Back to Basics: 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.
Republican-Led House Votes to Overturn Trump Executive Order on Bargaining Rights: “Liz Shuler, the president of the AFL-CIO, which represents nearly 15 million workers, commended ‘the Republicans and Democrats who stood with workers and voted to reverse the single largest act of union-busting in American histories.’ ‘As we turn to the Senate—where the bill already has bipartisan support—working people are calling on the politicians we elected to stand with us, even if it means standing up to the union-busting boss in the White House,’ Shuler said in a statement Thursday.”
‘We Would Like to Make a Home for Ourselves:’ Nearly 90% of Columbus Dispatch Staffers Sign Union Cards: “Amid a wave of organizing at the national level in newsrooms and beyond, The Columbus Dispatch and sister publication The Newark Advocate presented a letter to management on Wednesday requesting voluntary recognition of an employee union under the NewsGuild/Communications Workers of America Local 34001. Bailey Gallion, morning breaking news reporter at the 154-year-old Dispatch, said 36 of 40 staffers have signed union cards as of Thursday. Two of those comprise the nearly the entire full-time staff of The Advocate, which includes two sports reporters and a single news reporter. Employees have asked New York City-based parent company USA Today to recognize their union in an attempt to avoid the formal election process.”
AFL-CIO Joins Defense of Somali-Americans After Trump Hate Attack: “Minnesota public officials, including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Gov. Tim Walz, both DFLers, jumped to defend both Omar and Somali-Americans. So did state AFL-CIO President Bernie Burnham. ‘In the labor movement, an injury to one is an injury to all. By vilifying our Somali-American co-workers and neighbors and threatening military-style raids in Minnesota’s communities, President Trump is attacking our state’s entire labor movement,’ Burnham declared.”
More Than 700 St. Joseph Registered Nurses Vote to Unionize: “Registered nurses at CommonSpirit Health’s St. Joseph Health Regional Hospital in Bryan have voted decisively to join National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United, the nation’s largest and fastest-growing union of registered nurses. ‘This is a great day for the nurses at St. Joseph Health and for the patients in our community,’ said Tara Cassell, a registered nurse in the labor and delivery unit. ‘Nurses have come together to ensure that our voices are heard as we advocate for our patients. We were compelled to organize and form a union because of our deep concerns about our patients’ safety and well-being. We are excited to build a strong contract that protects nurses and patients so we can provide the best care possible.’”
AFGE Urges Congress to Vote Against House Rule for 2026 NDAA: “The nation’s largest federal employee union is urging Congress to vote against the House rule for the 2026 Defense policy bill. The American Federation of Government Employees said negotiators removed a bipartisan House provision that would have restored collective bargaining rights for hundreds of thousands of Defense Department civilian employees. The union said removing that language means the legislation fails to protect basic rights of workers who maintain ships and aircraft and support service members. AFGE is calling on lawmakers to reject the procedural rule and restore the worker protections before the National Defense Authorization Act moves forward.”
SEPTA and Workers Union Reach Tentative Two-Year Deal: “SEPTA and its largest workers union reached a tentative deal on Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, avoiding a strike, NBC10 confirmed. Transport Workers Union Local 234, which represents about 5,000 SEPTA employees, had been working without a contract since Nov. 7, 2025, when its last contract expired. The union then threatened on Friday, Dec. 5, that a strike was ‘imminent’ unless a deal was reached. On Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, SEPTA confirmed with NBC10 that both sides reached a tentative two-year deal. A day prior, they also said intervention by Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro was crucial in their negotiations.”
Union Urges ‘Back-to-Basics’ Approach to Pilot Skills: “The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) is calling for a renewed emphasis on fundamental flying skills as automation becomes more common in air carrier operations. In a recent interview at the Skift Aviation Forum in Fort Worth, Texas, ALPA first vice president Wendy Morse, a Boeing 787 captain, said the union is advocating for pilots to ‘go back to our roots’ by maintaining strong manual-flying proficiency throughout their careers. The union represents over 80,000 airline pilots at 43 carriers.”
Indianapolis Symphony and Its Musicians Reach a New Labor Agreement: “Three months after the previous contract extension expired and hours before the first Yuletide Celebration performance of 2025, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and its musicians announced that the parties have reached a new three-year labor agreement. Chief among the contract's key components is a 9.6% salary increase for the musicians over three years that ends at a $74,000 minimum salary. The agreement covers the 78 musicians who are represented by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra Players Association and Local 3 of the American Federation of Musicians, according to a Dec. 5 release from the symphony.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Fri, 12/12/2025 - 11:06
Protect America’s Workforce: 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:
Four times a year, we gather online to remember those we've lost. Our Memorial Gatherings are held on Zoom and open both to Equity Members and our friends. Join us December 22 to read names, share stories and hold space for the people we miss. https://bit.ly/44QpKpM
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— Actors' Equity Association (@actorsequity.bsky.social) December 11, 2025 at 8:43 AM
AFGE:
AFSCME:
Alliance for Retired Americans:
Amalgamated Transit Union:
American Federation of Teachers:
American Postal Workers Union:
Association of Flight Attendants-CWA:
Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers:
Boilermakers:
Bricklayers:
Coalition of Labor Union Women:
Communications Workers of America:
Department for Professional Employees:
The House is voting on the Protect America's Workforce Act today! Call your Representative now and tell them to pass this critical legislation which will restore federal employees' union rights. act.aflcio.org/call_campaig...
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— Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (@dpeaflcio.bsky.social) December 11, 2025 at 10:27 AM
Electrical Workers:
