Today's AFL-CIO press clips
EDITOR'S NOTE: Check out "Pro-union? Not Hardly," a Forward Kentucky story that features commentary by Kirk Gillenwaters. The story is second in the lineup under POLITICS.
POLITICS
Why Workers Deserted a Neoliberal Democratic Party
The American Prospect
By Harold Meyerson
Dec. 9, 2024
That was the starting point of the analysis that American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten laid out in an address last week to Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. And that was the starting point of the challenge that Weingarten posed to American liberals: Either empower American workers or face the prospect not just of the coming Trump second term, but of subsequent MAGA-esque regimes. Weingarten’s speech stands as the clearest description and prescription that a labor leader has offered to the broad liberal community in the wake of Trump’s victory. It is, of course, filtered through the lens of a teachers union leader, but her proposals also address issues that resonate well beyond the classroom.
Forward Kentucky
By Berry Craig
Dec. 9, 2024
In a statement, Shuler said “Chavez-DeRemer has built a pro-labor record in Congress, including as one of only three Republicans to cosponsor the Protecting The Right To Organize (PRO) Act.” Shuler also said the congresswoman “is one of eight Republicans to cosponsor the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act.” But Shuler warned that “it remains to be seen what she will be permitted to do as Secretary of Labor in an administration with a dramatically anti-worker agenda.”
Schumer's race to protect NLRB majority from Trump
Axios
By Stephen Neukam and Hans Nichols
Dec. 9 2024
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is mounting a last-ditch fight to keep the National Labor Relations Board under Democratic control for the next two years under President-elect Trump. Why it matters: For big labor and big business, the NLRB is crucially important. It has broad discretion to referee disputes between employers of workers across the economy, from Amazon to Starbucks. Democrats have an opportunity to lock in a 3-2 majority, but only if they can find 50 votes to extend Lauren McFerran's tenure. Schumer filed cloture on Monday on another five-year term for McFerran, setting up a procedural vote on Wednesday.
INTERNATIONAL
Sherwood Park fish & game workers file to unionize
Alberta Worker
By Kim Siever
Dec. 9, 2024
Last week, the Alberta Labour Relations Board published their first new applications report of December 2024. In it was an application for union certification. Local 1007 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers submitted the application on 26 November 2024 on behalf of all the workers employed by the Sherwood Park Fish & Game Association, except the executive director.
SUPREME COURT
US Supreme Court won't review Broadway producer’s union boycott case
Reuters
By Mike Scarcella
Dec. 9, 2024
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected a bid by veteran Broadway theatrical producer Garth Drabinsky to revive his lawsuit accusing an actors' union of illegally including him on a "do not work" boycott list. Drabinsky had appealed a decision by the New York-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that upheld the dismissal of his lawsuit against the Actors' Equity Association, which represents Broadway performers and stage managers. Drabinsky’s theatrical hits have included "Ragtime" and a revival of "Showboat." The Supreme Court denied Drabinsky's petition without comment. Labor unions long have enjoyed some immunity from federal antitrust law. Siding with the Actors' Equity Association, the 2nd Circuit ruled in July that that the exemption from liability applies in cases where a union's conduct promotes "legitimate labor goals."
NLRB
Fired dancers reach $500K+ settlement with Dallas Black Dance Theatre
NBC 5 Dallas
By David Goins
Dec. 9, 2024
Ten dancers who were fired by the Dallas Black Dance Theatre in August will receive more than $500,000 in compensation and a personal apology from the dance company's leadership, the union representing the dancers says. The American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) called the settlement agreement with DBDT "historic in its scope." The National Labor Relations Board largely brokered the agreement over the last month after the same agency found merit in complaints against the legacy dance company over unfair labor practices, including firing the entire dance company in August.
UNION NEGOTIATIONS
San Francisco Symphony extends musicians’ contract — for now
San Francisco Chronicle
By Aidin Vaziri and Tony Bravo
Dec. 9, 2024
The San Francisco Symphony has reached an agreement with its musicians to extend their current collective bargaining agreement through Jan. 18, maintaining all existing terms and conditions, amid the orchestra’s ongoing financial crisis. The temporary extension comes as talks continue between the Symphony’s administration and Musicians Union Local 6 of the American Federation of Musicians, which represents the orchestra players. Both parties aim to finalize a new contract in the coming months.
Strand Union Strikes After Bargaining Breaks Down
Publishers Weekly
By John Maher
Dec. 9, 2024
After resuming bargaining last week following the expiration of their contract and the decision to call off their authorized Black Friday strike, unionized employees at the Strand Book Store in New York City took to the picket line on Saturday morning, where they remained through the weekend. Will Bobrowski, a former Strand employee and the current second VP at United Auto Workers Local 2179, which represents the Strand workers, told PW that the bargaining committee and management were set to resume talks on Monday morning and that workers were “ready to resume picketing if necessary.”
AFSCME 3299 workers go on 2-day strike for better contracts, protest ‘bad-faith bargaining’
Daily Nexus
By Jack Dindia
Dec. 9, 2024
The University of California service workers and patient care workers union went on a systemwide strike from Nov. 20-21. The strike is in response to a year-long contract negotiation battle and recent allegations that the University of California engaged in bad faith bargaining and Unfair Labor Practices. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) 3299 is the University of California’s (UC) largest employee union, with 37,000 service workers and patient care workers. Since both patient care contracts and service worker contracts were expected to expire by this year, the union has been engaging in contract bargaining with the UC since January.
Slow San Francisco Tourism Complicates Hotel Strike Resolution
KQED
By Farida Jhabvala Romero
Dec. 9, 2024
Outside the Hilton San Francisco Union Square, life at the picket line has become routine for workers like Evelyn Luarca. For over two months, the banquet waitress has volunteered to cook and serve meals to fellow strikers chanting and banging loud drums in front of the city’s largest hotel. The 50-year-old prepares eggs or pancakes at 5:30 a.m. under a tent every weekday. Then comes a lunch shift that won’t end until after 1 p.m. “If I wasn’t staying busy like this, I’d be a lot more stressed out, just thinking,” said Luarca, as she dished out frijoles charros, a steamy bean and meat soup, to coworkers on a recent day. “This is the longest I’ve ever been on strike. The bosses want to break us.”
United Airlines Flight Attendants Claim Carrier Asking For Unprecedented Concessions
Travel Pulse
By Rich Thomaselli
Dec. 9, 2024
The stalemate between United Airlines flight attendants and the carrier appears to be getting more contentious. This is unless it is part of carefully constructed negotiating ploys on both sides, but these things can be devious at times. The union representing the flight attendants has accused the airline of asking for unprecedented concessions. The accusations involved pay, night pay and misleading information, the union claims. The union says the airline is trying to make its offer look better. The Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA) told its members in a rare weekend memo that the demands for concessions being made by United are “unheard of."
JOINING TOGETHER
Activists urge city council to block airport expansion
The Charlotte Post
By Herbert L. White
Dec. 9, 2024
Service workers at Charlotte Douglas International Airport want city council to deny an airport plan they say would benefit one of the nation’s biggest air carriers while removing access to a potential affordable housing site. Workers plan to rally Dec. 9 to protest Charlotte Douglas’ proposal, which the contend relies on outdated noise assessments and overlooks community engagement. The service workers, who have been demanding increased wages and work conditions at the airport will be joined by labor groups Workers United and UNITE HERE as well as the Housing Justice Coalition.
IN THE STATES
Labor and allies call for Michigan legislature to pass critical bills
People’s World
By Cameron Harrison and Noah Dollar
Dec. 9, 2024
Michigan Democrats are scrambling in their last month before losing control of the State House to Republicans, 58-52, in January. Bills are on the table now cover public safety, worker protections, and insurance benefits. There are a host of measures that could benefit, or others that could harm working families across the state. Americans face the uncertainty of rising costs and now, since the last election, the uncertainty of a change in federal power. A recent survey shows, for instance, that three-fifths of voters are worried that Trump “will promote hate and division” from the White House. But several organizations in Michigan are making it clear that it’s not lawmakers, or Corporate America, that should run this state, but the people.
New Jersey bill seeks fair labor rates for dealership technicians
Repairer Driven News
By Lurah Lowery
Dec. 9, 2024
A bipartisan New Jersey bill aims to provide automotive dealership technicians with wages for warranty repair services equal to those for other repair services. While the bill is specific to automotive dealership mechanics, it could be an interesting one to follow for collision repairers should similar legislation be brought forward for the industry. In support of the bill, the New Jersey State American Federation of Labor & Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) say it would foster improved working conditions and enhance the quality of life for mechanics and their families.
WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH
Coalition demands protection from excessive heat for NC workers
NC Newsline
By Christine Zhu
Dec. 9, 2024
“No life should ever be cut short because employers cut corners in workplace safety,” Jeremy Sprinkle of the North Carolina State AFL-CIO said. Speakers throughout the event spoke of inhumane working conditions, particularly in fields. Laborers speaking in Spanish recounted stories of not being allowed bathroom breaks or getting forced to work in excessive heat conditions.
EDUCATION
As concerns in WA schools mount, staff calls for greater investments
Public News Service
By Eric Tegethoff
Dec. 9, 2024
Staff members who support schools are calling for greater investment from Washington state. As next year's legislative session approaches, wages and staffing are among the biggest asks in schools among classified staff - employees other than teachers and administrators. Melissa Roach is a peer inclusion preschool paraeducator in Tacoma who works with special education students. She said behavioral incidents are increasing across the board in schools. "We're concerned every day that there could be a serious injury," said Roach, "because there's no staffing to get us the appropriate bodies in the room to help us."
UNION BUSTING
La Colombe Fires West Loop Baristas as Unionized Workers Cry Foul
Chicago Eater
By Leigh Giangreco
Dec. 9, 2024
Workers at the West Loop La Colombe Coffee Roasters are alleging the cafe chain fired five baristas in retaliation for unionizing. The terminations, which impacted La Columbe’s cafe along Randolph Restaurant Row, happened days before the Thanksgiving holiday. The firings wiped out nearly half of the staff at the cafe at 955 W. Randolph Street and come after four out of five Chicago La Colombe locations ratified their union contracts with United Food and Commercial Workers Local No. 881 on Tuesday, October. 22. In interviews with fired workers, the baristas tell Eater they believe La Colombe engaged in union busting and employee intimidation. The former employees wished to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation.