Today's AFL-CIO press clips
POLITICS
Biden decides to block U.S. Steel sale to Japanese buyer
The Washington Post
By Jeff Stein and David J. Lynch
Jan. 2, 2025
The collapse of Nippon Steel’s proposed $14.9 billion acquisition represents a victory for United Steelworkers union president David McCall. A fourth-generation steelworker who rose to lead the union following the 2023 death of his predecessor, McCall objected to the deal from the moment it was announced in December 2023.
Biden Plans to Block Takeover Bid of U.S. Steel by Japan’s Nippon
The New York Times
By Alan Rappeport
Jan. 3, 2025
The United Steelworkers union quickly came out against the agreement. The union claimed to have been blindsided by the company’s management and argued that Nippon was unlikely to honor the union’s contracts and protect worker pensions.
Congress restores Social Security to public workers
Northwest Labor Press
By Don McIntosh
Jan. 2, 2025
Thanks to end-of-session action by Congress, about 2.5 million local, state, and federal government employees — mostly teachers, firefighters, and police officers — will have their Social Security benefits restored. The Social Security Fairness Act, HR 82, was one of the final votes taken Dec. 21 before Congress ended its session Dec. 21. It repeals two earlier rules that reduced Social Security benefits for workers who spend part of their careers in public service.
IMMIGRATION
Local unions resolve to defend immigrants
Northwest Labor Press
By Don McIntosh
Jan. 2, 2025
Since Donald Trump won the presidential election vowing to carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history, members of several Portland-area unions have passed resolutions pledging to defend immigrants generally. The resolutions pledge to mobilize members “to defend immigrants who are under attack either from government raids or racist groups.” Portland Federation of School Professionals (AFT Local 111) was the first, passing its resolution the day after the election. Painters Local 10 passed a near-identical one at its Nov. 20 regular business meeting. Members of IATSE Local 28 and Ironworkers Local 29 also passed the resolutions. The resolutions are being promoted by the group Class Struggle Workers – Portland.
ORGANIZING
Banking's unionization wave: Wells Fargo employees lead the way
Benefit News
By Frank Gargano
Jan. 2, 2025
Labor unions have become a growing presence across the U.S., as employee victories in healthcare, retail and other industries give rise to campaigns elsewhere. Despite still being a rarity in the banking industry, staffers at Wells Fargo are hoping to buck that trend one branch — or nonbranch — at a time. Data released earlier this year by the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics found that the union membership rate in the public sector (e.g. local government) was roughly 33% for 2023, more than five times higher than the 6% rate in the private sector (e.g. transportation and utilities).
Union election in Philadelphia could set precedent for Whole Foods grocery chain
Audacy
By Pat Loeb
Jan. 2, 2025
Workers at the Whole Foods in Philadelphia’s Spring Garden neighborhood will vote, later this month, on whether to join the United Food and Commercial Workers, in an election that holds high stakes for the workers and the organic grocery chain. The chain is owned by Amazon, which has managed to keep unions out of all but one of its hundreds of U.S. workplaces, sometimes with strong-arm tactics. Its one unionized facility still doesn’t have a contract, two years after organizing. Undeterred, Philadelphia Whole Food workers asked the National Labor Relations Board, at the end of November, for a union election.
UNION NEGOTIATIONS
Portland Unions at Loggerheads with City Over Contract Talks, Strike Looms Amid Fiscal Challenges
Hoodline
By Emily Nguyen
Jan. 1, 2025
Tensions are simmering between the City of Portland and over 1,200 city employees, with two prominent unions declaring an "impasse" in recent contract negotiations, signaling a stark discord in a city already grappling with financial constraints. According to an update posted on Portland.gov, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and the District Council of Trade Unions, which together represent a considerable subset of Portland's workforce, have drawn a line in the sand over ongoing monetary disputes in their contract talks.
Wilcox nurses vote to authorize strike
Star Advertiser
By Nina Wu
Jan. 2, 2025
The union nurses at Wilcox Medical Center on Kauai have voted to authorize a strike over unfair labor practices. The Hawaii Nurses’ Association, which represents 159 nurses at Wilcox, said today that more than 76% of union members voted in favor of authorizing a strike “to show their disdain for the rampant unfair labor practices.” “The voting results at Wilcox send a strong message to management,” said HNA President Rosalee Agas-Yuu in a news release. “The nurses are saying, ‘Enough already. It’s time to move forward and do what’s right for the people of Kauai.’ The nurses are fighting for safer nurse-to-patient staffing to deliver good care for patients and are being put through hell because of their commitment to professionalism.”
Wilcox Medical Center nurses vote to strike, claiming unfair labor practices
Hawaii News Now
By HNN Staff
Jan. 2, 2025
Wilcox Medical Center nurses “overwhelmingly” voted in favor of a strike over unfair labor practices, the Hawaii Nurses’ Association announced Thursday. This comes just days after nurses at both the Punchbowl and West Oahu campuses of The Queen’s Medical Center, which HNA also represents, authorized a vote to strike for the same reason. More than 76% of 159 nurses voted in favor of authorizing the strike. The voting period began on Dec. 29 and concluded Thursday at 8 p.m. According to HNA, the small hospital in Lihue has “a big rift between its nursing staff and management” and many nurses voted to “show their disdain for the rampant unfair labor practices.”
Ski patroller strike continues to cripple Park City operations
Travel Weekly
By Robert Silk
Jan. 2, 2025
The strike in combination with a poor early season snowfall has sharply limited Park City's open terrain, said the ski area's COO Deirdra Walsh in an Instagram post. On Thursday, 24 of the mountain's 41 lifts were operating and just 75 of the ski area's 346 runs were open, according to the mountain's website. By comparison, nearby Deer Valley had 21 of 24 lifts open and 73 of 121 runs.
Union lands remote work guarantee for Google contract workers
Staffing Industry
By Craig Johnson
Jan. 2, 2025
The Alphabet Workers Union-CWA announced Dec. 18 that it reached a collective labor agreement with Accenture. It guarantees the workers fully remote work and 30-day notice of layoffs, among other things. It’s the union’s first collective agreement with Accenture. The group included in the agreement comprises 26 workers, according to the union. Originally, the group included 118 Google Help workers, who voted to form a union in June 2023. However, all but 40 were laid off, and only 26 remain. “This contract is proof that full-time and contract workers can unite to secure meaningful protections and improvements at work and that the wall-to-wall, premajority union model can be a force for change in our industry,” Parul Koul, software engineer and president of Alphabet Workers Union-CWA, said in a press release. The union aims to organize both contingent and traditionally employed workers at Google.
JOINING TOGETHER
Comedian cancels show at Virgin Las Vegas in solidarity with striking workers
CDC Gaming
By McKenna Ross
Jan. 2, 2025
A comedian scheduled to perform at an off-Strip hotel-casino has canceled his early January show in support of the resort’s striking workers. Steve Hofstetter told fans he canceled his Saturday show at Virgin hotel-casino’s 24 Oxford venue, according to a Sunday Facebook post. I was hoping the strike would be settled by now, but it isn’t,” Hofstetter wrote in a Sunday Facebook post. “And so in solidarity with the striking culinary workers, I am cancelling my January show at the Virgin Hotel in Las Vegas.”