A Long and Lasting Relationship: 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.

MU Librarians Vote to Join LIUNA 955: “Librarians at the University of Missouri voted to join LiUNA Local 955, a union that represents a number of public employees in the Mid-Missouri area. LiUNA announced in a Thursday social media post that library workers voted to join the union. Workers had announced their intent to unionize in December. MU librarian Taira Meadowcroft said the preliminary results came in on Thursday and that it will take a few days to certify.”

Capital Times Agrees to Recognize Reporters Union: “The Capital Times Co. agreed Thursday to voluntarily recognize a union formed by its reporters. As a result of the company’s decision, the eight staff reporters agreed to withdraw a petition for an election submitted to the National Labor Relations Board. The reporters, organized as the Cap Times News Guild, presented the petition to their managers April 30. They had already filed the petition with the federal labor board at that point, but in a letter to managers the reporters wrote that they preferred to ‘build a long and lasting relationship with the company’ and would withdraw the document if recognized before an election would take place.”

Strip Casino Reaches New Deal with More Than 100 Union Workers: “More than 100 workers at a Strip megaresort secured a new, multi-year labor deal, the employees’ union announced Thursday. Members of International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 501 working at The Cosmopolitan hotel-casino voted to ratify their second union contract with the property, according to a news release. The agreement, which covers engineers, support engineers and laborers, will expire in 2029. The union had been negotiating with The Cosmopolitan since January.”

Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 562, Glaziers Local 513 Volunteers Partner with Rebuilding Together to Help Needy St. Louis Homeowners: “Volunteers with Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 562 and Glaziers Local 513 spent their day April 25, repairing and updating plumbing, installing water heaters and repairing and replacing windows for those less fortunate, marking 31 years of partnership with Rebuilding Together-St. Louis. ‘This morning is about a lot of things, but it’s 100% about the homeowners we’re going to, the life they live, where they are in their life and how we’re going to change their life today,’ Local 562 Business Manager/Secretary-Treasurer John O’Mara told the huge group volunteers who turned out to help at Local 562’s offices and training center in Earth City, Mo.”

Dover Council Approves Firefighter Contract, TIF Changes: “Dover City Council suspended the rules to approve Emergency Ordinance 18-26 at its May 4 meeting, finalizing a contract with the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 324, AFL-CIO, which represents Dover Fire Department personnel. The contract covers Feb. 16, 2026, through Feb. 16, 2029. Firefighters will receive a $2 raise in the first year, a 3% increase in the second year and a $1.10 raise in the third year.”

Bulletin, Union Agree on Labor Contract: “The Bulletin and its employees who are members of the Pacific Northwest Newspaper Guild agreed on a three-year labor contract Friday. The negotiation between the company and the union took nearly two years to complete. But reporters, photographers and news assistants at the Bulletin and Redmond Spokesman now have their first union contract. It became official on Friday. Like most union contracts, the biggest hurdle was finding a middle ground on the economic package, including wages, according to Bulletin management.”

Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 05/11/2026 - 11:19

Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Profiles: Andy Misiluti

For Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, AFL-CIO is spotlighting various Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders who have worked and continue to work at the intersection of civil and labor rights in the United States. Today's profile is Andy Misiluti of the Laborers (LIUNA).

Andy Misiluti, an 18-year member of Laborers Local 242, is a Pacific Islander who moved from American Samoa to Washington state in 2000 and built a remarkable career with Skanska USA. Starting as a laborer in 2007, he advanced from carpenter tender to concrete nozzleman and then to general foreman at Boeing Renton. Today he’s a LIUNA trainer, mentoring others. “Being a laborer gave me purpose, stability, and a path to become someone I never thought I could be,” he said.

Kenneth Quinnell Sun, 05/10/2026 - 10:41