TRADE
Exclusive: AFL-CIO wants bigger say in U.S. digital trade deals for workers
Reuters
By David Lawder
Feb. 7, 2023
The Biden administration has made digital trade the centerpiece of its trade negotiations, and the AFL-CIO wants a bigger say in how the U.S. Trade Representative's office sets goals in this area, arguing they are too often dictated by big technology companies. "To date, U.S. 'digital trade' agreements have sought to expand market access for large technology companies by granting broad digital data and intellectual property rights while narrowly constraining the ability of governments (of both the United States and our trade partners) to adopt measures to adopt measures to address the economic transformation," the AFL-CIO said in its plan.
JOINING TOGETHER
Student workers at RPI look to unionize
News10 ABC
By Harrison Gereau
Feb. 7, 2023
Resident Assistants (RA) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) are working to form a union in partnership with OPEIU Local 153. A petition signed by more than 75% of RAs is now in the hands of RPI President Martin Schmidt. According to a spokesperson for the student workers, they are paid 80-90% less than RAs at similar-sized institutions yet are required to work over 20 hours a week overseeing up to 80 students. Further, students claim RPI policies—such as a policy requiring them to call campus police instead of 911—are putting them and their fellow students in dangerous, life-threatening situations.
Harvard Postdocs, Other Non-Tenure-Track Trying to Unionize
Inside Higher Ed
By Ryan Quinn
Feb. 7. 2023
Harvard University lecturers, postdoctoral researchers and other non-tenure-track academic workers launched a unionization campaign Monday. Harvard Academic Workers–UAW is trying to organize about 6,000 such employees across Harvard's three main campuses, the prospective union said in a news release. It said workers will sign authorization cards in the coming weeks.
Disney workers vote down company’s dollar-an-hour wage hike, 96%-4%
People’s World
By Mark Gruenberg
Feb. 7, 2023
By a 96%-4% margin, workers from six unions who toil at Disney resorts in Central Florida voted down the firm’s dollar-an-hour wage hike for each year of a proposed five-year contract. The Disney theme parks clustered in and around Orlando employ 45,000 workers, two-thirds of whom make $15 an hour under a 2018 contract that expired in October. And before that pact, many—especially cooks and housekeepers—made $10. Bargainers for the Service Trades Council Unions, the joint negotiating team for the six unions, had recommended the workers reject the pact. STCU President Matt Hollis said the hike does not keep up with Central Florida’s inflation, which he calculated was 8% last year. Hollis is also president of one of the six unions, Transportation Communications Union-IAM Local 1098.
WGA East and Political Site Talking Points Memo Reach Deal
The Wrap
By Loree Seitz
Feb. 7, 2023
The Writers Guild of America, East and political news organization Talking Points Memo have reached a deal on a new three-year contract. The contract, which was ratified by the TPM six-member bargaining unit, will increase the minimum salary from $52,000 to $65,000 in January 2025, according to a memo from WGA East released Tuesday, with employees receiving a set salary percentage increase depending on their current wages.
IN THE STATES
Montana bill to increase minimum wage tabled in committee
Daily Montanan
By Keila Szpaller
Feb. 7, 2023
“Workers who make a minimum-wage salary in this state are merely hovering above the federal poverty line,” said Amanda Frickle of the Montana AFL-CIO on behalf of 50,000 working Montanans, retirees and families at a hearing last week.