Pilots Association, which represents pilots at multiple carriers.
Pilot Round-Up: Mapping ALPA's Labor Day Weekend Picket
Simple Flying
By Joe Kunzler
Aug. 29, 2022
This Thursday, September 1, the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) will coordinate various ALPA Master Executive Councils (MECs) - or councils that represent an airline's pilots at the bargaining table with the airline in having a nationwide informational picket of off-duty pilots to inform the public of the pilots’ needs at the bargaining table. The pilots will almost certainly be joined by Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) members and possibly other allies under strict rules of engagement to carefully build public awareness.
SAG-AFTRA Members Vote to Ratify Netflix Deal
The Hollywood Reporter
By Katie Kilkenny
Aug. 31, 2022
SAG-AFTRA members have voted to ratify the union’s latest standalone contract deal with Netflix. After the voting period ended on Aug. 31, the vote was 89.03 percent in favor of the new contract, the union announced on Wednesday. SAG-AFTRA and the streamer first reached the tentative deal in early August, and the union’s national board approved it just days after, recommending that union members vote “yes.” “The gains we achieved in this contract are historic. A convergence of opportunities to leverage presented themselves. Now was the time to strike while the iron was hot or forever be chasing contract reconstruction always outside our grasp. The advances in reducing exclusivity are seminal. The journeyman actor now has the freedom to work multiple jobs and make a living with less restrictions. Our negotiating committee, staff, board and member body all came together in perfect harmony. We now enter into a new chapter that levels the playing field, giving actors the respect and dignity they so rightfully deserve,” said SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher.
IN THE STATES
UMWA, Marion Co. AFL-CIO invites community to Labor Day picnic after two-year absence
WV News
By John Mark Shaver
Aug. 31, 2022
For the first time since 2019, the United Mine Workers of America and Marion County AFL-CIO are holding their annual Labor Day Picnic at Hough Park in Mannington this weekend, and officials are encouraging the community to come out for a fun, free afternoon. The picnic will take place from noon to 4 p.m. in Sunday, and is free and open to everyone who would like to come. Although the picnic has been a Marion County staple since the 1990s, this will be the first time officials have been able to hold it since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Annual Labor Unity Picnic this Weekend
KHON
By John Veneri
Aug. 31, 2022
The Labor Unity Picnic is an event that is held annually to honor and recognize Hawaii’s hard working men and women and the contributions and achievements of the Labor Movement to society. This year’s event will be held on Sunday, September 4th at the Waikiki Shell with gates opening at 3 :30pm and the picnic running from 4:00pm to 9 :00pm. This FREE event is open to all UNION MEMBERS and their families. There will be a food drive at the Waikiki Shell for the AFL-CIO Labor Community Services Program. Anyone that brings a canned good will receive a ticket for a chance to win a prize worth over $500.
LABOR AND COMMUNITY
Fill-the-Boot Drive returns in Labor Day tradition
Loudoun Times-Mirror
Aug. 31, 2022
This Labor Day weekend, some first responders will be looking for some help as they seek to “fill the boot” to raise money for local families affected by a number of neuromuscular diseases. According to a release, members of the Loudoun County Combined Fire and Rescue System (LC-CFRS) and the Loudoun Career Fire Fighters Association (LCFFA) Local 3756 will be on the streets at a number of locations throughout the county between Sept. 3 and 5, collecting money in association with the Muscular Dystrophy Association. The Fill-the-Boot Drive grew out of a partnership between the International Association of Fire Fighters and the MDA, the release said, with member organizations of the IAFF having participated in the drive for over 60 years.