MUST READ
President Biden Is Not Backing Off His Big-Government Agenda
The New York Times
By Jim Tankersley
Feb. 8, 2023
Mr. Biden’s allies cheered. The president “delivered a bold blueprint for an economy that, at long last, puts working people first,” Liz Shuler, the president of the powerful A.F.L.-C.I.O. labor union, said in a news release on Tuesday evening.
POLITICS
Democrats win control of state House with wins in three Allegheny County special elections
WESA
By Chris Potter and Oliver Morrison
Feb. 7, 2023
Democrats won three special elections in Allegheny County with relative ease Tuesday night — a long-expected result that nevertheless marks a sweeping change in Harrisburg. The wins give Democrats 102 seats in the 203-seat chamber — the party's first House majority in a dozen years — and it resolves a stalemate over control that has left the chamber in limbo this winter.
President Joe Biden in Wisconsin; 1st stop after 2023 State of the Union
Fox6 Milwaukee
By Darlene Superville and FOX6 News Digital Team
Feb. 8, 2023
"Last night in his State of the Union speech and in his visit to Madison today, President Biden is showing a true understanding that a strong American economy is dependent on the creation of strong, family-supporting union jobs. Thanks to these investments, these jobs are bringing a direct benefit to our communities. "Thanks to President Biden, the state of our unions is strong, and getting stronger."
JOINING TOGETHER
Actors' Equity Association Permanently Opens Access to Membership
Broadway World
By Chloe Rabinowitz
Feb. 8, 2023
"Open Access is doing exactly what it's supposed to do," said Actors' Equity Association President Kate Shindle. "Of course, strength in numbers is a cornerstone principle for any union. But this was never a simple numbers game. Every worker who wants a union deserves a union. Open Access is about providing a pathway to Equity membership that doesn't depend on our employers, or on our industry's hiring practices. In the 18 months since we launched, we've seen a significant increase in the diversity of our new members. Joining a union is a deeply personal decision, and I'm proud that Open Access has moved that decision into the hands of actors and stage managers themselves."
More Than 400 Writers Guild Members Call on MSNBC to Reach “Fair Contract” With Union
The Hollywood Reporter
By Katie Kilkenny
Feb. 8, 2023
The Writers Guild of America East is putting some additional pressure on MSNBC to expedite contract negotiations. More than 400 members of the union — including star members Tina Fey, Lilly Wachowski and David Simon — are calling on the cable news brand to agree “to a fair contract that includes the pay and protections [MSNBC union members] deserve” in a petition released on Wednesday. The WGA East’s bargaining unit at MSNBC, a group of more than 300 writers, producers, fact-checkers and others, has been negotiating with MSNBC and NBCUniversal management for over a year on their first contract since the union’s certification via a National Labor Relations Board election in August 2021.
NBC, MSNBC employees plan walkout in protest of layoffs
The Washington Post
By Jeremy Barr
Feb. 8, 2023
More than 200 employees of NBC represented by the NewsGuild of New York plan to walk off the job for 24 hours on Thursday to signal frustration with the company’s decision to lay off seven union-covered journalists last month. The NBC News Digital union has filed an unfair labor charge with the National Labor Relations Board over the cuts, which it described as abrupt and illegal, as well as a claim that some digital staffers for MSNBC were told by management that they were no longer part of the union.
LAX cooks, cashiers and others rally for a higher minimum wage
Los Angeles Daily News
By Kevin Smith
Jan. 8, 2023
The lack of a “livable wage” prompted a throng of airport workers to rally outside an industry conference in Santa Monica on Wednesday, Feb. 8 where they demanded a minimum wage hike so they can afford to rent in the city where they work. The gathering took place outside the Airports Council International-North America CEO Forum and board of directors meeting where top executives discussed the global state of the industry. The employees, represented by Unite Here Local 11, say the existing base wage of $18.04 an hour for concession workers not directly employed by LAX would require someone to work 17 hours a day to afford a two-bedroom apartment in Los Angeles.
IN THE STATES
Budzinski Announces Decatur Resident as First State of the Union Guest
Decatur Tribune
Feb. 6, 2023
“Pre-Apprenticeships offer a pathway to good paying union jobs and the middle class for workers,” said Illinois AFL-CIO President Tim Drea. “Young people, like Andrea Kelly and her peers, across the country are the next generation of skilled workers who will build renewable energy facilities and rebuild our aging infrastructure. I am grateful to Congresswoman Budzinski for the bold steps that she is taking to invest in the future of a skilled and diverse workforce.”
Iowa Bill Relaxing Back Child Labor Laws Sparks Outrage: 'This is Just Crazy'
Newsweek
By Giulia Carbonaro
Feb. 8, 2023
Anew bill rolling back child labor laws in Iowa to allow 14-year-olds to work hazardous jobs in mining, meatpacking, and logging sectors as long as they are done under an approved training program has been harshly criticized by Democrat state senators and labor rights experts. The president of the Iowa Federation of Labor (AFL-CIO), Charlie Wishman, has condemned it as "reprehensible." "This is just crazy," Wishman told the Des Moines Register. "A kid can still lose an arm in a work-based learning program." He added: "The idea of putting children into work activities that could be dangerous is something that is not only irresponsible but reprehensible."
Nation riveted by local ironworker highlighted in Biden’s State of the Union Address
Local 12
By David Winter
Feb. 8, 2023
Her name is Saria Gwin-Maye. She has been a proud member of Ironworkers Local 44 for more than 30 years. Last week, she received a call from the White House. President Biden spoke of the meeting during Tuesday night’s State of the Union Address. "While I was there, I met a young woman named Saria," he began. "Saria said she can’t wait to be 10 stories above the Ohio River building that new bridge. God bless her. That’s pride. And that’s what we’re also building, we’re building back pride." Saria says Bono, the other guests, and the President were fascinated with her story of being a 30-year ironworker, and her passion for her union, and for advancing the ironworker profession for African American women. Later, the President gave her a presidential challenge coin.
LABOR AND COMMUNITY
Bills' Damar Hamlin makes appearance to receive NFLPA award
ABC News
By Josh Weinfuss
Feb. 8, 2023
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin was named the NFLPA Alan Page Community Award winner Wednesday for his work raising more than $9 million for his Chasing M's Foundation in the days after he collapsed on the field during a Jan. 2 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. "He is not only an individual who has overcome a tremendous amount, he's not only a person who reminds us just how dangerous this game is, but also the spirit, the love, the joy, the fraternity of people who play this game," said Demaurice Smith, NFLPA executive director.