MUST READ
1,000 SFO restaurant workers go on strike
SF Gate
By Sam Moore
Sept. 26, 2022
Restaurant workers at San Francisco International Airport declared a general strike early Monday morning after more than nine months of negotiations with their employers. Unite Here Local 2, the union representing SFO's food service workers, announced in a press release that 1,000 of SFO's cashiers, cooks, baristas, bartenders, servers and dishwashers are participating in the strike. The workers are employed by 84 airport restaurant outlets, all of whom are represented by the SFO Airport Restaurant Employer Council.
JOINING TOGETHER
Philly art museum workers resume strike in effort to secure better wages, benefits in first union contract
Philly Voice
By Maggie Mancini
Sept. 26, 2022
Unionized workers at the Philadelphia Museum of Art went on strike Monday morning in an effort to secure better wages, improved health care benefits and job security as part of their first collective bargaining agreement with the institution. The decision to return to the picket line came after members of AFSCME Local 397 held a one-day warning strike on Sept. 16. Three weeks prior to that strike, the union filed eight unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board, alleging that museum management engaged in union-busting tactics during contract negotiations.
Stagehands at NYC's 'Little Island' Unanimously Approve Union With IATSE Local One
Broadway World
By Stephi Wild
Sept. 26, 2022
Stagehands at Little Island voted "Yes" for a union with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local One. The vote was unanimous in favor of representation by Local One. Having opened in the Spring of 2021, Little Island is one of New York City's newest parks and architectural wonders. Built in the Hudson River upon a series of custom designed columns which were inspired by tulips, the 2.4-acre park contains a 687-seat amphitheater as well as an outdoor performance space known as the Glade. The park has an annual summer performance series hosting a wide variety of acts including music, dance, theater, and comedy as well as regular daily performances throughout the park. "The crew at Little Island stood together in solidarity because they understand the benefits of union representation. They are an integral part of the performances at the park and deserve a living wage, as well as the benefits and protections in the workplace that Local One representation provides. For the past 137 years, Local One has represented stagehands on Broadway, live television, concerts, and live events in the New York City area, and the crew of 25 at Little Island are continuing that tradition" said Local One Trustee and Organizer John Lott.
Workers at east Louisville Half Price Books store vote to unionize
WDRB
By Chris Otts
Sept. 26, 2022
A group of booksellers at Half Price Books' Hurstbourne Parkway store voted Friday to unionize, according to UFCW Local 227, the union organizing the workers. The tally of the election, in which 18 rank-and-file store employees were eligible to vote, was not immediately available. But the company acknowledged the union's victory in a statement Monday. In statement posted by UFCW 227, workers said they look forward to negotiating a labor contract with Half Price Books and wish to address issues like pay and staffing levels at the store.
Union Station Hotel workers seek to organize with UNITE HERE 74
Labor Tribune
Sept. 26, 2022
Workers at St. Louis Union Station Hotel have filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board seeking an election to organize with UNITE HERE 74, the move would organize hotel clerks, house keepers, cooks, bartenders, maintenance and other workers under the UNITE HERE banner.
Union asks Ohio University to restore staffing levels to pre-pandemic numbers
The Athens Messenger
By Nicole Bowman-Layton
Sept. 26, 2022
While Ohio University touts a record-setting freshman class of 4,441 students, it still lags behind in hiring more staff to take care of the needs of those students. American Federal of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 1699 members sought to bring attention to that disparity during a rally Friday in front of OU’s alumni gate. A group of about 40 people, which consisted of Local 1699 members, as well as other union members from across the region listened to speakers, waved posters and handed out drinks and pizza.
Windham nurses hold strike outside Hartford Healthcare facility, negotiations continue
WSHU
By Brian Scott-Smith
Sept. 26, 2022
Nurses at Windham Hospital in Connecticut held a two-day strike last week over what they claim are unfair labor practices by their employer, Hartford Healthcare. The local labor union last sat down with hospital administrators a week ago Monday, before the strike occurred, but both sides were unable to reach an agreement on each other’s demands. “Two hundred ninety-one days, 5 hours, 26 minutes, and 43 seconds, “said Andrea Riley, a nurse at Windham Hospital and the president of Windham Federation of Professional Nurses, AFT Local 504, to a crowd of 100 striking nurses on Friday. “That’s how long the nurses of Windham Hospital have been waiting for Hartford Healthcare to sit at the table, prepared to bargain in good faith,” she continued. “Prepared to respect the bargaining process. The very right of the laborer to secure a fair wage and ensure safe working conditions.”
IN THE STATES
AFL-CIO Southern Region Director Speaks at NAACP State Labor Breakfast in Nashville
The Tennessee Tribune
By Taylor Maloney
Sept. 26, 2022
The Labor Breakfast’s speaker was Elder Charles Clark, the Southern Region Director of the AFL-CIO. Clark is a native of Lake Village, Arkansas and began his career in the labor movement in 1977. He has dedicated 45 years of his life to the fight for worker’s rights and has held numerous leadership positions in labor Organizations. He opened his speech stating “I am proud to proclaim this morning that I am union. I didn’t know anything about unions until I was twenty years old, I didn’t come from a union family. But I am glad that my purpose and destiny has brought me down this road of social justice. I am unapologetically proud to be a union member.” Clark continues on to talk about the importance of “building a movement for the moment,” assessing our skills and our weaknesses as well as our audience to determine what action needs to be taken in the moment, and how that can strengthen or weaken a movement.