MUST READ
Honoring Black History Month (Opinion/Letter)
Labor Tribune
By Liz Shuler
Feb. 26, 2024
This (month) marks… Black History Month. It can never be overstated the critical role Black unionists played and continue to play in building our modern Labor Movement, securing the hard-fought workplace protections that we all enjoy today, and advancing civil rights across the country. Black workers have been on the front lines of so many of the most pressing Labor rights issues of the times and have powerfully organized to fight systemic racism and exploitation. We still have so much to learn from the history of our country’s earliest Black trade unions; inspiring figures like A. Philip Randolph, Bayard Rustin, Hattie Canty, Clara Holder, Arlene Holt Baker and so many others; pivotal moments like the 1968 Memphis sanitation workers strike; and the ongoing efforts of Black workers across our country who are walking picket lines, leading our unions and driving change as we speak.
ORGANIZING
Wells Fargo workers at Apopka bank file petition to unionize
Orlando Weekly
By McKenna Schueler
Feb. 26, 2024
Bank workers at a Wells Fargo branch in Apopka have officially gone public with their desire to join Wells Fargo United, a union affiliated with the Communications Workers of America (CWA). This makes them the second Wells Fargo branch in Florida to seek unionization, and one of just a few nationwide.
Nearly 60 new members join Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 562
Labor Tribune
By Staff
Feb. 26, 2024
Congratulations to the nearly 60 new members of Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 562 who were initiated into the union last week. A few years back, Local 562 Business Manager John O’Mara started a new tradition with initiations by asking each individual to tell their “why.” Here, a new member shares why he joined the union. “Hearing their answers and excitement to join the local is truly inspiring,” Local 562 shared on its Facebook page. “Here is to keeping that same ‘why’ throughout your career, with the same enthusiasm.”
JOINING TOGETHER
AFSCME members vote to ratify agreement with Eastern Illinois University
WAND
By Staff
Feb. 26, 2024
AFSCME members have voted to ratify the agreement with Eastern Illinois University. The union said the new contract will mean wage increases and parental leave for university employees. After nine months of bargaining and picketing that involved a federal mediator, a new union contract has been agreed upon.
EIU AFSCME union ratifies new contract
WCIA
By Danny Connolly
Feb. 26, 2024
After nine months of negotiations, AFSCME union employees have approved a new contract with Eastern Illinois University. At worksite meetings Wednesday, union workers “overwhelmingly” approved the new four-year contract, according to a news release from the union. A tentative agreement was announced earlier this month.
St. Paul teachers set March 11 strike date as contract talks continue
MPR
By Elizabeth Shockman
Feb. 26, 2024
Leaders of the St. Paul Federation of Educators said Monday they’ve set March 11 as the date its members will strike if a contract deal with the district is not in place. Negotiations between the two sides continue. A mediation session is scheduled for Friday. In a statement, the union said while it did not make the decision lightly, it was necessary in order to “retain our educators in St. Paul through strong wages and affordable insurance, and continue to build the school communities that our students and their families deserve.”
Fairfax Connector strike enters its fifth day, bus service still suspended
WTOP
By Jenna Romaine
Feb. 26, 2024
A strike against bus system operator Transdev will enter its fifth day on Monday as Fairfax Connector workers consolidate their picket lines in Virginia. Bus service will remain suspended, and riders should seek alternative transportation arrangements. More than 600 Fairfax Connector bus operators and mechanics have been on strike since Thursday, Feb. 22 in protest against contractor Transdev for what their union calls unfair labor practices.
STATE LEGISLATION
Remembering the racist history of ‘right-to-work’ laws (Opinion)
The Grio
By Daryl Newman
Feb. 26, 2024
As of Feb. 13, Michigan’s deceptively named “right-to-work” laws officially became a thing of the past, marking the first time in nearly 60 years a state has repealed one of these laws. This is a victory for workers, especially workers of color. We already know that “right-to-work” is a misnomer; rather than creating opportunities for workers, as the name falsely implies, these laws stifle workers by making it harder to collectively bargain for their wages, benefits and working conditions. In fact, workers in states without right-to-work or similar anti-worker laws face 37% less risk of dying on the job and make $8,989 (15.2%) more annually. What’s worse, these laws were really created in the Jim Crow South with the purpose of perpetuating the oppression of workers of color.
LABOR AND COMMUNITY
Local trades unions to host hands-on career expo to promote apprenticeship opportunities
Journal & Courier
By Jillian Ellison
Feb. 26, 2024
The Tippecanoe Building Trades Council will host its annual "Hands On Apprenticeship Expo" on April 25 at the Tippecanoe Fairgrounds, hoping to reach those searching for future career opportunities amid a growing need for skilled trades workers in the Greater Lafayette area. Held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., the expo will host union representatives from local skilled trades, including brick layers, electricians, insulators, iron workers, laborers, operating engineers, painters, pipefitters, roofers, sheet metal workers and Teamsters for those interested to talk one-on-one while also testing out equipment used on the job. Attendees are advised to dress for job site work, which includes a long-sleeve shirt, jeans and closed-toe shoes.
LABOR LEADERSHIP
Writers Guild of America East Names Sam Wheeler Executive Director
Variety
By Jennifer Maas
Feb. 26, 2024
The Writers Guild of America East has tapped Sam Wheeler as the union’s new executive director. Chosen by the WGA East council as successor to longtime WGA East leader Lowell Peterson, who exited his post last October after the conclusion of the writers strike, Wheeler enters the role after serving as the national executive director of the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) since 2022.
RETIREMENT SECURITY
Older Americans are working longer. Some want to; others have to.
Vox
By Whizy Kim
Feb. 26, 2024
We have a tight labor market right now, which means there are a lot of open jobs desperate for workers — so college-educated workers who have good, interesting jobs can more easily choose to keep working. There’s also less of a social norm to retire at a certain age than before. But what’s also undeniable is that retirement security has gotten a lot less attainable, thanks to decades of stagnant wages, recessions, an intense few years of high inflation, and the disappearance of pensions.