Today's AFL-CIO press clips

POLITICS
Punching In: Chavez-DeRemer’s Early Calendar Full of Industry
Bloomberg Law
By Rebecca Rainey and Robert Iafolla
June 2, 2025
Lori Chavez-DeRemer’s first two months as labor secretary were packed with at least 29 meetings with business leaders and trade associations, 16 with unions and worker advocates, and at least five road trips, according to a review of her public schedule. The labor secretary’s calendars for March and April, which were released last week, included meetings with United Parcel Service CEO Carol Tomé, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler, and the National Employment Law Project.
US court won't lift judge's block on Trump's government overhaul
Reuters
By Daniel Wiessner and Tom Hals
May 30, 2025
A U.S. appeals court on Friday refused to allow President Donald Trump's administration to carry out mass layoffs of federal workers and a restructuring of agencies, leaving a lower court order in place that blocked the sweeping government overhaul. The decision by the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals means that, for now, the Trump administration cannot proceed with plans to shed tens of thousands of federal jobs and shutter many government offices and programs.
Appeals court keeps block on Trump administration’s downsizing of the federal workforce
AP
By Janie Har
May 30, 2025
An appeals court on Friday refused to freeze a California-based judge’s order halting the Trump administration from downsizing the federal workforce, which means that the Department of Government Efficiency-led cuts remain on pause for now. A split three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals found that the downsizing could have significant ripple effects on everything from the nation’s food-safety system to veteran health care, and should stay on hold while a lawsuit plays out.
9th Circuit Rules Trump Order for Mass Firings 'Far Exceeds' Constitutional Authority
Common Dreams
By Jon Queally
May 31, 2025
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday night kept in place a block on President Donald Trump's efforts for massive firings and agency restructuring across the federal government, saying a far-reaching executive order signed in February went way beyond his constitutional authority and that the potential harm caused by the terminations warrants the hold while legal challenges continue to play out in the courts. "The Executive Order at issue here far exceeds the President's supervisory powers under the Constitution," the appeals court wrote in its 2-1 decision.
Trump's sweeping tax-cut bill includes provision to weaken court powers
Reuters
By Tom Hals
May 30, 2025
The sweeping tax-and-spending bill that would enact President Donald Trump's policy agenda includes a provision that critics said would weaken the power of U.S. judges to enforce contempt when the government defies court orders. The one-sentence provision in the 1,100-page bill prevents federal courts, including the Supreme Court, from enforcing contempt orders unless the plaintiffs have posted a monetary bond, which rarely happens in cases against the government.
White House Unveils New Details of Stark Budget Cuts
The New York Times
By Tony Romm
May 30, 2025
The Trump administration on Friday unveiled fuller details of its proposal to slash about $163 billion in federal spending next fiscal year, offering a more intricate glimpse into the vast array of education, health, housing and labor programs that would be hit by the deepest cuts. The many spending reductions throughout the roughly 1,220-page document and agency blueprints underscored President Trump’s desire to foster a vast transformation in Washington. His budget seeks to reduce the size of government and its reach into Americans lives, including services to the poor.
Defending Medicaid Cuts, Ernst Tells Iowans, ‘We All Are Going to Die’
The New York Times
By Annie Karni
May 30, 2025
Senator Joni Ernst, Republican of Iowa, had a gloomy message for constituents at a town hall in Butler County, Iowa, on Friday morning: “We all are going to die.” Ms. Ernst was fielding questions about cuts to Medicaid that were included in the domestic policy bill working its way through Congress, when someone in the audience yelled out that the effect would be that “people are going to die.” “Well, we all are going to die,” Ms. Ernst responded, drawing jeers from the crowd. Ms. Ernst appeared taken aback by the negative response.
Trump will hold a rally at U.S. Steel as investors seek clarity on Nippon deal. Here's what we know
NBC4
By Spencer Kimball
May 30, 2025
The United Steelworkers, which originally opposed the deal, has said the union "cannot speculate about the impact" of Trump's announcement "without more information." "Our concern remains that Nippon, a foreign corporation with a long and proven track record of violating our trade laws, will further erode domestic steelmaking capacity and jeopardize thousands of good, union jobs," USW President David McCall said in a statement.
Steel workers and USW react to President Trump's speech at US Steel in western Pennsylvania
WTAE
By Yazmin Rodriguez
May 30, 2025
In a statement, USW International President David McCall said that they had not participated in discussions involving U.S Steel, Nippon Steel and the Trump administration. “Whatever the deal structure, our primary concern remains with the impact that this merger of U.S. Steel into a foreign competitor will have on national security, our members and the communities where we live and work," McCall said in the statement.
Trump cuts threaten safety training for America’s most dangerous jobs
Reuters
By Leah Douglas
June 1, 2025
The Trump administration on April 1 terminated about 875 of the roughly 1,000 employees at NIOSH, including most of the staff who provide technical advice and support to a dozen Centers for Agricultural Safety and Health focused on fishing, farming and logging workers. Although Trump this month reinstated about 300 NIOSH employees, they do not include the office overseeing the centers, according to data compiled by government worker unions seen by Reuters. Reuters spoke to staff at seven of the centers who described preparations to close down when their current funding cycles run out in the coming months.
How Trump’s Regulatory Rollbacks Are Increasing Costs on Americans
The New York Times
By Coral Davenport and Stacy Cowley
May 30, 2025
But many of those regulatory reversals will actually pile more costs on to individual Americans in the form of higher bank fees, electric and water bills, and health insurance payments, according to experts and government analyses. The New York Times examined 10 of the largest claims on the leaderboard and concluded that several did not show evidence of savings to households.
Elon Musk’s stint in government has been an abject failure — and wildly destructive
MSNBC
By Chris Hayes
May 30, 2025
That same article also quotes the general counsel for the American Federation of Government Employees as saying, “We kicked him out of town … If he had stayed in the shadows and done his stuff, who knows how bad it would have been? But no one likes the guy.” “No one likes the guy” might be the best summation of Musk’s foray into American politics I’ve encountered.
Reno VA workers to rally Friday against federal workforce cuts
News4
By News 4 & Fox 11 Digital Staff
May 30, 2025
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 2152, representing Department of Veterans Affairs employees in Reno, is organizing a rally on Friday to protest what they describe as 'attacks on the federal workforce.' The union claims that since President Trump's inauguration, federal workers have faced disrespect and degradation from both Elon Musk and the Trump administration.
Trump administration to prioritize ‘patriotic Americans’ for federal jobs
Politico
By Robin Bravender
May 30, 2025
As President Donald Trump moves to slash the size of the federal workforce, his administration unveiled a plan to ensure that any new hires are “patriotic Americans” who vow to advance the president’s policy priorities. The White House and the agency that serves as the government’s human resources arm Thursday released directives for departments to use when recruiting employees in a memo that represents a dramatic shift in federal hiring procedures. The administration’s “merit hiring plan” comes after Trump ordered a revamp to the federal hiring process on his first day in office. The resulting plan issued this week says it aims to ensure that “only the most talented, capable and patriotic Americans” are hired by the government.
CBS News
By Melissa Quinn
May 30, 2025
President Trump praised Elon Musk for his work through the White House's Department of Government Efficiency as the billionaire's tenure as a "special government employee" comes to an end, saying his work "has been without comparison in modern history." "He's one of the greatest business leaders and innovators the world has ever produced," the president said, with Musk standing next to him. "He stepped forward to put his very great talents into the service of our nation, and we appreciate it."
UMWA reacts to preserving MHSA field offices
WV Metro News
By Mike Nolting
May 30, 2025
“The idea that anyone would even consider shuttering dozens of MSHA field offices, most of which are located in remote mining communities, shows a fundamental misunderstanding of what it takes to keep miners safe,” UMWA President Cecil Roberts said in a Friday news release. “We’ve said from day one that cutting these offices would compromise inspectors’ ability to respond quickly to accidents, enforce safety regulations, and protect the lives of our members and their coworkers.” Roberts said this should have never happened. “Mine safety is not something you experiment with,” Roberts said. “We cannot afford policies that gamble with miners’ lives just to see if the system holds. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed — but it should never have taken public outcry to get here.”
Trump takes ‘wrecking ball’ to workers’ rights amid global ‘freefall’, new report says
The Guardian
By Michael Sainato
June 1, 2025
Workers’ rights across every continent in the world are in a “freefall”, according to the 2025 Global Rights Index released by the International Trade Union Confederation, the largest trade union federation in the world. The index noted workers’ rights and democracy around the world are often under attack by “far-right politicians and their unelected billionaire backers. Whether it’s Donald Trump and Elon Musk in the US or Javier Milei and Eduardo Eurnekian in Argentina, we see the same playbook of unfairness and authoritarianism in action around the world.”
Job Corps offices in Oregon face uncertain future after Trump administration pauses program
KGW8
By Devon Haskins
May 30, 2025
The U.S. Department of Labor has announced it will pause operations at all contractor-run Job Corps centers across the country by June 30 — including Oregon's Tongue Point center in Astoria and Springdale center in Troutdale, along with its downtown Portland satellite campus. The decision comes amid financial concerns and criticism over the federal program’s effectiveness. But students and staff at Tongue Point said the move could leave hundreds of young people without support, housing or a clear path forward.
IMMIGRATION
Unions representing Harvard workers fear Trump’s ‘authoritarian turn’
The Guardian
By Michael Sainato
May 30, 2025
“The Trump’s administration’s threat to international scholars is a huge attack on thousands of UAW-represented workers on Harvard’s campus. We are seeing escalations against immigrant workers across the country and this is no different,” said the director of the United Auto Workers Region 9A, Brandon Mancilla. “The labor movement must see these attacks as what they are – an attempt to divide workers and create false enemies in a time of rampant corporate greed.”
US Supreme Court lets Trump revoke humanitarian legal status for migrants
Reuters
By Andrew Chung
May 30, 2025
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday let President Donald Trump's administration revoke the temporary legal status of hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan, Cuban, Haitian and Nicaraguan migrants living in the United States, bolstering the Republican president's drive to step up deportations. The court put on hold Boston-based U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani's order halting the administration's move to end the immigration "parole" granted to 532,000 of these migrants by Trump's predecessor Joe Biden, potentially exposing many of them to rapid removal, while the case plays out in lower courts.
Supreme Court says Trump for now can revoke ‘immigration parole’ for 530K migrants
The Washington Post
By Justin Jouvenal, Christine Armario and Maria Sacchetti
May 30, 2025
A divided Supreme Court on Friday cleared the way, for now, for the Trump administration to revoke the provisional legal status of potentially hundreds of thousands of immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela who have been allowed to live and work in the United States while their immigration cases play out. Officials said Friday’s decision on “immigration parole” could affect about 530,000 migrants, though many of them may have obtained another legal status in the United States. Cubans, for instance, are eligible to apply for permanent residency and a path to citizenship under a 1966 federal law.
Supreme Court Allows Trump Administration, for Now, to End Biden-Era Migrant Program
The New York Times
By Abbie VanSickle and Adam Liptak
May 30, 2025
The Supreme Court on Friday allowed the Trump administration, for now, to revoke a Biden-era humanitarian program intended to give temporary residency to more than 500,000 immigrants from countries facing war and political turmoil. The court’s order was unsigned and provided no reasoning, which is typical when the justices rule on emergency applications. It granted a request that will allow the administration to act even as an appeals court considers the case and, potentially, the justices review it again.
TRADE
Trump Pledges to Double Tariffs on Foreign Steel and Aluminum to 50%
The New York Times
By Zolan Kanno-YoungsAlan RappeportAna Swanson and Lauren Hirsch
May 30, 2025
“Whatever the deal structure, our primary concern remains with the impact that this merger of U.S. Steel into a foreign competitor will have on national security, our members and the communities where we live and work,” said David McCall, president of the United Steelworkers union.
Trump says U.S. will double steel tariffs to 50%
NBC News
By Spencer Kimball
May 30, 2025
The United Steelworkers, which originally opposed the deal, has said the union “cannot speculate about the impact” of Trump’s announcement “without more information.” “Our concern remains that Nippon, a foreign corporation with a long and proven track record of violating our trade laws, will further erode domestic steelmaking capacity and jeopardize thousands of good, union jobs,” USW President David McCall said in a statement.
Trump tells U.S. steelworkers he’s going to double tariffs on foreign steel to 50%
Los Angeles Times
By Michelle L. Price, Marc Levy and Darlene Superville
May 30, 2025
The United Steelworkers union remained skeptical. Its president, David McCall, said in a statement that the union is most concerned “with the impact that this merger of U.S. Steel into a foreign competitor will have on national security, our members and the communities where we live and work.”
Trump Aides Insist That Tariffs Will Remain, Even After Court Ruling
The New York Times
By Tony Romm and Alan Rappeport
June 1, 2025
President Trump’s top economic advisers stressed on Sunday that they would not be deterred by a recent court decision that declared many of the administration’s tariffs to be illegal, as they pointed out a variety of additional authorities that the White House could invoke as it looks to pressure China and others into negotiations. They also signaled that Mr. Trump had no plans to extend an original 90-day pause on some of his steepest tariff rates, raising the odds that those duties — the mere announcement of which had roiled markets — could take effect as planned in July.
NLRB
NLRB Plans to Cut Staffers, Save Money Without Mass Layoffs
Bloomberg Law
By Robert Iafolla and Parker Purifoy
May 30, 2025
The National Labor Relations Board said it will lose nearly 100 employees in the next fiscal year through buyouts and voluntary early retirements, according to the agency’s budget plan. The NLRB said in its fiscal year 2026 budget justification released Friday that the personnel reductions—which will bring the total staff to 1,152—will save the agency $17.5 million. Overall, the NLRB asked Congress for $285.2 million, a 4.7% reduction from current funding levels.
Ms. Magazine
By Sheree L. Williams and Eleanor Wesley
May 30, 3035
In 2023, labor lawyer Gwynne Wilcox—whose union-side advocacy career has spanned decades—shattered two barriers: becoming the first Black woman seated on the National Labor Relations Board and, soon after, its chair. Confirmed by the Senate for a five-year term, Wilcox joined the 90-year-old agency with a mandate to defend collective bargaining rights and safeguard the board’s institutional independence.
Philadelphia workers at Whole Foods voted for a union. This Trump firing brings a new challenge.
The Philadelphia Inquirer
By Ariana Perez-Castells
May 30, 2025
Months after Whole Foods workers voted to unionize at one of the company’s Philadelphia locations, those efforts could be at a standstill indefinitely. The Amazon-owned company has challenged the January union election‘s validity and is taking its next appeal to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), which does not currently have enough members to issue rulings. “Whole Foods is trying to drag their feet and act like the union does not exist,” said Ben Lovett of the store’s prepared foods department. “They want to throw out the results of our election, where we got a clear majority of support, and they are just doing everything they can to not negotiate with their workers.”
ORGANIZING
McLaren nurses to vote on joining union
The Daily Tribune
By Anne Runkle
May 31, 2025
Registered nurses at McLaren Oakland Hospital in Pontiac and McLaren emergency departments in Oxford and Clarkston will vote next month on whether to join the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union. About 250 nurses will vote on June 25-26.
Abrams Books, Abrams ComicArts Employees Vote in Favor of Union
Anime News Network
By Adriana Hazra
May 31, 2025
ICv2 reported on Monday that employees at Abrams Books and its manga- and comic book-focused division Abrams ComicArts have voted to unionize with an 88% vote for the union. The new union is part of UAW Local 2110. The voting took place from April 30 to May 21 and follows multiple rounds of layoffs and health benefit cuts at the company. The UAW Local 2110 represents over 3,000 workers in publishing as well as universities, museums, and law firms.
Primary Care Physicians at Mass General Brigham Vote to Unionize Amid Representation Dispute
The Harvard Crimson
By Amann S. Mahajan
June 1, 2025
Primary care physicians at Mass General Brigham voted overwhelmingly in favor of forming a union on Friday amid a dispute with the hospital system over their bargaining unit’s size. Of the 237 eligible physicians, 209 participated in the mail-in election earlier this month, with 88 percent of voters in favor of unionization. If certified, the union — representing all full-time, part-time, and per diem primary care physicians at Mass General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital — will join the Doctors Council, an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union.
UNION NEGOTIATIONS
Microsoft Reaches an Agreement for First US Union Contract
Bloomberg
By Josh Eidelson
May 30, 2025
Microsoft Corp. and the Communications Workers of America reached a tentative labor agreement covering around 300 quality-assurance staff at the company’s ZeniMax video-game subsidiary, the union said Friday. The agreement follows almost two years of negotiations and would represent Microsoft’s first US union contract. ZeniMax is the studio behind popular games including The Elder Scrolls and Fallout.
Video Game Union Reaches Deal on Industry-First Contract at Microsoft
The New York Times
By Karen Weise
May 30, 2025
A union representing 300 video game workers at Microsoft said on Friday that it had reached a tentative agreement with the tech company on the terms of the first union contract in the gaming industry. The Communications Workers of America, which represents the workers, announced the contract covering quality assurance employees at ZeniMax. The gaming publisher, which Microsoft bought for $7.5 billion in a deal that closed in 2021, makes blockbuster titles including The Elder Scrolls, Fallout and Doom.
After Strike Threat, Video Game Workers and Microsoft-Owned ZeniMax Media Reach Tentative Agreement
The Hollywood Reporter
By Katie Kilkenny
May 30, 2025
Microsoft-owned ZeniMax Media and a union representing hundreds of its workers have reached a tentative agreement on a first labor contract. The process to get there was long and wasn’t without drama, given that just one month before, union members aligned with the Communications Workers of America overwhelmingly authorized a strike in a bid to push through some additional gains at a turbulent time in the video game industry.
Still on strike in Oshkosh, UAW members are set to vote on Cummins' latest proposal June 2
Oshkosh Northwestern
By Justin Marville
May 30, 2025
Cummins and the United Auto Workers union could be nearing a resolution. More than two months after walking off the job, 85 UAW Local 291 members are set to vote June 2 whether to accept Cummins’ latest offer and return to work at the manufacturing plant at 1005 High Ave. UAW Local 291 President Ryan Compton confirmed the news with the Oshkosh Northwestern following two days of negotiations with a Cummins team May 28-29.
KOAA
By Tony Keith
May 30, 2025
United Food and Commercial Workers International Union Local 7 is continuing a battle between Safeway and King Soopers in Colorado. Friday and Saturday night, union members at Safeway stores in Pueblo, Fountain and other parts of Colorado are scheduled to take part in a strike vote. If approved, the union has to give a 72-hour notice before striking, meaning one could occur as early as next week.
Nurses at N.J. hospital say they will strike in 10 days if no settlement is reached
NJ.com
By Jackie Roman
May 30, 2025
Nurses at Southern Ocean Medical Center in Manahawkin say they are ready to go on strike in 10 days if they can’t reach an agreement over staffing levels in a new contract with Hackensack Meridian Health. An overwhelming majority of the hospital’s 350 nurses, 98%, authorized the strike in an April vote, according to the Health Professionals and Allied Employees union, Local 5138 website.
Nursing strike at Madison's UnityPoint Health-Meriter ends in tentative agreement
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
By Claudia Levens
May 31, 2025
A four-day strike at Madison's UnityPoint Health-Meriter Hospital where hundreds of nurses have been asking for safer working conditions is ending in a tentative agreement between the hospital and SEIU Wisconsin, which represents 934 Meriter nurses, according to a May 31 announcement from the labor union.
UnityPoint Health-Meriter reach a tentative agreement with SEIU Wisconsin, ending 5-day strike
WKOW
By Lucas Kihmm
May 31, 2025
UnityPoint Health-Meriter has announced that they have reached a tentative agreement with SEIU Wisconsin, through the assistance of a mediator, according to a press release. UnityPoint-Meriter says emphasized it being a tentative agreement and is subject to a vote by union members for ratification. The tentative agreement comes on day 5 of their strike period.
Inside United’s ‘Game-Changing’ Flight Attendant Deal: Raises, Retro Pay, and Hotel Upgrades
PYOK
By Mateusz Maszczynski
May 31, 2025
Regional leaders of the United Airlines flight attendant union have unanimously voted to endorse a ‘historic’ new tentative bargaining agreement following two days of in-depth meetings to scrutinize the deal and decide whether it was good enough to put to a formal vote of 28,000 members. While many details of the agreement remain a closely guarded secret until Tuesday, the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA) has now given us more of an indication of what the “industry-leading” contract will include–and what it won’t include.
Employees strike at Hilton Sacramento Arden West hotel over housekeeper workload
The Sacramento Bee
By Sean Campbell
May 31, 2025
Workers at the Hilton Sacramento Arden West went on strike Saturday to protest housekeeper workload, which the union’s local chapter president said is higher than any other unionized hotel in Sacramento. Unite Here Local 49 President Aamir Deen said he didn’t know of any unionized workers that did not participate in the strike from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m., but he said the hotel remained open as managerial employees tried to fill the gaps with temporary workers or staff from other hotels.
STATE LEGISLATION
Lawmakers offer 2 incomplete pitches for public transit and funding reform
Capitol News Illinois
By Andrew Adams and Ben Szalinski
May 29, 2025
The bills drew immediate opposition from several important groups in Springfield, including leaders of organized labor. In a House committee Thursday morning, AFL-CIO President Tim Drea said the House version’s lack of a funding mechanism was a concern. “We want reforms and funding to go hand in hand,” Drea said, noting that his organization is also opposed to the Senate’s specific funding proposals. Many representatives of organized labor were also unhappy with the revenue-raising mechanisms proposed in the Senate.
CT approves unemployment benefits for strikers; veto expected
CT Mirror
By Mark Pazniokas
May 30, 2025
Ed Hawthorne, the president of the Connecticut AFL-CIO, said the labor federation still hoped Lamont might reconsider his veto, but the passage by the General Assembly would be significant nonetheless as unions look for ways to show influence in a difficult time for labor. “In Connecticut, we need to lead. And, you know, the labor movement in Connecticut is strong, and we need to show the rest of the nation what you know our values are,” Hawthorne said.
IN THE STATES
‘It makes me feel very worried’: Layoff notices sent to select state workers this weekend
KSTP
By Alex Jokich
May 30, 2025
Bracing for potential government shutdown, layoffs notices going out
Layoff notices will start going out to some state workers this weekend, as key budget bills have yet to be passed and signed into law. Lawmakers hoped to have the budget finalized by June 1st to avoid triggering those notices, but as of Friday afternoon, there is still no date set for a special session. If a budget is not finished by June 30th, non-essential government services would shut down on July 1and layoffs would begin. A “layoff” in this circumstance means workers would go unpaid until the budget is signed; it is not a termination of employment.
APPRENTICESHIPS & TRAINING
Building a Future One Brick at a Time at BOCES - Seniors Signing on with Masonry Union
The Mountain Eagle
By The Mountain Eagle
May 30, 2025
A Capital Region BOCES senior is laying the foundation for future success by joining the Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers (BAC) Local 2 Union. Cailyn Kennedy is joining the union thanks to the training she received – and connections she made – at the Career and Technical Education Center. “I am excited. I really like brick work,” said Kennedy, a Mohonasen student who attends the Building Trades program on the Albany Campus. Building Trades and Heavy Equipment Repair and Operation students on both campuses each year complete masonry units thanks to the Upstate Masonry Institute and BAC.
CIVIL, HUMAN, & WOMEN’S RIGHTS
Discrimination cases unravel as Trump scraps core civil rights tenet
The Washington Post
By Julian Mark and Laura Meckler
June 1, 2025
For decades, the federal government has used data analysis to ferret out race and sex discrimination, winning court cases and reaching settlements in housing, education, policing and across American life. Now the Trump administration is working to unwind those same cases. In recent weeks, the Justice Department backed out of an agreement with an Atlanta bank accused of systematically discouraging Black and Latino home buyers from applying for loans. The Education Department terminated an agreement with a South Dakota school district where Native American students were disciplined at higher rates than their White peers. And federal prosecutors have dropped several racial discrimination reform agreements involving state and local police departments — including that of Minneapolis, where George Floyd was murdered by an officer in 2020.
UNION BUSTING
Union organizer fired at East Liberty reproductive health center
Pittsburgh Union Progress
By Steve Mellon
June 1, 2025
The movement to unionize workers at one of the region’s few abortion care providers took a dark turn last week when managers at Allegheny Reproductive Health Center in East Liberty fired one of the employees involved in the organizing effort and issued written reprimands to several others. Workers announced two weeks ago that more than 80% of the center’s nonmanagement employees had voted to join the Office and Professional Employees International Union as Local 98. The workers gave management a deadline of Friday, May 23, to respond. That deadline passed with no response. Colby Bell, a counselor at the center and one of the union organizers, was fired the following Tuesday.
Nursing home workers say company fired employees who picketed
The Detroit News
By Max Reinhart
May 31, 2025
Workers at five nursing homes in Metro Detroit are filing complaints against the state's largest nursing home operator, claiming management threatened employees who considered participating in a one-day strike and then firing workers who picketed. The union representing the employees, Service Employees International Union Health Care Michigan (SEIU HCMI), said workers at several Ciena facilities have been without a contract for several months amid ongoing negotiations. The workers, including nursing assistants and staff who provide housekeeping, dietary, activities, and maintenance services, allege that Ciena's actions violate the National Labor Relations Act.