Today's AFL-CIO Press Clips
JOINING TOGETHER
Fremont Co. EMS workers show the power and benefits of organized labor
Better Wyo
By BetterWyoming
Oct. 6, 2023
But it was more than just low pay that Frontier Ambulance workers were upset about, said Tammy Johnson, executive director of the Wyoming State AFL-CIO. The list of concerns included working conditions, lack of safety, too many hours, not enough manpower, and seniority issues. “Those are non-monetary factors that a company can clear up if they want to,” Johnson said. “But they didn’t, so the workers formed a union.”
Culinary members to picket Caesars, MGM properties amid negotiations
Las Vegas Sun
By Katie Ann McCarver
Oct. 10, 2023
Thousands of hospitality workers will picket outside eight Las Vegas Strip properties on Thursday after another week of negotiations with three major resort companies didn’t result in a new contract, the Culinary Union announced Monday. Informational picket lines will take place in the morning and evening at the Linq, Paris Las Vegas and Park MGM, with overflow demonstrators slated to go to Harrah’s, Flamingo, Horseshoe, Planet Hollywood and New York-New York — all properties belonging to either Caesars Entertainment or MGM Resorts International. The union has been in negotiations with both companies, as well as Wynn Resorts, on a new five-year deal since April. “Our goal is to get to a great contract for our members,” said Ted Pappageorge, secretary-treasurer and chief negotiator for the union. “These companies are setting records on profit margins, room rates are through the roof — guest visitation is through the roof. And we expect that if these companies are doing well, then workers should also share in that prosperity. And that’s just not the case yet so far in these negotiations.”
Writers union votes to ratify contract, ending one of Hollywood's longest strikes
NPR
By Dave Mistich
Oct. 10, 2023
The union representing thousands of Hollywood writers has ratified a contract with major production studios, putting an official end to a months-long labor dispute that brought much of the entertainment industry to a halt. In a statement posted to the union's website Monday, leaders from the Writers Guild of America said 99% of its members voted in favor of approving the new contract.
Sheet Metal Local 16 wins $23.25 raise
Northwest Labor Press
By Mallory Gruben
Oct. 10, 2023
Members of Sheet Metal Workers Local 16 will see a record-busting $23.25 an hour increase in compensation in their new four-year agreement with union contractors. That includes an hourly wage increase for journeymen of at least $19.77. Local 16 regional manager Brian Noble says workers’ willingness to strike made those raises possible. The master agreement covers roughly 1,750 Local 16 members who work for the 60 contractors who are part of Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association (SMACNA). The contract was reached through an internal arbitration process in which the union’s international staff met with SMACNA reps in Washington, D.C. The final agreement is binding, so members won’t take a ratification vote, but Local 16 special projects counsel Scott Strickland said union leaders are generally satisfied with the contract.
SAG-AFTRA talks with AMPTP to continue this week
KTLA
By Christine Samra
Oct. 10, 2023
Negotiations between the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers are set to resume on Wednesday, and both sides are working towards a resolution to end the nearly three-month strike.
Reed College student workers want to join OPEIU Local 11
Northwest Labor Press
By Mallory Gruben
Oct. 10, 2023
Forty-four housing advisers who live and work in the dorms at Reed College are unionizing, after college administrators changed their job duties without giving them a say. The student workers rallied outside the college’s administration building Sept. 22 to ask for voluntary recognition of the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 11 as their bargaining representative. The same day, Local 11 filed paperwork asking the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to hold a union election.
LABOR LEADERS
Lowell Peterson Stepping Down As WGA East Executive Director
Deadline
By Lynette Rice
Oct. 10, 2023
WGA East Executive Director Lowell Peterson is stepping down from his post at the expiration of his contract on Nov. 15. Peterson was with the guild for 15 years. During Peterson’s tenure, the guild says the union’s membership doubled among television and movie writers as well as with formerly non-union sectors such as nonfiction TV, podcasting, and online media. Most recently, Peterson led the WGAE staff’s efforts in the strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) and signatory employers. “I am proud of my work to transform the WGAE into a more powerful force for writers,” Peterson said in a statement. “I am grateful to have had the opportunity to collaborate with such extraordinary leaders, members, and staff. Their activism, creativity, and diligence have been essential to our success.” “We thank Lowell for his years of service to the Writers Guild of America East and his dedication to the cause of organized labor,” added Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, President of the WGAE, in a statement. “Lowell came to our union at a transformational time. Over his tenure, he helped facilitate significant changes in the Guild’s membership and agenda. We wish him all success going forward.”