POLITICS
Biden Labor Dept. seeks to reverse Trump ‘independent contractor’ dodge
People’s World
By Mark Gruenberg
Oct. 13, 2022
AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler hailed DOL’s announcement, and added Congress should go even further and write stronger worker protections into law. She vowed the fed would keep up its drive for that goal.
JOINING TOGETHER
Chicago Field Museum employees announce union campaign
Journal Gazette &Times Courier
By Talia Soglin
Oct. 13, 2022
Museum workers at Chicago’s Field Museum went public Thursday with a union campaign they said was driven in part by low wages, high turnover and a lack of transparency at the museum. Workers at the natural history museum said they plan to unionize with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31 under the name Field Museum Workers United. AFSCME represents more than 25,000 library workers and more than 10,000 museum workers nationally, including at the Art Institute of Chicago.
No art without art workers: Philly museum strike carries on
People’s World
By John Bachtell
Oct. 13, 2022
“The art museum is Philadelphia,” curator Amanda Bock said. “There’s no art without art workers, so if you enjoy coming to the museum, seeing art, you need to support the people who make that possible.” Bock and 180 Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) curators, educators, archivists, and other art workers aren’t feeling that support from one of the nation’s largest, oldest, and most venerable institutions. So, workers struck the PMA on Sept. 26, demanding a voice at work, livable wages, affordable healthcare, and job security. AFL-CIO president Liz Shuler joined the picket line on Oct. 8. Both AFSCME and the AFL-CIO held mass rallies with PMA workers during their conventions this past summer.
MCTS bus drivers vote to strike if contract talks fall through, union boss says
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
By Drake Bentley
Oct. 13, 2022
The overwhelming majority of union members for the Milwaukee County Transit System voted to strike last week after MCTS presented a contract offer that union members also overwhelmingly voted "no" on. Donnell Shorter, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 998, said Thursday 97% of union members voted "no" on MCTS' latest contract offer. According to Shorter, MCTS presented the latest offer as the "best and final offer." Because of that, the union also held a vote to decide if members would strike if MCTS is not willing to adjust its offer. Roughly 93% of members voted to strike.
Employees announce intent to form Field Museum union
ABC 7
By David Roeder
Oct. 13, 2022
Workers at Chicago's Field Museum went public Thursday with a drive to unionize with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, following campaigns among employees at the Art Institute of Chicago and its school and the Newberry Library. Museum workers issued a public letter signed by 63 people about why they want to unionize. The announcement is intended to generate more support for union affiliation among the staff. Anders Lindall, spokesman for AFSCME Council 31, said the proposed bargaining unit would include 330 museum employees. To be certified for collective bargaining, a majority of those workers need to support the union.
Dodger Stadium workers ratify new labor contract
Los Angeles Daily News
By Kevin Smith
Oct. 13, 2022
Concession workers at Dodger Stadium have ratified a new labor contract that will give some employees a $13-an-hour pay increase and boost wages for 75% of the workers to $30 an hour by the end of the 2024 baseball season. Ninety-eight percent of the more than 1,500 employees, represented by Unite Here Local 11, voted to ratify the contract late Wednesday. They are employed by Levy Restaurants, a wholly owned subsidiary of Britain’s Compass Group.
Field Museum workers announce union organizing drive
Chicago Sun-Times
By David Roeder
Oct. 13, 2022
Workers at Chicago’s Field Museum went public Thursday with a drive to unionize with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, following campaigns among employees at the Art Institute of Chicago and its school and the Newberry Library. Museum workers issued a public letter signed by 63 people about why they want to unionize. The announcement is intended to generate more support for union affiliation among the staff. Anders Lindall, spokesman for AFSCME Council 31, said the proposed bargaining unit would include 330 museum employees. To be certified for collective bargaining, a majority of those workers need to support the union. The employer can ask for a federally run election to prove that support.