Today's AFL-CIO press clips
MUST READ
More Black and Latina women are leading unions - and transforming how they work
AP News
By Claire Savage
Oct. 6, 2024
Momentum for Black and Latina women rising into labor union leadership has picked up in the last five years. But the work began long before that by “our foremothers who laid this foundation and have been pushing and kicking those doors open for decades,” according to Liz Shuler, who in June 2022 became the first woman in history to lead the AFL-CIO, a federation of 60 national and international labor unions.
POLITICS
Harris tries to secure labor support amid signs of weakening
CNN
By Gregory Krieg
Oct. 5, 2024
The AFL-CIO, a powerful federation of US and international unions, endorsed Harris early on. In a statement Friday, president Liz Shuler cheered a robust jobs report and again made the case for the vice president. “This election, America will decide between Kamala Harris, a key partner with unions in creating the worker-centered economy reflected in today’s jobs report, and Donald Trump, who would rip all of the gains we’ve made away,” Shuler said, touting the organization’s massive “voter mobilization” campaign for Harris and Walz.
Sen. Brown in Dayton says opponents attack him because he advocates for workers
Dayton Daily News
By Lynn Hulsey
Oct. 24, 2024
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, said special interests and his opponent Bernie Moreno are spending millions on false advertising to defeat him because he stands up for workers and holds Wall Street accountable. “This is the hardest race I’ve ever been in....This is the one they lie the most of any race I’ve been in,” Brown said at a campaign rally outside the Dayton headquarters of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 82. “They’re after me because I’m the most pro-union guy in the senate.”
Building Trades Labor Hits the Streets of Northeast Philly for Dems
Insider NJ
By Max Pizarro
Oct. 5, 2024
Exhorted by leadership to stand and fight for the labor movement in the face of a proven enemy of working people, Building Trades workers took to the streets this morning with urgency ahead of the 2024 presidential election. In August, the North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU), representing over three million union construction professionals, formally endorsed the ticket of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. Now it’s crunch time in this hard-nosed working-class corner of Philadelphia. They gathered on Southampton Road outside the headquarters of Glaziers Local Union 252, where Jimmy Williams, General President of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, addressed the troops representing all Building Trades, from teamsters, to ironworkers, to steamfitters, to pipefitters and electricians.
Harris Hits Back at Republican Criticism of Childless Women
The New York Times
By Katie Rogers
Oct. 6, 2024
In an appearance on the podcast “Call Her Daddy,” which is popular with Gen Z and millennial women, Ms. Harris discussed reproductive rights and economic issues. She addressed comments from Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the governor of Arkansas, who recently suggested that having biological children helped with her humility — a virtue she implied Ms. Harris lacked. “I don’t think she understands that there are a whole lot of women out here who, one, are not aspiring to be humble,” Ms. Harris told the host, Alex Cooper. “Two, a whole lot of women out here who have a lot of love in their life, family in their life and children in their life. And I think it’s really important for women to lift each other up.”
LABOR AND ECONOMY
Jobs report blows past expectations, showing hiring surge
ABC News
By Max Zahn
Oct. 4, 2024
U.S. hiring surged in September, blowing past economist expectations and rebuking concern about weakness in the labor market. The fresh report marks one of the last major pieces of economic data before the presidential election. Employers hired 254,000 workers last month, far exceeding economist expectations of 150,000 jobs added, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data showed. The unemployment rate ticked down to 4.1%.
Job growth surged in September as unemployment rate edged down
Axios
By Courtenay Brown
Oct. 4, 2024
The U.S. economy added a blowout 254,000 jobs last month, while the unemployment rate ticked down to 4.1%, the Labor Department said on Friday. Why it matters: The big gain is a relief after previous data suggested the job market was sluggish. The new report should ease fears of a labor market slowdown. By the numbers: The government said payroll gains were stronger in recent months than previously thought: July's job gains was revised up to 144,000 from 89,000. August was revised up by 17,000 to 144,000.
ORGANIZING
Ballet Dancers’ Next Move: Union Organizing
The Nation
By Lucy Tobier
Oct. 4, 2024
Like many industries, ballet has seen a rise in unionization over the past five years—especially after the pandemic, when ballet dancers faced unprecedented job insecurity. According to DanceUSA, the unemployment rate for dancers more than quadrupled between 2019 and 2020 as consumer spending on admissions dropped by more than $30 billion. In ballet, over the last eight years, 11 dance companies, one touring production, and the faculty at the School of American Ballet have unionized for the first time. Their national labor union, the American Guild of Musical Artists, has built on this momentum by connecting dance companies to help learn from each other. Contract negotiations have brought higher pension contributions, mandated rest times, and living wages for a job that requires years of training.
The Apothecarium Dispensary of Salisbury employees have officially joined the union
WMDT
By Ronnell Foreman
Oct. 5, 2024
After a vote, the Apothecarium Dispensary workers have officially joined the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 27 union. With 90% of workers voting to join the union, this move will change the lives of many employees. Many workers in the marijuana industry are overworked, and dispensaries struggle with staffing. The Director of Organizing, for UFCW Local 27, Jeff Hedrick, believes this new move will help balance the scales between the company and workers.
NEGOTIATIONS & STRIKES
Boeing, striking union to return to negotiations on Monday
Reuters
By Allison Lampert and David Shepardson
Oct. 4, 2024
Boeing's (BA.N), opens new tab and its largest union said on Friday that contract talks will resume on Oct. 7, as both sides seek an agreement to end a strike by around 33,000 of the planemaker's U.S. West Coast factory workers. Negotiators for the U.S. planemaker and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers have struggled to find common ground, recently failing to clinch an agreement on key issues in the presence of federal mediators.
AI is again at the center of Hollywood labor negotiations. This time with animators
LAist
By Libby Rainey
Oct. 4, 2024
Artificial intelligence is again at the center of Hollywood labor negotiations, this time between the Animation Guild and studios and streaming companies. The union — a chapter of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees — is seeking protections from generative AI, as well as pay equity and guardrails from subcontracting. Like the writers and actors strikes of last year and the ongoing video game performer walkout, the 6,000 artists, technicians, writers and production workers say this negotiation is critical to the fate of their industry.
Toledo Symphony Ratifies New Five-Year Contract
The Violin Channel
By The Violin Channel
Oct. 4, 2024
The Toledo Symphony Orchestra (TSO) and the Local 15-286 of the American Federation of Musicians have successfully ratified a new five-year Collective Bargaining Agreement, which will run until the end of the 2028/29 season. Throughout the agreement, the musicians will receive a pay increase of 39% and an increase in matching contributions to their 403b retirement plans. The TSO has never before offered a pay rise of this scale to its players. In addition, two new core string positions have been established, and several positions that were previously part-time have become full-time roles — including that of the orchestra's Principal Librarian.
Union members at Sappi paper mill authorize strike, plan to rally for fair contract
WABI 5
By WABI News Desk
Oct. 4, 2024
A union representing workers at the Sappi paper mill in Skowhegan has authorized a strike. The union says it’s due to excessive forced overtime, proposed reductions to vacation time, and other problems. United Steelworkers Local 4-9 members voted on September 20th to authorize the strike. In a release Friday, the union says they’re also strongly opposed to the company’s move to scale back their earned paid leave.
UAW workers at Stellantis vote in favor of strike authorization at LA parts center
Reuters
By Reuters
Oct. 4, 2024
The United Auto Workers union said on Friday that members at Stellantis' (STLAM.MI), opens new tab Los Angeles parts distribution center voted in favor of authorizing a strike if the carmaker failed to settle grievances with the union over investments in the U.S.
Hotel Del Coronado workers vote ‘yes’ to authorize strike: what this means
Fox 5 San Diego
By Amber Coakley
Oct. 5, 2024
Over 800 Hotel Del Coronado workers held a strike authorization vote, with 95% voting “yes,” the UNITE HERE Local 30 union announced Saturday. A number of greeters, concierge staff, housekeepers, front desk agents, cooks, stewards, dishwashers, servers, bussers, bartenders, bellmen, engineers, phone operators, doormen and valet workers all showed overwhelming support for the move.
Philly stadium workers end strike for Phillies playoffs, but continue call for Aramark boycott
WHYY
By Tom MacDonald
Oct. 4, 2024
Unionized concession workers at Citizens Bank Park will be back on the job this weekend after ending a four-day strike just in time for the start of the Phillies’ playoff run. Workers still don’t have a contract with concession operator Aramark, and they’re calling for fans to boycott the merchandise shops at the ballpark. Members of Unite Here Local 274 say that since Aramark runs the retail outlets in the stadium in addition to the concessions, they hope that fans will show solidarity with their efforts to get a new contract and buy their Phillies merchandise online.
Almost 5,000 Boston area hotel workers prepare to strike
NBC Boston
By Matt Fortin
Oct. 5, 2024
Hotel workers in the Boston area are preparing for a strike after the deadline for a new contract passed at midnight. Nearly 5,000 hotel workers are threatening a strike that would impact 36 hotels. This could have a major impact in Boston as well as Cambridge. The sticking points during contract negotiations include healthcare, pensions and wages. The local union says there has been months of deadlock with no deal in sight. A larger strike would be a major escalation after smaller strikes that affected a handful of hotels for a couple of days had been happening since September 1st/ “The industry has fully recovered from Covid, we need a significant amount of money in wages up front to make up for the lost income that have had over the last couple of years” said Unite Here Local 26 President Carlos Aramayo.
JOINING TOGETHER
University of Oregon four labor unions use their voices on campus (Video)
Register-Guard
By Miranda Cyr
Oct. 5, 2024
University of Oregon Campus Labor Council rally for free expression, delivering a letter of condemnation to administration.
NLRB
Ex-Starbucks CEO Schultz's comment to union supporter was illegal, NLRB rules
Reuters
By Daniel Wiessner
Oct. 3, 2024
Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz violated federal labor law by telling a barista in California who criticized the coffee chain's response to a nationwide union campaign to "go work for another company," the National Labor Relations Board has ruled. The board on Wednesday said the comment by Schultz, opens new tab during a company event in 2022 amounted to an illegal threat that could discourage unionizing, upholding a decision by an administrative judge.
IN THE STATES
Harris visits North Carolina while Tucson Union Workers gather to support her (Video)
News 4 Tucson
By Staff
Oct. 5, 2024
Though Harris has struggled to get support from Union Workers, some union workers from Tucson came out today to show their support for her.
Mississippi Central Labor Council: If Workers Want Their Voices Heard,Register To Vote By Oct. 7
Jackson Advocate
By Jackson Advocate News Service
Oct. 4, 2024
Working Mississippians have an important election ahead of them on November 5. Do you care about the cost of the fuel you put in your car, the price of groceries you put in your refrigerator, the amount you pay for medications you need or how much you’re spending on rent? Well, how we mark our ballots next month is going to impact all of that and more. Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are fighting for everyday working people just like you and me. Their campaign has plans to bring down the costs of rent and mortgages by calling for the construction of 3 million new homes; provide financial assistance for first-time homebuyers so more people can achieve the American Dream of owning their home; make the expanded Child Tax Credit permanent and give new parents $6,000; cap insulin and out-of-pocket prescription costs for everyone; work with states to cancel medical debt; and put in place the first federal ban on price gouging on food and groceries. And it isn’t just the presidential race that will affect our lives and economic security, local candidates in down ticket races matter just as much. But working people won’t have a say in any of this unless we register to vote by Monday, October 7.
WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH
Fort Madison Daily Democrat
By Brad Vidmar
Oct. 5, 2024
Following recent attacks on correctional officers at the Iowa State Penitentiary (ISP) in Fort Madison, the union representing Iowa’s prison guards demanded urgent action during a press conference in Des Moines on Thursday. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 61 held the conference at the Iowa State Capitol to address safety concerns at state-run correctional facilities, which union leaders say are being caused by a combination of staff shortages, lack of funding and lack of support from the State.