UPDATED: State AFL-CIO-sponsored flood relief caravan gearing up for Saturday morning departure from Lexington
MUST READ
AFL-CIO’s Redmond: Disenfranchising workers boosts ‘fascist ideology’
People’s World
By Mark Gruenberg
Jan.17, 2023
Disrespect, disenfranchisement and disinheritance of workers—of whatever race, color or creed—produces “a fertile environment” for hate and “fascist ideology.” So said Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in a speech to the AFL-CIO convention in 1961, and that’s still true today, says AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond. Which is a big reason, he told the federation’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. commemorative conference on Jan. 13 that organized labor and the civil rights movement should have united then—labor was reluctant—and must stay united today. Redmond, who chaired the conference, followed his leadership partner, AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler, to the podium. Both were tough on democracy’s foes, though neither specifically identified them by political party or by name.
LABOR AND ECONOMY
Economic data is often misunderstood, hurting Black workers: AFL-CIO chief economist William Spriggs
CNBC
By Sara Lindsay
Jan. 17, 2023
When there’s an economic slowdown, the racial employment gap grows. But mainstream economic data doesn’t always reflect the struggle, according to William Spriggs, Howard University economics professor and chief economist for the AFL-CIO. Following the pandemic, Black unemployment rates fell. Spriggs said this seemingly positive trend came to be for all the wrong reasons, reflecting a lack of participation in the labor force, not an increase in employment. “Blacks were giving up,” he said. ”[They] were saying, ‘There are no jobs. They’re not hiring.’”
JOINING TOGETHER
UIC faculty union goes on strike
Chicago Sun-Times
By Nader Issa
Jan. 17, 2023
Hundreds of faculty at the University of Illinois Chicago hit picket lines across their Near West Side campus Tuesday on the first day of an indefinite strike after nine months of contract negotiations. The UIC Faculty United union announced late Monday that it would proceed with its walkout after a 12-hour bargaining session still didn’t yield enough movement to land a deal. Some classes went on as scheduled in departments not affected by the strike. But many students walked around campus observing picket lines and taking photos, some even joining the picketing.
UPHS-Portage, AFSCME, Agree on Labor Pact
Keweenaw Report
Jan. 16, 2023
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Chapter of Local 226 and UP Health System – Portage today announced that they have reached an agreement on a new contract covering the hospital’s technical employees. The agreement was ratified in a vote by technical employees on Tuesday, January 10, and the new contract goes into effect today. “We worked hard to make sure the contract provides a solid framework to recruit and retain the qualified healthcare professionals that UP Health System – Portage needs. It’s important all technical employees feel valued and supported to ensure the highest level of care is received at their hospital,” said Shawn Kitto, AFSCME representative. “We appreciate the team at UP Health System – Portage and our AFSCME representatives for all their hard work and collaboration during negotiations,” said Paul Stone, AFSCME chapter chair representative.
Deadline
By David Robb
Jan. 17, 2023
Nickelodeon Animation Studios has agreed to voluntarily recognize The Animation Guild, IATSE Local 839, as the bargaining representative for its production workers. Last month, a majority of the 177 production workers there voted to unionize and to seek voluntary recognition. The guild and the studio now will meet at the bargaining table to negotiate a contract. Those covered by a new deal will include production managers, production coordinators, post-production assistants and asset production coordinators. The guild already has a collective bargaining agreement with Nickelodeon that covers more than 400 artists, including CG technicians, storyboard artists, character designers and writers.
Actors' Equity Association Will Celebrate Broadway Swings
Broadway World
By Nicole Rosky
Jan. 17, 2023
Actors' Equity Association, the national labor union representing more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers in live theatre, celebrates its eighth annual Swing Day tomorrow, Wednesday, January 18, 2023, honoring the hard-working performers who go on stage, sometimes at a moment's notice, to cover multiple chorus roles. A swing is a member of the ensemble who learns multiple parts, or tracks, and is on standby to cover for multiple members of the chorus. Depending on the needs of a production, a swing could go on for any number of tracks, including those written for other genders, ages or even more than one track at once. A swing may only learn they are going on moments before a performance begins, or even in the middle of a show. During the pandemic, the availability of understudies, and swings in particular, has at times determined whether or not a show will go on as planned. "Swings exemplify the best of the chorus and have kept the curtain up time and time again," said Al Bundonis, Actors' Equity Association's second vice president (representing the chorus) and chair of the Advisory Committee on Chorus Affairs (ACCA). "We are excited to spend the day celebrating and uplifting swings by acknowledging all the work you do."
REI's Cleveland Workers File to Unionize, Following California and New York Colleagues
City Beat
By Mark Opera
Jan. 17, 2023
Trailing decisions to unionize in Berkeley, California, and New York City's SoHo, workers at Cleveland's REI location made the decision Wednesday to file for union election. The move, which follows roughly one year of deliberation, comes among complaints of "irregular scheduling" and unfair wages during what workers say is REI's largest profit margin in its 84-year history. According to a press release from the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, a "majority" of REI Cleveland's 55 workers leaned towards filing with RWDSU, which represents 100,000 workers across the U.S.
Nickelodeon Voluntarily Recognizes Production Workers Union
The Hollywood Reporter
By Katie Kilkenny
Jan. 17, 2023
The Animation Guild has succeeded in procuring voluntary recognition for a group of unionizing production workers at Nickelodeon Animation Studios. About a month after the IATSE local filed for a National Labor Relations Board election, Nickelodeon has chosen to bypass that process by agreeing to recognize a bargaining unit of 177 workers — including production coordinators, production managers, asset production coordinators and others. This will amount to “the largest bargaining unit of production workers to organize under The Animation Guild” so far, TAG said in its announcement Tuesday. Nickelodeon confirmed the news as well.
IN THE STATES
Campaign reignited to attract workers to North Dakota
Inforum
By Michael Standaert
Jan. 17, 2023
Larson, North Dakota’s AFL-CIO president, is critical of a state funded program that subsidizes businesses hiring practices. Larson argues that to truly attract and retain workers, the state should beef up its workers compensation system, raise the minimum wage to levels comparable to neighboring states, provide paid family leave, subsidize school meals, and push businesses to be more competitive with pay and benefits. president, is critical of a state funded program that subsidizes businesses hiring practices.
INCOME INEQUALITY
Closing the gender pay gap has stalled. A new study reveals why
Quartz
By Cassie Werber
Jan. 12, 2023
Women have historically been paid less than men. But in the US in the 1980s, they began to catch up — fast. During that decade, the gender pay gap closed by about one percentage point a year. Had that trend continued, a new study finds, the gender wage gap would have reached parity by 2017. But the trend didn’t continue, and the gap still hasn’t closed. According to the new study from academics at Harvard and St. Bonaventure University, the stagnation can be put down, perhaps counterintuitively, to the introduction of state and federal family leave policies.