MUST READ
Buttigieg, city officials celebrate Indianapolis infrastructure funding
WISH TV
By Garrett Bergquist
Aug. 31, 2023
Earlier in the day, Buttigieg, along with Carson and AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler, visited the Sheet Metal Workers Local 20 training center on 45th street. Union leaders told them the demand for workers created by infrastructure law projects has led to record numbers of people enrolling in the union’s apprenticeship programs. Shuler said the infrastructure law has led to trillions of dollars’ worth of infrastructure projects for a host of skilled union trades. She said union labor is especially well-positioned to benefit from the law because unions provide paid apprenticeships for prospective workers as well as ongoing training for the existing workforce. “This administration, President Biden, Vice President Harris, Secretary Buttigieg, so many others, got it done,” said Shuler. “And so now, it is on us to make sure that every single one of these jobs, these new jobs coming, is a good union job.”
Nearly 90 Percent of Young People Support Unions, Poll Finds
Truthout
By Sharon Zhang
Aug. 31, 2023
“The idea of a union may sound complicated, but in reality, unions are just a group of people coming together. They are about each of us becoming the most powerful version of ourselves that we possibly can,” Shuler said in her speech. “People in this country have been searching for their power for a long time now, young people especially.”
POLITICS
Buttigieg touts more than $4 billion planned for Indiana infrastructure investment
WFYI
By Jill Sheridan
Aug. 31, 2023
AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler joined Buttigieg for the tour of the training facility and said there’s more support for trade work and unions. “I'm hearing the same things – I'm hearing ‘I need to make more money. I need a stable job. I'm one, you know, bad break away, whether it's a car repair and unpaid sick day away from not making my rent. I wish I had more power over my life and my future’,” Shuler said.
Pete Buttigieg touts Bipartisan Infrastructure Law during Indianapolis visit
WANE
By Hannah Adamson
Aug. 31, 2023
Trent Todd, SMW Local 20’s Financial Secretary Treasurer, said the union has seen a significant increase in demand as a result of the law going into effect, and that it’s allowed the union to hire more instructors, purchase training equipment, and boost recruitment.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg visits Indianapolis
WRTV
By Taj Simmons
Aug. 31, 2023
He first visited the Sheet Metal Workers Local 20 Union facility, located on East 45th Street and Binford Boulevard. Buttigieg says funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law kickstarted several projects which employ Local 20 members, such as construction at the Indianapolis International Airport and an electric vehicle battery plant coming to Kokomo.
Pete Buttigieg Stops in Indianapolis to Speak With Local Union
WIBC
By Sam Fritz
Aug. 31, 2023
The Secretary of Transportation and former South Bend Mayor, Pete Buttigieg came to visit Indianapolis on Thursday. Buttigieg spoke with the Steel Metal Workers Local 20 union. In his speech Buttigieg touted the effectiveness of the “Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act” often referred to as the bipartisan infrastructure bill and its effectiveness in creating jobs for Hoosiers and families across the country.
JOINING TOGETHER
Striking Los Angeles hotel workers vow ‘dirty rooms and nonstop noise’ at downtown conference
Los Angeles Times
By Suhauna Hussain
Aug. 30, 2023
Hotel workers at the JW Marriott, Sheraton Grand, Hotel Figueroa and several other properties, primarily in downtown Los Angeles, walked off the job early Wednesday morning in an action timed to coincide with the start of the American Political Science Assn.’s annual conference. It’s the latest wave of rolling strikes by Southern California hotel housekeepers, front desk workers, cooks and other employees that began nearly two months ago. Union members are striking at 13 hotels in this round of walkouts. The union representing striking hotel workers, Unite Here Local 11, last week called for a boycott of some 60 hotels in Los Angeles and Orange counties that haven’t agreed to new labor contracts, urging that all conventions held in the Los Angeles area should “stay away from strike-ready hotels.” The union lists the hotels without contracts on its website and asks that people “not patronize” them.
Union alleges GM, Stellantis not bargaining in good faith
CNN Business
By Chris Isidore
Aug. 31, 2023
United Auto Workers union President Shawn Fain said Thursday the union has filed an unfair labor practice complaint against General Motors and Stellantis, a new sign of how far apart the union and the automakers remain as they negotiate a new contract only two weeks before a strike deadline.
CNBC
By Michael Wayland
Aug. 31, 2023
United Auto Workers has filed unfair labor practice charges against automakers General Motors
and Stellantis to the National Labor Relations Board for not bargaining with the union in good faith or a timely manner, UAW President Shawn Fain said Thursday night. The Thursday filings followed the companies not responding to the union’s demands in a timely matter, Fain said. The union did not file a complaint against Ford Motor, as Fain said the company responded to the UAW’s demands with a counterproposal he heavily criticized.
Inquirer employee union approves a three-year contract
The Philadelphia Inquirer
By Lizzy McLellan Ravitch
Aug. 31, 2023
After six months of negotiations, the NewsGuild of Greater Philadelphia and The Philadelphia Inquirer have agreed on a new three-year contract, which includes pay raises, a significant increase in paid parental leave, and additional paid sick time.
Oregon Capitol staffers have reached a tentative union contract with lawmakers
Oregon Public Broadcasting
By Dirk VanderHart
Aug. 31, 2023
Aides in the Oregon Capitol have reached a tentative labor contract with the Legislature, more than two years after staff first voted to unionize. While details were hazy on Thursday, the agreement would put an end to negotiations that have stretched on almost 20 months. A final contract would also make Oregon’s legislative aides the first workers of their kind in the nation to sign a collective bargaining agreement with lawmakers. “We did reach a tentative agreement fairly late last night,” said Justin Roberts, an employee of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 89, the union representing legislative aides. “Right now we’re still compiling all of the information.”
Humboldt County nurses ratify new contract
KRCR
By Rudy Aguado
Aug. 31, 2023
Nurses in Humboldt County have ratified a new contract which includes retention and safety measures. The contract was approved by registered nurses at Providence St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka, and at Providence Redwood Memorial Hospital in Fortuna on Friday. According to the California Nurses Association (CNA), and National Nurses United (NNU), the contract provides protections for patient safety, as well as for nurse retention.
IN THE STATES
New rule would make millions more workers eligible for overtime pay
FOX 9
By Corin Hoggard
Aug. 30, 2023
"This is what’s fair and this is what’s right," said Minnesota AFL-CIO president Bernie Burnham. "So people who work long hours and over 40 hours should be getting paid for those hours."
Northeast Indiana AFL-CIO celebrates local leaders during start of Labor Day weekend
WANE
By Clayton McMahan
Aug. 31, 2023
The Northeast Indiana AFL-CIO held a press conference Thursday to announce endorsed candidates and the official “Kick-Off” of Labor Day weekend. The organization also celebrated local labor leaders and the efforts of the Labor Day Picnic committee. The press conference took place at the Fort Wayne Professional Fire Fighters Hall at 1405 Broadway.
LABOR AND COMMUNITY
First Corinthian Baptist and DC9 painters union hold NYC block party
New York Amsterdam News
By AmNews Staff Reports
Aug. 30, 2023
The First Corinthian Baptist Church (FCBC) and District Council 9 of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) held their annual Hope for Harlem block party and community service event over the August 26 weekend. The groups donated thousands of groceries, hygiene products, and back-to-school supplies, as well as offered employment opportunities and health resources to members of the local community. New York State Senator Cordell Cleare and Democratic nominee for City Council Yusef Salaam attended and supported the efforts.