Today's AFL-CIO press clips
LABOR AND ECONOMY
Why the steelworkers union might crush Nippon’s bid for U.S. Steel
The Washington Post
By Lauren Kaori Gurley and David J. Lynch
June 25, 2024
Nippon Steel’s bid to acquire U.S. Steel is in jeopardy over concerns about future job losses and plant closures, according to labor officials and previously unreported correspondence obtained by The Washington Post. “[Nippon] goes around saying that there’ll be no layoffs and no plant closings at any of our facilities,” said David McCall, president of United Steelworkers, which represents 10,000 workers at the once-iconic American company. “But it’s all conditional. … That’s an absolute empty promise.” McCall also told The Post that the proposal lacks guarantees that the Japanese steel giant will refrain from using the acquisition to undercut American steel production or will steer its U.S. investments toward nonunion plants. Nippon Steel and other Japanese producers have a “well-established record” of dumping steel in U.S. markets, resulting in job losses, according to the union.
JOINING TOGETHER
IATSE Reaches Tentative Agreement on Basic Agreement With Studios and Streamers
The Hollywood Reporter
By Katie Kilkenny
June 25, 2024
On Tuesday night the crew union IATSE reached a tentative agreement on a new three-year contract covering 13 West Coast Locals with Hollywood’s top studios and streamers. Leaders of the 13 West Coast Locals, who collectively represent around 50,000 crew members, disclosed the news to members on Tuesday night. IATSE and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents management in collective bargaining, later jointly announced the news. The deal for a successor contract to the so-called Basic Agreement is still subject to a ratification vote, which has not yet been scheduled, before it can take effect.
Potential strike averted as Food4less workers reach tentative labor agreement
CBS News
By Dean Fioresi
June 25, 2024
The union that represents thousands of Food4less workers has announced a tentative labor deal with the grocery company, avoiding what a looming strike. Earlier in June, United Food and Commercial Workers Local union leaders held a strike authorization vote after their previous contract expired without a new agreement in place. Workers overwhelmingly voted to authorize the strike, which prompted officials with The Kroger Co., which owns Food4less and other popular supermarket chains, to reinitiate negotiations with union leaders of UFCW Locals 8GS, 324, 770, 1167, 1428 and 1442.
Labor Contract on the Horizon for UA System Grad Student Employee Union
Alaska Business
By Barbara Norton
June 25, 2024
Grad students employed by the UA System are days away from working under their first ever labor contract. In May, more than 70 percent of the Alaska Graduate Workers Association (AGWA) voted to ratify a tentative agreement, effective July 1. The contract raises pay and improves conditions for grad students who teach classes and perform research. AGWA, the first graduate student union in Alaska, is affiliated with the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Workers of America, better known as United Auto Workers (UAW), one of the largest unions in the country. UAW often partners with academic units, including student employees at University of Washington and University of California.
Everett NewsGuild extends strike over layoffs, demands fair bargaining from owner
KOMO News
By Chelsea Hylton
June 25, 2024
Members of the Everett NewsGuild have extended their labor strike after the newspaper laid off nearly half of its newsroom. Last week, the owner of The Everett Herald, Carpenter Media Group announced layoffs including 10 of 18 union workers. The layoffs include the executive editor, managing editor, page designer, web producer, six reporters and two photographers, the NewsGuild said. The NewGuild represented by the Pacific Northwest Newspaper Guild, released a statement that workers would not be going into work Monday and instead would participate in a one-day strike.
Food 4 Less workers’ union reaches tentative labor deal with grocer to avert potential strike
KESQ
By City News Service
June 25, 2024
The union representing thousands of Food 4 Less workers reached a tentative contract agreement today with the grocery company, averting a potential strike. Workers had previously authorized a work stoppage if labor talks failed. But on Tuesday, representatives of United Food and Commercial Workers Locals 8GS, 135, 324, 770, 1167, 1428 and 1442 announced that they had reached a tentative deal that includes "substantial wage increases for all workers, more guaranteed hours and other contract improvements."
LABOR AND TECHNOLOGY
Teachers look to make AI more of an asset
The Hill
By Lexi Lonas
June 25, 2024
Teachers are increasingly trying to turn artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to their advantage in the face of concerns over cheating and equity. A survey released this month from Imagine Learning found 50 percent of educators reported an increased use of AI in the last academic year, and, just days later, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) released new AI guidelines ahead of the 2024-2025 one. “It was really important to get a group of practitioners from all across the country to do this work. And so, what we put out is because AI both has great potential and great peril,” AFT President Randi Weingarten told The Hill.
ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY AND CLIMATE
Joe Biden’s Climate Law Has Created More Than 300,000 Clean Energy Jobs
HuffPost
By Jennifer Bendery
June 24, 2024
U.S. companies have created more than 300,000 clean energy jobs since President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law in August 2022, according to a detailed new analysis from an environmental advocacy group. Climate Power, a left-leaning organization focused on combating climate change, has been meticulously tracking public announcements of clean energy jobs from the private sector since the law’s passage. As of May 31, it found that U.S. companies have announced or moved forward with projects accounting for more than 312,900 new clean energy jobs for electricians, mechanics, construction workers, technicians, support staff and others.
TRANSPORTATION
Union workers call for corporate transit tax in hopes to urgently fund NJ Transit
New Jersey News 12
By Tony Caputo
June 25, 2024
As NJ Transit riders deal with one issue after the other, it’s down to the wire for Gov. Phil Murphy’s proposed Corporate Business Tax in his upcoming budget, which must be approved by June 30. Union members gathered in Newark today to show support for its approval. In February, Murphy proposed the corporate transit fee, which is dedicated funding for NJ Transit that faces a nearly $1 billion deficit. The wealthiest companies in the world, like Amazon, even if not based in New Jersey, would pay a 2.5% business tax, retroactive to Jan. 1, 2024, to specifically fund NJ Transit. “We need to do everything we can to make sure NJ Transit doesn’t suffer from service cuts which we know they will if they don’t get full funding in this budget. That’s being decided this week,” said Alex Ambrose of New Jersey Policy Perspective.
ORGANIZING
A Development in the U.S. Labor Movement
The New York Times
By Noam Scheiber
June 26, 2024
Labor unions have won some big victories in the past few years, including in the auto industry and Hollywood. But if organized labor is going to have a true resurgence in the United States, it can’t simply win raises for workers it already represents. It will need to organize new workers and reverse the decades-long decline in union membership. That’s why recent events at Starbucks have been so significant. The company and the union — which represents more than 400 of Starbucks’s 10,000 U.S. stores — appear on track to reach a contract that will cover wages, benefits and disciplinary policies. This would be a major milestone. Even after workers win a union election, companies often drag their feet when bargaining a contract. If years pass with little or no progress, union supporters may get demoralized and leave, causing the union to unravel.
USC Postdoctoral Scholars Unionize
Inside Higher Ed
By Ryan Quinn
June 25, 2024
University of Southern California postdoctoral scholars have “resoundingly” voted to unionize, the new union announced Monday. The vote, held Thursday and Friday, was 200 to 15 to form USC Researchers and Fellows United, the organization announced in a news release. The union, affiliated with the UAW, said it will represent 450 total employees.
Apple Studios Visual Effects Workers File For Election To Unionize With IATSE
Cartoon Brew
By Amid Amidi
June 24, 2024
A supermajority of in-house visual effects workers at Apple Studios have signed authorization cards to unionize with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE). Here are details of the unionization effort: The group of workers consists of 17 people across six Apple Studios shows and films including Government Cheese, Surface, Outcome, and The Lost Bus. The positions the workers hold include vfx production supervisor/manager/coordinators, vfx witness camera operator, vfx production artist (in-house compositor, virtual art director), vfx on-set supervisor/manager, and various vfx data wrangling positions. IATSE has asked Apple Studios management to voluntarily recognize the vfx workers’ union, while also filing for an official National Labor Relations Board election.
Teachers unionize Citizens of the World charter schools in LA
Ed Source
By Diana Lambert
June 25, 2024
Teachers at Citizens of the World charter schools have unionized under United Teachers of Los Angeles. This is the first time in five years teachers at an independent charter school chain in Los Angeles have successfully unionized, according to a UTLA media release. “Citizens of the World Educators United seeks to grow our organization in a positive way,” said Nicole Barraza, a fourth-grade teacher in a statement to the media. “We desire nothing more than to work in partnership with our regional support office and family communities to make our schools stronger. We believe there is another way to operate — a way that includes knowledgeable teachers’ voices, for the betterment of our community and organization.”
Audacy
By Nina Baratti
June 25, 2024
The staff who help run and develop the many libraries at the University of Pennsylvania are the latest to join the movement to unionize that has been rolling through the university over the last few years. Penn Libraries support staff members are already part of AFSCME District Council 47 Local 590. Now, more than 100 librarians, curators, developers, IT staff, and others who work at one of the many Penn Libraries hope to join the support staff under the same bargaining unit.
Austin Pets Alive employees vote to unionize, forming largest U.S. animal shelter union
The Daily Texan
By Ren Leija
June 25, 2024
Austin Pets Alive employees formed the nation’s largest animal shelter union when employees voted to unionize after nearly a year of organizing efforts. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers announced the successful vote on June 7, making the almost 200-employee union the nation’s largest animal shelter union. The newly formed organization will fight for improved working conditions for employees, better pay and benefits, improved work-life balance, upgraded equipment for the animals and a stronger social media presence for potential adoptees. Negotiations for a first contract are expected to begin soon.
Stage, Production Workers at Marquis Theater and Summit Music Hall Win Union Election
Westword
By Catie Cheshire
June 25, 2024
Workers at Summit Music Hall and the Marquis Theater in Denver, two popular venues operated by Live Nation Entertainment, voted to unionize in a National Labor Relations Board election held yesterday, June 24. The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 7 — the organization through which the workers are unionizing — announced the results today, June 25. Workers will now head into contract negotiations with Live Nation Entertainment, which operates both venues in downtown Denver.
NLRB
NLRB orders Red Rock Casino to return to the bargaining table
HR Dive
By Noelle Mateer
June 25, 2024
The National Labor Relations Board upheld a litany of unfair labor practice charges against Red Rock Casinos last week, ordering the company to return to bargaining with union members, according to NLRB documents. In an 81-page decision, the NLRB detailed the charges against Red Rock, including threats to withhold benefits from workers who join the union and implicit threats of job loss if employees were to strike. The NLRB ordered the company to “cease and desist” threats immediately, as well as alert employees of their rights under labor law.
STATE LEGISLATION
Denver city workers can’t collectively bargain. That could change.
Colorado Sun
By Parker Yamasaki
June 25, 2024
Agroup of labor supporters and Denver workers on Monday rallied to support a ballot measure that could give city employees the right to negotiate new labor contracts. Under federal and state law, public sector workers do not have the right to collective bargaining, the process of negotiating a labor contract with union representation. But every major Democratically controlled city in a blue state has granted its workers those rights in its city charter according to materials distributed by the Communications Workers of America, one of the groups supporting the charter amendment. That is, every city except for Denver. The city council will vote on the measure July 8. If approved, the decision will be thrown to Denver voters on the November ballot.
Unions call on Pritzker to sign Worker Freedom of Speech Act
Labor Tribune
By Elizabeth Donald
June 24, 2024
Union leaders are calling on the Illinois governor to sign the Worker Freedom of Speech Act, which bans “captive audience” meetings while some Republican leaders call it unconstitutional. Both houses of the Illinois state legislature have approved the bill, which bans mandatory attendance to employer-sponsored presentations focused on political, religious or anti-union propaganda. The bill is set to be sent to Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk. Teamsters issued their call May 30 for the governor to sign it. Those calls have been echoed by Illinois AFL-CIO, Chicago Federation of Labor, Equality Illinois, Citizen Action, Women Employed, Shriver Center on Poverty Law and several local Labor councils on the Illinois side of the river.
WA workers who help schools run call for higher wages
Public News Service
Eric Tegethoff
June 25, 2024
Workers who help Washington state classrooms run are calling for higher wages. Known as classified staff, their jobs include administrative work, transportation and custodial services. Unions representing workers, including the American Federation of Teachers of Washington and Washington Education Association, have launched a wage campaign to increase pay for these workers. Anitra Wise, a para-educator with the Tacoma School District, helps teachers in the classroom and said her wages simply aren't enough.
LABOR AND COMMUNITY
Local unions to participate, invite members to join in June 30 Pride Parade
Labor Tribune
By Tim Rowden
June 24, 2024
At least four local Labor unions will join hundreds of groups on Sunday, June 30, marching in the annual Grand Pride Parade in downtown St. Louis to celebrate their LGBTQIA+ members and remind the public that unions provide an equal voice on the job to all workers. Everyone is invited to join in the parade and PrideFest festivities in celebration of LGBTQIA+ union members who proudly wear their union buttons at workplaces throughout the bi-state region. The Grand Pride Parade will begin at noonand run down Market Street, starting at 10th and Market streets, past the PrideFest grounds, and end at 16th and Market. The Grand Pride Parade, sponsored by Boeing, serves as a means to showcase the creative talents and service provided by hundreds of LGBTQIA+ -friendly businesses, non-profit organizations, and community groups, as they spread their message to all who attend.
APPRENTICESHIPS/TRAINING
UA Local 149 Shares Detail on Apprentice Program(Video)
News Channel 20
By LaMyiah Harvel
June 25, 2024
United Association Local 149 represents more than 600 plumbers, pipefitters, HVAC technicians and more across East Central Illinois. They are celebrating their 125th year and their members begin their career with the union’s apprentice training program.
WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH
Meat processing plant fined nearly $400,000 over child labor violations
Los Angeles Times
By Suhauna Hussain
June 25, 2024
A federal court has ordered a meat processor in the City of Industry and a staffing agency in Downey to turn over $327,484 in illegal profits associated with child labor, and fined the companies an additional $62,516 in penalties. The U.S. Department of Labor obtained the court order last week after it investigated A&J Meats and The Right Hire, which helps companies find employees. Investigators concluded that children as young as 15 were working in the processing plant, where they were required to use sharp knives as well as work inside freezers and coolers, in violation of federal child labor regulations.
After OSHA citations, REI OKs respirator use for Soho shop workers
Modern Retail
By Melissa Daniels
June 25, 2024
REI reached a deal with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration over conditions in its bike and ski repair shop in Manhattan after workers there were concerned about the health risks of inhaling chemical compounds used in their work. An informal settlement agreement dated June 5 shows the company will pay $4,500 to resolve three OSHA citations related to the company’s instructions and training around the use of respirators in the bike shop. It will also update its Respiratory Protection Program to include the voluntary use of approved half-face tight-fitting respirators, according to a copy of the agreement posted in the store’s office.
LABOR LEADERSHIP
Gwen Mills formally takes the helm as Unite HERE President
People’s World
By Press Associates
June 25, 2024
Unite HERE convention delegates formally elected longtime New Haven, Conn., activist and leader Gwen Mills as the union’s new president. She promptly pledged to double its organizing and deepen its already large political involvement. Mills is the first woman to lead the union, successor to three famous unions: The Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers, the International Ladies Garment Workers, and the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees. Mills took over the job on an acting basis when D. Taylor retired earlier this year “We don’t shy away from taking on powerful corporate interests, and we don’t back down from a fight,” Mills told the delegates in her inaugural address. “Now is the time to do even more to support workers who want a union. Unite HERE members enjoy a standard millions of other hospitality workers in the U.S. and Canada don’t yet have. “Under her leadership, Unite HERE is delivering historic new contracts for workers, expanding into new workplaces and regions, and bringing in more women and people of color—not only to be a part of the movement but to lead it,” said Shuler. “President Mills and Unite HERE show us what a modern, inclusive, resilient union looks like–a union that empowers its members to fight and win.”
UNION BUSTING
Leaked messages show Ann Kim's Uptown restaurant urged workers to reject union
Star Tribune
By Emma Nelson
June 25, 2024
Leaked internal messages show managers at Kim's in Uptown Minneapolis have repeatedly encouraged employees to vote against unionization, saying they believe the restaurant can meet workers' needs without a union. Workers notified management May 28 of their intent to unionize at Kim's, James Beard Award-winning Chef Ann Kim's Korean-American restaurant, citing unpredictable work schedules they said made it hard to earn a living. Because Kim, as the employer, did not recognize the employee union, workers will vote Thursday on whether to form a union, per National Labor Relations Act requirements. Workers at Kim's would join Unite Here Local 17, a hospitality union that represents workers at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport as well as stadiums, hotels, restaurants, bars and clubs across Minnesota. In an Instagram post earlier this month, Kim said she "wholeheartedly" believes her staff "can come together as a Kim's team without a union."