Today's AFL-CIO press clips
POLITICS
Trump’s Plan to Slash Federal Jobs Puts Black Workers at Risk
Bloomberg through Yahoo! News
By Jarrell Dillard
Jan. 15, 2025
President–elect Donald Trump’s plans to shrink the federal workforce would have disparate impacts on Black employment, while potentially eroding a key conduit to economic mobility that many Black families have relied on for generations. Some researchers say a substantial cutback could push the Black unemployment rate higher, particularly in areas like Washington, DC, where Black joblessness is among the highest in the country. Such an outcome would stand at odds with Trump’s campaign promises to protect Black workers’ jobs and provide them with more employment opportunities.
ORGANIZING
Brightline on-board workers vote to join union
Trains
By Trains Staff
Jan. 15, 2025
Onboard attendants at Brightline have voted to join the Transport Workers Union, the union announced Tuesday. Mail-in voting concluded Tuesday after beginning on Nov. 27, 2024. The approximately 100 workers who sell food and beverages onboard trains and provide other services between Orlando and Miami voted in favor of unionization by a 2-1 margin, the union said. TWU President John Samuelsen charged in a press release that the company ran “an aggressive anti-union campaign,” but said, “let’s put that behind us. We’re committed to working to ensure the railroad is successful while helping our newest members secure better wages, better working conditions, respect in the workplace, and other goals that they set.”
Jefferson resident physicians vote to unionize, joining national trend
Philly Voice
By Michaela Althouse
Jan. 15, 2025
Residents physicians and fellows at Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals have voted to unionize, following the same path of house staffs at several other Philadelphia hospitals. The 861 workers, employed at 25 facilities in the region, are joining the Committee of Interns and Residents, which is part of the Service Employees International Union and represents 34,000 hospital staffers in the United States.
Nevada Cannabis Workers at Ayr Wellness Ratify 1st Union Contract
Cannabis Business Times
By Tony Lange
Jan. 14, 2025
On Jan. 8, 120 Ayr Wellness workers across three dispensaries and one delivery depot located in Las Vegas and Henderson, Nev., overwhelmingly voted to ratify their first union contract. The dispensary and delivery workers are unionized with United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 711. Key features in the contract include the implementation of armed security at dispensaries, improved access to affordable health care and better scheduling opportunities.
Monterey Bay Aquarium workers announce plans to unionize.
Monterey County Now
By Katie Rodriguez
Jan. 14, 2025
A group of employees at the Monterey Bay Aquarium gathered on their lunch break on Tuesday, Jan. 14, holding signs on the corner of Wave Street and David Avenue to announce their plans to unionize. “We don't have any guaranteed raises in place at this time, so we have no way to make sure that each year we're keeping up with inflation,” says Tara Parkman, an IT Systems Analyst at the aquarium. “We want to work together with the aquarium to build something better.” Aquarium workers, organizing as Monterey Bay Aquarium Workers United (MBAWU) from across the departments, released a letter announcing their plans to form a union with representation from the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 57 and Culture Workers United (CWU).
Brightline Onboard Workers Sign On With TWU
Railway Age
By Marybeth Luczak
Jan. 15, 2025
The approximately 100 onboard and lead attendants at Brightline, Florida’s private-sector passenger railroad, have voted to join Transport Workers Union of America (TWU). The National Mediation Board announced the election results on Jan. 14 in Washington, D.C., after weeks of balloting, which began Nov. 27, according to TWU. The Brightline workers, who sell food and beverages and provide other services on trains between Miami and Orlando, Fla., voted to join TWU on a roughly two-to-one margin, the union said.
Noguchi Museum Workers Vote Unanimously to Unionize
Hyperallergic
By Isa Farfan
Jan. 15, 2025
Workers at the Noguchi Museum in New York City have officially unionized following a unanimous National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) election, according to an announcement on the union’s Instagram on Monday, January 13. “The Noguchi Museum staff is excited to announce the formation of its union! Our members seek to negotiate for a more equitable, inclusive, and transparent workplace,” the social media post said. According to a union spokesperson who spoke to Hyperallergic in December, the new unit will represent approximately 55 of the museum’s 72 employees. The workers organized with United Auto Workers Local 2110, which covers employees at institutions including the Guggenheim Museum and the Whitney Museum of American Art.
UNION NEGOTIATIONS
New union contract hikes wages for home care workers in Santa Cruz County
Lookout Santa Cruz
By Gwyneth Holcomb
Jan. 15, 2025
The union representing long-term care workers in California has ratified an agreement with Santa Cruz County to boost pay to $20.50 an hour. Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 2015 represents 3,171 workers in the county who provide in-home and long-term care services. The new contract, ratified last month and set to go into effect in March, will increase a wage supplement to $1.25 an hour, bringing hourly wages to $20.50.
Nurses and Doctors Are on Strike at Eight Oregon Hospitals
Labor Notes
By Kari Thompson
Jan. 14, 2025
Declaring that understaffing had them “running on empty,” 5,000 nurses, doctors, midwives, and nurse practitioners walked off the job January 10 in an open-ended strike at Providence Health and Services, the dominant hospital chain in the Pacific Northwest. The strikers work at eight hospitals plus women’s health clinics across Oregon. They’re demanding proper staffing, affordable health insurance, and competitive pay that can attract and retain seasoned workers.
Providence ready to resume talks with striking nurses, doctors
Axios
By Meira Gebel
Jan. 14, 2025
On the fifth day of the largest health care strike in Oregon history, Providence indicated it is ready to resume negotiation talks with the some 5,000 striking nurses and doctors across its eight hospitals. Why it matters: Bargaining between the parties had previously been stalled for months, as unionized hospital workers hope to secure new labor contracts that address compensation, benefits and understaffing concerns. Yes, but: This does not mean the strike is over.
King Soopers and Union employees begin new contract negotiations, as deal will end next week
KRDO
By Tyler Cunnington
Jan. 15, 2025
King Soopers officials are once again returning to the negotiating table with the UFCW Local 7 for two days starting on Wednesday, as contracts are set to end by the end of January 16. The Local 7 last met with representatives from King Soopers and City Market on Jan. 3, 2025, where they agreed to continue negotiations for January 15 and 16. The two entities' contracts were originally set to expire on January 4, but instead will now expire at 11:59 PM on January 16.
Guthrie Theater’s Front-of-House Workers Fight for a First Contract
Workday Magazine
By Isabela Escalona
Jan. 15, 2025
Eva Nereson, 23, has worked as a housekeeper at the iconic Guthrie Theater in downtown Minneapolis for the past three years, in both part- and full-time capacities. She describes her duties as cleaning “everything that people are likely to see when they come in and see a show at the Guthrie,” including the lobby, carpets, bathrooms, and inside the theater. In June, the front-of-house workers of the Guthrie, which includes guest services workers, box office staff, lounge hosts, janitors, and ushers, won their union with 70% of workers voting in favor. Represented by International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 13, the workers are preparing to bargain their first contract.
Atlantic Theater Company Closes Two Off Broadway Productions Amidst Stagehands Strike
Deadline
By Greg Evans
Jan. 15, 2025
The Atlantic Theater Company, one of Off Broadway‘s most celebrated theaters, has officially closed two new, previewing productions – Eliya Smith’s Grief Camp and Mona Pirnot’s I’m Assuming You Know David Greenspan – amidst an ongoing strike by the stagehands union IATSE. News of the strike surfaced last weekend, but the Atlantic at that time said the productions were merely postponed indefinitely. In fact, the cast and crew of both shows have been notified that the productions have officially closed.
Trade union sues Perryville officials, alleging infringement of right to picket
The Daily Record
By Rachel Konieczny
Jan. 15, 2025
A trade union has filed a federal lawsuit against the town and police of Perryville, alleging the town’s leaders infringed their First Amendment right to picket. The lawsuit, filed last week in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, alleges that Perryville’s police department and town officials issued an unconstitutional order prohibiting members of the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers (IAM) from intermittently crossing a public road outside a Perryville IKEA distribution center as part of their picketing.
SMART-MD becomes fifth union to ratify new national contract
Trains
By Trains Staff
Jan. 15, 2025
Members of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers’ Mechanical and Engineering Department (SMART-MD) have voted to ratify a new contract agreement, the National Carriers Conference Committee announced yesterday. SMART-MD is the fifth national agreement ratified, following agreements reached by the National Conference of Firemen and Oilers, Transportation Communications International Union, Brotherhood Railway Carmen, and the American Train Dispatchers Association. “With these ratified agreements, railroads and unions are delivering real value for employees through increased pay, enhanced health care benefits and earlier access to paid time off,” said Jeff Rodgers, chairman of the National Railway Labor Conference and the NCCC. “We’re grateful for SMART-MD’s collaboration in achieving this important milestone, which positions the industry to meet future challenges with a strong, supported workforce.”
STATE LEGISLATION
Union reps push back on bill cutting unemployment insurance benefits
NBC Montana
By Josh Margolis
Jan. 15, 2025
“A few additional weeks of unemployment benefits could mean the difference between a family being able to afford another month of rent, or a mortgage payment, or paying their utility bills,” said Amanda Frickle, political director of the Montana AFL-CIO. “Providing a suitable benefit duration period enables workers to find equivalent work at a wage that is similar to their previous position, ensuring that more families maintain a degree of financial stability.”
IN THE STATES
Kansas unions rallied at the Statehouse. They're seeking these 3 policy changes
Topeka Capital-Journal
By Jack Harvel
Jan. 15, 2025
The Kansas AFL-CIO supported two policies in its talking point sheets given to members: local control and raising the minimum wage. Workers in a union are unlikely to earn the minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, and the U.S. Department of Treasury found that union workers typically earn about 20% more than their non-unionized counterparts. AFL-CIO vice president John Nave says the issue is still important to lift people out of poverty.
Missouri AFL-CIO’s John Gall recognized for workforce development work (Photo)
The Labor Tribune
By Staff
Jan. 15, 2025
DR. JOHN GAAL (left) director for the Missouri AFL-CIO’s Missouri Works Initiative’s Worker Wellness Program, was recently awarded the 2024 President’s Award for Outstanding Leadership from Epsilon Pi Tau, the premier academic and professional honors group for technology programs in higher education, workforce development, and professionals in practice. Gaal recently completed his six-year term as president-elect/president/past president for IVETA (International Vocational Education & Training Association) and was presented the award Dec. 6 by IVETA Executive Director Dr. Kevin Howell.
LABOR HISTORY
New book argues Racine’s labor movement history is a ‘blueprint for worker solidarity’
WPR
By Trevor Hook
Jan. 14, 2025
In 1976, members of the union SEIU Local 150 went on strike at St. Luke’s Hospital in Racine, demanding higher wages and better staffing for support services. Images from a local newspaper showed Black and brown women at the picket line with white United Auto Workers members lined up behind them. That’s according to Rutgers University Assistant Professor Naomi R. Williams. “Those images were so different than the stories that we typically hear about labor in the 1970s,” Williams explained.
LABOR AND COMMUNITY
For service workers, Los Angeles fires consumed jobs, homes and dreams
The Washington Post
By Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff
Jan. 15, 2025
Nadia Martinez, a janitor, lost the Altadena home she’s rented for 15 months and everything inside, including beloved photos of her late mother and her children still in Honduras. Her husband, Saul Moreno, a gardener, lost his lawn mower, leaf blower and other equipment that made his livelihood possible.
MOWIT wins $41K in grants to recruit, mentor and support women in trades
Labor Tribune
By Staff
Jan. 15, 2025
Missouri Women in Trades (MOWIT), a non-profit group dedicated to helping women enter and succeed in the local union building trades, has received $41,000 in grants to support its cause. “One of our goals for 2024 was to apply for more funds through various foundations,” said MOWIT President Dawn Fleming. “We surpassed our wishes and received three grants in 2024. We’re extremely grateful for the grants, which will help us recruit, mentor and support women in trades.”