Today's AFL-CIO press clips
POLITICS
Joe Biden: The best president labor ever had
Northwest Labor Press
By Don McIntosh
Jan. 16, 2025
As Joe Biden gets ready to leave the White House Jan. 20, one verdict is clear: He kept his often-repeated pledge to be the most pro-union president in U.S. history. For four years, at every level of his administration, he and his appointees went out of their way to support unions and union labor.
LABOR AND TECHNOLOGY
CBS News
By Brandon Downs
Jan. 16, 2025
Thousands of registered nurse members of National Nurses United, including many in Northern California, participated in marches and rallies on Thursday, demanding safe staffing levels and patient safeguards with the introduction of artificial intelligence, the NNU says. More than 100,000 NNU members are entering contract negotiations, saying they "plan to confront industry decisions that undermine patients' health and well-being and fail to address chronic RN recruitment and retention issues – in favor of increasing profits."
Unionized Mission nurses join nationwide push to improve staffing, patient protections
ABC 13 News
By Gracee Mattiace
Jan. 16, 2025
Nurses nationwide are planning to march on Jan. 16 in support of safe staffing levels, break relief and patient protections against A.I. Nurses in Asheville said they plan to rally at 4 p.m. outside of Mission Hospital on Biltmore Avenue. National Nurses United (NNU), Mission Hospital's nurse union, includes nearly 225,000 members nationwide and is the largest and fastest growing union in the U.S. The union currently represents thousands of nurses at HCA facilities nationwide.
ORGANIZING
Stagehands and technicians at Portland’s State Theatre have unionized
WABI 5
By WMTW
Jan. 16, 2025
Nearly three dozen technicians and stagehands at Portland’s State Theatre have unionized. The 35 employees who help the theatre’s shows come to life will join Local 114 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees after winning their National Labor Relations Board election to unionize on Tuesday.
Union movement grows as R.I. resident physicians organize at second hospital system
Boston Globe
By Alexa Gagosz
Jan. 16, 2025
For the second time in less than a month, resident physicians in Rhode Island voted to unionize, calling for an end to doctors in the state being pushed beyond their breaking points without sufficient pay. Nearly 230 resident physicians at Care New England’s facilities — which include Kent, Women and Infants, and Butler hospitals — won their official National Labor Relations Board union elections to join the Committee of Interns and Residents, which represents more than 37,000 interns, residents, and fellows in Massachusetts, Vermont, and eight other states, as well as Washington, D.C.
Workers unionize at Aurora GE Healthcare facility
Axios
By Sam Allard
Jan. 16, 2025
Workers at GE Healthcare's facility in Aurora have voted to join the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM). Why it matters: It's the first new union at GE Healthcare in more than 40 years. State of play: The new bargaining unit will include 130 quality assurance technicians, production associates, and logistics and manufacturing technicians at the facility, which produces coils for MRI machines.
UNION NEGOTIATIONS
Detroit Axle workers OK possible strike with contract expiring next week
Detroit Free Press
By Eric D. Lawrence
Jan. 16, 2025
UAW members at Detroit Axle have voted to OK a strike. The union said in a news release that workers on Wednesday "had voted by a resounding 99% to authorize a strike if necessary." Workers produce front and rear axles as well as transmissions for Daimler Truck, and one of the main issues is pay disparity. Detroit Diesel workers are in the same plant and make $10 more an hour "for the same assembly work," according to a union video, accusing the company of using "divide and conquer" tactics. The workers are represented by UAW Local 163.
Pittsburgh Union Progress
By Pittsburgh Union Progress
Jan. 16, 2025
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to hear an appeal from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in a case in which the company attempted to bar striking union workers from picketing at a South Side newspaper distribution facility. The order leaves in place a July ruling from the state Superior Court denying the Post-Gazette a permanent injunction against picketing at Gateway View Plaza on West Carson Street because the striking workers had a right to be there and the newspaper could not provide evidence that the picketers had broken any laws while they were protesting. Workers from five unions that had been on strike against the Post-Gazette since October 2022 picketed at the facility on distribution nights for months, at times under a heavy police and private security presence. Four of the five unions remain on strike over what they contend are numerous violations of federal labor law by the newspaper.
Providence, Union Set to Re-Enter Negotiations Amid Historic Health Care Worker Strike
Portland Mercury
By Abe Asher
Jan. 15, 2025
The largest health care worker strike in Oregon history is continuing this week, with thousands of Providence nurses and a number of doctors taking to picket lines across the state. Health care workers began their strike on Friday, January 10. They have two central points of contention with Providence: staffing levels and compensation. Providence, a nonprofit, Catholic health care organization, has dealt with several strikes in recent years, including in the summer of 2023 and last summer. This one, however, is notable for several reasons.
New Paterson DPW contract provides 10.5% raises over 4 years
North Jersey
By Joe Malinconico
Jan. 16, 2025
The city’s rank-and-file public works employees are getting cumulative 10.5% pay raises over four years under a labor contract approved by the City Council on Tuesday night. The contract with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 63, Local 2272 provides workers with 2.5% raises for 2023, 2024, and 2025 and 3% for 2026. At present, the minimum salary in Paterson’s DPW is $34,000, with payroll records showing more than 100 people at that pay level. The series of raises would boost those employees’ pay to about $37,700 in 2026.
JOINING TOGETHER
CBS News
By Penny Kmitt
Jan. 16, 2025
Boston Public School teachers held a district-wide walk-in, or information picket, Thursday outside schools across the city amid growing frustrations over contract negotiations. The teachers said they've been working without a contract for 138 days after they expired in August. On Thursday, they demonstrated outside schools and handed out flyers, which did not impact the school days themselves.
Essentia Health and Deer River Workers on Strike Going Back to Bargaining Table
Lakeland PBS
By Lakeland News
Jan. 16, 2025
Essentia Health and the union representing workers on strike at Essentia-Deer River are headed back to the bargaining table. Around 70 workers from the hospital and nursing home who are part of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) have been on strike since December 9th. The Union previously went on a five-day strike in November. Union representative negotiations are set to resume on January 22nd and 23rd. According to a press release from the union, these were the earliest dates that worked for the parties and the mediator from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services.
IN THE STATES
Senate Democrats push for striking worker protections
WTNH
By Mike Cerulli
Jan. 15, 2025
Top Democrats in the State Senate unveiled legislation to expand unemployment benefits to unionized workers who go on strike for more than two weeks. The legislation, which Senate Democratic leaders designated as a priority, also includes provisions to improve warehouse worker conditions. “Workers should not be required to suffer or be under economic pressure that might make them cave to a settlement,” State Sen. Martin Looney, the president of the State Senate, said of the effort to expand unemployment benefits to striking workers. “That’s not fair.”
Deregulation bill would trim licensure, education requirements for Indiana Secretary of Education
Indiana Public Media
By Kirsten Adair
Jan. 16, 2025
Joel Hand represents the American Federation of Teachers Indiana and the Indiana Coalition for Public Education. He said both organizations favor reducing some regulations, but not those concerning the secretary of education. “Having someone lead the state Department of Education without a background in K-12 education is tantamount to the governor appointing a superintendent of State Police who has no prior law enforcement background,” he said.
WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH
Starbucks Workers United claims coffeehouse is requiring LA-area baristas to work amid wildfires
Salon
By Joy Saha
Jan. 15, 2025
Starbucks Workers United — the labor union representing over 11,000 workers at 500 Starbucks stores nationwide — has criticized the coffeehouse chain for requiring Los Angeles-area baristas to come to work amid the recent wildfires throughout the county. “Starbucks workers in LA are being forced to work in areas impacted by the recent wildfires – even where the air quality is unsafe,” the union posted on X. “Management told partners that stores must open because ‘the community depends on us,’ ignoring that some workers had to evacuate their own homes.”
LABOR AND COMMUNITY
How Labor Can Fight Back Against Trump’s Mass Deportation Agenda
Labor Notes
Natascha Elena Uhlmann and Sarah Lazare
Jan. 16, 2025
This is a frightening time for immigrant workers. President-elect Donald Trump ran on the slogan “mass deportations now,” and has appointed a team of anti-immigrant hardliners. The leadership of the Democratic Party has lurched to the right on this issue, adopting Trump’s rhetoric about “securing the border,” and embracing core Republican policies. A bill that would target undocumented people for deportations if they are merely accused—not convicted—of nonviolent crimes like shoplifting passed in the House with bipartisan support. It’s moving forward in the Senate where only eight Democrats opposed its advance.