Today's AFL-CIO press clips
NLRB
N.L.R.B. Says Employers Can’t Hold Mandatory Anti-Union Meetings
The New York Times
By Danielle Kaye
Nov. 13, 2024
The National Labor Relations Board ruled on Wednesday that companies may not compel workers to attend meetings on the downsides of unionization, a tactic that unions say stifles worker organizing. The decision, the latest in a slew of labor board rulings under the Biden administration aimed at supporting workers’ right to unionize, stems from a complaint over Amazon’s conduct before a successful union election in 2022 at a Staten Island warehouse, the first Amazon warehouse in the nation to unionize. The company held hundreds of meetings there and at another location to discourage workers from supporting a union.
Labor Board Bans Anti-Union 'Captive Audience' Meetings
HuffPost
By Dave Jamieson
Nov. 13, 2024
Federal labor officials issued a ruling Wednesday prohibiting employers from holding mandatory anti-union meetings at work, a long-sought policy objective of unions that want to level the playing field with corporations in organizing campaigns. In its 3-1 decision, the Democratic majority of the National Labor Relations Board said such workplace gatherings — often called “captive audience” meetings due to their obligatory nature — tend to “coerce” employees and therefore violate the law. The board’s lone Republican dissented.
Democrats make last stand for unions ahead of Trump administration
The Washington Post
By Lauren Kaori Gurley
Nov. 13, 2024
In a final push to bolster union rights ahead of a Trump presidency, the National Labor Relations Board on Wednesday banned employers nationwide from forcing workers to attend anti-union meetings. Separately, Democrats are also deploying a last-ditch effort to try to get the Senate to reconfirm NLRB Chair Lauren McFerran in the last December session, allowing the agency to maintain a Democratic majority and continue its labor-friendly rulings into the next Trump administration.
US labor board bans mandatory anti-union meetings in ruling against Amazon
Reuters
By Daniel Wiessner
Nov. 13, 2024
Amazon.com (AMZN.O) made unlawful promises and threats during mandatory meetings to discourage unionizing at a New York City warehouse, a U.S. labor board said on Wednesday while banning employers from holding such meetings moving forward. The National Labor Relations Board said that so-called "captive audience meetings," which have been legal for decades and are routine during union campaigns, illegally interfere with workers' rights to freely choose whether or not to unionize.
TRANSPORTATION
Federal agency rejects Brightline’s effort to delay union election for onboard attendants
Orlando Weekly
By McKenna Schueler
Nov. 13, 2024
The National Mediation Board, a federal agency overseeing labor relations in the airline and rail industries, has rejected an attempt by Brightline to delay a union election for their onboard service attendants in Florida, who recently announced their intent in to unionize with the Transport Workers Union.
Flurry of contract deals come as railroads, unions see Trump’s election looming over talks
AP
By Josh Funk
Nov. 13, 2024
The flurry of contract agreements announced early this fall — including two more Wednesday — offer evidence that major railroads and their unions are working to avoid the standoffs that led them to a brink of a national strike two years ago. Both sides are also now keenly aware that President-elect Donald Trump — who has a track record of supporting big businesses — would be the one ultimately appointing the people who would help resolve the contract dispute this time if they can’t work something out themselves.
UNION NEGOTIATIONS
Worker strike ends at Eaton Aerospace
Fox 47
By Darius Udrys
Nov. 13, 2024
The worker strike at Eaton Aerospace is over. UAW Local 475 President Donnie Huffman just shared the news with FOX47 neighborhood reporter Darius Udrys that union members have voted to accept the latest proposal from Eaton Aerospace. Darius took this photograph on scene, showing workers begin to pack up from their picketing efforts.
Frontier Airlines pilots picket outside headquarters, seek market-aligned contract
Kiowa County Press
By Colorado Newsline
Nov. 13, 2024
Pilots from Frontier Airlines and other members of the Air Line Pilots Association, International picketed outside Frontier’s Denver headquarters Tuesday as they continue to negotiate a contract for compensation that’s more in line with that of competitors. Fred Jenkins, an ALPA spokesperson who has been a Frontier pilot for about 10 years, said the picket intended to show unity to management in support of a contract that “we believe we have earned and represents our outsized role that we play for the success of Frontier Airlines.”
UC Service and Patient Care workers announce strike
The Daily Californian
By Kira Pan
Nov. 13, 2024
UC Service and Patient Care workers represented by AFSCME Local 3299 announced plans to strike Nov. 20 and 21 against the university’s alleged unfair labor practices. This strike will occur statewide across all 10 UC campuses, affecting more than 37,000 UC workers, according to a Nov. 8 press release from the union. The notice to strike followed negotiations between the university and American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, or AFSCME, Local 3299, the UC system’s largest employee union, according to the AFSCME Local 3299 website.
Union decries Maryland government staffing ‘crisis’
WYPR
By Rachel Baye
Nov. 12, 2024
The union that represents most state government workers says staffing levels remain critically low, nearly two years after Gov. Wes Moore took office and promised to address the state’s workforce shortage. Roughly 10% of the state government positions represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union are vacant, according to union officials. The vacancies amount to about 2,000 positions. Those shortages hurt the residents on the receiving end of state services, union leaders said during a press conference Tuesday in Salisbury.
What to know about District Council 33, the Philly city union that may strike this week
The Philadelphia Inquirer
By Jesse Bunch
Nov. 13, 2024
Philadelphia’s public services could be affected if the city’s largest union for municipal workers, AFSCME District Council 33, votes to go on strike this week. The union represents more than 9,000 blue-collar employees, from sanitation workers to school crossing guards. Its leadership is in a standoff with City Hall over its recently expired contract; District Council 33 wants a new, multiyear contract that includes pay increases, lucrative pension plans, and a relaxation of the city’s residency requirement for employment.
Workers at Bethesda parent company strike over remote workpolicies
The Verge
By Ash Parrish
Nov. 13, 2024
The members of ZeniMax Workers United-CWA, one of the largest video gameunions in the United States, have gone on strike. The action involves workers inZeniMax offices in Texas and Maryland, who do quality assurance work for gamesincluding Fallout and Elder Scrolls. Workers are striking over claims that ZeniMax leadership has failed to address employee issues regarding remote work andoutsourcing. “Today, we are on strike,” ZeniMax Workers United posted on X. “We are not afraidto do what’s necessary to make sure that Microsoft meets us at the bargaining tableover key issues like remote work options and outsourcing.”
ZeniMax union workers strike in protest of Microsoft remote work and outsourcing policies
Game Developer
By Chris Kerr
Nov. 13, 2024
Hundreds of unionized ZeniMax Studios employees are striking today in response to Microsoft's remote woking policy and decision to continue outsourcing quality assurance work. The Communication Workers of America (CWA) shared the news in a press release and explained the one-day strike will be taking place at ZeniMax locations in both Maryland and Texas. ZeniMax is the parent company of well known studios including Deathloop developer Arkane and The Elder Scrolls developer Bethesda.
Nurses at Baltimore’s St. Agnes Ascension rally for better staffing
WYPR
By Scott Maucione
Nov. 12, 2024
Nurses working at St. Agnes Ascension Hospital picketed outside the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Baltimore Tuesday demanding better staffing and pay. It’s been nearly a year since the nurses at the hospital voted to unionize, but management and workers still have yet to come to a contract agreement. The nurses say they are chronically understaffed and have a retention problem that is partly due to poor pay.
UNITE HERE Local 5 Workers Ratify Landmark Labor Contract at Five Waikiki Marriott Hotels
Hoodline
By Kayla Lee
Nov. 12, 2024
Following weeks of negotiations and a strong collective stance, over 2,500 workers represented by UNITE HERE Local 5 have decisively voted to ratify a new labor contract at five Marriott-operated hotels in Waikiki. Hawaii News Now reports that the approval came yesterday for employees at the Royal Hawaiian, Sheraton Princess Kaiulani, Sheraton Waikiki, Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort, and the Westin Moana Surfrider, ending a period of uncertainty and contention for these hospitality workers.
Frontier Airlines pilots picket outside of corporate office in Denver, say they are ready to strike
Denver 7
By Danielle Kreutter
Nov. 12, 2024
Dozens of pilots represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int'l (ALPA) union showed up outside of Frontier Airlines headquarters in Denver Tuesday for an informational picket. In October, 99% of participating pilots voted to strike if contract negotiations fail. "Pilots do not want to strike. Pilots want to work. We love to fly," said Alan Christie, a captain with Frontier Airlines. On Tuesday, Christie joined pilots on the ground, hoping to send a message to the Frontier corporate offices.
JOINING TOGETHER
AFSCME union meets in Salisbury, demands better working conditions
WMDT
By Leila Weah
Nov. 12, 2024
Maryland members of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees Union are speaking out against what they say are harsh demands from their jobs in health, transportation, corrections and other state sectors. Some shared experiences of burn out, and Eastern Correction Institution corrections officer sergeant, Rownite Stevens, said staffing issues have created extremely stressful working conditions for ECI employees. “At the end of their 8-hour shift, they want to go home, and when you’re telling a person you’re not going to be able to go home in 8 hours because you’re being mandated to work, some people don’t want that,” Stevens said.
Local Labor Unions Rally and Support Statewide Strikes
Eugene Weekly
By Bentley Freeman
Nov. 12, 2024
On Monday, Nov. 11, workers from Bigfoot Beverages and Franz Bakeries were joined by over 80 people rallying support for the union members across the state already on the picket line. “We’re here to recognize and appreciate the resilience, the sacrifice and the bravery that you and your co-workers of the fighting Teamsters and the fighting bakers union have shown by building a strong campaign and taking this brave stance,” Oregon AFL-CIO President Graham Trainor said. Standing in front of the statue of Wayne Morse in the Free Speech Plaza named after him, Trainor said they’re continuing to fight for labor, just as the U.S. senator from Oregon did during the 20th century.
Oregon’s largest union, SEIU 503, rejoins labor federation AFL-CIO after nearly 20 years
Oregon Capital Chronicle
By Julia Shumway
Nov. 13, 2024
After nearly 20 years apart, two of Oregon’s largest labor groups will officially join forces again. Service Employees International Union Local 503, which represents about 72,000 caregivers, announced Wednesday that it will rejoin the Oregon AFL-CIO, a federation with more than 300,000 unionized Oregonians in industries including construction, education, health care and manufacturing. The partnership comes as the majority of SEIU’s members prepare to bargain for new contracts and as the labor movement braces for anticipated attacks from the federal government under Republican president-elect Donald Trump, who in his first term appointed anti-union officials to the Department of Labor and National Labor Relations Board and limited overtime protections. Graham Trainor, president of Oregon AFL-CIO, said his federation and SEIU 503 are “powerful, sophisticated organizations” that will become stronger by joining together.
RETIREMENT SECURITY
The House just voted ‘yes’ on a bill that would increase Social Security checks for some pensioners
CNBC
By Lorie Konish
Nov. 13, 2024
A bipartisan bill to change Social Security benefit rules for pensioners passed in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, with 327 lawmakers voting to support the measure. Now, the proposal heads to the Senate, where the chamber’s version of the bill has 62 co-sponsors, “surpassing the majority needed to pass the bill on the U.S. Senate floor and send it to the president’s desk to be signed into law,” Reps. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., and Garret Graves, R-La., co-leaders of the bill, said in a joint statement. The proposal — called the Social Security Fairness Act — would repeal rules that reduce Social Security benefits for individuals who receive pension benefits from state or local governments.