MUST READ
Georgia Republicans Pass Bill Punishing Union-Friendly Employers
HuffPost
By Dave Jamieson
March 21, 2024
Liz Shuler, the president of the AFL-CIO labor federation, took to X on Wednesday to call the bill “appalling,” saying that it “attacks the fundamental freedoms” of both workers and employers. She also said that it violates “long-held precedent” under the National Labor Relations Act.
POLITICS
Lawmakers propose a new federal office to regulate workplace surveillance tech
Government Executive
By Edward Graham
March 20, 2024
Apair of House Democrats have introduced legislation that would require employers to be more transparent about their use of surveillance technologies to monitor their workers. The bill, known as the Stop Spying Bosses Act, was introduced on March 15 by Reps. Chris Deluzio, D-Pa., and Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., and would “prohibit, or require disclosure of, the surveillance, monitoring and collection of certain worker data by employers.” The legislation has been endorsed by several worker advocacy organizations and unions, including the Communications Workers of America and the AFL-CIO.
LABOR AND ECONOMY
New Wage Data Shows When Workers Organize and Fight 'It Pays Off—Literally'
Common Dreams
By Jake Johnson
March 21, 2024
A new analysis shows that unionized workers across the United States secured historic wage increases under contracts negotiated last year, further demonstrating the power of collective bargaining. According to Bloomberg Law, 2023 union contracts "gave workers an average first-year wage increase of 6.6%"—the highest raise since at least 1988. "With signing bonuses and other lump-sum payments added to the calculations," the outlet added, "2023's average first-year wage increase was 7.3%, also a record high, according to Bloomberg Law's latest Quarterly Union Wage Data report." The AFL-CIO, the largest federation of unions in the U.S., highlighted the findings on social media Thursday, writing, "When we fight together, it pays off—literally."
ORGANIZING
ABC6 employees vote to form union
The Public’s Radio
By Olivia Ebertz
March 21, 2024
Creative and production staff members at local television news station ABC6 won their union election Monday night 22-3, with two abstentions. The ABC6 unit is now part of the Communications’ Workers of America’s broadcast arm, called NABET. It represents producers, photographers, meteorologists, reporters, technical staff, and web staff. Sales workers, anchors, sportscasters and engineers are not included. Workers announced their organizing efforts last month in response to concerns about understaffing, low and unequal wages, and outdated equipment.
Wells Fargo workers in Central Florida vote to unionize
Orlando Weekly
By McKenna Schueler
March 20, 2024
Wells Fargo workers at branch location in Apopka voted unanimously to unionize on Tuesday, joining a growing number of unionized branch locations nationwide. Workers at the Apopka branch, located northwest of Orlando at 2222 E. Semoran Blvd., voted 6-0 to join Wells Fargo Workers United, a labor union affiliated with the Communications Workers of America (CWA), which represents hundreds of thousands of workers nationwide in telecommunications, customer service, media and other industries.
JOINING TOGETHER
Cinematographers Guild Reaches Tentative Agreement With Studios on Craft-Specific Issues
The Hollywood Reporter
By Katie Kilkenny
March 21, 2024
IATSE‘s largest Local, the International Cinematographers Guild, has reached a tentative agreement with studios and streamers on its craft-specific issues, the union told members Wednesday night. “Today marked the conclusion of our bargaining team’s in-person local negotiations with the AMPTP regarding our Camera and Publicist Agreements,” IATSE Local 600 said in a memo on Wednesday nightprovided by a union source. “We’ve reached a tentative agreement on Local 600 specific issues. We wish the remainder of the West Coast Studio Locals best of luck as they negotiate their local specific issues.”
Pasadena Hotel Workers Begin Voting on New Contract After Months of Strikes
Pasadena Now
By Staff
March 21, 2024
Hospitality workers at several Pasadena hotels, including the Hilton Pasadena and Hyatt Place Pasadena, are among thousands who began voting Thursday on a new contract after months of strikes and negotiations led by Unite Here Local 11, the union representing the workers. The labor disputes, which began in July 2023, have been part of the largest hotel worker strike in modern history across Southern California. Workers have been demanding wage increases to keep pace with the soaring cost of living, quality and affordable health insurance, humane workloads, and improved pension contributions.
Norton Council approves collective bargaining agreements
Akron.com
By Patrick Shade
March 21, 2024
Norton City Council approved three collective bargaining agreements at the March 18 meeting.
Council approved agreements with the Office and Clerical Unit of Local 265 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) union, the Service Maintenance Unit of Local 265 of AFSCME and Norton Professional Firefighters Local 4219.
The agreements run from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2026. Employees throughout all three unions will receive raises of varying percentages in 2024 and 3% raises in 2025 and 2026.
Union picket targets Virgin Hotels Las Vegas as labor talks continue
NBC 3
By Matthew Seeman
March 21, 2024
The Culinary Union is picketing outside Virgin Hotels Las Vegas on Thursday as the two sides remain locked in ongoing labor contract talks. Workers walked outside the off-Strip property to protest the lack of a contract for hospitality workers. At the same time, Culinary leaders are scheduled to hold another round of negotiations with Virgin Hotels management.Union leaders say their previous contract with the casino-hotel expired in June last year, and a March 9 strike deadline passed without a new contract.
Variety
By Jennifer Maas
March 21, 2024
SAG-AFTRA is trying to avoid another strike, but the actors union nonetheless has many bones to pick with video game companies in its latest contract negotiations. Among SAG-AFTRA’s key sticking points is trying to get the gaming companies to agree to protections against use of generative AI, which was one of the biggest issues the union fought hard for in its talks with TV and film studios last year. “Obviously, strikes are last resort for us, always, because they cause great disruption, not only to our own members, to the companies, but to other workers and other people who are part of the industry,” SAG-AFTRA chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland told Variety in an interview during this week’s Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. “So we take that responsibility very, very seriously. And it’s never a first choice. We got the strike authorization on this contract many months ago, back last fall. And the strike authorization was voted up by our members by a 98% ‘yes’ vote.”
NIU service, dining, and maintenance employees continue to call for new contract
Northern Public Radio
By Jenna Dooley
March 21, 2024
Building service, dining, and maintenance workers at NIU are growing impatient for a new contract. Several employees spoke on behalf of reaching a fair contract for staffers and students. Patrick Sheridan spoke at Thursday’s Board of Trustees meeting. He’s president of AFSCME Local 963 which represents the workers. During public comment, he specifically asked members of the board about a former proposal related to qualifications for sick leave.
UC workers picket, says protest contract negotiations are 'unfair'
KPBS
By M.G. Perez
March 21, 2024
Front-line workers for the University of California said they are tired of struggling to afford housing and other basic needs. Thousands of workers formed picket lines on Wednesday at many of the UC campuses across the state. They are demanding higher pay and equity in their current contract negotiations with the university system. “It’s horrific. We do not make enough money to make ends meet. It’s the economy. It's everything," said Alicia Garcia, who works in patient registration at the Sulpizio Family Cardiovascular Center. She joined dozens of coworkers on the picket line outside UC San Diego Health facilities in La Jolla. Approximately 33,000 UC workers are represented by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees union.
Over 1,000 nurses at Staten Island University Hospital submit strike notice
CBS News
By CBS New York Team
March 21, 2024
Nurses at Staten Island University Hospital take a step closer to going on strike. The 1,300 New York State Nurses Association members at the hospital submitted a strike notice Thursday. The union says the nurses will go on strike April 2"unless hospital administrators agree to a fair union contract that keeps enough experienced nurses at the bedside to provide safe patient care."
STATE LEGISLATION
Georgia lawmakers pass bill requiring secret ballots for union votes
AJC
By Michelle Baruchman
March 21, 2024
New labor unions would have a tougher time organizing in Georgia thanks to legislation that gained final passage Wednesday in the state House. Lawmakers voted 96-78 along party lines to approve Senate Bill 362, which would prevent companies that voluntarily recognize unions from accessing tax credits for mega-projects, such as new automotive plants. Labor organizers in Georgia have expressed disappointment and confusion about motivations to restrict unions. Just 5.4% of workers in the state belonged to a union in 2023, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The legislation is “a solution in search of a problem,” said James Williams of the Georgia chapter of the AFL-CIO, the council of labor groups.