Today's AFL-CIO press clips
MUST LISTEN
Union leaders talking with workers at the Gordie Howe bridge, letting them know what’s at stake in the election(Audio recording of a radio broadcast)
WWJ-AM
Oct. 10, 2024
The president of the AFL-CIO is here in Detroit on a side street, really, Cavalry Street, off of Ford Street, right at the foot of the Gordie Howe International Bridge. Liz Shuler—she's talking to Teamsters, operating engineers, 13 different trades unions that are represented here working on the Gordie Howe International Bridge, and like the rest of us, she's heard the reports that, you know, leadership obviously supports Harris. Some membership doesn't. She's not surprised: “Just like the country, the labor movement has people with very diverse political beliefs. But what we do is look at the issues. So if a candidate is supporting things like prevailing wage requirements and project labor agreements on a construction site, we want to make sure that those workers know which candidate is actually defending their rights.” In the leadership's eyes, it is Vice President Kamala Harris and her vice presidential candidate, and they're out here talking to workers—about maybe a dozen or so that have passed through—and all of them greeted warmly and having a nice conversation with the President of the AFL-CIO, President Shuler, here in Detroit.
AFL-CIO president Liz Shuler from union headquarters in Washington DC, talking up Vice President Harris to trades workers (Audio recording of a radio broadcast)
WWJ-AM
Oct. 10, 2024
Michigan remains a battleground state in the 2024 presidential election. AFL CIO President Liz Shuler from Union headquarters in Washington, DC, talking up Vice President Harris to trade workers before their shifts on the Gordie Howe bridge this morning: “We want to make sure that those workers know which candidate is actually defending their rights. Who will protect their contract, who will make it easier to join a union, not harder? And since these are unionized workers, we know their union contract means a lot to them, and so we want to make sure they are aware of where these candidates stand when it comes to union issues.” Shuler telling us that Harris's record has earned union members’ support. It's the first time in recent memory the president of the AFL-CIO has been here personally in Michigan to push for or against a presidential candidate.
MUST WATCH
CBS News Detroit
Oct. 10, 2024
Happening now in support of the Harris-Walz campaign: AFL CIO President Liz Shuler meeting with Detroit area union members in construction trades. This is happening at the Gordie Howe International Bridge. They're talking about what's at stake for workers this election. About one in five voters in Michigan will be union voters during this election, which is a key topic.
MUST READ
Labor Meets Science Policy: NSF And AFL-CIO Announce Partnership
Forbes
By Shalin Jyotishi
Oct. 10, 2024
AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler said the partnership would “advance our vision of a future in which federally funded science and technology innovation incorporates the needs of workers, creates good union jobs, and provides workers pathways for training and upward mobility.”
POLITICS
Harris-Walz campaign hits the ground running in Arizona
Yahoo! News
By Daniel Herrera Carbajal
Oct. 9, 2024
Ervin Jackson, president of the Nal-NiSHii Federation of Labor, issued a statement saying the Walz meeting with tribal leaders “once again highlighted the stark contrast” between the presidential tickets. “Throughout their careers and on the campaign trail, Vice President Harris and Governor Walz have demonstrated deep respect for Indigenous peoples, championing our rights, our sovereignty and our cultural heritage,” said Jackson, who is Áshįįhí (Salt People) born for the Tódích’íi’nii (Bitter Water Clan). “Trump’s presidency brought land loss, worsened health disparities, and challenges to our sovereignty,” he said in the statement. “Another term under Trump would be devastating.” The Nal-NiSHii Federation is the only AFL-CIO federated body in the U.S. representing Indigenous families in the Navajo Nation region, including miners, power plant workers and construction workers.
Kamala Harris win may boost US effort to rein in 'junk fees' levied on consumers
Reuters
By Makailah Gause and Pete Schroeder
Oct. 10, 2024
A crackdown by the U.S. consumer finance watchdog on hidden or excessive financial fees could expand to target billions of dollars in mortgage, credit reporting and other fees if Vice President Kamala Harris wins the presidential election. Expunging "junk fees" has been a central, and popular, plank of Democratic President Joe Biden's push to bring down prices. And with inflation and the economy at the heart of the presidential race, Democratic candidate Harris has pledged to carry on the fight.
The elderly caregiving crisis is an economic problem
Axios
By Emily Peck
Oct. 10, 2024
Kamala Harris' proposal to create a Medicare benefit for long-term home care targets an underappreciated part of the economy: caregiving. Why it matters: The sector is staffed by underpaid and unpaid workers — mostly women — carrying out crucial jobs that will only become more important as the population ages.
UAW chief slams Trump over threat to repeal EV investments
Reuters
By Andrea Shalal
Oct. 10, 2024
United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain on Thursday said hundreds of thousands of U.S. jobs were at stake if Republican former President Donald Trump won the Nov. 5 election and made good on his threat to repeal investments in electric vehicles.
Progressives Say 2.5% COLA Increase Is a Reminder That Social Security Is on the Ballot
Common Dreams
By Julia Conley
Oct. 10, 2024
The cost-of-living adjustment announced Thursday by the U.S. Social Security Administration for more than 72 million senior citizens should serve as a reminder, said economic justice advocates, that the monthly Social Security payments—the "bedrock" of financial security for 58% of recipients—are on election ballots this year. The administration announced a 2.5% cost-of-living adjustment, commonly known as COLA, for 2025. People who get retirement benefits through the broadly popular New Deal-era program will see their payments adjusted starting in January 2025, and people with disabilities who rely on Supplemental Security Income (SSI) will receive increased benefits starting in December.
UAW Leader Says Trump’s Show Of Auto Worker Support Is ‘A Con’
HuffPost
By Dave Jamieson
Oct. 10, 2024
The Detroit News reported earlier this week that several people wearing “Auto Workers for Trump” T-shirts at a Donald Trump campaign event in Michigan were not actually auto workers. The report didn’t seem to surprise Shawn Fain, president of the United Auto Workers union. “It’s pathetic. Everything he does is a con,” Fain said Thursday, referencing Trump. The UAW, which is based in the crucial swing state of Michigan, has endorsed Harris, and its leader Fain has become one of Trump’s most fiery critics. Fain was speaking on a call hosted by the Kamala Harris campaign ahead of Trump’s scheduled address to the Detroit Economic Club.
Obama targets young people at rally for Harris in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Reuters
By Jeff Mason
Oct. 10, 2024
Former President Barack Obama will make his case for Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday at a rally in Pittsburgh aimed at motivating young people to support the Democratic nominee and spurring them to vote in the Nov. 5 election.
How Kamala Harris and Donald Trump’s housing policies would affect Ohio
Ohio Capital Journal
By Megan Henry
Oct. 10, 2024
Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump agree housing is a problem, but differ when it comes to finding solutions. Housing advocates in Ohio say Harris’ ideas would help but need the political will in Congress, and that Trump’s ideas are vague and unworkable. Housing came up during the recent debates and both candidates are talking quite a bit about housing — a reflection of what’s on the mind of voters. “It’s definitely a factor that voters of all backgrounds are talking about,” said Amy Riegel, the executive director of Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio. “It’s something that’s affecting their everyday life, and so voters are saying that they feel more significant pressure on their livelihoods when it comes to housing.”
What is Harris' "Medicare at Home" plan and how would it work?
CBS News
By Alexander Tin and Aaron Navarro
Oct. 8, 2024
"In an election this close, proposals that speak to the financial security and health care needs of older Americans will resonate and can make a difference," said Rich Fiesta, the executive director of the Alliance for Retired Americans, who has a PAC running anti-Trump advertisements.
ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY AND CLIMATE
IBEW announces new Renewable Energy and Manufacturing Division
Imperial Valley Press
By Staff
Oct. 10, 2024
Last month, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local Union 569 announced its new Renewable Energy and Manufacturing Division. The Division is structured to meet emerging workforce development needs in the rapidly expanding renewable energy and climate manufacturing sector of Imperial Valley. In addition, the Division will support the IBEW’s apprenticeship training initiative for the battery and advanced manufacturing sectors. The Clean Transportation and Advanced Manufacturing Electrical Training Trust apprenticeship training initiative builds on IBEW’s 133 years of electrical experience to prepare today’s workforce for the industrial, manufacturing, and technology jobs of the clean economy.
LABOR AND ECONOMY
Inflation eased slightly for September, as election nears
The Washington Post
By Andrew Ackerman
Oct. 10, 2024
Inflation fell further in September, extending a trend of easing prices and an improving economy that has yet to convince many Americans with the election nearing. The consumer price index fell slightly to 2.4 percent from a year earlier in September, according to the Labor Department, down from a 2.5 percent rise in August and a 2.9 percent increase in July. Prices grew by just 0.2 percent between August and September, which was the same pace as a month earlier.
ORGANIZING
Vanderbilt grad students look for increased pay, better benefits with United Auto Workers
Tennessee Lookout
By Lonnie Lee Hood
Oct. 10, 2024
A bargaining unit of 2,200 Vanderbilt graduate students filed an election request with the National Labor Relations Board October 2, organizing in partnership with United Auto Workers. The move comes months after students collected around 1,000 signatures calling for higher pay and would, according to the filing, impact all graduate student employees who provide instructional, research or administrative services.
Berea College still waiting on NLRB decision on student labor union vote
WEKU
By Shepherd Snyder
Oct. 10, 2024
Both student workers and administration at Berea College are still waiting for a decision from the National Labor Relations Board on whether students can hold a vote to organize a labor union. The original filing was made seven months ago. Students are being represented by the Communications Workers of America.
NEGOTIATIONS & STRIKES
Striking Boeing workers are 'in this for the long haul,' union leader says
Quartz
By Rocio Fabbro
Oct. 10, 2024
After negotiations broke down again between striking Boeing machinists and the aerospace giant, the leader of the union representing the workers says they are prepared to play the long game. “We’re in this for the long haul and our members understand that,” Jon Holden, lead negotiator for the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) District 751, told Reuters (TRI +0.08%) in an interview published Wednesday.
3 Boston union workers on their lives, their work and what needs change (Audio)
WBUR
By Darryl C. Murphy and Stephanie Brown
Oct. 10, 2024
Thousands of workers in Greater Boston are currently in union negotiations. Last week, Radio Boston spoke to three people across different industries (hospitality, medicine and academia) about their lives and livelihoods, and what they're looking for from each of their employers. Kevin Haynes, a banquet cook at the Hilton Boston Park Plaza; Alex Kohut, a doctoral candidate at Boston University; and Dr. Jose Dominguez, a psychology resident at Cambridge Hospital joined us.
San Diego hotel workers and Hilton agree on contract, ending 38-day strike
San Diego Union-Tribune
By Roxana Popescu
Oct. 10, 2024
Unionized workers of the Hilton San Diego Bayfront voted Wednesday to ratify a new four-year contract with the hotel, ending a 38-day strike. The workers, represented by Unite Here Local 30, voted overwhelmingly in favor of the contract, with 94% in support. They will return to work Friday. More than 700 workers had walked out on Sept. 1 after negotiations with the Hilton San Diego Bayfront hotel stalled in August. The previous contract expired Aug. 31. Workers were asking for higher wages and improved working conditions, such as reduced or adjusted workloads, updated scheduling policies and improved worker protections. The strike entered its sixth week on Monday.
RA Union and College Reach Tentative Agreement on 21% Raises and More
The Phoenix
By Daniel Perrin
Oct. 10, 2024
On Thursday, Oct. 3, the Swarthmore Resident Assistants (RAs) Union and Swarthmore College came to a “full tentative agreement.” The agreement came during the eighth bargaining session of a negotiation process that started in February between the college and the union, formed after a 46-5 vote in December 2023. The agreement would, if ratified, increase compensation for RAs. Before this agreement, RAs were compensated the equivalent of the cost of housing. However, after tax, this amount was only roughly 85% of the cost of housing at Swarthmore.
Nurses strike avoided after N.J. hospital reaches tentative deal with union
NJ.com
By Nyah Marshall
Oct. 9, 2024
A nurses strike was avoided at University Hospital in Newark after union and hospital officials reached a tentative agreement Wednesday following months of negotiations. The agreement addresses the nurses' key demands, including a new wage scale, updated benefit standards and contract language guaranteeing improved nurse-to-patient staffing ratios, according to the union.
U-M Flint AFT-AAUP’s contract campaign is part of a movement for the public good (Opinion)
The Michigan Daily
By Daniel Birchok and Chris Snider
Oct. 9, 2024
Last week, the University of Michigan-Flint American Federation of Teachers-American Association of University Professors began negotiating our first contract with the University of Michigan. We are a new union at the University of Michigan-Flint, just recognized this past April, and we represent tenured and tenure-track U-M Flint faculty. While a range of issues brought us together, our overarching concerns can be summarized as follows: We maintain that our labor has been undervalued. We further hold that, for the University to realize its mission to serve the public good, it must make a broad commitment to the U-M Flint campus that includes recognizing the value that our members bring to the institution and our community. We have thus developed the following campaign slogan: Value our labor, recognize our value.
Hotel Workers’ Union UNITE HERE Calls on Hotels to Notify Guests of Ongoing Strikes
Yahoo! Finance/Business Wire
By Business Wire
Oct. 10, 2024
The hotel workers’ union UNITE HERE today called on hotels to notify guests if they are booked at a hotel where workers are on strike. Guests arriving at Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott hotels have reported that they were not notified of raucous picket lines or service disruptions. In one case, guests in swimsuits held a protest in the hotel lobby to demand refunds. Over 4,000 hotel workers are currently on strike in Boston, Honolulu, and San Francisco. Workers in all three cities say they will strike until they win new contracts, and some have been on strike for weeks.
JOINING TOGETHER
Martinsburg VAMC nurses to hold informational picket
The Journal
By Staff
Oct. 10, 2024
Registered nurses at the Martinsburg VA Medical Center will hold an informational picket from 7-8 a.m. todayacross from the hospital gates to highlight the administration’s alleged refusal to bargain with nurses over flexible scheduling policies that would improve patient care and nurse retention, announced National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU).
IN THE STATES
Michigan Democrats propose steep fines, longer prison time for child labor offenses
MLive
By Michael Kransz
Oct. 10, 2024
Minors would be forbidden from working overnight and in hazardous jobs under new state legislation that would also significantly increase penalties for businesses violating Michigan’s child labor laws.
LABOR AND ENTERTAINMENT
The Wrap
By Sharon Knolle
Oct. 10, 2024
AI protections just signed into law by California Gov. Gavin Newsom aren’t a “silver bullet” that will solve all the problems of the rapidly advancing technology, said SAG-AFTRA’s general counsel Jeffrey Bennett at TheGrill conference this week. “It’s a web of protections,” Bennett said of the union’s ongoing efforts to pass laws on the state, federal and local level to protect performers from unauthorized use of their likenesses. “None of these are the silver bullet that’s going to solve problems that we’re going to have to deal with when it comes to digital replication or synthetic content.”
RETIREMENT SECURITY
Why pensions are part of labor discussions again
Marketplace
By Caleigh Wells
Oct. 9, 2024
Nearly four weeks into the Boeing worker strike, the parties are no closer to reaching a union contract. The plane manufacturer offered a 30% pay increase over four years, and union members said no. The major sticking point here? Pensions. Boeing workers stopped getting defined benefit plans a decade ago, and they want them back. Fifty years ago, most full-time workers had a pension. Once they retired, their employers sent them a check every month, until they died. But in the 1980s, pensions started to disappear.