Today's AFL-CIO Press Clips
SUPREME COURT
High Court right wingers eye killing government ability to regulate
People’s World
By Mark Gruenberg
Jan. 19, 2024
The U.S. Supreme Court’s right-wing bloc seems on the verge of a massive shift in federal power from an elected Congress and administrative agencies like the National Labor Relations Board accountable to lawmakers—to unelected and unaccountable federal judges, especially on the High Court itself. And that has drastic implications for workers and their allies, and not just in labor law. Choose any regulation you care to think of, and any agency you care to think of, and judges would take its rules out of its hands and put it in their own.
ORGANIZING
LA Times Guild calls for strike as owner warns of layoffs
KTLA
By Iman Palm and Travis Schlepp
Jan. 18, 2024
Union leaders at the Los Angeles Times have called for a one-day, multi-city walkout Friday following news that the esteemed newspaper will see dramatic staff cuts due to a widening budget deficit. According to the Times, the single-day strike would be the first in the paper’s 142-year history. The decision comes following news that Patrick Soon-Shiong, the publication’s owner, intended to trim the paper’s staff to address a budget deficit, with the Times reporting cuts could be as deep as 20% or the equivalent of at least 100 journalists.
Unionized ‘Ridiculousness’ Staffers Leaflet Production In Effort to Start Negotiating First Contract
The Hollywood Reporter
By Katie Kilkenny
Jan. 19, 2024
Early on Friday morning, 10 unionized creative consultants on the MTV comedy show Ridiculousness distributed leaflets at the show’s production location in Van Nuys in an effort to start negotiating a first contract. The staffers unionized with the Writers Guild of America West after a National Labor Relations Board vote in September, but according to the WGA West, the production has yet to respond to their attempts to begin negotiating a contract. “We are fighting for a fair contract with improved compensation and benefits for the 336 episodes of Ridiculousness we help to create annually,” the leaflets handed out on Friday state. “We are currently compensated at a rate well below our peers writing for WGA-covered shows like Ridiculousness. While our workloads have increased substantially, our compensation has been stagnant.”
Culinary Union workers picket as contract negotiations continue with 19 Las Vegas casino properties
8 News Now
By Sasha Loftis
Jan. 19, 2024
Culinary Union held demonstrations on the Las Vegas Strip Friday as 7,000 workers continue to fight for new five-year contracts. It is part of the union’s latest negotiations with 19 remaining properties on the Strip and downtown. Passionate chants were heard in front of Sahara Las Vegas and The Strat as workers held signs and called for change.
NYU’s Full-Time Contingent Faculty Look Set to Win a Union
Jacobin
By Alex N. Press and Sara Wexler
Jan. 19, 2024
At New York University (NYU), contingent instructors known as “contract faculty” make up about half of the school’s full-time instructors. Unlike most other academic workers at NYU, these instructors are not yet unionized — but on January 3, contract faculty reached an agreement with the university to hold a union election. The faculty, who are seeking to organize with the United Auto Workers, say they have majority support for their effort. In the wake of the agreement, Jacobin staff writer Alex N. Press and contributor Sara Wexler spoke with three NYU contract faculty to talk about their organizing drive and what they hope to achieve with a first contract.
Musicians Will Enter Contract Talks With AMPTP
Men’s Journal
By Billie Melissa
Jan. 19, 2024
The American Federation of Musicians (AFM) will begin bargaining with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) for the film and motion picture contract. They say, "Now it's our turn to negotiate a fair and sustainable contract for our members – just like our fellow unions WGA and SAG-AFTRA did." Ahead of this, they will host a rally in front of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) headquarters in Sherman Oaks, CA, on January 22. They will be joined by members and representatives from SAG-AFTRA, the Teamsters, IATSE, WGA and the LA County Federation of Labor as they fight back against the exploitation they have faced for over a decade in the industry.
Perrysburg recognizes firefighters’ union
Sentinel-Tribune
By Staff
Jan. 20, 2024
Following an executive session, city council recognized the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 3331 as the exclusive representative for bargaining concerning wages, hours or terms and conditions of employment for all full-time, non-probationary employees in the classifications of firefighter/paramedic, lieutenant, and captain, but excluding the fire chief, deputy fire chief and all other employees of the City of Perrysburg.
Culinary Union reaches tentative contract agreement with Westgate Las Vegas
8 News Now
By Linsey Lewis
Jan. 20, 2024
The Culinary Union announced Saturday that it reached a tentative agreement on a new 5-year contract with the Westgate for over 1,000 Las Vegas hospitality workers. The Culinary Union congratulated its workers on winning the “best contract ever” in a post on the platform “X.” Negotiations for a contract continue with 18 remaining Strip independent and Downtown Las Vegas casino properties for about 6,000 workers before the February 2 strike deadline.
JOINING TOGETHER
Deadline
By Dade Hayes and Ted Johnson
Jan. 19, 2024
Following through on a warning earlier this month, Authentic Brands Group has revoked Sports Illustrated‘s license to publish due to a missed payment. As a result of the move, the entire staff of the 70-year-old print and online publication was notified on Friday that their jobs were being eliminated. In a statement, Sports Illustrated Union and The NewsGuild of New York vowed to “fight for every one of our colleagues.”
Brainerd Area Grocery Store Workers Reject Latest Contract Offers
Lakeland PBS
By Staff
Jan. 19, 2024
Approximately 660 grocery workers from five Brainerd Lakes Area grocery stores remain without a contract tonight after rejecting the latest offer from ownership of those stores. Workers at Pequot Lakes SuperValu, Cub Foods in Brainerd and Baxter, and Super One Foods in Baxter and Crosby have been working without a collective bargaining agreement since Dec. 3 and staged a four-day Unfair Labor Practices strike around Christmas time. According to a press release, yesterday, members of the United Food and Commerical Workers (UFCW) Local 663 union overwhelmingly voted to reject offers from employers Quisberg’s and Miner’s for a second time. Workers say they are fighting for better wages and benefits to build a better life at work and better serve the communities that rely on them. They are also requesting future bargaining dates from store owners.
NLRB
NLRB rules Ascension Providence Rochester Hospital engaged in unfair labor practices
The Oakland Press
By Anne Runkle
Jan. 20, 2024
The National Labor Relations Board has ruled that Ascension Providence Rochester Hospital engaged in unfair labor practices. The NLRB’s Region 7 in Detroit confirmed it has identified 10 unfair labor practices by the hospital in Rochester Hills, said Kayla Blado, NLRB press secretary. Local 40 of the Office and Professional Employees International Union brought complaints of unfair labor practices as it attempted to negotiate a new contract with the hospital. Local 40 represents about 240 registered nurses and about 50 radiology technicians.
IN THE STATES
State, local officials announce $132 million for repairs to three Pittsburgh bridges
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
By Steve Bohnel
Jan. 19, 2024
Darrin Kelly, president of the Allegheny/Fayette Central Labor Council, said it’s important to remember the human aspect of the bridge repair projects — over 150,000 people cross all three spans every day. And a few thousand people in the trades will help repair them, he said. “We are the City of Bridges, but our bridges are our gateway,” Mr. Kelly said. “They’re our identity as a region.”
Advocates want $5M in budget to improve warehouse worker safety
Spectrum News 1
By Kate Lisa
Jan. 19, 2024
Several labor unions want the state Legislature to include $5 million in the next budget to improve warehouse worker safety and curtail negligent abuse, as recent state worker injury data shows warehouse employees suffer injuries four times more than the average New York worker. Several workers and organizations are leading an effort to push lawmakers to include legislation in the FY 2024-2025 budget to mandate warehouses in the state have a safer design, and require experts annual identify potential hazards and needed repairs to reduce injuries.