Today's AFL-CIO press clips
MUST READ
Like Biden, Harris puts focus on Trump as the end of the campaign draws near
AP
By Chris Megerian and Zeke Miller
Oct. 24, 2024
AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler said Harris should be doing “a little of both” by talking up her plans for the middle class and attacking Trump’s statements. “We know what a second Trump term would look like — it would be attacking all of the things that we hold dear,” Shuler said. The AFL-CIO president recalled a recent conversation on the Gordie Howe Bridge in Michigan, where a worker said he liked Trump’s idea of eliminating taxes on overtime pay. But Shuler responded that during Trump’s time in office, his administration tried to undermine access to overtime, which would make his promise worthless in terms of tax savings. “That’s an easy pledge to make when he’s going to eliminate overtime,” Shuler said.
POLITICS
The Latest: Harris and Trump focus on closing messages with rallies in Georgia, Nevada, Arizona
WHEC
By The Associated Press
Oct. 24, 2024
AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler says she’s noticed additional momentum over the past two weeks for Harris And she expects to pull in more volunteers for outreach as the election nears. Shuler said the unions have been keeping track of their conversations with members, saying that as of now, 64% of those they’ve spoken to will back Harris and 19% will back Republican Donald Trump. Those numbers leave some room for voters who might support the former president but declined to say so, as well as undecided voters who might ultimately support Harris.
Nevada’s workers won’t be fooled by Trump’s empty promises (Opinion)
The Nevadan
By Susie Martinez
Oct. 24, 2024
During his four years as president, Donald Trump did little to support America’s workers. As he now faces the possibility of losing his candidacy for president for the second time, this time to Kamala Harris, he’s suddenly making sweeping promises that sound great for thousands of Las Vegas Strip workers who rely on tips for a living. During a speech in Las Vegas, where roughly 25% of the residents work in the hospitality and tourism industry, Trump suddenly promised to eliminate federal taxes on tips. As his support among workers wanes, Trump also proposed eliminating income taxes on overtime pay. My advice to Nevadans would be this: Be skeptical of Donald Trump’s last-minute Hail Mary. He’s betrayed us before, and he will again.
'Outlawing free trade unions and control of the labor force is a hallmark of authoritarian regimes' (Opinion)
Daily Kos
By William J. Londrigan
Oct. 21, 2024
The prospect of losing our democracy and the resurgence of interest in labor unions have recently been the focus of much attention. Absent however from conversations about the fate of America’s democratic experiment and the explosion of interest in and support for unions is that democracies and free trade unions are symbiotic – one cannot exist without the other.
JD Vance Is A ‘Scab’ For Crossing Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Picket Line: Union
HuffPost
By Dave Jamieson
Oct. 24, 2024
Vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance (Ohio) crossed a virtual picket line by publishing an opinion piece in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Thursday, according to the union whose workers are on strike at the newspaper. Jon Schleuss, president of the NewsGuild-CWA, told HuffPost that there was no excuse for Vance, the running mate of former President Donald Trump, not to be aware of the strike that just entered its third year.
How Trump Could Bankrupt Social Security (Opinion)
The New York Times
By Paul Krugman
Oct. 24, 2024
It’s important to be aware that one effect of Donald Trump’s economic proposals, if enacted, could be to drive Social Security into bankruptcy, impoverishing many older Americans — not in the distant future, but within around six years. And while I have in the past assumed that Social Security will be bailed out if necessary, that looks less certain in the antidemocratic nation we may become if Trump wins.
The Group at the Center of Trump’s Planning for a Second Term Is One You Haven’t Heard of
The New York Times
By Ken Bensinger and David A. Fahrenthold
Oct. 24, 2024
Like Project 2025, the institute developed a plan for staffing and setting the policy agenda for every federal agency... It also goes significantly further than Project 2025 in one key area, calling for the elimination of nearly all civil service protections for federal workers by making them at-will employees — a strategy supporters believe will allow Mr. Trump and his aides to root out career staff members who they believe stood in his way in his first administration.
U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin to Join Wisconsin AFL-CIO Rally
Civic Media
By Stuart J. Wattles
Oct. 24, 2024
U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin will attend a Wisconsin AFL-CIO and United Steelworkers rally on Thursday as part of her “People Power” tour across the state. The event, scheduled for 3:45 p.m in Milwaukee. The Democratic incumbent aims to highlight grassroots support and discuss key election issues. The “People Power” tour will cover 13 counties including Dane, Brown, Marathon, and Milwaukee.
LABOR AND ECONOMY
UNITE HERE’s "Resort Fee Ripoff" Website Spotlights Widespread Customer Anger Over Unfair Fees
Yahoo! Finance
By Business Wire
Oct. 24, 2024
While thousands of hotel workers strike across the country for a hospitality industry that respects them and their guests, UNITE HERE’s "Resort Fee Ripoff" website features research showing that resort fees are a top concern for guests at Hyatt, Hilton, and Marriott hotels. UNITE HERE is hearing from customers who are sick of paying resort fees for basic hotel services like WiFi, water, and gym access, or for amenities they didn't want in the first place. Now, travel websites are sharing that these complaints are showing up in their reviews.
ORGANIZING
Ohio workers stepping up efforts to unionize in recent years
Signal Cleveland
By Olivera Perkins
Oct. 24, 2024
Ohio workers have stepped up efforts to unionize since 2021, filing more than three times as many petitions with the National Labor Relations Board, the federal agency said this week. Nationally, petitions to unionize doubled during the same time period, the federal agency reported, with the largest increase coming from states in the Midwest. The NLRB received 38 petitions to form unions in Ohio workplaces during the 2021 fiscal year. By this year, the number had jumped to 124, an increase of 226%.
SLU graduate student workers unionize, citing low wages, high health care costs by university
Spectrum News
By Elizabeth Barmeier
Oct. 23, 2024
Saint Louis University (SLU) graduate student workers have formed a union, citing low wages, high health care costs, increased tuition fees and more by the university. Dozens of SLU grad student workers have joined a national movement of academic workers unionizing with the United Auto Workers (UAW) Union. More than 60 graduate student workers across many SLU departments voiced their concerns and shared their experiences on the Graduate Workers SLU Union website.
NEGOTIATIONS & STRIKES
CVS workers reach tentative contract agreement after weekend strike
The Washington Post
By Jaimie Ding
Oct. 24, 2024
The unions representing more than 7,000 CVS workers in Southern California have reached a tentative agreement on a contract after workers went on strike over the weekend demanding better pay, staffing, and more affordable healthcare. “Today proves that when workers fight, we win,” the United Food and Commercial Workers bargaining committee said in a press release. “We look forward to discussing the details of this agreement with our co-workers before we make our voices heard during the voting process.”
Union members reject deal with Boeing, prolonging strike
CNN
By Chris Isidore
Oct. 24, 2024
The strike by 33,000 workers at Boeing will continue after rank-and-file union members rejected an offer from the company in a vote on Wednesday and decided to remain on the picket lines instead. The membership of the International Association of Machinists voted 64% against the deal, the union announced late Wednesday. While that was less than the 95% who rejected an earlier offer, it left the vote far short of the simple majority needed to end the strike. “Our members deserve more,” said Jon Holden, the president of the largest IAM local at Boeing and its chief negotiator. “They’ve spoken loudly, and we’re going to go back to the table to try to achieve those things.”
Fain rallies with Stellantis UAW members at Trenton plant ahead of strike authorization vote
Michigan Advance
By Ken Coleman
Oct. 24, 2024
Union members and elected officials rallied on Wednesday against Stellantis arguing that the automaker isn’t living up their 2023 contract. The effort, which was led by United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 372 in Trenton, was scheduled ahead of a Nov. 13 strike authorization vote. “If we are not willing to fight, it’s over. I know talking about striking, it scares people sometimes,” UAW President Shawn Fain said to an audience of about 100. “Nobody wants to strike but when these companies do not own their commitments to us, we have one big tool in the toolbox, we have one hammer and that’s withholding our labor and making them own their commitments.”
Thousands of Boeing factory workers remain on strike after union rejects latest contract offer
KNKX NPR
By Mayowa Aina
Oct. 24, 2024
Machinist union president Jon Holden announced the results of the vote on the latest contract offer from Boeing at the Seattle Union Hall Wednesday night. "We have not achieved enough to meet our members' demands. And we remain on strike," Holden said as the hall erupted in applause and chants of "strike!" Holden said workers are holding out to restore the pension program. Despite the cold, a handful of factory workers on a picket line in Seattle were energized just moments after the results were announced — 64% of union members voted against the contract.
CVS, union reach agreement after workers’ strike
KTLA
By Austin Turner
Oct. 24, 2024
The CVS workers’ strike, which affected about 7,000 workers across California, is over, and a tentative agreement between the union and the pharmacy chain has been reached. The agreement, announced by the United Food & Commercial Workers Locals 5, 135, 324, 648, 770, 1167, 1428 and 1442, was recomended by the union on Wednesday. “We are proud to announce a tentative agreement with CVS that we unanimously recommend to our co-workers,” the union said in a statement. “For the last five months, we have been fighting hard for a fair contract – from a strike to actions, delegations, rallies, petitions, and conversations with our co-workers and customers; we have shown the strength that comes when workers stand together for a better life.”
PC Gamer
By Harvey Randall
Oct. 24, 2024
It's been around three months since SAG-AFTRA, a union representing over 160,000 actors across the industry (note: also in videogames), declared a strike over AI, stating that "employers refuse to plainly affirm, in clear and enforceable language, that they will protect all performers covered by this contract in their AI language." Sarah Elmaleh, an actor and union negotiator, said at the time that "eighteen months of negotiations have shown us that our employers are not interested in fair, reasonable AI protections, but rather flagrant exploitation". The strike has been proceeding apace according to the union, which shared some good news via an update posted to its website earlier this week: "On the eve of the scheduled resumption of negotiations on the video game contract, SAG-AFTRA has announced that more than 120 games from 49 companies have now signed the union’s tiered-budget or interim agreements.
MBTA commuter rail workers, union reps rally for new contract
Telegram & Gazette
By Kinga Borondy
Oct. 23, 2024
Workers on the commuter rail service linking Boston to other communities in Massachusetts and Rhode Island rallied Wednesday to draw attention to their efforts to secure a new contract from the company that manages the service. State and local politicians, workers and their union representatives gathered at South Station Wednesday morning to demand Keolis Commuter Services, the company that manages the commuter rail, bargain in good faith for a new contract. Demands include wage increases, lower costs for health care and health insurance, and the ability to take sick time and take days off.
Ahead of government transition, Portland continues contract negotiations with city workers
KOIN
By Jashayla Pettigrew
Oct. 23, 2024
As the City of Portland prepares for a major government upheaval, officials say they are still negotiating contracts for public employees in three labor unions. Portland Labor Relations gave its latest bargaining update on Monday. According to the office, city leaders are in the process of establishing contracts for around 2,000 employees involved in three unions: the City of Portland Professional Workers, the District Council of Trade Unions and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
Unionized nurses picket Northern Maine Medical Center over contract bargaining
The County
By Chris Bouchard
Oct. 23, 2024
Unionized nurses at Northern Maine Medical Center announced on Wednesday that they will file a federal unfair labor practice charge against their employer, alleging that management has not been bargaining in good faith. The announcement was made during an informational picket outside the hospital, where nurses said they would be filing the charge with the National Labor Relations Board the following morning, Oct. 24. About 20 people participated in the picketing. Sixty-two percent of roughly 90 nurses at the hospital first voted to unionize in January and join the Maine State Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, an affiliate of National Nurses United.
JOINING TOGETHER
AACPS Cafeteria Workers Getting $2K Retention Bonus
Patch
By Jacob Baumgart
Oct. 24, 2024
Continuing to deliver on his promise to show appreciation and value for members of the Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) workforce, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mark Bedell today announced a $2,000 retention bonus for Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) employees. The bonuses – proposed by Dr. Bedell and agreed to by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 1693, which represents FNS employees, and the Board of Education – will be paid in two installments. The first of those installments will occur tomorrow for most FNS employees.
APPRENTICESHIPS & TRAINING
New training center in Wheeling aims to expand apprenticeship opportunities
WTOV 9
By Claire O'Neil
Oct. 23, 2024
Ironworkers Local 549 in Wheeling recently received a large grant that’s expected to help out its union in multiple ways. They were chartered back in 1937 and have more than 353 active members from across the Ohio Valley and beyond. The group was able to match funds with the Appalachian Regional Commission for a grant they say they applied for but were surprised to get.