Today's AFL-CIO Press Clips
LABOR AND ECONOMY
Sega of America plans to lay off 61 workers
Engadget
By Will Shanklin
Jan. 31, 2024
Sega of America plans to lay off 61 employees in March, according to a California WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) report. Eurogamer and X user @WhatLayoff first reported on the government notice, which lists two separate job cuts classified as “layoff permanent” on March 8. It’s the latest chapter in a year-plus of brutal job cuts in the tech and gaming worlds.
ORGANIZING
Denver Art Museum workers will vote on a union in March. Here are the details.
The Colorado Sun
By Parker Yamasaki
Jan. 31, 2024
Throughout the month of January workers at the Denver Art Museum have inched their way toward forming a union to fight for higher wages, more transparency and improved safety procedures. On Jan. 11, at an all-staff meeting, 33 union representatives distributed a letter stating their intent to form the Denver Art Museum Workers United. The move left management with two choices: Voluntarily recognize the union and head straight into negotiations, or reject the union and send the decision to a vote officiated by the National Labor Relations Board. Management at the Denver Art Museum chose the latter. So late last week, workers officially filed for an election with the NLRB.
Workers at José Andrés’ The Bazaar say they want to form union
WTOP News
By Jeff Clabaugh
Jan. 31, 2024
Workers at José Andrés’ flashy D.C. restaurant The Bazaar have announced their intention to form a union with Unite Here Local 25. The union announcement did not say how many employees would be included, but the restaurant has a large staff. The union said it would include a range of jobs, including hosts, food runners, cooks, waiters, bartenders and more. Bloomberg reports it would cover about 140 employees. The union says a “supermajority” of employees supported the move. It seeks management to voluntarily recognize their union.
U.S. ‘Avatar’ Workers Vote to Unionize In Boost for VFX Organizing Effort
The Hollywood Reporter
By Katie Kilkenny, Carolyn Giardina and Rebecca Keegan
Jan. 31, 2024
U.S.-based visual effects artists who help bring James Cameron’s Avatar epics to life have voted to unionize in a National Labor Relations Board election. Of an eligible 88 workers at Walt Disney Studios subsidiary TCF US Productions 27, Inc. who assist with productions for Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment, 57 voted to join the union and 19 voted against, while two ballots were void. These workers include creatures costume leads and environment artists as well as others in the stage, environments, render, post viz, sequence, turn over and kabuki departments.
JOINING TOGETHER
Chicago Sun-Times
By Emmanuel Camarillo
Jan. 31, 2024
In what’s believed to be a first in Chicago newspaper history, reporters and other newsroom staffers at the Chicago Tribune plan to go on strike Thursday, joining hundreds of other Tribune Publishing employees in a nationwide action after years of contract negotiations. More than 200 journalists and production workers at seven newsrooms across the country are participating in the 24-hour strike to demand fair wages and that management not eliminate their 401(k) match benefits, according to a news release from The NewsGuild-CWA, which represents the employees.
The Onion Union Reaches Tentative Deal With Management, Averting Strike
The Hollywood Reporter
By Katie Kilkenny
Jan, 31, 2024
A strike has been averted at The Onion and several of its sister publications, at least for now. Hours before their current labor agreement was set to expire, The Onion union — representing staffers at The Onion, Onion Labs, The A.V. Club, Deadspin and The Takeout — reached a tentative deal on a new contract with owners G/O Media. According to union, affiliated with the Writers Guild of America East, the new agreement “made important gains in wages and workplace protections.” No other details were immediately available.
Culinary Union reaches deal with Plaza, 13 resorts still without contracts
News 3 LV
By Matthew Seeman
Jan. 31, 2024
The Culinary Union said a tentative new five-year contract has been reached with the Plaza in downtown Las Vegas. News of the deal came in early Wednesday morning. The union says the agreement covers about 250 hospitality workers. This comes just hours after Culinary announced a tentative agreement with Treasure Island on the Las Vegas Strip. These two agreements mean 13 independent resorts on the Strip and downtown are still without contract agreements ahead of Friday's 5 a.m. strike deadline: Rio, Sahara, Virgin Hotels, Binion's, Circa, Downtown Grand, El Cortez, Four Queens, Fremont, Golden Gate, Golden Nugget, Main Street, and The D.
WNBA’s Breanna Stewart on union negotiation: “We want more”
Axios
By Maxwell Millington
Jan. 31, 2024
Two-time WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart's on-court stardom and bold off-court union advocacy take center stage in a new documentary. Why it matters: "Shattered Glass: A WNBPA Story" spotlights the work of the WNBPA, the first and longest-running union for women who are professional athletes, and does it through leaders like Stewart, the union's vice president.
Meet the veteran L.A. violinist fighting on behalf of Hollywood musicians
Los Angeles Times
By Christi Carras
Jan. 31, 2024
As vice president of the American Federation of Musicians Local 47 for the last two years, the seasoned violinist’s background in film, TV and labor activism is expected to prove instrumental in contract negotiations between the AFM and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television producers, which commenced Jan. 22. Sazer and the rest of the AFM bargaining team are lobbying on behalf of some 3,000 guild members for increased wages, improved working conditions, streaming residuals and protections against artificial intelligence under its film and television motion picture contract. Founded in 1896, the AFM boasts more than 70,000 members in total.
PCC reaches a tentative agreement with union workers, may avert strike
The Seattle Times
By Paul Roberts
Jan. 31, 2024
After months of stalled negotiations, pickets, strike threats and mounting financial uncertainty, PCC Community Markets reached a tentative labor deal with its 1,600 unionized hourly workers, both sides said Wednesday. The agreement, which will run two years, comes less than a week after PCC workers represented by United Food & Commercial Workers Local 3000 authorized a strike against the Seattle-based organic grocery store chain. Union members still must ratify the deal in a vote Feb. 6, but the bargaining committee is recommending a yes vote, according to a UFCW email shared with union members and the media.
Las Vegas Culinary Union announces new downtown strike deadline, upcoming continuous picketing
Fox 5 Vegas
By C.C. McCandless
Jan, 31, 2024
Just two days before its strike deadline, the Las Vegas Culinary Union announced that it is moving that deadline back three days as negotiations continue with 10 downtown resorts. Culinary Workers Union Local 226 made the announcement in a social media post on Wednesday afternoon. According to that post, the deadline remains Feb. 2 for the Rio, Sahara and Virgin hotels. The union also announced that it will begin 36 hours of nonstop picketing of all unsettled Las Vegas casinos.
IN THE STATES
Meet the new Kentucky AFL-CIO president focusing on the future of young workers
Courier Journal
By Olivia Evans
Jan. 31, 2024
In December, the now 43-year-old Reinstedler was elected and sworn in as president of the Kentucky AFL-CIO, a state labor council where all labor unions in the state are members. Reinstedler replaced Bill Londrigan who served as president of the organization for 24 years. To Cotton, it's no surprise Reinstedler won the presidency, noting his proven leadership skills, his ability to grow local union membership, and his ability to work with politicians from a statewide role to advocate for workers. With Reinstedler's presidency comes a new focus for the AFL-CIO: young workers. In Kentucky, 16.88% of the current, active union membership is under the age of 30, according to Kentucky AFL-CIO.
CIVIL, HUMAN, AND WOMEN’S RIGHTS
Lawmakers reject bill to remove civil rights protections for gender identity
KWQC
By KCRG Staff
Jan. 31, 2024
An Iowa House subcommittee unanimously rejected a bill that would have removed civil rights protections for gender identity and instead define gender dysphoria as a protected disability. The decision was met with cheers and chants in the Rotunda at the State Capitol from LGBTQ+ Rights advocates who had shown up to speak out against the proposal. Those advocates decried classifying a transgender person as disabled and said shifting the protections would weaken civil rights protections for the transgender community, opening up some to face more discrimination. Charlie Wishman, President of the Iowa AFL-CIO, spoke against the legislation saying it raises employment considerations. “Somebody facing discrimination should not have to jump through a bunch of hoops to be declared disabled just to get justice in the workplace,” Wishman said. Wishman said it would simply make it easier for businesses to get rid of employees based on their gender identity.