Today's AFL-CIO press clips
POLITICS
Like Trump, Vance Wavers on What to Do With Obamacare
The New York Times
By Noah Weiland and Margot Sanger-Katz
Oct. 2, 2024
In the weeks before Tuesday’s vice-presidential debate, Senator JD Vance sounded like someone who wanted to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Mr. Vance, discussing how he would reform the 2010 health law, said he favored separating healthy and sick Americans into their own health insurance groups, an idea Republicans proposed in 2017 when they attempted to reverse the law.
Kamala Harris joined Biden in backing the dockworkers' strike at major U.S. ports
Quartz
By William Gavin
Oct. 2, 2024
The International Longshoremen Association (ILA) went on strike early Tuesday morning after its contract with the group that represents shipping companies, terminal operators, and port associations expired. Some 45,000 workers are on picket lines at more than a dozen major ports that collectively account for about 51% of the nation’s port capacity. The union is pushing for protection against automation, new technology in terminals, and wage hikes.
US port workers union backed by White House in strike
Reuters
By Doyinsola Oladipo and David Shepardson
Oct. 2, 2024
President Joe Biden’s administration has put pressure on U.S. port employers to raise their offer to secure a deal with dockworkers to end the strike.
"They made incredible profits, over 800% profit since the pandemic, and the owners are making tens of millions of dollars from this," Biden told reporters on Wednesday. "It's time for them to sit at the table and get this strike done."
ORGANIZING
UMWA: More Mon County offices looking at union representation
The Dominion Post
By Ben Conley
Oct. 2, 2024
According to United Mine Workers of America International District 31 Vice President Michael Payton, 90% of the employees in the Monongalia County Assessor’s Office backed UMWA representation in the union vote held Sept. 26. Further, he said the assessor’s office likely won’t be the only office in the Monongalia County Courthouse to hold such an election.
NEGOTIATIONS & STRIKES
Striking Boeing union asks CEO to 'truly engage' after workers' health coverage cut
Reuters
By Allison Lampert and David Shepardson
Oct. 2, 2024
Boeing's largest union urged new CEO Kelly Ortberg on Tuesday to get more involved in contract negotiations to end a strike by around 33,000 U.S. West Coast workers, after the U.S. planemaker cut off their healthcare benefits. In August, the former Rockwell Collins boss took over the reins of Boeing, which has been rocked by multiple crises this year, including the strike that has hit production of Boeing's strongest-selling 737 MAX jets.
Miller Brewing Co. faces strike: Union demands fair labor agreement
WISN 12
By Mariana La Roche
Oct. 2, 2024
Union members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers began a strike at Miller Brewing Co. Thursday, demanding a fair labor agreement.
About 40 union members picketed at the brewery's location in Miller Valley.
Local UAW threatens strike at GM's Fort Wayne Assembly plant
89.1 WBOI
By Tony Sandleben
Oct. 2, 2024
General Motors Fort Wayne Assembly plant could soon shut down due to a union strike. GM has been negotiating with the union there, United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 2209, to hire 253 part time workers, or temps, to full-time positions, but those negotiations broke down on Friday, leading GM to lay off those 253 temps on Monday. To fill those hours, GM assigned senior staff to work the second and third shifts, which Local 2209 officials said violates the contract between them and Fort Wayne Assembly.
Why FedEx still doesn’t have a new contract with its pilots
Supply Chain Drive
By Max Garland
Oct. 1, 2024
Contract bargaining between FedEx and its pilots union continues to trudge along after a federal mediator rejected the union’s request to be released from supervised negotiations.
The National Mediation Board called on the parties to restart sessions under its supervision on Sept. 24, according to a statement from Jose Nieves, who leads the FedEx pilots union. Federally mediated negotiations began in October 2022.
“To date, FedEx has made no effort to work collaboratively on the terms of a contract remedy beyond what is required of the NMB, leading to further uncertainty,” said Nieves, chair of the Air Line Pilots Association, International’s FedEx Master Executive Council. FedEx said in an emailed statement that it is committed to reaching a fair agreement through the mediation process.
JOINING TOGETHER
Postal workers rally downtown for better working conditions
KBIA
By Evan Crowell
Oct. 2, 2024
Postal workers rallied Tuesday in front of the Daniel Boone City Building in downtown Columbia as part of a nationwide campaign to boost staffing, improve customer service and keep postal operations local. The small rally, which had around 10 attendees, was one of 92 scheduled across the country by the American Postal Workers Union, which represents employees of the U.S. Postal Service. Rallying workers were joined by community members and supporters.
Postal workers protest staff reductions, planned closure of processing facilities
NC Newsline
By Ahmed Jallow
Oct. 1, 2024
Postal workers rallied in Raleigh on Tuesday as part of a nationwide “Day of Action” to protest recent and upcoming changes that have caused delays in mail delivery times. Tonya Freeman, local president of the American Postal Workers Union, criticized Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s policies and plans to consolidate mail processing facilities. She warned that these changes would lead to slower mail deliveries, especially in rural areas where residents rely heavily on the postal service for essential services like prescription medications.
The Philadelphia Inquirer
By Thomas Fitzgerald
Oct. 1, 2024
Transport Workers Local 234 of Philadelphia, SEPTA’s largest labor union, organized the rally, timed for the first day of the General Assembly’s abbreviated preelection session. It drew building trades unions from across the state whose members would get work from increased bridge and road spending, the Amalgamated Transit Union from Pittsburgh, and lawmakers from both parties.
IN THE STATES
Unions: No on Amendment 2, Yes on public schools
Forward Kentucky
By Berry Craig
Oct. 1, 2024
The Kentucky State AFL-CIO’s opposition to Amendment 2 shouldn’t surprise anyone who knows labor history. Unions have always championed public schools. The Republican-backed amendment, which will be on the Nov. 5 ballot, would change the state Constitution to permit the General Assembly to pass laws letting tax dollars go to private schools. You can bet if voters approve the measure, come January, the GOP supermajority House and Senate will lose no time approving a voucher program in which parents and guardians can use those public funds to send their children to private schools.
LABOR AND ENTERTAINMENT
IMDb Launches SAG-AFTRA Verified Badges for Union Members
The Hollywood Reporter
By Katie Kilkenny
Oct. 2, 2024
“We are pleased to continue collaborating with IMDb to empower SAG-AFTRA members with tools to choose how they want to represent themselves on IMDb and IMDbPro,” SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher said in a statement. “This new feature makes it easy for performers to highlight their SAG-AFTRA membership to decision-makers who discover talent on IMDbPro and — bonus — gives members access to preferred pricing on IMDbPro Premium.”
WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH
Plastics company was slow to dismiss workers during Helene flooding, causing deaths, employee says
WVLT
By Camruinn Morgan-Rumsey, Courtney Allen and Gray News staff
Oct. 2, 2024
A plastics factory in Tennessee is under fire after some employees were trapped and killed there during flooding brought on by Hurricane Helene. One Impact Plastics employee — Jacob Ingram — said lives could have been saved had employees been allowed to leave the facility sooner.
Laborers' Add Paid Maternity Benefit for Women Union Members
Engineering News-Record
By Corinne Grinapol
Oct. 1, 2024
As of Jan. 1, a minimum of 12 weeks of paid maternity leave will be available to members of the Laborers’ International Union of North America's General President Brent Booker announced Sept. 28 at the Tradeswomen Build Nations conference in New Orleans….With construction labor shortages a continuing source of industry concern, the union’s new policy is “an effort to bring more women into LIUNA and better the lives of the ones we already have,” said Booker at the annual tradeswomen event which the union said had more 5,000 participants, including more than 600 of its members from 33 states.
FTA pushes transit agencies to protect workers from assault
Safety + Health
By Staff
Oct. 2, 2024
“Transit workers have been subject to a plague of violence and abuse for far too long,” TWU International President John Samuelsen said in a separate release. “This final directive is a historic step forward in terms of making it safer for the blue-collar men and women who move America. Transit workers have the right to go to work, do their jobs and return to their families unscathed. It’s going to require vigilance and strong oversight by the FTA and focus by unions like the TWU to ensure success, but this absolutely is progress.”
LABOR AND COMMUNITY
Mobile Fire-Rescue Department participating in Fill the Boot fundraising campaign
Alabama Public Radio
By Baillee Majors
Oct. 2, 2024
Members of the Mobile Fire-Rescue Department are participating in the 2024 Fill the Boot drive, organized by the Mobile Firefighters Association International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local #1349. Funds raised through the 2024 Fill the Boot events help support Muscular Dystrophy Association's (MDA) efforts to fund groundbreaking research, accelerate treatments and cures, and support services at MDA Care Centers.
UNION BUSTING
Trick or Treat? It’s Always ‘Trick’
Labor Tribune
By David Cook
Oct. 2, 2024
Sadly, the holiday won’t be the only thing trying to scare us. It turns out that a lot of people want to scare us, and not just that friend or family member we know that just wants to make us jump in brief fear before laughing away all our concerns. Sadly, some people want to scare us in ways that aren’t an expression of joy or a celebration of a silly holiday. In case you missed the story last week, the Missouri Independent reported on a new development in the seemingly endless war between the worst corporate actors and their own workers. Once again, companies are looking to scare workers away from trying to unionize in their workplace. We just have to make sure it doesn’t work.