04/05/2024 - 8:30pm
Economy Gains 303,000 Jobs in March; Unemployment Down to 3.8%
The U.S. economy gained 303,000 jobs in March, and the unemployment rate was down slightly, to 3.8%, according to figures released Friday morning by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
March's biggest job gains were in health care (+72,000), leisure and hospitality (+49,000), construction (+39,000), retail trade (+18,000), other services industry (+16,000) and social assistance (+9,000). Employment showed little or no change over the month in other major industries, including mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction; manufacturing; wholesale trade; transportation and warehousing; information; financial activities; and professional and business services.
Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rate for Black Americans (6.4%) increased in March, while the rates for Hispanics (4.5%) and Asian Americans (2.5%) decreased. The jobless rates for teenagers (12.6%), adult women (3.6%), White Americans (3.4%) and adult men (3.3%) showed little or no change over the month.
The number of long-term unemployed workers (those jobless for 27 weeks or longer) was little changed in March and accounted for 19.5% of the total number of people unemployed.
Kenneth Quinnell
Fri, 04/05/2024 - 12:01
04/05/2024 - 2:30pm
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Tillamook Bus Drivers Secure 5-Year Contract
Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our Service & Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
Workers at Tillamook County Transportation District in Oregon unanimously ratified a five-year contract that raises starting wages about 22% over the life of the contract. Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 757 represents 26 workers, including drivers, dispatchers and vehicle maintenance employees. Other benefits include adding Juneteenth as a paid holiday, providing workers with five days of paid bereavement leave and doubling the rate of annual vacation accrual for workers in their first two years on the job.
Kenneth Quinnell
Fri, 04/05/2024 - 10:06
04/04/2024 - 2:00pm
Fighting Back: What Working People Are Doing This Week
Welcome to our regular feature, a look at what the various AFL-CIO unions and other working family organizations are doing across the country and beyond. The labor movement is big and active—here's a look at the broad range of activities we're engaged in this week.
Actors' Equity:
AFGE:
AFSCME:
Alliance for Retired Americans:
Amalgamated Transit Union:
American Federation of Musicians:
American Federation of Teachers:
American Postal Workers Union:
Association of Flight Attendants-CWA:
Boilermakers:
Bricklayers:
Coalition of Labor Union Women:
Communications Workers of America:
Department for Professional Employees:
Electrical Workers:
Heat and Frost Insulators:
04/04/2024 - 2:00pm
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Qantas Airways Aircraft Maintenance Engineers Vote to Join IAM
Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our Service & Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
Qantas Airways aircraft maintenance engineers (AMEs) at Los Angeles International Airport overwhelmingly voted to join the Machinists (IAM). The new unit consists of 150 workers.
“I am grateful in being able to serve to bring respect and honor to those fellow mechanics who have honored and respected an old dog trying to learn new tricks,” said Edward Berg, a Qantas AME and lead inside organizer. “This career and field are new to me, and I’m humbled and proud to be working alongside those who really care about their craft. I hope in the upcoming negotiations that management will see the majority of those mechanics who care about their responsibilities and do right by them.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Thu, 04/04/2024 - 10:01
04/03/2024 - 1:00pm
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Phoenix Passes Landmark Rule Requiring Heat Protection for Outdoor Workers
Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our Service & Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
The Phoenix City Council unanimously passed an ordinance last week that will provide protections from extreme heat for thousands of outdoor workers in the hottest city in the United States.
The rule requires employers to provide workers access to shade from the sun, rest, water and air conditioning as well as training on recognizing signs of heat stress. This will apply to city contractors and their subcontractors who work outdoors, including airport and construction workers. Its passage was aided by a citywide campaign led by members of UNITE HERE Local 11, SEIU’s Airport Workers United, and other labor and community organizations.
Currently, there are no federal standards that protect outdoor workers from extreme heat, making this ordinance game-changing for an issue that is literally life or death. In 2023, heat killed 340 people in Phoenix and 645 people in Maricopa County. Three out of four of those fatalities took place outdoors.
Kenneth Quinnell
Wed, 04/03/2024 - 09:27
04/03/2024 - 1:00pm
Worker Wins: We Deserve Safe Working Conditions
Our latest roundup of worker wins includes numerous examples of working people organizing, bargaining and mobilizing for a better life.
Sega of America Workers Ratify Union Contract, Protecting 150 Employees: Workers at Sega of America have ratified their first collectively bargained contract with the U.S. arm of the multinational video game and entertainment company, setting new standards for the industry. The agreement covers about 150 full-time and temporary employees in a variety of roles, including brand marketing, localization, marketing services, product development, sales and quality assurance (QA). Members of Allied Employees Guild Improving Sega (AEGIS), an affiliate of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), secured important concessions, including base-building raises for all employees, protections against layoffs, a fair grievance process and a commitment to crediting people on games they’ve worked on, including early QA testers, who are often the lowest-paid in the chain of production.
Museum Workers Ratify Deal with MASS MoCA, Ending Weekslong Strike: After holding the picket line for nearly three weeks, unionized workers at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) have successfully ratified a new contract that delivers victories on core member issues. MASS MoCA Union members, who are part of International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) Local 2110, voted to approve the two-year deal Tuesday evening after a unanimous endorsement from the bargaining committee. Wins include an increase in base wages to $18 an hour, a 3.5% across-the-board raise, additional holiday pay—as well as overtime pay for shifts lasting longer than 10 hours—and more.
Medical School Residents at Western Michigan University Vote to Unionize: Over 260 residents and fellow physicians at the Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine (WMed) overwhelmingly voted to form a union as the Resident & Fellow Alliance (RFA), an affiliate of American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Michigan. Medical workers are aiming to create a voice for residents and fellows at WMed in addition to improving patient care, raising salary standards, creating more flexibility in time off and codifying fair educational stipends. Members say that the 60- to 80-hour workweeks they regularly put in aren’t reflected in their pay and that residency programs leave them with few avenues to negotiate over issues such as working conditions. With the union, they’ll have more of a say.
UNITE HERE Members Ratify New Contract with 34 Southern California Hotels: Thousands of Southern California hospitality workers represented by UNITE HERE Local 11 overwhelmingly voted to ratify a new contract containing historic wins after repeated rolling strikes since the summer of 2023. Workers at 34 hotels, who led the largest hotel strike in modern U.S. history, won higher pay, increased employer contributions to pensions, fair workload guarantees, health care protections and more. This includes room attendants, cooks and other nontipped workers at some of Los Angeles’ most high-end properties, such as the Beverly Hilton and the Waldorf Astoria. By the end of this contract, workers will see a 40%–50% increase in wages, with half of the rise being delivered in the first year of the agreement.
California AMC Workers Vote to Unionize with IATSE: Workers at the Universal Cinema AMC at CityWalk Hollywood in Universal City, California, have officially voted to unionize with the Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE). Ushers, cooks, bartenders and all other nonmanagement employees of the theater are part of the new bargaining unit. This victory is the second location of the national theater chain to unionize with IATSE; the first was AMC DINE-IN South Bay Galleria 16 in Redondo Beach, California. Staff first filed for their election at the National Labor Relations Board in February, citing concerns with low wages and unfair scheduling practices.
SAG-AFTRA Members Ratify TV Animation Contracts: In a ratification vote that ended on Friday, SAG-AFTRA members have ratified new three-year television and basic cable animation contracts covering voice actors, with overwhelming support. The new contract provides for 7% wage increases in the first year of the contracts—which will be retroactive to July 1, 2023—and additional increases in the second and third year, establishes Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth as contractual holidays and allows SAG-AFTRA to request up to two meetings a year with companies and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers to ensure performers are paid on time. In terms of artificial Intelligence protections, the deal includes strong language that states a “voice actor” can only refer to humans, grants rights to performers when any digital replica is “recognizable” as them, provides foreign residuals when a voice actor’s work is digitally translated into another language and exhibited, and mandates that producers must negotiate with with the union if they use a synthetic voice instead of a voice actor.
TWU Local Reaches Tentative Agreement with Allegiant Air: Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 577, representing 1,700 flight attendants working for Allegiant Air, announced a tentative agreement last week on a five-year contract. Bargaining began in August 2022 and would be Local 577’s second-ever contract if ratified. The agreement secures wage increases ranging from 20% to 41.2% for members, with an average wage increase of 25%. In addition to pay bumps, workers also would get improvements to contractual pay credits based on the amount of time a flight attendant spends on duty, yearly pay increases of 3% throughout the life of the contract, lump sum bonuses at ratification, health insurance benefits and improved 401(k) match.
Shelf Life Books Becomes First Richmond, Virginia, Bookstore to Form a Union: Workers at a popular new and used bookstore in Richmond, Virginia, have officially joined United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 400. Shelf Life Books staff made history as the first unionized bookstore in the city, with the owners choosing to voluntarily recognize the union after every eligible worker signed authorization cards. Members hope that by joining a union, they’ll be able to strengthen the largest independent bookstore in Richmond and improve their job security amid trends in the bookseller industry as corporate giants like Amazon eat into local businesses.
Nitehawk Cinema Workers in New York Join Union Despite Union-Busting Campaign: After notifying management last month of their intention to organize with the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) Local 2179, workers at Nitehawk Cinema’s Prospect Park location in Brooklyn voted in favor of the union last weekend. Staff at the dine-in theater cited unfair labor practices, unstable pay, harassment and scheduling and safety concerns as core reasons for forming a union. The Nitehawk Workers Union bargaining unit includes full and part-time bartenders, line cooks, food runners, porters and servers. While the Nighthawk owner and management deployed scare tactics, spread misinformation about unions and intimidated staff across departments, workers secured a victory in their election.
AGMA and Dance Theatre of Harlem Announce Unanimous Union Victory for Dancers: After just over a month since coming forward with their intent to organize, dancers at the Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) have won their election to form a union with the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA). The vote was unanimous and DTH management has publicly stated its intention to work in good faith with AGMA to improve the well-being of its dancers and strengthen the industry as a whole. Established in 1969, Dance Theatre of Harlem holds the distinction of being the first Black classical ballet company. While it used to be an AGMA company, DTH closed its doors in 2004 and severed ties with the union. Then, when it resumed operations in 2012, it reopened as nonunion.
Oakland Museum of California Workers Win Voluntary Recognition of Union: The Oakland Museum of California voluntarily recognized OMCA Workers United, an affiliate of AFSCME Council 57 Cultural Workers United and the museum’s first union, last week. Back in February, museum workers first announced their plans to form a union to secure better wages to keep up with Bay Area cost of living, affordable health care and a voice at the institution—specifically to weigh in on how OMCA can better embody values of equity and anti-racism. OMCA Workers United represents a range of staff roles, including preparators, curators, designers, ticketing and retail associates, and program developers.
Oregon Public Broadcasting Workers to Join SAG-AFTRA: Workers at Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) and KMHD Jazz Radio have announced that they will join SAG-AFTRA. The notice was sent to management last week, and staff are asking for voluntary recognition. The unit would include roles like hosts, reporters and digital, audio and video producers who are dedicated to telling important and compelling stories from around the Pacific Northwest and through radio, TV and online media. Both OPB and KMHD have seen immense growth over the past few years, with KMHD solidifying its place as one of the region's most respected jazz stations.
Madison Sourdough Workers Ratify Union Contract That Boosts Pay, Benefits: Workers at Madison Sourdough in Wisconsin, who are affiliated with United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) Local 1473, have ratified their first contract with the bakery, nine months after negotiations launched in June 2023. The agreement, a first-of-its-kind in Madison, Wisconsin, raises base pay and includes guaranteed annual raises, along with paid sick time and other benefits, for around 40 bakers, baristas, dishwashers, cooks and delivery drivers. Additionally, Madison Sourdough Workers United and the bakery have established a joint labor-management safety committee.
Kenneth Quinnell
Wed, 04/03/2024 - 09:34
Tags:
Organizing
04/02/2024 - 1:00pm
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Valley Ford Truck Workers Secure New Contract; End 3-Month Strike
Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our Service & Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
Workers at Valley Ford Truck in Ohio reached a three-year contract, ending a strike that began in mid-December. The contract covers 24 workers who are members of the Machinists (IAM) Local 1363. Most of the workers are automotive, light truck or heavy truck technicians, and they went on strike Dec. 18 over workers’ 401(k) retirement plans and being guaranteed a certain number of weekly work hours. The contract includes pay raises and eliminates a two-tier vacation schedule, among other benefits.
“It was a long battle,” said Robert Towslee, the union’s business representative. “We had a lot of support from our union brothers and sisters. Everybody is glad to have this done. They’re anxious to get back to work and put this in the rearview mirror.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Tue, 04/02/2024 - 10:01
04/02/2024 - 1:00pm
Standing in Solidarity: In the States Roundup
It's time once again to take a look at the ways working people are making progress in the states. Click on any of the links to follow the state federations on X (formerly Twitter).
Alaska AFL-CIO:
California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO:
Colorado AFL-CIO:
Connecticut AFL-CIO:
Florida AFL-CIO:
Georgia State AFL-CIO:
04/01/2024 - 7:00pm
A Pro-Worker Vision: The Working People Weekly List
Every week, we bring you a roundup of the top news and commentary about issues and events important to working families. Here’s the latest edition of the Working People Weekly List.
Organized Labor Is Committed to Building Sustainable Offshore Wind Energy: “Labor leaders presented a pro-worker vision for generating sustainable offshore wind energy along the Southern New England coast at a virtual press conference, on Friday, March 15. This effort unites organized labor, the environmental movement, coastal communities, and elected officials. The press conference was moderated by Patrick Crowley, secretary-treasurer of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO. The national significance of this commitment was highlighted by introductory remarks from Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO. Shuler said that good union jobs, environmental issues, offshore wind energy, and building a renewable energy industry are tied together.”
Residents at WMU’s Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine Vote to Unionize: “By an overwhelming margin, residents at the Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine have voted to form union. Last week, more than 90% of residents who voted, voted in favor of unionizing as the Resident and Fellow Alliance, affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers and the AFL-CIO unions. The union vote still has to be certified by the National Labor Relations Board.”
KCUR Editorial Staffers Begin the Process of Forming a Union. Pay Is a Key Issue: “Editorial staffers at KCUR, the NPR-member station in Kansas City, and its partners have petitioned to organize a union, the second public radio station in Missouri to do so. If successful, KCUR would become the second unionized public radio station in Missouri. The station’s general manager promised a continued focus on ‘trusted journalism and entertainment that is freely accessible to all.’ Members of the union organizing committee said that 70% of eligible staffers, including reporters, producers, on-air hosts, newscasters and audience development specialists, joined the petition to form a collective bargaining unit with the Communication Workers of America.”
Georgia Is Trying to Make It Harder for Workers to Unionize: “Labor has been stirring recently. That’s unacceptable for bosses, who never rest in their attacks on unions. Case in point: a new bill in Georgia that seeks to ensure the unionization process is as difficult for workers and favorable to bosses as possible. The Georgia legislation passed in the state Senate last month 31-23 and in the House on Wednesday 96-78, in votes that fell almost entirely along party lines, with Republicans backing the bill. It’s sure to face legal challenges for violating the NLRA’s protection of workers’ right to voluntary recognition. As American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) president Liz Shuler said of the bill, it ‘violat[es] long-held precedent established by the NLRA.’ Only 4.4% of workers in Georgia are unionized, the eighth-lowest union density in the United States. The bill is ‘a solution in search of a problem,’ James Williams of the Georgia AFL-CIO said.”
After Warrior Met Coal Strike, Miners’ Union, AFL-CIO Urge Reforms from Stockholders: “The union that organized the longest strike in Alabama history, along with the AFL-CIO, is urging stockholders of Warrior Met Coal to support a package of proposals it says would eliminate some of the conditions that resulted in the strike. The United Mine Workers of America today announced the slate of proposals for the company’s April 25 shareholders meeting. ‘In our view, Warrior Met’s poor labor relations have cost the company’s stockholders and coal miners dearly while its management has been insulated from these costs,’ UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts said. ‘Having an entrenched corporate management is never a good thing for the sustainable financial performance of a company,’ Carin Zelenko, Director of Capital Strategies for the AFL-CIO. ‘Our stockholder proposals seek to better align the interests of Warrior Met’s management with the long-term interests of the company, its investors, and employees.’”
Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su on the Worker Movement 113 Years After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire: “The fire spread quickly. On that Saturday in March of 1911, black smoke billowed out of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory near Washington Square Park in New York City. The panicked workers inside, many of them young immigrant women and some as young as fourteen, cried out for help and tried to flee, but they found locked exit doors and broken fire escapes. So they climbed out of the windows and onto the ledges of the building, jumping to their deaths to be spared from the engulfing flames. Soon, hundreds of bystanders looked up in horror and began hearing thud after thud of bodies hitting the street below. Among the bystanders was a young woman named Frances Perkins. Today, we know her as the first woman to serve as United States Labor Secretary—the first woman to serve in the Cabinet of any U.S. President—and she is widely regarded as the most consequential leader to ever hold the post. This Women’s History Month, I’m reflecting on Frances Perkins’ legacy and how she turned the unheard voices of those immigrant women into a call to action.”
AFL-CIO, Building Trades Hail EPA’s Asbestos Ban: “AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler, an Electrical Worker, hailed the ban as ‘a landmark protection for workers, banning and phasing out all current uses and imports of chrysotile asbestos, and eliminating these exposures in workplaces and throughout the supply chain.’ But both Shuler and Building Trades Unions President Sean McGarvey also urged EPA to pursue bans on exposure to ‘legacy’ asbestos which endangers workers rehabbing old schools, factories, homes, and businesses. This ban ‘does not eliminate all types of asbestos fibers and is only the first half of the EPA’s plans to address worker asbestos exposures,’ Shuler warned. Firefighters, construction workers, and factory workers are still ‘exposed to ‘legacy’ asbestos throughout our old buildings and infrastructure. We urge the EPA to move swiftly to address those risks.’”
White House Hosts Women's History Month Labor Roundtable: “This week, Trade Representative Katherine Tai, Director of the White House Gender Policy Council Jennifer Klein, Deputy Undersecretary of International Labor Affairs Thea Lee, Deputy Assistant to the President Samantha Silverberg and the White House Office of Public Engagement hosted a group of women labor leaders and organizers at the White House. The event, held in partnership with the AFL-CIO and moderated by White House Senior Labor Advisor Erika Dinkel-Smith, was a celebration of women in labor in honor of Women's History Month and highlighted how the Biden-Harris Administration is putting women and girls at the heart of the Administration's economic agenda, and promoting and defending women workers' rights both domestically and abroad. Participants included AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler, AFL-CIO State Federation and Central Labor Council leaders, as well as young women organizers on the front lines of organizing new workplaces and expanding the benefits of unionization to women in their states. Collectively, attendees represented union members in the 14 states they represent.”
Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff Joins Labor Leaders in Denver for Roundtable Discussion: “Second gentleman Doug Emhoff sat down with local union leaders in Denver on Thursday to talk about the Biden-Harris campaign’s continued support of union work. Union leaders from the Service Employees International Union Local 105, the Colorado Education Association, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, and others sat down with Emhoff to ask questions about labor at a roundtable hosted by the Colorado Democratic Party. The national organizations for both SEIU and AFSCME endorsed Biden last year. ‘We are making the case to everyone that the Biden-Harris administration has delivered for the American people, including folks in labor,’ Emhoff said.”
National Labor Leader Pushes Apprenticeship Programs, Unionism in Pittsburgh Visit: “When it came time to choose a career, it didn’t take Rick Pireaux long to decide. With three previous generations of his family serving as iron workers, it was only natural that he would follow that tradition. Now, as an apprentice instructor for Iron Workers Local 3 in Pittsburgh’s Strip District, his role is to persuade others to follow that same path. Pireaux and others led tours of the union training facility Thursday as part of a national effort by Sean McGarvey, president of North America’s Building Trades Unions, to spread the word about the value of union labor. McGarvey joined a group of elected officials and labor leaders who spoke at a program after the tour to encourage more workers to apply for apprenticeships in the building trades.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Mon, 04/01/2024 - 10:21
04/01/2024 - 7:00pm
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Universal City AMC Workers Vote to Join IATSE
Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our Service & Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
Workers at the Universal Cinema AMC at CityWalk Hollywood voted to join the Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE). A majority of 37 employees voted in favor of joining IATSE and six voted against. Ushers, cooks, bartenders and all other non-management employees of the theater are part of the group that is set to join IATSE, and the workers are primarily concerned with wages and scheduling issues.
“We are incredibly happy that the workers at the AMC Citywalk theater banded together to join IATSE with an 86 percent majority yes vote in the recent union election,” Universal Cinema AMC crewmembers Savannah Copeland and Maria Lubanovic said in a statement. “These past few months have shown how dedicated the crewmembers are not only to improve the workplace for themselves, but for everyone around them. It is truly inspiring to see how much they care for each other.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Mon, 04/01/2024 - 10:02
Tags:
Organizing
