Today's AFL-CIO Press Clips
ORGANIZING
Grad student workers says they have ‘substantial majority’ supporting union
University Times
By Susan Jones
Feb. 9, 2024
Pitt graduate student workers, who last tried to form a union under the United Steelworkers banner in 2019, have filed for a union election with the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board. Organizers said that they received union authorization cards from a “substantial majority” of 2,100 grad workers to file with the PLRB on Jan. 31 for an election. All teaching assistants, teaching fellows, graduate student researchers and graduate student assistants are eligible to be in the union, according to the union website, but unfunded grad students, grads on external fellowships and grads on training grants are ineligible because they are not directly employed by the University.
Wisconsin Planned Parenthood workers vote to unionize
The Cap Times
By Natalie Yahr
Feb. 8, 2024
Following a tumultuous year of “unprecedented challenges” and “political attacks,” health care workers at Wisconsin’s Planned Parenthood clinics have voted to unionize. The ballots tallied Thursday morning at the National Labor Relations Board office in Milwaukee were 56 to 13 in favor of joining the Wisconsin Federation of Nurses & Health Professionals (WFNHP) Local 5000. WFNHP, part of the American Federation of Teachers healthcare division, represents nurses, clinical lab scientists and other health care workers at health systems throughout the state.
Caltech Grad Students, Postdocs Vote to Unionize
Inside Higher Ed
By Ryan Quinn
Feb. 9, 2024
Graduate student workers and postdoctoral scholars at California Institute of Technology have voted to unionize in two separate bargaining units, representing roughly 2,000 employees altogether. The grad workers, who serve in teaching and research positions at Caltech, voted 799 to 246 to unionize, according to the National Labor Relations Board. The postdocs—including those in teaching and research positions as well as Postdoctoral Scholar Fellowship Trainees—voted 240 to 50, the NLRB said.
Variety
By Tatiana Siegel
Feb. 9, 2024
As Fashion Week in New York kicks off on Feb. 9, a growing chorus of hybrid model-actors are drawing attention to the woeful working conditions that models face and are calling for meaningful change. Variety spoke with eight people who have straddled both professions and who argue that the modeling world suffers from a lack of guardrails. Their grievances range from sexual misconduct to racism to an inability for models to own the rights to their own image. All are backing New York’s Fashion Workers Act, which would close a legal loophole that allows modeling agencies to act with impunity. Taking a page from last year’s WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes that shut down the industry before settling in September and November, respectively, these actors-models believe that it’s time for a reckoning within the fashion industry.
JOINING TOGETHER
Striking hotel workers reach contract agreements with 5 more hotels in months-long fight
Los Angeles Times
By Suhauna Hussain
Feb. 9, 2024
Five more Southern California hotels have reached tentative labor agreements covering about 650 workers, the latest settlements in a months-long strike that at times has been marked by violence. In all, Unite Here Local 11 has signed tentative agreements with 34 out of some 60 properties in Los Angeles and Orange counties initially targeted by intermittent walkouts beginning in July. The union has said it is the largest hotel strike in modern U.S. history, involving some 15,000 cooks, housekeepers, dishwashers, servers, porters and front desk agents.
PBMC healthcare workers to strike starting Feb. 21 if demands not met
The Suffolk Times
By Ana Borruto
Feb. 9, 2024
Over 400 nurses and healthcare workers at Peconic Bay Medical Center plan to walk out of the hospital beginning on Wednesday, Feb. 21 if an agreement with Northwell Health is not reached for fairer contracts. Members of the New York State Nurses Association at both Peconic and LIJ Valley Stream gave their hospital administrators the federally-mandated 10-day strike notice on Friday.
Actors’ Equity Assn. Authorizes A Strike Against Broadway League Over Expiring Development Agreement
Deadline
By Bruce Haring
Feb. 10, 2024
The labor union representing more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers in live theatre has voted to authorize a strike against The Broadway League, the trade association for Broadway. The National Council of Actors’ Equity Association’s unanimous vote does not begin a strike. But it is a saber rattle that business as usual could be disrupted if they can’t reach consensus on the Development Agreement, which supports the creation of new works by Broadway League producers. The current agreement has been under discussion since last month. It expires on Sunday.
STATE LEGISLATION
In possible test of federal labor law, Georgia could make it harder for some workers to join unions
ABC News
By Jeff Amy
Feb. 8, 2024
As Georgia shovels out billions in economic incentives to electric vehicle manufacturers and other companies, the state's ruling Republicans are moving to make it harder for workers at those firms to join labor unions, in what could be a violation of current federal law. The state Senate voted 31-23 on Thursday for a bill backed by Gov. Brian Kemp that would bar companies that accept state incentives from recognizing unions without a formal secret-ballot election. That would block unions from winning recognition from a company voluntarily after signing up a majority of workers, in what is usually known as a card check. Senate Bill 362 moves to the House for more debate.
Iowa Republicans have a new union-busting bill
Iowa Starting Line
By Amie Rivers
Feb. 8, 2024
Labor advocates say a new Republican-backed bill that would force public employers in Iowa to submit a list of employees eligible to vote in their union election prior to each election—and, if the state doesn’t get it in time, they’ll decertify the union—is yet another union-busting tactic. Senate Study Bill 3158, introduced by Sen. Adrian Dickey (R-Packwood), would require each company or employer to “submit to the [Public Employee Relations Board, or PERB] a list of employees in the bargaining unit” within 10 days of a union recertification election.
INTERNATIONAL
AFL-CIO Joins Labor Movement's Calls for Ceasefire in Gaza
TAG 24
By Kaitlyn Kennedy and Kelly Christ
Feb. 8, 2024
"The AFL-CIO condemns the attacks by Hamas on October 7 and calls for a negotiated ceasefire in Gaza – including the immediate release of all hostages and provision of desperately needed shelter, food, medicine, and other humanitarian assistance to Gazans – and reaffirms our support of a two-state solution for long-term peace and security," the federation of unions said in a statement released February 8.