Today's AFL-CIO Press Clips
POLITICS
Walz will address union members in first solo campaign stop
The Washington Post
By Lauren Kaori Gurley
Aug. 12, 2024
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate, will address union members in Los Angeles this week on his first solo campaign stop, as the ticket solidifies its relationship with organized labor, a crucial base of support. The Democratic campaign said that Walz will speak Tuesday at the biannual convention of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), one of the country’s largest public-sector unions, with more than 1 million members. Lee Saunders, the president of AFSCME, told The Washington Post that Walz had “been there for our members” as Minnesota governor, citing his efforts to combat the privatization of prisons, and highlighted Walz’s years as a union member, saying he “has truly been involved in the trade union movement.”
Walz makes a 5-state dash for campaign cash this week, traveling solo for 1st time as running mate
AP
By Will Weissert
Aug. 12, 2024
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is branching out this week and holding his first solo events as Vice President Kamala Harris ’ running mate, making a five-state dash for campaign cash and addressing a key union gathering. Walz will speak Tuesday at the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees convention in Los Angeles before headlining a campaign fundraiser in Newport Beach, California. The 1.4-million-member union has endorsed Harris and says its members “are ready to mobilize to get out the vote in November.”
Walz launches first solo fundraising swing to five states this week
The Hill
By Alex Gangitano
Aug. 12, 2024
Gov. Tim Walz (D-Minn.), Vice President Harris’s running mate, will launch his first solo fundraising swing this week, a Harris-Walz campaign official first confirmed to The Hill. Walz will start the swing through five states Tuesday with a trip to Newport Beach, Calif. He will then travel to Denver and Boston on Wednesday before moving on to Newport, R.I., and South Hampton, N.Y., on Thursday, the campaign official told The Hill. He is set to headline his first solo event for the campaign with an appearance before the labor group AFSCME on Tuesday at its convention in Los Angeles before he goes to Newport Beach to fundraise. The solo travel for Walz follows the battleground state tour he took with Harris, which included events in Michigan and Wisconsin.
Election 2024: Trump holds a rally-like event on X with Elon Musk after tech delays
NBC News
By NBC News
Aug. 12, 2024
In response to Trump's conversation with Musk tonight, the Harris-Walz campaign referred to them as "self-obsessed rich guys." “Donald Trump’s extremism and dangerous Project 2025 agenda is a feature not a glitch of his campaign, which was on full display for those unlucky enough to listen in tonight during whatever that was on X.com," campaign spokesperson Joseph Costello said in a statement. "Trump’s entire campaign is in service of people like Elon Musk and himself — self-obsessed rich guys who will sell out the middle class and who cannot run a livestream in the year 2024."
IMMIGRATION
Immigrants Are Becoming U.S. Citizens at Fastest Clip in Years
The New York Times
By Miriam Jordan
Aug. 12, 2024
The federal government is processing citizenship requests at the fastest clip in a decade, moving rapidly through a backlog that built up during the Trump administration and the coronavirus pandemic. At ceremonies in courthouses, convention centers and sports arenas across the country, thousands of immigrants are becoming new Americans every week — and becoming eligible to vote in time for the presidential election this fall. It’s unclear how many of the new voters live in battleground states, but a number of the states where Kamala Harris or Donald Trump must win have large and growing numbers of voting-age naturalized citizens, including Georgia, Arizona, Nevada and Pennsylvania.
TRANSPORTATION
D.C. doings: Rail bridge bill enters Senate; Baldwin asks STB to review certain exemptions
Progressive Railroading
By Staff
Aug. 9, 2024
The bill is endorsed by the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Division, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Transportation Division, Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, Transport Workers Union of America and International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers.
LABOR AND ECONOMY
WCBS-AM To End All-News Format And Become ESPN New York
Deadline
By Ted Johnson
Aug. 12, 2024
The WGAE said in a statement, “The closure of WCBS Newsradio 880 is another example of consolidation by a major media conglomerate, which ultimately deprives the public of critical local news stories with different perspectives. Audacy’s decision is even more egregious given that this is a critical election year. This is a giant loss for New York City and the news industry at large.”
ORGANIZING
County Board backs unionization push at Hyatt Regency Crystal City
ARL Now
By Dan Egitto
Aug. 12, 2024
Local elected officials are throwing their weight behind a unionization effort at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City. Writing on behalf of the Board earlier this month, Arlington County Chair Libby Garvey noted that over 70% of housekeeping workers at the hotel next to Reagan National Airport signed union authorization cards in July, filing for a union election. “As you know, our Arlington community is strongly pro-union, and we support workers who decide to seek a voice on the job through collective bargaining,” Garvey wrote in a letter to the Hyatt Corporation and Gould Property Company, which co-own the location. “We believe that a union benefits the workers, the employer, and the community as a whole. Therefore, we ask that you respect the current efforts of your workers to unionize.” Organizing with UNITE HERE Local 25, workers are seeking better pay and insurance benefits, and have raised concerns about overwork at the site at 2799 Richmond Highway.
NEGOTIATIONS & STRIKES
Apple Store Workers in Oklahoma City Vote to Authorize Strike
Bloomberg Law
By Ian Kullgren
Aug. 12, 2024
Apple Inc. store workers in Oklahoma City have given union leaders permission to call a strike if talks with the company remain stalled. The late Sunday vote, at one of two unionized Apple Stores in the US, sets the stage for a walkout in the next few weeks if the two sides can’t reach a first contract. “A majority of the workers voted in favor of the strike and are ready to withhold their essential labor if Apple continues its pattern of delays at the bargaining table during scheduled sessions today and in early September,” the Communication Workers of America, which represents the workers, said in a statement Monday. The Washington-Baltimore News Guild, which is affiliated with the Communications Workers of America, represents employees of Bloomberg Law.
Baltimore Hilton Inner Harbor could face worker strike Thursday
WMAR 2 News
By Amanda Engel
Aug. 12, 2024
The Hilton in Baltimore's Inner Harbor could face a worker's strike on Thursday. About 200 workers in the UNITE HERE Local 7 union voted in an overwhelming majority on Friday to authorize a strike. 97% voted in favor of authorizing the strike. "Workers say after months of unsuccessful negotiations, they're tired of waiting for raises, better workloads, and protections for work associated with providing guest services and amenities," the union wrote in a press release.
PSA flight attendants will vote on strike authorization
Dayton Daily News
By Thomas Gnau
Aug. 12, 2024
Flight attendants for Dayton-based PSA Airlines Inc., represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA), will begin a strike authorization vote later this month while talks with the airline continue. “The American Airlines Group management team rewards themselves with massive compensation increases while flight attendants at PSA struggle to pay basic bills,” the union said in a release late last week.
Local Communications Workers of America members on strike, claim employee was wrongfully terminated
WVTM 13
By Emma Owen
Aug. 12, 2024
Throughout Central Alabama, members of Communications Workers of America are on strike, after they claim a local AT&T employee was wrongfully terminated. Workers are expected to return to work on Wednesday, but for now, they're outside the data center, showing support for their coworker and fellow CWA member. Employees have been on strike since the weekend, with central offices and technicians hoping to bring awareness to what they believe was an unjust firing.
San Francisco hotel workers latest to approve ‘huge, historic’ strikes
Hotel Dive
By Noelle Mateer
Aug. 12, 2024
Hotel workers in San Francisco voted overwhelmingly to authorize strikes over the weekend, according to a release from hospitality union Unite Here obtained by Hotel Dive. According to a post on the social media platform X, some 94% of union workers who participated voted to authorize a strike. The vote represents eight hotels and roughly 3,000 workers in the San Francisco market. The San Francisco tally comes after Unite Here unions in other major markets — most notably Boston and Honolulu — approved strikes. Votes are still forthcoming in Seattle and the California cities of Oakland, San Jose and San Diego.
Recent contracts give Amtrak workers big raises
Labor Tribune
By Staff
Aug. 12, 2024
Two recently ratified contracts, one with the Transport Workers and the other with the Electrical Workers, have given on-board Amtrak workers and the passenger train system’s electricians historically large raises, the unions stated. Both contracts feature 34.1 percent compounded raises over seven years, retroactive to July 2022 and run through the end of 2028. The contract with Transport Workers Local 1460 covers 360 Amtrak on-board service workers, including train attendants and cafe car workers. Amtrak’s pact with IBEW’s of Railroad System Council 7 covers 1,200 electrical workers. “Amtrak on-board workers are a critical part of our nation’s transportation system and this contract includes essential quality-of-life wins,” TWU President John Samuelsen said in a statement.
Woodland Park Zoo workers reach tentative agreement on new contract
KIRO
By KIRO 7 News Staff
Aug. 12, 2024
The Joint Crafts Council (JCC) Coalition of Unions, representing approximately 200 Woodland Park Zoo employees, has reached a tentative agreement with zoo management on a new contract, according to a statement released by the union on Monday. The agreement, which is fully recommended by the union’s negotiations committee, is now subject to ratification by the union members. The proposed contract follows months of negotiations centered on key issues, including affordable healthcare, equitable wages, and the long-term well-being of the animals. The JCC Coalition of Unions represents 34 different classifications of zoo workers, including animal keepers, veterinary technicians, carpenters, and laborers. The coalition includes unions such as Teamsters Local 117, IATSE Local 15, and IBEW 46, among others. Union members will have the opportunity to review and vote on the proposed contract in the coming weeks.
Fred Meyer workers to vote on potential strike
KATU
By KATU Staff
Aug. 12, 2024
A local union is set to vote this week on a potential strike against Fred Meyer. The union claims Fred Meyer refused to provide essential information for proper contract negotiations. It represents about 4,500 workers at affected Fred Meyer locations in the Pacific Northwest. The union said it filed a suit against what it said are multiple unfair labor practices. "They are entitled to the information to negotiate a good contract. They're entitled to a grievance process that is being followed through and they're not getting it. So Fred Meyer needs to stop the games and needs to let us move forward," said Miles Eshaia, with UFCW Local 555.
JOINING TOGETHER
‘No Contract, No Cartoons’: Animation Guild Members Stand Together as Talks Begin
The Wrap
By Jeremy Fuster and Tess Patton
Aug. 12, 2024
Hundreds of members of the Animation Guild, along with fellow IATSE members joining in solidarity, gathered at the IATSE 80 headquarters in Burbank on Saturday ahead of Monday’s start of contract negotiations. The crowd was over twice that of the Guild’s previous rally in 2022. Animation writer and negotiating committee member Joey Clift told TheWrap that the union had over 2,000 RSVPs as of Friday, doubling the number of the 2022 event. He estimated that nearly 2,500 people attended in the near 90-degree heat.
NLRB
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
By Ricardo Torres
Aug. 12, 2024
Within 24 hours of learning they would be without a job at the end of the month, 23 Experis Game Solutions workers in Milwaukee gathered to help each other work on their resumes. “Everybody would come in after work hours,” said Anne Wiberg, a Milwaukee-based union organizer with International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers in District 10 in Milwaukee. “It’s a very close-knit group. And in talking with them, you very quickly understand they enjoyed working with each other.” After a year trying to form a union represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, Experis workers were notified Aug. 2 that the Milwaukee location would shut down at the end of the month. Experis' parent company is ManpowerGroup, a staffing agency headquartered in Milwaukee.
STATE LEGISLATION
Maine can now order employers to pay workers damages for missed wages
WAGMTV
By Patrick Whittle
Aug. 12, 2024
Maine workers will now benefit from a law that allows the state to order businesses to pay back wages as well as damages from missed wages. “This law will finally put some teeth in our labor laws to hold corporate lawbreakers accountable and ensure working Mainers are paid fully for an honest day’s work,” Maine AFL-CIO vice president and Ironworkers Local 7 member Grant Provost said.
IN THE STATES
Labor Tribune
By Staff
Aug. 12, 2024
The Illinois AFL-CIO wrapped up its 46th Constitutional Convention at the Crowne Plaza Chicago O’Hare in Rosemont Aug. 1 with delegates passing resolutions to expand opportunities for all workers and union members energized for the November election. Four hundred delegates asserted their trust in the leadership of Illinois AFL-CIO President Tim Drea and Secretary-Treasurer Pat Devaney by voting to re-elect President Drea, Secretary-Treasurer Devaney, and the executive board to a four-year term. “Each opportunity to improve the lives of working Illinoisans is a privilege,” remarked President Tim Drea. “There has never been a moment more critical to the future of American democracy, and we must do everything in our power to strengthen the voices of working people in the public policy making process. With the November election hanging in the balance, the future of protecting workers’ rights depends on electing Vice President Kamala Harris to the presidency.”
WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH
FAA Denies Association Of Flight Attendants Request For New Cabin Air Quality Rule
Simple Flying
By Rytis Beresnevičius
Aug. 12, 2024
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has denied a request from the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA) to change the way airlines report smoke and fume events on commercial flights.
LABOR AND COMMUNITY
AFL-CIO requests individuals and agencies to join group working to end homelessness in the area
KQ2
By Nicole Scott
Aug. 12, 2024
The AFL-CIO of St. Joseph, Missouri, is requesting that individuals or agencies join the Continuum of Care for a meeting on the last Wednesday of the month. The Continuum of Care, according to the AFL-CIO, is a group of individuals and agencies in St. Joseph, Mo., Buchanan County, Mo., Andrew County, Mo., and DeKalb County, Mo., who are working to end and reduce homelessness in the area. According to the AFL-CIO, "the purpose of the Continuum of Care is to promote community dialogue that creates community awareness of homelessness, establishes priorities on target populations to serve, and supports the development of an effective and compassionate response that assists a person's move from homelessness to permanent housing."