Today's AFL-CIO Press Clips
POLITICS
Vance will be a rubber stamp for Trump’s anti-worker vision (Opinion)
Labor Tribune
By Liz Shuler
July 29, 2024
Donald Trump has a miserable record of breaking every promise he’s made to working people — from failing to pay his workers and crossing a picket line to his disastrous four years in the White House. That betrayal would continue if he is re-elected — so it’s no surprise Trump chose a vice president who will be nothing more than a rubber stamp for that anti-worker vision. Sen. JD Vance likes to play union supporter on the picket line, but his record proves that to be a sham. He has introduced legislation to allow bosses to bypass their workers’ unions with phony corporate-run unions, disparaged striking UAW members while collecting hefty donations from one of the major auto companies, and opposed the landmark Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, which would end union-busting “right-to-work” laws and make it easier for workers to form unions and win strong contracts.
Punching In: Harris Kicks Off Bid for Union Support as Biden 2.0
Bloomberg Law
By Ian Kullgren and Lilah Burke
July 29, 2024
The Democratic Party is sending a clear message to unions regarding the presidential election: Kamala is Joe and Joe is Kamala. As Harris began to court labor leaders last week in her run for the White House, she and her allies repeatedly made the case she’d be as pro-union as Biden—a picket-line-walking, hardhat-wearing comrade. Harris sought to attach herself to Biden’s record, suggesting she would fulfill all the policy goals of a Biden second term that unions want. In a speech July 25 at the American Federation of Teachers national convention—her first address to a labor group since announcing her candidacy—she called AFT President Randi Weingarten an “incredible friend and adviser,” noting that AFT was the first union to endorse her. Harris promised to push the PRO Act, a sweeping package of labor reforms, through Congress, even though it has struggled to gain traction. Still, she said, “President Biden and I promised to sign the PRO Act into law, and I promise you I’ll keep that promise.”
Biden balanced unions and climate. Harris could too — in her own way.
E&E News by Politico
By Adam Aton
July 29, 2024
A key constituency for President Joe Biden’s climate agenda is mobilizing behind Vice President Kamala Harris. With a twist. Labor unions, hoping to maintain the influence they’ve had with the Biden administration, have loudly backed Harris on her way to becoming the presumptive Democratic nominee. They hope Harris continues Biden’s policies of muscular labor advocacy coupled with progressive economic policy.
How Trump and Vance betray America’s workers
Hawaii Tribune Herald
By Christopher D. Cook
July 29, 2024
One big problem: Trump, Vance and the Republican Party have opposed every effort to support workers and unions. AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler immediately countered the idea that Vance is pro-labor: “Working people know talk is cheap. J.D. Vance opposed the PRO Act, has a bill to let bosses bypass their workers with phony company unions and voted against pro-worker NLRB and DOL appointments. No matter what he says, he’s refused to show up for working people where it counts.”
LABOR AND ECONOMY
Federal Reserve is edging closer to cutting rates. The question will soon be, how fast?
AP
By Christopher Rugaber
July 29, 2024
Two years after launching an aggressive fight against inflation and one year after leaving its benchmark interest rate at a near-quarter-century high, the Federal Reserve is expected to signal this week that it will likely reduce borrowing costs as soon as September. A rate reduction this fall — the first since the pandemic — would amount to a momentous shift and a potential boost to the economy. Fed rate cuts, over time, typically lower borrowing costs for such things as mortgages, auto loans and credit cards.
ORGANIZING
New Group Of Alexandria Workers Take Step Toward Collective Bargaining
Patch
By Emily Leayman
July 29, 2024
A fourth collective bargaining ordinance could be in the cards as one group of Alexandria city government workers took a step to organize. On Friday, a group of city government administrative and clerical workers filed for a union election for American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees Council 20. According to the union, "the group of administrative and clerical workers are seeking better wages, benefits, and a voice on the job."
Disneyland’s 27 unions and who they represent — See the list
Orange County Register
By Brady MacDonald
July 29, 2024
Unions are making headlines at Disneyland more than the Haunted Mansion or Splash Mountain with one labor group agreeing to a contract after threatening to strike and another forming to represent Mickey Mouse and other employees who work with Disney characters. Disneyland resort employees are represented by 26 unions with another union about to join the ranks.
Austin Workers Unionize at Game Studio Blizzard
The Austin Chronicle
By Richard Whittaker
July 29, 2024
A win for unions and gaming industry workers in Texas: Quality assurance workers at Blizzard Entertainment – the studio behind the Diablo and Hearthstone franchises – have successfully unionized. In a press release issued late Wednesday, it was announced that 60 QA workers at the Austin office of the Microsoft-owned studio have joined the Communications Workers of America, and the studio has officially recognized their membership. “We're celebrating our victory,” said Jonathan Boakes, a test analyst on Diablo Immortal and one of the organizers behind this initiative.
TV station WEHT/WTVW employees announced their intention to unionize on Monday
Courier & Press
By Sarah Loesch and Houston Harwood
July 29, 2024
Members of the news and production departments, as well as creative service employees, at local television station WEHT/WTVW announced Monday afternoon that they intend to unionize. The group said it wants to join the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians-CWA. Organizing employees sent a news release to local media outlets and claimed to have the support of about 70% of what they said were 60 employees in the three departments.
NEGOTIATIONS & STRIKES
Why SAG-AFTRA video game actors are striking
Games Hub
By Leah J. Williams
July 29, 2024
The major sticking point around negotiations for a new SAG-AFTRA-approved Interactive Media Agreement – which covers acting work in video games and other digital media – is AI. Per the union, video game companies have so far refused to entrench AI protections in worker contracts, opening the door for exploitation of likeness and voice in the game development process. “We’re not going to consent to a contract that allows companies to abuse A.I. to the detriment of our members. Enough is enough,” Fran Drescher, SAG-AFTRA president said in the strike announcement. “When these companies get serious about offering an agreement our members can live – and work – with, we will be here, ready to negotiate.”
CWA union says it "stands in "complete solidarity with striking members of SAG-AFTRA"
GamesIndustry.biz
By Vikki Blake
July 29, 2024
The Communications Workers of America (CWA) – which includes members from a range of high-profile game developers and publishers, including Activision, Bethesda, Blizzard Entertainment, Sega, and ZeniMax – says it stands in "complete solidarity with striking members of SAG-AFTRA." The Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) called a strike last week after it failed to reach an agreement with the convenience bargaining group over rights and protection concerns raised by the industry's exploration of AI technologies.
Unionized Michigan Medicine workers picketing outside U of M Hospital in Ann Arbor (Watch)
WDIV Local 4 News
July 29, 2024
Unionized Michigan Medicine workers are picketing outside the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor.
Airline catering company reaches tentative agreement with workers who had threatened to strike
The Washington Post
By Associated Press
July 29, 2024
Airline catering company Gategourmet and unions representing its workers said they reached a tentative agreement that could prevent a threatened strike, although a union spokesperson said Monday that some details remained to be completed. A spokesperson for Unite Here, one of the unions representing the workers, said there is a tentative agreement but negotiators “are working out some critical issues before it can be finalized.” The unions had threatened to go on strike as soon as Tuesday morning, but the spokesperson said there would not be a walkout overnight.
Strike at plant that makes truck seats forces production stoppage
AgriNews
By Jim Salter
July 28, 2024
A statement on the United Autoworkers Region 4′s Facebook page said Lear Corp. has “failed to address” more than 30 proposals from union negotiators. “Despite the bargaining committee’s best efforts to secure a new agreement during more than a month of negotiation, Lear has remained unwilling to provide the conditions and compensation these nearly 500 Wentzville, Missouri UAW members deserve,” the statement read.
Union reaches agreement with bus company on higher wages for Lewiston-Auburn drivers
Spectrum News
By Sean Murphy
July 29, 2024
The union representing drivers on a local bus line between Lewiston and Auburn have reached an agreement over wage increases, according to the union president. Joe Thomas, president and business agent for Amalgamated Transit Union Local 714, said the union reached the agreement with Western Maine Transportation Services late in the day Friday.
WGA East Accuses Crooked Media of Union Busting Amid Contract Negotiations
The Wrap
By Jeremy Fuster
July 29, 2024
In the charge, WGA East claims that Crooked Media violated the National Labor Relations Act by “unilaterally changing the status quo of the previously negotiated Recognition Agreement and by insisting on a permissive subject of bargaining.” “Specifically, Crooked Media has systematically excluded multiple staff members from the bargaining unit in an effort to undermine the union and deprive those workers of their collective bargaining rights,” the guild said in a memo announcing the charge. “This stands in violation of the union’s rights to organize and collectively bargain and constitutes a form of union-busting.”
LABOR AND COMMUNITY
St. Louis Building & Construction Trades Council honors Labor, political leaders
Labor Tribune
By Tim Rowden
July 29, 2024
The St. Louis Building and Construction Trades Council honored Labor and political leaders with Leadership Awards at its 2nd annual Golf Outing and awards program on July 15 at Glenn Echo Golf Course. John Stiffler, executive secretary-treasurer of the Building Trades Council, said the annual outing is an opportunity to thank leaders who have worked their entire careers to effect change, not only for the Building Trades and Organized Labor, but for workers everywhere.
UNION BUSTING
Columbus Jewish Community Center opposes staff unionization effort on religious grounds
Columbus Dispatch
By Cole Behrens
July 29, 2024
Childcare faculty at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Columbus are seeking to unionize and bring over 100 employees into a local union. According to union organizers, 117 employees faculty members at the Jewish Community Center (JCC) of Greater Columbus could become members of the Ohio Council 8 chapter of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) after employees filed with the National Labor Relation Board with a supermajority of over 70% on June 5.
Homegrown workers hold press conference to condemn union busting from CEO
Fight Back! News
By Clio Jensen
July 28, 2024
On the afternoon July 25, workers at Homegrown Sustainable Sandwiches held a press conference outside Homegrown/Artisan Premades headquarters to condemn CEO Brad Gillis’ sudden announcement that he intends to close ten of the 12 Homegrown restaurants on September 15, putting over 150 people out of work. Gillis’ announcement comes just three months after workers, members of Unite Here Local 8, ratified their first union contract, following a militant two year contract campaign.