01/29/2025 - 2:30pm
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Whole Foods Workers Make History with Union Election
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.
On Monday, workers at a Philadelphia Whole Foods Market voted to join United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1776, making them the first union store in Amazon’s grocery chain.
The e-commerce giant has owned Whole Foods since 2017. Since taking over, Amazon has rolled back numerous worker benefits, cut staffing and changed things like attendance policies for the worse. As expected, this campaign was faced with numerous instances of anti-union retaliation and intimidation tactics, forcing UFCW to file unfair labor practice charges against the grocer. Full- and part-time staff cite the need for livable wages, affordable health care and better retirement packages as key motivators for organizing. But members of Whole Foods Workers United also hope their story of taking on a union-busting behemoth—and winning—will also inspire their counterparts at hundreds of locations across the country.
“I expect others to follow, and that will increase the leverage that we have at the bargaining table,” said Ben Lovett, a member of Whole Foods Workers United. “We’ve shown them that it’s possible to organize at Amazon.”
“This fight is far from over, but today’s victory is an important step forward,” said Wendell Young, president of Local 1776. “We are ready to bring Whole Foods to the bargaining table to negotiate a fair first contract that reflects the workers’ needs and priorities.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Wed, 01/29/2025 - 09:19
01/29/2025 - 2:30pm
We Will Not Be Silent, We Will Not Back Down: 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:
Arizona AFL-CIO:
California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO:
Colorado AFL-CIO:
01/28/2025 - 7:30pm
Keep the Promise: 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.
Whole Foods Workers in Philadelphia Vote to Form Chain’s First Union: “Workers at a Whole Foods Market in Philadelphia voted on Monday to become the first unionized store in Amazon’s grocery chain, opening a new front in the e-commerce giant’s efforts to fend off labor organizing in multiple segments of its business. Employees at the sprawling Whole Foods store, in the city’s Spring Garden neighborhood, voted 130-100 in favor of organizing with the United Food and Commercial Workers union, the National Labor Relations Board said.”
Las Vegas Hotel Workers Union Reaches Deal with Casino to End Strike: “Hundreds of workers at a Las Vegas hotel and casino who have been on strike for more than two months will go back to work after agreeing to a new contract Wednesday. The Culinary Workers Union and an affiliated bartenders union, which together represented about 700 striking workers at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, announced the employees had unanimously approved a five-year deal. The unions and the hotel said in a joint statement that they are ‘pleased to be moving past their contract negotiations as each looks forward to fostering a positive and collaborative working relationship for the benefit of all team members at the property.’”
Healthcare Worker Union Ratifies New Contract with UM Health-Sparrow: “Nurses and healthcare professionals at University of Michigan Health-Sparrow voted to approve a new contract, the Michigan Nurses Association announced Thursday afternoon. The vote passed with 95% approval, averting a planned five-day strike. Members of the Professional Employee Council of Sparrow Hospital-Michigan Nurses Association (PECSH-MNA) began voting on Monday. Voting ended Thursday and was tallied that same afternoon. Workers would have gone on strike if the contract had not been approved.”
UAW Forces Stellantis to Keep Promises, Wins Back Thousands of Jobs: “After months of campaigns, rallies, grievances filed, and strike votes taken, the United Auto Workers have just won back thousands of jobs in a new agreement with Stellantis. The union’s ‘Keep The Promise’ campaign kicked off after the company reneged on a number of key issues that the workers and their union won in their historic 2023 Stand Up Strike. ‘This victory is a testament to the power of workers standing together and holding a billion-dollar corporation accountable,’ Shawn Fain, president of the UAW, and Kevin Gotkinsky, UAW Stellantis Department Director, said in a statement released Wednesday morning.”
Workers at Genesis HealthCare Ratify First Contract with UFCW Local 152: “Workers at the Genesis HealthCare assisted living facility in Millville voted to ratify their first union contract on Jan. 9, giving them a voice on the job and secured wages and benefits. The workers, members of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 152, voted unanimously to accept their three-year agreement.”
Justice Demands That Colorado Legislators Modernize the State’s Labor Law This Session (Fredrick D. Redmond): “Colorado’s outdated labor law is rooted in unmistakable racism. Now is the time to modernize the law to provide all workers—especially workers of color—with the freedom to organize a union so they can openly voice their opinions at work and negotiate on safety and pay. Colorado’s economy was very different 81 years ago, when our current labor law was passed. In 1943, Colorado’s total population was just over a million people. One of the biggest employers was the Denver Ordnance Plant, where almost 20,000 workers produced bullets for the World War II war effort in three shifts around the clock. And more than 7,000 Japanese-American citizens were prisoners at Camp Amache in Prowers County.”
AFT President Randi Weingarten Discusses Resistance to Trump's Education Policies: “What will resistance to Trump's education policy look like this time around? NPR hears from Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. Randi Weingarten is the longtime president of the American Federation of Teachers. It's a union representing 1.8 million teachers nationwide. She joins us this morning by way of Skype. Randi, thanks for joining us. Now, how would the teachers you represent be affected by, say, a dismantled Department of Education if indeed he does that?”
New Labor Coalition Wants Colorado’s Unions at the Forefront of the State’s Green Energy Transit: “In a classroom full of motors and switches, Dan Hendricks is going over what goes into a 3-5-year electrical apprenticeship. ‘This is towards the end of their apprenticeship, where they would learn motor control, different switching systems, things of that nature,’ he says, showing me a piece of machinery. ‘So as they progress, right, the work gets more interesting.’ He flicks a switch and triggers a sharp buzzing noise.”
Cecile Richards, Former Planned Parenthood President, Dies at 67: “Cecile Richards, the dynamic former president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and one of the country’s most well-known defenders of abortion rights, died on Monday at her home in Manhattan. She was 67. She was diagnosed in 2023 with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, her family said in a statement. A former political organizer, Richards was a daughter of former Gov. Ann Richards of Texas.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Mon, 01/27/2025 - 09:38
01/28/2025 - 7:30pm
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Health Care Workers Ratify New Contract with UM Health-Sparrow
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.
Nurses and health care professionals at University of Michigan Health-Sparrow voted to approve a new contract with 95% approval, averting a planned five-day strike. The Professional Employee Council of Sparrow Hospital-Michigan Nurses Association (PECSH-MNA), an affiliate of National Nurses United (NNU), said the contract runs until Oct. 30, 2027, and covers some 2,000 workers.
The new contract includes competitive wage increases (with most members receiving between a 20% and 32% raise); large increases in differentials for night shift, evening shift, and weekend work; a guaranteed health care plan equal or better to the union plan the employer is ending; a permanent decrease in the cost of members’ premium contribution to Blue Cross Blue Shield; new language guaranteeing no permanent replacement of positions with subcontractors; and maintenance of open postings for these positions, extended COVID-19 protections for members, increased benefits for employees injured by workplace violence, vacation accrual for salaried members on paid-out comp time, and a ratification bonus.
“We’re really proud that we as a union stood strong to get what nurses and healthcare professionals at Sparrow need and deserve,” said Leah Rasch, RN and co-chair of the elected PECSH-MNA bargaining team. “This is one of the best contracts anyone can remember at our hospital. A great agreement for our members is a win for all of us, because it will help make sure Sparrow can attract and keep enough nurses and health care workers to take excellent care of our community.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Mon, 01/27/2025 - 10:20
01/24/2025 - 3:30pm
Demanding A Seat On the Bus: 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:
01/23/2025 - 8:30pm
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Workers Win—Culinary Reaches Deal with Virgin Hotels, Ends Strike
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.
The Culinary Union and Bartenders Union, affiliated with UNITE HERE, reached an agreement with Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, after a monthslong strike. The new contract, which passed unanimously, runs through Sept. 30, 2028. Some 700 union members will receive wage increases retroactive to when their last contract expired on June 1, 2023. The contract also includes increases in company contributions toward employee health care, pensions and other benefits. The workers have been on strike since November 2024.
"Virgin Hotels Las Vegas and the Culinary and Bartenders Union are pleased to be moving past their contract negotiations as each looks forward to fostering a positive and collaborative working relationship for the benefit of all team members at the property," said the Culinary Union.
Kenneth Quinnell
Thu, 01/23/2025 - 10:14
Tags:
Organizing
01/23/2025 - 2:30pm
We Will Not Be Silent, We Will Not Back Down: 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:
Arizona AFL-CIO:
California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO:
Colorado AFL-CIO:
Illinois AFL-CIO:
01/22/2025 - 8:00pm
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Workers at Some of D.C.’s Best-Known Restaurants Move to Join UNITE HERE
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.
Staff at five different prominent restaurants owned by some of Washington, D.C.’s biggest restaurateurs went public with their efforts to join UNITE HERE Local 25 last week.
Workers at Le Diplomate, St. Anselm and Pastis—owned by Stephen Starr’s
Starr Restaurants—and Rasika Penn Quarter and Modena—owned by Ashok Bajaj’s Knightsbridge Restaurant Group—are fighting for better scheduling practices, higher pay and respect on the job.
“The status quo in restaurants is that anything goes as long as the guests are happy, and I’ve personally witnessed some unfair treatment, a little bit of cultural insensitivity,” said Pablo Zuniga, a server at Le Diplomate. “Having a union would place us in a better position to have mutual respect from management, no matter your background, no matter your race, your gender identity, or your language.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Wed, 01/22/2025 - 09:14
Tags:
Organizing
01/22/2025 - 8:00pm
Worker Wins: Ensuring A Just and Respectful Workplace
Our latest roundup of worker wins includes numerous examples of working people organizing, bargaining and mobilizing for a better life.
IAM Members at IKEA Perryville Ratify New Contract: After more than two months on the picket line, workers represented by Machinists (IAM) Local I460, District 4 at the IKEA Distribution Center in Perryville, Maryland, have ratified a new contract. Members initially began their work stoppage last year on Nov. 15 after rejecting management’s proposal that would have stripped workers of their seniority rights and failed to keep up with the rising costs of living. “The members took to the picket lines demanding fair wages and protections for seniority to ensure a just and respectful workplace,” said IAM Eastern Territory General Vice President David Sullivan in a press release. “After weeks of negotiations, the new agreement delivers increased wages and preserves critical seniority language for employees with 18 or more years of service. Our members stood up strong for respect and dignity, which will make our union stronger. This contract ensures fairness and respect for long-serving employees while delivering well-earned wage increases for everyone. We are grateful for the community support during the strike.”
Brightline Onboard Workers Make History by Joining TWU: Onboard and lead attendants at Florida’s privately owned passenger railroad, Brightline, voted to join the Transport Workers Union (TWU) on Tuesday, making them the largest group of railroad workers who have successfully organized in more than two decades. These staff members—who sell concessions and provide other passenger services on trains running between Miami and Orlando—approached TWU last year in hopes of building a stronger voice on the job. Workers cited concerns around a restrictive sick time policy, unfair disciplinary processes and unpredictable work schedules. In response to their organizing efforts, Brightline hired notorious union-busting law firm Littler Mendelson and started rolling out aggressive tactics like having the company president call workers at home to intimidate them. But members refused to back down and ended up securing a 2-to-1 margin of victory in their election. “Brightline ran an ugly anti-union, anti-worker campaign against their own workforce, but let’s put that behind us,” TWU International President John Samuelsen said in a press release. “We’re committed to working to ensure the railroad is successful while helping our newest members secure better wages, better working conditions, respect in the workplace, and other goals that they set.”
Noguchi Museum Workers Vote Unanimously to Form Union: Staff at the Noguchi Museum in New York City voted unanimously this week to join UAW Local 2110. The Noguchi Union is a wall-to-wall unit that covers 55 workers across different departments at the cultural institution. Local 2110 also represents their peers at the Guggenheim Museum and the Whitney Museum of American Art. Members first went public with their organizing efforts a few months after the museum—which is dedicated to the works of vocal anti-war activist Isamu Noguchi—implemented a ban on Palestinian headscarves known as keffiyehs. This spurred workers to fight for representation so they can secure fair grievance procedures and protections against discrimination, among other issues like fair pay. “With a UNANIMOUS UNION YES VOTE WE WON OUR UNION ELECTION,” said the Noguchi Union in a social media post. “The Noguchi Museum staff is excited to announce the formation of its union! Our members seek to negotiate for a more equitable, inclusive, and transparent workplace.”
VA Memorial Products Service Employees Vote to Join AFGE: The Federal Labor Relations Authority last week officially certified the election where Veterans Affairs (VA) National Cemetery Administration’s (NCA’s) Memorial Products Service (MPS) workers successfully voted to join AFGE Local 17. These newly minted members work at three remote processing locations in Illinois, Kansas and Tennessee—before the COVID-19 pandemic, they had worked out of offices located at the cemeteries. Local 17 previously represented the workers in Tennessee and Kansas, but once they became remote, the NCA designated them as unrepresented. Now that MPS staff won their election, they’re looking forward to addressing things like overtime concerns and issues with performance evaluations. “I was really excited,” said Local 17 3rd Vice President Megan-Brady Viccellio. “Local 17 already represents several of these employees, and we’re really heartened that they wanted to come back to the fold. I think that they had experience with the protection of the really robust master agreement at VA. It was a 14 to zero vote. That speaks volumes about the value that they see.”
Temple University Hospital Resident Physicians and Fellows Vote to Form Union: Resident physicians and fellows at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia have voted overwhelmingly to join the Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR), a local of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). Resident physicians often work up to 80-hour weeks for relatively low pay as they complete the final stage of their medical training. CIR members have cited these conditions and chronic understaffing that impacts patient care as motivators for organizing. This victory at Temple is the latest in a string of recent resident organizing efforts at medical facilities around the city. “It’s time to put patients back at the center of our health-care system,” said Sarah Bart, a Temple resident. “We won our union, now we are preparing our campaign for a fair contract that puts resources in patient care and supports physicians’ and patients’ well-being.”
Colorado Ski Patrol Staff Join CWA, Latest in Resort Industry Organizing Efforts: Ski patrollers of Colorado's Arapahoe Basin ski area announced on Sunday that they have voted to join the United Mountain Workers, Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 7781. Under the name Arapahoe Basin Ski Patrol (ABSP) Union, these staff members fought to organize in order to secure more competitive pay that reflects their specialized, critical work. Patrollers are employed by Alterra Mountain Company, which acquired Arapahoe Basin in November 2024 after an antitrust investigation by the Department of Justice, and have experienced an intense union-busting campaign from management.
Workers Overwhelmingly Vote to Form Union at Alabama Chemical Plant: Production and maintenance workers at the Gaylord Chemical manufacturing facility in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, voted last week to join the International Chemical Workers Union Council (ICWUC), part of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW). Workers at the plant—who make chemical compounds used in medical and industrial solvents and food additives—reached out to the union a few months ago to begin their organizing efforts. Their landslide election win is even more exciting in the context of Alabama’s “right to work” laws and vocally anti-union lawmakers. “I just want to thank the [ICWUC] for getting behind us and supporting us. As soon as we reached out to them, they were quick to respond,” one Gaylord Chemical worker stated. Jordan Easley, ICWUC’s national organizing coordinator, said of the campaign victory: “[Workers] excelled when it came to open support, public support, and the numbers reflected that. They got what they deserve. Obviously most employers don’t want a union, but I think [Gaylord Chemical] were stopped in their tracks. They are reminded that you need workers more than workers need you.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Wed, 01/22/2025 - 15:23
Tags:
Organizing
01/21/2025 - 7:30pm
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Nurses March to Demand Patient Protections Against AI
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.
Thousands of nurses represented by National Nurses United (NNU) took part in rallies last week calling for the hospitals to prioritize safe staffing and patient protections against growing artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.
These nationwide demonstrations were aimed at uplifting the broad shared concern among nurses over the current implementation of AI by hospital employers and policy regulators. In a survey released last year, NNU found that 50% of responders have seen their employer implement algorithmic systems to assess things like how ill the patient is and predict the number of hours of nursing care they will need. Of those nurses, 69% said the computer-generated measurements did not match their informed assessments and lacked consideration of important, complex social factors that were at play.
“[N]urses across the country are taking to the streets to let our communities know that in 2025, as in all years past, we are committed to providing the highest quality of care for every patient,” said Nancy Hagans, RN and a president of NNU, in a press release. “We will fight fearlessly against the profit-driven hospital industry, which seeks to undermine nursing care through unconscionable understaffing and reckless automation.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Tue, 01/21/2025 - 10:28
