POLITICS
Building Trades Leader: Any Politician Who Doesn’t Back the PRO Act Shouldn’t Get Labor’s Support
Workday Minnesota
By Mindy Isser
September 9, 2021
On September 1, Jimmy Williams Jr. officially became the president of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT). At 43, he is the youngest president in not only IUPAT’s history, but also within the building trades unions and any major affiliate of the AFL-CIO. Williams has big plans for his tenure: to diversify his union, grow and strengthen the labor movement and, of course, pass the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act — the most sweeping labor legislation since the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA).
LABOR AND ECONOMY
Other People’s Rotten Jobs Are Bad for Them. And for You. (Opinion)
The New York Times
By Terri Gerstein
September 6, 2021
Unionized workers fared much better during the pandemic: unions helped ensure that workers had the protective equipment they needed, paid sick days and more. And now, with vaccination as our national challenge, too many workers worry about not having paid sick days to get the vaccine or deal with side effects; those with adequate paid sick days or dedicated vaccination leave don’t face these barriers. We should care about workers’ rights as a matter of social justice and basic humanity. These powerful and varied ripple effects suggest that everyone — not just low-wage workers or union activists — has skin in the game when we talk about raising the minimum wage or passing paid sick leave laws or making it easier for people to join a union.
Job Report Reveals Spike In Unemployment Rates For Black Americans, Women Sorely Impacted
Yahoo! Life
By Shannon Dawson
September 9, 2021
AFL-CIO chief economist William Spriggs told CNBC that the news was startling. “A lot of people find jobs, but a bigger share of those who went out looking didn’t. So, the Black unemployment rate has been going up because employers are still passing over Black workers,” Spriggs said candidly. “When you look at those numbers, it’s clear employers are saying, ‘We want workers, but not exactly.
JOINING TOGETHER
IATSE Considers Strike as Negotiations with Studios Stall Over Paltry Streaming Rates
Indie Wire
By Jude Dry
September 9, 2021
IATSE, the major labor union for film, theater, and television workers, is mulling a possible strike amid ongoing negotiations with the AMPTP. The union, which represents 150,000 workers across 13 Hollywood locals, released a statement to members Tuesday indicating a vote on a strike could be forthcoming. The union’s major priorities include living wages, reasonable rest (turnaround between shoot days), better meal breaks, and sustainable benefits (e.g. pensions that reflect cost of living increases).
IN THE STATES
Progressive group estimates up to 95K Mainers impacted by end of federal unemployment aid
WABI
By WABI News Desk
September 9, 2021
A progressive group in Maine estimates nearly 95,000 people in our state will be impacted by the expiration of federal unemployment benefits. One organized labor advocate says ending the benefits, which expired on Sept. 4, will be “disastrous” for Mainers relying on those $300 weekly payments.
Andy O’Brien, the communications director for the Maine AFL-CIO, says many aging workers are struggling to find work similar to previous employment. “These people have been applying for hundreds of jobs, many of the people we talk to, and they’re not getting a call back,” O’Brien said.
PRO Act supports Virginia's workers (Opinion)
Richmond Times-Dispatch
By Doris Crouse-Mays
September 10, 2021
This past weekend, thousands of Virginia’s working families safely enjoyed the annual Labor Day holiday with close friends, family and loved ones. Even though many large gatherings were put on hold, the progress made thanks to access to COVID-19 vaccines puts us at a stark contrast to where we were in 2020. But while so much has changed since this time last year, so much remains to be done in order to build a better future for our workers and set Virginia on the path to economic recovery.
WORKPLACE INEQUALITY
How female construction workers fight workplace discrimination
The Christian Science Monitor
By Alexandra Olson
September 9, 2021
The three women shared their stories over Zoom during a Lean In Circle for Tradeswomen, one of 76 launched nationwide and in Canada this year by the North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) and Lean In, the women’s advocacy group started by Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg. About 700 tradeswomen are participating the program, designed to help them navigate persistent bias and harassment on construction sites, from unwanted sexual advances to being assigned lesser duties like traffic control or fire watch.