01/23/2026 - 10:30pm
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Build a Bear...and a Union! Workers File to Join UFCW Local 655
Working people across the United States regularly step 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.
Employees at Build-A-Bear Workshop at Union Station in St. Louis voted unanimously to join United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 655, making it the first Build-A-Bear location in the country to organize.
In December, nine assistant workshop managers, sales leads and bear builders at the Union Station store unanimously filed to join Local 655 and requested voluntary recognition of the union. However, the company denied their request for recognition. Then, the day before the election, the company fired one of Local 655’s lead organizers.
“We’ve filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board on the firing,” said Sean Shannon, an organizer with the local. “Now we have to wait 10 days for the NLRB to certify the election results, and then we can begin bargaining with the company. All of the employees are really excited about joining the union.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Fri, 01/23/2026 - 09:49
01/23/2026 - 4:00pm
Worker Wins: A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats
Our latest roundup of worker wins includes numerous examples of working people organizing, bargaining and mobilizing for a better life.
OHSU Workers Overwhelmingly Approve New Contract: AFSCME Local 328 members at the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) have voted to ratify a new collective bargaining agreement, averting a potential strike. The bargaining unit at the academic medical center covers a wide range of roles, from administrative work and food service to patient care. Highlights of the deal include immediate wage increases—and a new minimum wage floor of $25 per hour by the end of the contract lifetime—a $4,500 ratification bonus, increased time off and more. “Our $25 minimum wage will set a new standard for the city of Portland and the broader labor movement,” said Local 328 in a blog post. “Other unions will build on our wins in the same way our contract builds on the work of those who came before us. There is a common saying in the labor movement that “a rising tide lifts all boats.” Despite all the difficulties we face in these times, we are doing our part to improve not [just] the lives of our members, but of our communities.”
NABTU Applauds Court Decisions Restarting Major U.S. Offshore Wind Projects: Last week, three federal judges ruled that offshore wind projects off the coasts of New England, New York and Virginia can continue construction. North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) applauded the decisions, which will allow union members to return to work. Trump’s Interior Department sought to disrupt these critical East Coast energy infrastructure projects in December, issuing stop-work orders based on undisclosed national security concerns. This clears the way for progress to continue on Dominion’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project, Ørsted’s Revolution Wind and Equinor’s Empire Wind projects. “With energy demand surging and prices spiking, the last thing our government should do is take any form of power generation offline,” said NABTU President Sean McGarvey in a press statement. “The men and women of NABTU are proud to be constructing every offshore wind project in the United States, all under strong project labor agreements. These rulings mean our members can get back to work and keep affordable, clean, reliable power moving to our communities.”
The Courier-Journal Journalists Ratify First Contract: Members of the Indianapolis NewsGuild, The NewsGuild-CWA Local 34070, who work at The Courier-Journal have ratified their first union contract. Journalists at Kentucky’s paper of record first voted to form the Courier Journal Guild in 2022 and have been bargaining with parent company USA Today Co. amid multiple rounds of layoffs. “After years of organizing, we are thrilled with this unanimous endorsement of a first contract that improves everyone’s paycheck and enshrines critical workplace protections,” said Kayla Dwyer, president of the Indianapolis NewsGuild. “This is a day so many people in our newsroom have been waiting on, one of the brightest moments of my nearly 10 years with The Courier-Journal, and I’m beyond thrilled to see us cross the finish line,” said Lucas Aulbach, chief politics reporter at The Courier-Journal. “I’m happy for every journalist in line for a raise, I’m happy we have new workforce protections in place and benefits like lengthier parental leave, and the response we had from our guild members as we got closer to ratification has been really encouraging. We have a ton of momentum and I’m excited to see what comes next.”
Metropolitan Museum of Art Staff Vote to Join UAW: Staff at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City have overwhelmingly voted to form a union with UAW Local 2110. The bargaining unit includes a number of essential roles at the historic institution, including curators, librarians, conservators, archivists and more. Workers at The Met join the ranks of their colleagues at the Guggenheim, New York Historical, the Tenement Museum and other cultural centers in the city who are already represented by Local 2110. “I’ve worked at The Met for 31 years and I truly love it, but our expertise and our labor have real value deserving of recognition,” said Stephanie Post, a digital archivist, “By unionizing, we aren’t just protecting our own jobs—we are building a collective voice to ensure every staff member, now and in the future, gets the respect and protection they deserve.”
New York State Optimum Workers Vote to Join IBEW: Cable, telephone and broadband workers at Optimum in the Hudson Valley, New York, area have successfully voted to form a union with Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 363. These newly minted members work in Greenwood Lake, New York, and are the latest organizing victory for IBEW after Optimum workers in nearby West Nyack won their election in September. Workers are now preparing to negotiate their first collective bargaining agreement. “This victory shows that Optimum workers want a real voice on the job,” said Sam Fratto, business manager of Local 363. “Like the workers in West Nyack, Greenwood Lake employees are standing together to win fair wages, strong benefits, and clear protections through a union contract.”
UFCW Celebrates New Cannabis Worker Protections Law: United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 152 is applauding New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy for signing legislation that extends critical labor rights to cannabis cultivation workers across the state. Currently, the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 excludes agricultural workers, leaving them without clear and enforceable labor protections. This new law prohibits cannabis employers from interfering in their staff’s right to organize, increases potential penalties for labor law violations and protects the freedom to collectively bargain. Local 152 played a pivotal role in advancing this legislation to stop companies from taking advantage of unintended loopholes in New Jersey’s cannabis regulations. “Today’s signing is a victory for all working people in New Jersey,” said Daniel Ross Jr., president of UFCW Local 152. “Cannabis cultivation workers were building a new industry without labor protections many take for granted. Local 152 made it clear to lawmakers that fairness should not be avoided, and Governor Murphy’s signature ensures these workers now have the rights, dignity and legal clarity they deserve.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Thu, 01/22/2026 - 16:48
Tags:
Organizing
01/22/2026 - 3:30pm
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: The Courier-Journal Journalists Ratify First Contract; Secure Raises, New Workplace Protections
Working people across the United States regularly step 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.
Members of the Indianapolis NewsGuild, The NewsGuild-CWA Local 34070, who work at The Courier-Journal have ratified their first union contract.
Journalists at Kentucky’s paper of record first voted to form the Courier Journal Guild in 2022 and have been bargaining with parent company USA Today Co. amid multiple rounds of layoffs.
“After years of organizing, we are thrilled with this unanimous endorsement of a first contract that improves everyone’s paycheck and enshrines critical workplace protections,” said Kayla Dwyer, president of the Indianapolis NewsGuild.
“This is a day so many people in our newsroom have been waiting on, one of the brightest moments of my nearly 10 years with The Courier-Journal, and I’m beyond thrilled to see us cross the finish line,” said Lucas Aulbach, chief politics reporter at The Courier-Journal. “I’m happy for every journalist in line for a raise, I’m happy we have new workforce protections in place and benefits like lengthier parental leave, and the response we had from our guild members as we got closer to ratification has been really encouraging. We have a ton of momentum and I’m excited to see what comes next.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Thu, 01/22/2026 - 11:04
01/21/2026 - 8:30pm
No Work Is Insignificant: 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:
Swing Day continues! Swings sent in their thoughts on things you might not know about a swing’s job, insight on how they plan their day and how you can support the swings in your cast! #EquityTeamSwing
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— Actors' Equity Association (@actorsequity.bsky.social) January 21, 2026 at 12:16 PM
AFSCME:
Alliance for Retired Americans:
Amalgamated Transit Union:
American Federation of Musicians:
American Federation of Teachers:
AFT Secretary-Treasurer Fedrick Ingram's piece in @wordinblacknews.bsky.social denounces book bans& curriculum restrictions as the latest in a long history of attacks on Black education. Even in the age of Trump, the blueprint for Black educational power still stands. wordinblack.com/2026/01/game...
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— AFT (@aft.org) January 21, 2026 at 12:27 PM
American Postal Workers Union:
Association of Flight Attendants-CWA:
Boilermakers:
Bricklayers:
01/21/2026 - 8:30pm
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: AFSCME Local 328 Members at OHSU Overwhelmingly Approve Contract, Setting Stage for $25 Minimum Hourly Wage by 2028
Working people across the United States regularly step 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.
AFSCME Local 328 members who work at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) voted overwhelmingly to ratify a new labor contract, putting them on track to set a $25 minimum wage for workers by 2028. The members work in a wide range of jobs, from patient care to administration to food services.
Of the 4,730 members who voted, some 84% voted to approve the agreement, which immediately raises the minimum wage for union members from $18 to $20, with additional raises up to $25 just before the contract’s mid-2028 expiration date. The contract also includes across-the-board raises for members of between 3% and 4% annually for each of the next three years, and a $4,500 ratification bonus.
“Our $25 minimum wage will set a new standard for the city of Portland and the broader labor movement,” the union said on its blog. “Other unions will build on our wins in the same way our contract builds on the work of those who came before us.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Wed, 01/21/2026 - 09:52
01/21/2026 - 2:30pm
In First Year of Second Term, Trump Governed for and by Billionaire CEOs and Big Tech Companies
During his first year in office of his second term, President Trump and his allies have ruthlessly implemented the Project 2025 agenda that threatens working people’s fundamental rights and freedoms. The administration committed the single biggest act of union-busting in history, launched a brutal assault on immigrants and communities across the country, and attacked our most treasured rights, including the freedom of speech. It has ripped health care from millions, made billionaires richer and corporations more powerful, moved to unleash unregulated, untested artificial intelligence technology, and dismantled government agencies that provide essential services.
And every day in the Trump economy, working people are struggling to get by. President Trump promised to “make America affordable again,” but instead spent this first year driving up costs, holding down wages and letting jobs disappear—including good-paying jobs that would help keep energy bills from skyrocketing. A comprehensive summary of the impact of the Trump administration’s policies on working people can be found here.
“One year into President Trump’s second term, working people’s lives are more expensive and less free,” said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler. “Trump has governed for and by the billionaire CEOs and Big Tech companies, making the wealthy and powerful even richer while working people across the country struggle to get by.”
“As the 2026 campaign kicks into gear, the labor movement will make sure working people know about each and every broken promise—and work to elect leaders who will help us build an economy for workers, not billionaire bosses.”
The AFL-CIO’s memo on Trump’s past year in office, including quotes from working people, can be found here.
Kenneth Quinnell
Wed, 01/21/2026 - 10:30
01/20/2026 - 8:00pm
2026 MLK Conference Attendees Ready to Continue Fighting for Dr. King’s Vision
After four days of powerful speakers, informative workshops and revitalizing fellowship, the 2026 AFL-CIO Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Civil and Human Rights Conference officially came to a close in Baltimore on Sunday.
Friday’s agenda kicked off with a performance by the Baltimore City College Marching Knights Drumline, followed by remarks from AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler, the “Faiths United to Save Democracy” and “What’s at Stake? The Dignity of Work, Economic Justice and Labor” panels and an afternoon of workshops covering topics like resistance to Trump’s mass deportation agenda, the impact of artificial intelligence on workers and more.
On Saturday, United Steelworkers (USW) Vice President at Large and President-Elect Roxanne Brown delivered the keynote address, emphasizing that “we are the labor movement, we are built for moments like this.” Then, attendees heard American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Executive Vice President Evelyn DeJesus, SEIU United Service Workers West (SEIU-USWW) and SEIU California President David Huerta and Metropolitan Washington Council President Samuel A. Epps discuss how the labor movement is fighting back on attacks on immigrants. The day concluded with four hours of intensive nonviolent civil resistance training.
The last day of programming began with a powerful faith service featuring uplifting music and testimony from religious leaders from different denominations, followed by the community service activity and the Gala and awards ceremony. The William “Bill” Lucy Eyes on the Prize award was given to Metropolitan Baltimore AFL-CIO President Courtney L. Jenkins, while Mine Workers (UMWA) International President Emeritus Cecil Roberts received the Drum Major for Justice award, the At the River I Stand award was given to Laborers (LIUNA) Local 572 Business Manager Sonia Vasquez Luna and AFGE President Everett Kelley received the Justice, Peace and Freedom award.
Kenneth Quinnell
Tue, 01/20/2026 - 16:28
Tags:
MLK conference
01/20/2026 - 8:00pm
Dignity and Importance: 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.
Alaska AFL-CIO:
California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO:
Florida AFL-CIO:
Illinois AFL-CIO:
Maine AFL-CIO:
Massachusetts AFL-CIO:
Michigan State AFL-CIO:
Minnesota AFL-CIO:
Missouri AFL-CIO:
Nevada State AFL-CIO:
New York State AFL-CIO:
Ohio AFL-CIO:
Oregon AFL-CIO:
Pennsylvania AFL-CIO:
Texas AFL-CIO:
Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO:
West Virginia AFL-CIO:
01/20/2026 - 8:00pm
Making Safer Workplaces: 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.
85% of Eligible Fort Worth Report Employees Seek Union Recognition for Job Protections: “An overwhelming majority of eligible staff at the Fort Worth Report announced on January 15 that they are forming a union. This move is part of a growing wave of labor actions in newsrooms across North Texas, as media workers reportedly face growing layoffs and ownership changes. The Fort Worth Reporters Guild said in a January 15 press release that 85% of eligible employees signed union authorization cards and are seeking voluntary recognition from the nonprofit newsroom’s CEO, publisher, and board of directors. The union is affiliating with the Media Guild of the West and The NewsGuild-CWA, which represents journalists across Texas and the Southwest.”
Museum Educator Sierra Schiano on the Structural Pressures Behind LACMA’s Union Vote: “Over the holiday break, the staff at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) voted overwhelmingly in favor of starting a union. Their move is part of a larger trend of unionization efforts at museums and other art institutions across the country. It makes sense in a nation where job stability is on the wane and inflation is on the rise—with little support from Washington, D.C., and in an art world that isn’t flush with cash. We caught up with Sierra Schiano, who works in the education department at LACMA, before the vote to hear more about the museum’s unionization efforts.”
Aspirus Ironwood Nurses Approve New Contract: “Nurses have voted to ratify a new union contract at Aspirus Ironwood Hospital. A Thursday morning press release says the Aspirus Ironwood nurses voted on January 14 to approve the contract. That takes effect immediately and runs through July 19, 2028. ‘Our goal was always to get a contract that supports Ironwood nurses so we can recruit and retain the skilled nurses our community needs,’ said Sarah Trudgeon, RN, and president of the local Michigan Nurses Association union at Aspirus Ironwood. ‘A strong nurses’ contract is a big part of protecting access to health care that we currently have in our area.’”
New Jersey Labor Unions Announce New Coalition Dedicated to Climate Action, Affordability and Union Jobs: “‘New Jersey has a long history of building and innovating, but when it comes to building our own energy, we have lost our way. We import far too much of our energy from out of state, which exacerbates high prices and sends jobs in the energy industry away. With this new agenda from Climate Jobs New Jersey, we can take control of our energy future and get back to building our own energy. This will create local union jobs, bring economic growth to our communities, and give us the clean energy we need to meet rising energy demands and confront the climate crisis,’ said Charles Wowkanech, president of New Jersey AFL-CIO and President of Climate Jobs New Jersey.”
Examining the Rise in Unionization Among Local Organizations: “Employees at the Columbus Dispatch newspaper and the Columbus Metropolitan Library have recently announced plans to unionize. This follows growing unionization efforts both locally and nationally. Places like Amazon and Starbucks have made national news over their unionizing efforts. Locally, everyone from Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream employees to nurses at Nationwide Children’s Hospital have started a push towards organized labor. We're talking about the factors pushing Columbus employees toward unionizing on this hour of All Sides.”
New Mexico Hospital Nurses Vote to Unionize: “Nurses at San Juan Regional Medical Center in Farmington, New Mexico, have voted to join the Communications Workers of America in District 7, according to a January 8 union news release. The vote covers about 350 nurses at the nonprofit hospital. CWA said the group will now focus on organizing four smaller satellite clinics and negotiating a first contract. San Juan Regional is a 198-bed, level 3 trauma center. In a statement shared with Becker’s, the hospital said it respects employees’ rights to decide whether to unionize and will negotiate with the union in good faith once a request to bargain is made.”
Providence Portland Medical Techs Unionize: “Around 270 medical techs at Providence Portland Medical Center unionized with the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) in a 181-49 vote January 7. The new unit includes more than a dozen occupations, including surgical technicians, respiratory therapists, occupational therapy assistants, and technologists who operate ultrasound, MRI and mammogram equipment. Priorities for the new unit include increasing staffing levels and fair wages and benefits, ONA spokesperson Myrna Jensen said in an email to the Labor Press.”
Actors' Equity Praises Gov. Hochul’s Initiative to Invest in Theatre Spaces: “‘NY SPACE is a visionary program that recognizes the importance of the live arts all across New York State,’ said Brooke Shields, president of Actors' Equity Association. ‘For our members, it means greater job opportunities as more employers know they can keep their lights on. For the communities where these theatres operate, this is both a cultural enrichment and a financial investment; the average non-profit arts event attendee spends $38.46 in the local economy beyond tickets on their evening out. Furthermore, when employers can put down roots in a physical space, they can invest in those spaces, making for safer workplaces for our members. Thank you to Governor Hochul for this act of leadership. We look forward to seeing this initiative in full swing.’”
AFGE Urges Appellate Judges to Uphold Injunction Against Trump’s Anti-Union Executive Orders: “The nation’s largest federal employee union on Monday urged a panel of federal appeals judges to affirm a lower court ruling that found that President Trump’s executive orders purporting to strip two-thirds of the federal workforce of their collective bargaining rights amounted to retaliation for protected speech under the First Amendment. Trump’s edicts, signed in March and August, cited a seldom-used provision of the 1978 Civil Service Reform Act to exclude most federal agencies from federal sector labor law under the auspices of national security. A federal judge in California in June issued a preliminary injunction blocking the orders’ implementation, but a three-judge panel on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals stayed that decision last summer, finding that the lower court did not adequately consider whether the president would have taken the same action against labor organizations absent their various legal challenges against the president’s personnel policies.”
U.S. HHS Reverses Deep Cuts to CDC Safety Research Agency NIOSH: “The Trump Administration is reversing its deep staffing cuts to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, reinstating hundreds of employees. Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson Andrew Nixon confirmed the reversal in an email Tuesday. NIOSH conducts or funds most research into U.S. workplace health and safety. Among other duties, the agency’s scientists are responsible for evaluating the risks of new chemicals, testing and certifying the effectiveness of N95 masks, monitoring mine cave-in hazards and administering the health-care program for Sept. 11 responders and survivors. Labor advocates and businesses had warned of devastating consequences after the government moved to eliminate most of NIOSH’s staff last year.”
U.S. Teachers Union Says It Is Leaving X Over Sexualized AI Images of Children: “The American Federation of Teachers says it is leaving X, citing the social media site's creation and dissemination of ‘sickening’ images of children in various states of undress. In an interview with Reuters, AFT President Randi Weingarten said that the site had already been degraded by extremists and trolls since Elon Musk's 2022 takeover, before which the platform was known as Twitter. But the recent proliferation of nonconsensual images of women and children in bikinis or underwear generated by X's artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, had made the site unusable, she said.”
Maine Med Nurses Ratify Union Contract with 21% Pay Increase, Workplace Protections: “Nurses at MaineHealth Maine Medical Center in Portland recently ratified a new contract that includes a 21% pay increase over three years and measures to guard against workplace violence. The contract, which runs through the end of 2028, is the second contract for nurses at the state’s largest hospital since they voted in 2021 to join the Maine State Nurses Association and National Nurses Organizing Committee. Nurses at the hospital, MMC nurses, signed their first contract in September 2022 and secured the latest contract after four months of bargaining.”
Streetcar Operators Finalize First Union Contract: “After successfully unionizing in 2024, streetcar workers are close to finalizing a contract. In February 2024, more than two dozen workers who operate and maintain the city of Milwaukee’s streetcar, called The Hop, organized a union with the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 998 (ATU), which also represents Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) workers.”
How Vets in Labor Have Joined the Fight Against Trump: “The U.S. is home to 17 million military veterans. About 1.3 million of them currently work in union jobs, with women and people of color making up the fastest-growing cohorts. Veterans are more likely to join a union than non-veterans, according to the AFL-CIO. In half a dozen states, 25% or more of all actively employed veterans belong to unions. In the heyday of industrial unionism in the decades following World War II, hundreds of thousands of former soldiers could be found on the front lines of labor struggles in auto, steel, meatpacking, electrical equipment manufacturing, mining, trucking, and the telephone industry. Many World War II vets became militant stewards, local union officers, and, in some cases, well-known union reformers in the United Mine Workers and Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers.”
Springfield's 3M Workers Vote to Unionize Under United Steelworkers: “Springfield's 3M plant has been a major employer in the city since 1967. Now, the plant's 370 employees will be represented by a union following a successful organization effort. On December 20, workers elected to be represented by the United Steelworkers union, the nation's largest industrial labor union, joining a coalition of employees at other 3M plants across the country in seeking union representation. According to the National Labor Relations Board election results, there were 370 eligible voters, though 332 ballots were counted. Out of those, 233 votes were cast for the labor union and 99 against.”
Kaldi’s Coffee Workers Vote to Form Union, Accuse St. Louis Chain of Union-Busting: “Workers at Kaldi’s Skinker Boulevard location appear headed to unionization. On Friday, workers at the St. Louis specialty coffee chain location voted 7-2 in favor of unionization with the National Labor Relations Board. The results are not yet certified, however, and the union is challenging multiple ballots that it said were from employees who shouldn’t have been eligible to vote. The NLRB and Unite Here Local 74 are accusing Kaldi's of anti-union actions, including bringing in new or transferred employees in order to sway the outcome of the vote.”
Graduate Student Workers Secure First Contract with University of Maine System: “After more than 700 days of negotiations, the University of Maine System reached a tentative agreement with the graduate student workers union for its first-ever contract. ‘It took lot of organizing power for years. Hundreds of grad workers came together for each of the issues, and we fought really hard,’ Andrea Tirrell, a bargaining committee member for the University of Maine Graduate Workers Union, said.”
Science News Media Guild Ratifies First Contract, Securing Major Gains in Pay and Leave: “85% of the 27 members in the Science News Media Guild, workers who publish Science News and Science News Explores, have voted to ratify their first collective bargaining agreement. The historic contract establishes increases in pay, including cost of living raises and equity raises, sick and parental leave and importantly, codifes just-cause protections. The union launched on November 14, 2023, after more than 80% of non-management employees voted to unionize with the Washington-Baltimore News Guild. The ratification follows 625 days of negotiating with the Society for Science, which included a successful 24-hour walkout on November 5, 2025.”
SAG-AFTRA Leaders Sean Astin and Duncan Crabtree-Ireland on Their Negotiating Approach, Disney-Open AI Deal, Chance of Longer Contract Term & More: “The Hollywood labor landscape will have different contours this year as above-the-line guilds try to reach deals with the studios and streamers and avoid a repeat of the damaging strikes of 2023. For one thing, SAG-AFTRA will be the first union to negotiate, taking the spot normally occupied by the Directors Guild. SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin and Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the union’s national executive director and chief negotiator, have confidence that their early start (talks kick off February 9) will be a difference-maker. The current contract won’t expire until June 30. ‘Part of the reason we wanted to go first is that we wanted to be able to have the time we feel is necessary,’ Astin told Deadline in an interview during CES in Las Vegas. ‘We appreciate that [AMPTP members] are willing to engage early in order to properly examine each item.’”
IAM Alstom Members Ratify First Contract: “Members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) union at Alstom Transportation in Plattsburgh, New York, have voted to ratify their first-ever three-year collective bargaining agreement, ‘marking a major milestone for rail manufacturing workers in upstate New York.’ This ratified agreement, the union says, ‘is the direct result of member solidarity and the successful IAM organizing effort that brought these rail production workers into the IAM Union. Together, members stood strong to secure enforceable rights, clear standards, and meaningful improvements that will raise wages and strengthen job protections for years to come.’”
Kenneth Quinnell
Tue, 01/20/2026 - 11:30
01/20/2026 - 8:00pm
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: UFCW Celebrates New Cannabis Worker Protections Law
Working people across the United States regularly step 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.
United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 152 is applauding New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy for signing legislation that extends critical labor rights to cannabis cultivation workers across the state.
Currently, the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 excludes agricultural workers, leaving them without clear and enforceable labor protections. This new law prohibits cannabis employers from interfering in their staff’s right to organize, increases potential penalties for labor law violations and protects the freedom to collectively bargain. Local 152 played a pivotal role in advancing this legislation to stop companies from taking advantage of unintended loopholes in New Jersey’s cannabis regulations.
“Today’s signing is a victory for all working people in New Jersey,” said Daniel Ross Jr., president of UFCW Local 152. “Cannabis cultivation workers were building a new industry without labor protections many take for granted. Local 152 made it clear to lawmakers that fairness should not be avoided, and Governor Murphy’s signature ensures these workers now have the rights, dignity and legal clarity they deserve.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Tue, 01/20/2026 - 10:22
