Today's AFL-CIO Press Clips
SUPREME COURT
In Its Next Term, the Supreme Court Could Claim More Power for Itself
The American Prospect
By Craig Becker
July 11, 2023
With the end of the 2022-2023 Supreme Court’s term last month, attention should shift to a case on next term’s docket through which the justices may vastly expand their power while also accelerating the continuing collapse of public confidence in the Court. In Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, the Court may end the judiciary’s deference to expert, federal agencies—such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Labor Relations Board—when such agencies must construe parts of laws that Congress left unclear. By denying administrative agencies that authority, the justices would arrogate it to themselves—thereby expanding their power at the expense of the political branches of our government. The paradoxical result would be that even more divisive issues will be decided along partisan lines by unelected judges.
JOINING TOGETHER
The Truth About the Los Angeles Hotel Workers’ Strike
Capital & Main
By Mark Kreidler
July 11, 2023
But there is a larger reality at play in both Los Angeles and Orange County. The truth is that the cost of housing in the area has soared so far beyond the reach of most lower wage workers that only aggressive, sustained increases will enable them to live anywhere near where they work. And that sets the union on a crash course with hotel ownership groups for repeated, grinding negotiations. According to UNITE HERE, most of its hotel workers earn $20 to $25 per hour. The union is seeking an immediate $5 per hour raise, plus increases of $3 per hour each year over the next three years — a $14 per hour increase over four years. A coalition negotiating for 44 of the hotels says it has offered a $2.50 per hour immediate raise, and a $6.25 per hour increase over four years.
Kentucky Utilities operations employees vote to unionize
Courier Journal
By Kate Marijolovic
July 11, 2023
Members of the Kentucky Utilities Company have voted to unionize. Twenty five workers voted in favor of joining a union − almost 60% − while 17 workers voted against. Eligible Kentucky Utilities employees will join the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union, AFL-CIO/CLC, Local 9447-01. The union will represent Kentucky Utilities employees in collective bargaining with the company.
A Second Strike Is Threatening Hollywood
The New York Times
By Nicole Sperling
July 11, 2023
The actors may soon be joining Hollywood screenwriters on the picket lines if their union, SAG-AFTRA, and the major studios fail to reach a deal by midnight on Wednesday. The two sides are haggling over the same issues that are front and center for the Writers Guild of America: higher wages, increased residual payments (a type of royalty) and significant guardrails around the use of artificial intelligence. Should the actors go on strike, it will be the first time in 63 years that both the actors and the writers are out at the same time over a contract dispute.
Peoria library workers, board reach tentative deal
25 News Now
By Lizzie Seils
July 11, 2023
After several months of negotiating and mediation, Peoria Public Library workers covered by AFSCME Local 3464 have reached a deal with the Board of Directors. AFSCME Local 3464 ratified the contract. The union has not released specific details on the deal, they are waiting for it to get final approval from the Board of Directors.
Contract promises historic cost of living raise for Oregon state workers, union says
KATU
By KATU Staff
July 11, 2023
State workers in Oregon will get a significant cost of living raise in the coming years under a tentative contract agreement reached between their union and the state. Oregon AFSCME, which represents state workers, announced the tentative agreement on Tuesday, calling the contract “historic.”
SAG-AFTRA Agrees to Mediation But Won’t Extend Contract Deadline
Variety
By Gene Maddaus
July 11, 2023
SAG-AFTRA has agreed to a last-minute call for federal mediation of its contract, but indicated it will not extend its deadline for deciding whether to go on strike beyond Wednesday at midnight. That would appear to leave relatively little time for a mediator to avert a strike, which could begin as soon as Thursday morning. In a statement on Tuesday afternoon, the union emphasized that “time is running out” and made clear that relations between the two sides have become extremely strained.
California hotel workers on strike demand higher wages and a chance to live closer to work
NBC News
By Edwin Flores
July 11, 2023
A second wave of hotel strikes is hitting Southern California this week. Hotel workers and labor organizers have been striking and demanding higher wages and other benefits as they argue their existing salaries are unsustainable amid the region's high cost of living and rent, making commutes and buying basic goods unsustainable. Unite Here Local 11, which represents more than 32,000 hospitality workers across Southern California and Arizona, many of whom are Latino and people of color, coordinated the latest multiday strikes affecting at least 12 hotels Monday and Tuesday near the Los Angeles airport and cities in Orange County.
Labor expert warns of potential UAW strike in Big Three negotiations
WILX
By Justin Kent
July 11, 2023
An industry expert believes a strike could be around the corner for United Auto Workers. Talks of a strike are gaining traction as automotive companies look for a new deal for union workers. While the Ultium Cells battery plant in Delta Township is not operational yet, places like it will be a hot topic of conversation between the Big Three and the UAW. The UAW’s new president, Shawn Fain, hopes to navigate the new contracts to get the most for his members.
Schnucks workers ratify 3-year contract, averting strike
Winsight Grocery Business
By Timothy Inklebarger
July 11, 2023
Schnuck Markets employees represented by United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 88 ratified a three-year contract agreement that passed with 87% approval, the company and union confirmed Tuesday. The terms of the agreement, which runs through March 29, 2026, were not disclosed, but union President Dan Telle told Winsight Grocery Business the company and the union were able to resolve major issues, such as pay increases and a company contribution to the employee health-and-welfare fund.
VETERANS
New legislation will scapegoat working veterans for leadership failures, Harming VA care (Opinion)
The Hill
By Everett Kelley
July 11, 2023
As an Army veteran who receives health care from the VA, I’m proud that my union, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), represents over 291,000 workers who have dedicated their lives to caring for their fellow veterans and ensuring America meets its obligations to those who have borne the battle. I’m especially proud that over a third of those workers are, like me, veterans themselves — American patriots who are wearing their second uniform in service to their country. Indeed, because of the work of these hundreds of thousands of civil servants, VA hospitals outperform non-VA hospitals on all 10 core patient satisfaction metrics in a nationwide survey conducted by Medicare. AFGE members working at the VA are also the reason why, in a systematic review of 37 separate studies on the quality of VA care, the VA consistently performs as well or better than private-sector hospitals. That means lives saved and wasteful spending avoided.