ORGANIZING
Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin workers vote to unionize
The Badger Herald
By Margaret Shreiner
Feb. 28, 2024
Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin Workers voted to unionize on Feb. 8, according to the Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Healthcare Professionals website. The ballot count revealed that 81% of workers voted to be represented by the Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Healthcare Professionals, according to Wisconsin Public Radio.
JOINING TOGETHER
Philadelphia school district reaches deal with teachers union
The Philadelphia Tribune
By Chanel Hill
Feb. 28, 2024
The school district and the teachers union have tentatively agreed to a one-year contract extension to its current collective bargaining agreement. The current contract would have expired on Aug. 31. The union represents 13,000 teachers, counselors, nurses, secretaries and other school workers across 216 district schools. “This agreement, settled more than six months before the expiration of our current CBA (collective bargaining agreement), is a forward-thinking down payment on a long-term commitment to ensuring that our schools are fully staffed with qualified teachers and support staff,” said Philadelphia Federation of Teachers President Jerry T. Jordan in a statement.
NJ AFL-CIO: Starbucks and Workers United Agree on a “Path Forward” for Union Contracts
Insider NJ
By Staff
Feb. 28, 2024
Yesterday, a historic milestone was achieved in organizing – Starbucks has agreed to a “path forward” to reaching collective bargaining agreements with Workers United. This is a significant win for organized labor as Starbucks has aggressively been fighting unionization drives for over two and a half years. AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler called it “a significant victory for these heroic baristas and an inspiration to workers everywhere,” and we couldn’t agree more!
Tempe hotel workers are picketing their employer, and guests are checking out in solidarity
The Copper Courier
By Sam Ellefson
Feb. 28, 2024
After hotel employees won union representation in 2015 after conducting a hunger strike to protest poor working conditions, Hernandez said workers have been more open to fighting for better protections and pay. She said workers have rallied around Borg since his suspension and subsequent termination. “We know our rights, and we’re going to fight for what we deserve,” Hernandez said. Some of the guests staying at Tempe Mission Palms have also shown support for the workers on the picket line, according to Rachele Smith, a communications organizer for UNITE HERE Local 11. Smith said some guests have checked out of the hotel after learning about the ongoing picket.
NLRB
Corporate giants aim to hobble National Labor Relations Board
The Hill
By Taylor Giorno and Julia Shapero
Feb. 28, 2024
Corporate giants are taking aim at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and attempting to hobble the agency in charge of protecting unions and their members. Amazon, Starbucks, SpaceX and Trader Joe’s are all facing complaints from the NLRB over their alleged harassment, intimidation and illegal firings of unionizing employees. The companies have responded by challenging the constitutionality of the NLRB in federal court, which could upend the structure of the New Deal-era agency.
IN THE STATES
WV Education Association, AFT-WV to merge into one organization
WV Metro News
By Carrie Hodousek
Feb. 28, 2024
Two teacher unions in West Virginia will merge into one organization. The announcement, made on Wednesday’s MetroNews “Talkline”, came from the West Virginia Education Association (WVEA) and the American Federation of Teachers-West Virginia. The unions together will represent a majority of educators in the state. AFT-WV President Fred Albert said the merger will create strength in numbers.
“We feel that it would be best to have more of a unified voice and look to the future with a new organization that is merged,” Albert said on “Talkline” from the state Capitol.
LABOR AND COMMUNITY
Desert Regional nurses launch billboards to spotlight concerns; hospital pushes back
Desert Sun
By Ema Sasic
Feb. 27, 2024
Registered nurses at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs are putting a spotlight on alleged health and safety concerns at the hospital by rolling out a billboard campaign and sharing videos online, according to the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United. One of the billboards, which went up Monday, features two nurses with the words "Keep Desert a Public Hospital! NO SALE!" written on it. The billboard can be see on Highway 111 just south of where it intersects the I-10 freeway as drivers enter Palm Springs from the Morongo Reservation. A second billboard is scheduled to go up on March 5 at the intersection of Vista Chino Road and Gene Autry Trail in Palm Springs.
WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH
Dallas-area postal workers want more protections after recent robberies
Axios Dallas
By Naheed Rajwani-Dharsi
Feb. 28, 2024
Dallas-area postal workers are asking for more protections in light of several armed robberies in recent months. Why it matters: Postal workers have long been the MVPs of America, but North Texas' extreme heat and the recent spike in robberies have made the job less desirable. "There was a time when letter carriers going through neighborhoods delivering mail were off limits to criminals. Those times have changed," Shawn Boyd of the National Association of Letter Carriers told the Star-Telegram last week.