12/19/2025 - 9:30pm
Worker Wins: We’re Just Getting Started
Our latest roundup of worker wins includes numerous examples of working people organizing, bargaining and mobilizing for a better life.
Minnesota Nurses Ratify Union Contract with Essentia Health-Virginia Hospital: After 10 bargaining sessions that began in July, nurses at Essentia Health-Virginia Hospital, members of the Minnesota Nurses Association (an affiliate of National Nurses United (NNU)) voted to ratify their union contract on Wednesday. More than 100 nurses are covered by the three-year contract that is effective through July 31, 2028. “This contract was won because nurses stood together,” said Jodi Hensley, RN and co-chair of the bargaining committee. “By voting to ratify this agreement, nurses showed the strength of our collective voice and our shared commitment to protecting patient care and respect for those who provide it.” Nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association say they “remain committed to advancing patient centered healthcare that is accessible, sustainable and guided by frontline expertise. Through ongoing solidarity, nurses will continue to use their seat at the table to advocate for their patients, profession and the community.”
Flight Attendants at Flight Services Overwhelmingly Ratify New Contract: Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 578 members who work as flight attendants at Flight Services International have ratified a new five-year contract. The agreement includes substantial wage increases, more vacation time, improved sick leave and other major quality-of-life improvements. “Flight Attendants at TWU Local 578 voted massively to ratify a new contract that immediately offers life-changing raises, approaching 50 percent over five years,” said TWU International President John Samuelsen. “This is why workers form unions. I’m proud of the hard work our negotiators put into getting an agreement that offers real improvements for our members at FSI.”
UMaine Grad Workers Reach Tentative Agreement: After more than two years of negotiations, members of the University of Maine Graduate Workers Union-UAW (UMGWU-UAW) have secured a tentative agreement on their first union contract. Research assistants, teaching assistants and graduate assistants from across the University of Maine (UMaine) System first organized with UAW in 2023. The agreement includes stipend increases, health insurance wins, protections for immigrant workers and a ratification bonus. "We really see these, these wins in this tentative agreement as a direct result of our relentless organizing and solidarity for years," said Peter Howe, a member of the bargaining committee and a Ph.D. student in forest resources. "This only came about because hundreds of grad workers continued to show up and work tirelessly. So many people gave so much for years to arrive at this tentative agreement, including many graduate workers who would never see the benefits of this contract. But as a union so many, so many people understood that this was about more than just us."
Adler Planetarium Staff Vote to Join AFSCME: Workers at the Adler Planetarium voted on Thursday to join AFSCME Council 31, marking the latest victory for cultural workers in Chicago fighting for a fair voice on the job. Members of Adler Planetarium Workers United began organizing in October to bargain a contract that addresses staffing shortages, management’s communication and unilateral changes to working conditions. The bargaining unit includes 70 staff members who handle all aspects of the institution's operation. “Throughout Chicago's cultural sector, a movement has been building for the last five years,” said AFSCME Council 31 in a social media post. “On the Museum Campus and across the city, cultural workers are forming unions with an echoing call: We deserve to be heard. At Adler, we too deserve to be heard—not as singular voices asking questions in isolation, but united as one, with the right to the discussions and answers we need. We've all heard management ask, ‘How do we improve the Adler for the future?’ Our answer is, ‘Together, in our union.’”
Workers at Cobalt Abortion Fund Ratify Union Contract: Members of the Denver Newspaper Guild/The NewsGuild-CWA Local 37074 who work at the largest abortion fund in Colorado have ratified their first union contract. Staff at the Cobalt Abortion Fund won their union election nearly 18 months ago and had been negotiating for exactly one year when they settled this first agreement. Despite facing union-busting and layoffs, the Cobalt Workers United bargaining unit secured a deal that included more time off, fully employer-covered health insurance premiums, annual cost-of-living-adjustments and more. “The belief that everyone deserves a living wage, access to affordable healthcare, and workplace protections are a core part of our values as abortion workers, and I am proud of us for fighting for a better working environment for ourselves and each other, too,” said Molly Arndt, Cobalt Abortion Fund’s senior intake coordinator and program communications manager. “I am hopeful that our contract will be a building block for a better Cobalt and a better abortion access landscape, and that our union will continue to grow, and strengthen our future contracts in the years to come. Solidarity with all workers and abortion seekers forever!”
SMART-TD Reaches Tentative Agreement with SEPTA, Averting Holiday Transit Strike: Members of SMART-TD Local 1594 reached a tentative agreement with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) on Thursday, preventing a holiday work stoppage. This deal comes just days after the same contract was also approved by their union brothers, sisters and siblings at Transit Workers Union (TWU) Local 234. It contains major advances around core worker issues like workplace safety, wages, benefits and quality of life. Importantly, the contract also ensures that bus, train and trolley operators will not be replaced by automation. “The new agreement brings SMART-TD members to parity with the other unions on the property and sets the stage for a future built on respect, fairness, and shared purpose,” SMART said in a press release. “This was a hard-fought win is another example of why this union is here: when SMART-TD members stand together, we move forward—with strength, unity and respect from our employers. Congratulations to every member of SMART-TD Local 1594. You’ve earned this victory.”
Nurses at St. Joseph Health Vote Decisively to Join NNU: Registered nurses (RNs) at St. Joseph Health in Brazos Valley, Texas, are celebrating a powerful victory this week after they voted to form a union with National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU). The medical facility is owned by CommonSpirit Health, one of the largest Catholic health care systems in the nation that generated $1.1 billion in profits in 2024. Newly minted NNU members cited concerns around lack of decision-making power in patient care and staffing and the need to recruit and retain experienced nurses as core motivators for organizing. “This is a great day for the nurses at St. Joseph Health and for the patients in our community,” said Tara Cassell, an RN in the labor and delivery unit, in a press release. “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.”
Dancers of Dayton Ballet Unanimously Cast Ballots in Favor of Forming Union with AGMA: The performers who bring the magic to the Dayton Ballet in Ohio have voted unanimously to join the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA). Dancers of the city’s professional ballet company—which is part of the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance (DPAA)—cast their ballots on Dec. 10 in a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) election, just days before they are set to debut the company’s run of “The Nutcracker.” “We are so proud of our unity and that we are now joining the ranks of AGMA companies across the country! We are looking forward to negotiating our first collective bargaining agreement with the DPAA,” the Dancers of Dayton Ballet said. “Congratulations to the magnificent Dancers of Dayton Ballet!” said Jeffrey Boyd, AGMA’s national executive director. “Your unity, your resolve, and your absolute clarity of purpose are inspiring. We are honored to welcome you into the AGMAverse, and we look forward to supporting you every step of the way.”
Unifi Fresno Workers Vote to Join IAM Union: Aviation staff who work for Unifi at the Fresno Yosemite International Airport have voted to form a union with IAM Air Transport Territory. Despite the turbulence that came from the government shutdown and a high turnover rate, members fought together to secure a collective voice. Unifi workers credit the support of other union brothers, sisters and siblings at the airport as a key component to their victory. “Congratulations to District 142, Local 1782 and especially our new members at UNIFI Fresno,” said IAM Air Transport Territory General Vice President Richie Johnsen. “Bringing UNIFI Fresno into our union is another powerful step in strengthening worker power across the industry. We’re proud to welcome them into the IAM family.” “The vote in Fresno sends a clear message, Air Transport workers want the power and protection that only the IAM can deliver,” said IAM District 142 President and Directing General Chair John M. Coveny Jr. “We’re honored to represent these new members and are ready to get to work on their first contract.”
Airport Lounge Workers in Texas Ratify New Contracts: UNITE HERE Local 23 members who work in lounges at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport have successfully ratified new three-year contracts. More than 200 baristas, cooks and other food service staff employed by Flik Hospitality Group at the United Club lounge and Eurest at the American Airlines Admiral Club are covered by the agreements. Local 23 members will receive an immediate $4 hourly pay increase and will make $22 an hour by the end of the contract. "This increase represents real relief for many of our families, allowing us to cover essential needs and improve our quality of life. It also confirms that organizing and working together truly leads to positive and lasting results," said Carmen Barralaga, a lounge cook. "I feel incredibly happy and proud of the fair contract and wage increase we were able to win. Thanks to our union and the strength we showed together, this raise will allow us to spend more time with our families and afford our rent, bills, groceries, mortgage, car payments, medical insurance, and more," said Klaudi Barrientos, a lounge floor attendant.
Puerto Rico Public Sector Workers Win Fight for Overdue Raises: Members of Servidores Públicos Unidos de Puerto Rico (SPUPR/AFSCME Council 95) who work at the Department of Correction and Rehabilitation in Puerto Rico will soon be seeing a significant pay increase after years of a sustained government accountability campaign. Next week, more than 3,500 public safety workers will finally receive a wage bump three whole years after it was mandated by Law 91. The legislation called for an annual raise of almost $9,000, but the Puerto Rican government has refused to allocate the appropriate funds. SPUPR members have marched through the streets and held public demonstrations urging elected leaders to honor their commitments to corrections officers, park rangers and pretrial arrest agents. “It was a fight that practically kept us up at night. Every day we were looking for strategies,” SPUPR President Jessica Martínez Santos said during a press conference. “Until the law was passed, there was no fair wage for any correctional officer or supervisor within the department.”
More Production Assistants Vote to Form Union with LIUNA: In another major win for a historically underrepresented group of entertainment industry workers, production assistants (PAs) on two more television series have voted to join Production Assistants United, an affiliate of Laborers (LIUNA) Local 724. Staff on “All American” and “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage” voted in separate NLRB elections, and both had unanimous results among those who voted. These victories come a few days after PAs on “The Pitt” ratified their first union contract, securing union health care, retirement benefits and more. “Securing two more unanimous PA election wins is an incredible boost for our campaign and for the production assistants across the industry,” said Local 724 business manager Alex Aguilar. “The energy on the ground is real—people want change, they want respect and they want a voice. These victories prove that momentum is on our side, and we’re just getting started.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Fri, 12/19/2025 - 13:02
Tags:
Organizing
12/19/2025 - 3:30pm
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Flight Attendants at Flight Services Overwhelmingly Ratify New Contract
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.
Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 578 members who work as flight attendants at Flight Services International have ratified a new five-year contract.
The agreement includes substantial wage increases, more vacation time, improved sick leave and other major quality-of-life improvements.
“Flight Attendants at TWU Local 578 voted massively to ratify a new contract that immediately offers life-changing raises, approaching 50 percent over five years,” said TWU International President John Samuelsen. “This is why workers form unions. I’m proud of the hard work our negotiators put into getting an agreement that offers real improvements for our members at FSI.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Fri, 12/19/2025 - 10:33
12/18/2025 - 8:30pm
Not One More: 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:
Starbucks workers are on strike for a fair union contract, and Equity members can help! Don't cross the picket line, sign the petition and find a local picket site near you at https://www.nocontractnocoffee.org/
[image or embed]
— Actors' Equity Association (@actorsequity.bsky.social) December 16, 2025 at 12:41 PM
AFGE:
AFSCME:
Alliance for Retired Americans:
12/18/2025 - 8:30pm
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Adler Planetarium Staff Vote to Join AFSCME
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.
Workers at the Adler Planetarium voted on Thursday to join AFSCME Council 31, marking the latest victory for cultural workers in Chicago fighting for a fair voice on the job.
Members of Adler Planetarium Workers United began organizing in October to bargain a contract that addresses staffing shortages, management’s communication and unilateral changes to working conditions. The bargaining unit includes 70 staff members who handle all aspects of the institution's operation.
“Throughout Chicago's cultural sector, a movement has been building for the last five years,” said AFSCME Council 31 in a social media post. “On the Museum Campus and across the city, cultural workers are forming unions with an echoing call: We deserve to be heard. At Adler, we too deserve to be heard—not as singular voices asking questions in isolation, but united as one, with the right to the discussions and answers we need. We've all heard management ask, ‘How do we improve the Adler for the future?’ Our answer is, ‘Together, in our union.’”
Kenneth Quinnell
Thu, 12/18/2025 - 10:17
12/17/2025 - 2:00pm
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: SMART-TD Reaches Tentative Agreement with SEPTA
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 SMART-TD Local 1594 reached a tentative agreement with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) on Thursday, preventing a holiday work stoppage.
This deal comes just days after the same contract was also approved by their union brothers, sisters and siblings at Transit Workers Union (TWU) Local 234. It contains major advances around core worker issues like workplace safety, wages, benefits and quality of life. Importantly, the contract also ensures that bus, train and trolley operators will not be replaced by automation.
“The new agreement brings SMART-TD members to parity with the other unions on the property and sets the stage for a future built on respect, fairness, and shared purpose,” SMART said in a press release. “This was a hard-fought win is another example of why this union is here: when SMART-TD members stand together, we move forward—with strength, unity and respect from our employers. Congratulations to every member of SMART-TD Local 1594. You’ve earned this victory.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Wed, 12/17/2025 - 10:10
12/16/2025 - 8:00pm
The Final Push: 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:
Colorado AFL-CIO:
Connecticut AFL-CIO:
Florida AFL-CIO:
Illinois AFL-CIO:
Maine AFL-CIO:
Massachusetts AFL-CIO:
Michigan State AFL-CIO:
12/16/2025 - 1:30pm
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Unifi Fresno Workers Vote to Join IAM Union
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.
Aviation staff who work for Unifi at the Fresno Yosemite International Airport have voted to form a union with IAM Air Transport Territory.
Despite the turbulence that came from the government shutdown and a high turnover rate, members fought together to secure a collective voice. Unifi workers credit the support of other union brothers, sisters and siblings at the airport as a key component to their victory.
“Congratulations to District 142, Local 1782 and especially our new members at UNIFI Fresno,” said IAM Air Transport Territory General Vice President Richie Johnsen. “Bringing UNIFI Fresno into our union is another powerful step in strengthening worker power across the industry. We’re proud to welcome them into the IAM family.”
“The vote in Fresno sends a clear message, Air Transport workers want the power and protection that only the IAM can deliver,” said IAM District 142 President and Directing General Chair John M. Coveny Jr. “We’re honored to represent these new members and are ready to get to work on their first contract.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Tue, 12/16/2025 - 09:54
12/15/2025 - 12:00pm
Get to Know AFL-CIO's Affiliates: Major League Baseball Players Association
This is the next post in our series that will take a deeper look at each of our affiliates. The series will run weekly until we've covered all 64 of our affiliates. Next up is the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA).
Name of Union: Major League Baseball Players Association
Mission: The MLBPA represents players on the 40-man Major League rosters, as well as approximately 5,500 Minor League players employed by the 30 Major League baseball teams. The MLBPA also oversees MLB Players Inc., which exclusively represents the group commercial and licensing activities involving active players.
Current Leadership of Union: The MLBPA Executive Board of Player Representatives is the governing body of the union. The Major League Executive Board is composed of 38 total representatives—one player representative from each of the 30 clubs, and an eight-member executive subcommittee elected by the 30 player representatives. Each of the 38 board members has equal voting authority.
Marcus Semien, Chris Bassitt, Jake Cronenworth, Paul Skenes, Brent Suter, Pete Fairbanks, Cedric Mullins and Tarik Skubal currently make up the eight-member executive subcommittee.
The Minor League Board is composed of 34 total representatives and a four-member executive subcommittee. Adam Stone, Ryan Long, Eli Trop and Florencio Serrano currently make up the four-member executive subcommittee.
Tony Clark is the first former player to serve as the union’s executive director, overseeing all aspects of the union’s operations, including contract administration, grievance arbitration, and pension and health care matters.
Current Number of Members: 6,700
Members Work As: Professional baseball players
Industries Represented: Professional baseball
History: In opposition to baseball’s reserve clause, which bound players to their respective clubs, and a growing movement to cap players’ salaries, John Montgomery Ward and eight other players in 1885 formed the first players union in baseball—the Brotherhood of Professional Base Ball Players. Other attempts to organize players included the creation of the Players’ Protective Association in 1900, the Fraternity of Professional Baseball Players of America in 1912 and the American Baseball Guild in 1946. None of those efforts proved sufficient in bringing an end to the reserve clause.
Players regrouped in 1965 and sought outside expertise to help their cause. Their search led them to Marvin Miller, a highly respected economist for the United Steelworkers (USW) who immediately began to mold the players into a bona fide labor union. His first steps were to shore up the union’s finances by beginning a group licensing program and educating the players about the fundamentals of organizing and solidarity.
In 1968, Miller helped players negotiate the first collective bargaining agreement in professional sports. The agreement raised the minimum salary in baseball from $6,000—the level at which it had been stuck for two decades—to $10,000. In 1970, Miller helped players negotiate the right to arbitration to resolve grievances, which paved the way for future gains.
The successful founding of the MLBPA changed the landscape of professional sports forever, serving notice that highly skilled athletes would seek the same basic employment rights that people in other professions had long taken for granted. Miller served as the MLBPA’s executive director from 1966 through 1983, and during his tenure, base salaries, pension funds, licensing rights and revenues were brought to new levels.
In December 1975, the players won the right to free agency, when arbitrator Peter Seitz ruled the reserve clause granted a team only one additional year of service from a player, putting an end to perpetual renewal rights the clubs had claimed for so long.
In 1977, Miller hired Don Fehr to join the association as general counsel. Fehr served in this capacity until 1986, when the players named him executive director. Fehr continued Miller’s legacy of keeping players united by keeping them informed, listening and developing a strong consensus on issues important to them as a group. Fehr led the players during a period of unprecedented growth, in which industry revenues climbed to $6.5 billion, while players’ salaries went from an average of $413,000 in 1986 to nearly $3 million when he retired from the position in 2009.
After work stoppages in each of the eight rounds of bargaining between 1972 through 1995, the next round of bargaining, in 2002, brought a contract without a strike or lockout, as did the agreement reached in 2006. That was Fehr’s final contract negotiation as executive director, and it ensured 16 years of labor peace in baseball.
Fehr also played an important part in spreading the popularity of baseball beyond North America, including efforts to help create and develop the World Baseball Classic, the sport’s first World Cup-style international tournament featuring active Major Leaguers.
Fehr retired in December 2009, and the players named Michael Weiner, a longtime counsel with the MLBPA, as their new executive director. Weiner negotiated his first agreement as executive director in 2011, steering an unprecedented level of player involvement to reach perhaps the most comprehensive agreement in the union’s history. He helped negotiate a deal that addressed, among many issues, league realignment, expansion of post-season play, numerous health and safety issues, and benefit plan increases for current and former players, among others. Weiner died in November 2013 after a 15-month battle with brain cancer. He was only 51, but he left on the baseball community a lasting impression of his warmth, compassion, sense of fairness and fierce intellect.
In December 2013, the Executive Board voted unanimously to appoint Tony Clark as the union’s next executive director. Clark had worked alongside Weiner, who indicated his wish for Clark to succeed him. Following a 15-year playing career, Clark joined the MLBPA as director of player relations in March 2010, leading the union’s efforts to expand and improve the areas of membership communications and education.
After attending his first Executive Board meeting in 1999, Clark became active in union affairs. He became a player rep and during his final seven seasons served as an association representative, the union’s most senior leadership position. As a player, Clark was actively involved in collective bargaining in 2002 and 2006, as well as in negotiations over the joint drug agreement.
Clark retired from his playing career in 2009, after spending 15 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and San Diego Padres as a switch-hitting first baseman and designated hitter. He was named deputy executive director in July 2013, and became executive director in December 2013.
In the early years of his tenure as executive director, Clark sought to broaden the Players Association’s services to future and former players, and modernize its business operations. He unified players in their efforts to return to the field following the pandemic in 2020, and guided Major League players through a 99-day lockout to achieve a fair contract in March 2022. Later that year, he led a drive to unionize approximately 5,500 Minor League players and led the MLBPA to affiliate with the AFL-CIO, amplifying the voice and influence of baseball players within the broader labor movement. He was appointed president of the World Players Association in June 2023.
Current Campaigns/Community Efforts: The Players Trust, the union’s charitable arm, provides programs and resources that champion the individual and collective passions of players toward a common goal of making a positive impact on the world and inspiring others to do the same. The Playmakers Classic, an annual marquee event of the Players Trust, includes live performances from top talent, food and drink features from renowned culinary partners, interactive gaming competitions and casino action, custom experiences from presenting partner Fanatics, and live broadcasts and behind-the-scenes access. MLB Players Inc., the union’s business arm, is charged with managing all commercial activities of the MLBPA. The Players Choice Awards, voted on by the players, recognize the on- and off-field achievements of their peers. The MLBPA also certifies all agents who work with professional baseball players.
Learn More: Website, Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn
Kenneth Quinnell
Mon, 12/15/2025 - 13:07
12/15/2025 - 12:00pm
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Nurses at St. Joseph Health Vote Decisively to Join NNU
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.
Registered nurses (RNs) at St. Joseph Health in Brazos Valley, Texas, are celebrating a powerful victory this week after they voted to form a union with National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU).
The medical facility is owned by CommonSpirit Health, one of the largest Catholic health care systems in the nation that generated $1.1 billion in profits in 2024. Newly minted NNU members cited concerns around lack of decision-making power in patient care and staffing and the need to recruit and retain experienced nurses as core motivators for organizing.
“This is a great day for the nurses at St. Joseph Health and for the patients in our community,” said Tara Cassell, an RN in the labor and delivery unit, in a press release. “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.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Mon, 12/15/2025 - 09:40
12/12/2025 - 5:00pm
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
