MUST READ
National AFL-CIO endorses Biden for re-election
Northwest Labor Press
By Don Mcintosh
July 6, 2023
The General Board of the AFL-CIO—representing 60 unions and more than 12.5 million workers—voted June 16 to endorse President Joe Biden for re-election in 2024. Seventeen months out, it’s the earliest the AFL-CIO has ever voted to endorse in a presidential election. But AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler says without question that Biden is “the most pro-union president in our lifetimes.”
JOINING TOGETHER
Los Angeles Hotel Employees Return to Work but Warn of Additional Strikes
The New York Times
By Jill Cowan
July 6, 2023
Thousands of housekeepers, front desk clerks, cooks and other hospitality staff returned to work on Wednesday at hotels in the Los Angeles area after three days of picketing, but union leaders said that more walkouts are likely in the coming days.
‘Castlevania’ Studio Unionizes, Marking Expansion for The Animation Guild
The Hollywood Reporter
By Katie Kilkenny
July 6, 2023
The Animation Guild has succeeded in its bid to establish a union in Texas. Austin-headquartered Powerhouse Animation Studios (Castlevania, Sonic Frontiers: Divergence) has voluntarily recognized a bargaining unit of 129 artists and production workers that sought to join the IATSE Local, the union announced on Thursday. TAG first started unionizing animation studios outside of L.A. County in 2022 with its push at Harriet the Spy studio Titmouse New York, but its new union at Powerhouse Animation marks its first in a so-called “right-to-work” state.
SAG-AFTRA Calls for Member Volunteers as Union Preps Potential Film/TV Strike
The Hollywood Reporter
By Katie Kilkenny
July 6, 2023
Less than a week before the expiration of its current film and television deal, SAG-AFTRA is calling for members to step up and offer to volunteer in the event of an industry strike. In a message sent to members on Thursday, the performers’ union asked its 160,000 members to fill out a survey gauging their availability to picket and interest in becoming member leaders in the event of a film and television work stoppage. “SAG-AFTRA may soon call for a strike – a work stoppage, to put pressure on AMPTP companies to give us a fair deal on new TV/Theatrical Contracts,” the survey stated. “Part of waging a successful strike is picketing, where members peacefully protest outside of struck companies’ work locations to draw public attention to our cause, shut down production, and discourage strikebreakers. We need as many volunteers as possible to be effective.”
IN THE STATES
These Michigan Women Are Landing Good-Paying Construction Trades Jobs—Here’s Why
The Gander
By Kyle Kaminski
July 5, 2023
The ad that would ultimately get Rivera back on her feet was for a pre-apprenticeship program called Women in Skilled Trades (WIST). The 16-week program, designed specifically to help Michigan women succeed in construction careers, has two goals: Provide basic construction industry training through classroom and hands-on activities, and get more women employed. Federal statistics show that women make up 47% of the US workforce—but only about 5% of the construction industry. And with a growing demand for skilled workers spurred by recent investments in manufacturing in Michigan, the program aims to expose more women to opportunities, fill the labor gap, and better the lives of women across the state.
Union nurse appointed to number two spot in Oregon AFL-CIO
Northwest Labor Press
By Mallory Gruben
July 6, 2023
The Oregon AFL-CIO executive board appointed Sarina Roher to the federation’s number two role in a unanimous vote June 21. Roher, a Kaiser Permanente nurse and executive secretary of the Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals (OFNHP), was the sole nominee to fill the AFL-CIO secretary treasurer position. That volunteer seat has been vacant since the unexpected death of Aida Aranda in February. Roher’s appointment stands until the Oregon AFL-CIO convention, Sept. 20-23, 2023, in Bend.
WAGE THEFT
States, cities turn to community organizations to battle wage theft
Nevada Current
By Casey Quinlan
July 6, 2023
Wage theft, which can include not paying workers minimum wage, misclassifying workers as independent contractors or as management to avoid paying overtime and taking tips meant for employees, is a $50 billion problem for U.S. workers. It is committed by large corporations, small businesses and even state governments, and it disproportionately affects low income workers, including women and workers of color.
UNION BUSTING
REI fostered a progressive reputation. Then its workers began to unionize
NPR
By Alina Selyukh
July 6, 2023
After health and safety worries during the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by furloughs and job cuts, Chang's team in SoHo became REI's first union shop in March 2022, in a landslide vote of 88 to 14.
"Despite being a large corporation, we had hopes that REI would be a different type of company, like they say they are," Chang says. "So we were hopeful that they would voluntarily recognize the union and, you know, meet us at the table and negotiate in good faith." Pro-union workers have formally accused the company of breaking labor laws — threatening and intimidating workers, disciplining and firing organizers — which REI denies. More than a year into it, workers and the company are nowhere close to a collective bargaining contract.
The Pitt News
By Jack Troy
July 6, 2023
Pitt held captive audience meetings where staff were told to report organizing activity and spread an anti-union message, the United Steelworkers alleged in a June 28 unfair labor practice charge. The USW goes on to say in its filing with the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board that these mandatory Zoom meetings ran from mid-April through May and included rank-and-file employees who the University misclassified as managers.