Our latest roundup of worker wins includes numerous examples of working people organizing, bargaining and mobilizing for a better life.

Shaw’s Warehouse Workers Win New Contract with More Than $5 an Hour in Raises: Workers at the Shaw’s Distribution Center in Wells, Maine, overwhelmingly ratified a new four-year contract that includes pay increases and pension improvements. The contract includes a $5.05 per hour raise over four years, increased employer pension contributions and streamlined workflows. Nate Jordan, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 791 vice president and chief steward at the Shaw’s Distribution Center, said it is the best contract they have won since they formed a union in 1998. The Local represents between 250 and 275 workers at the distribution center. “Our last contract for 2022 to ’25 was the best contract that we've seen and this one here beat it, so we’ve done really well the last couple of contracts,” Jordan said.

PrimeFlight Fuelers in Orlando Unanimously Ratify First TWU Contract with 15% Raise: Members of Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 504 successfully negotiated their first contract for PrimeFlight Fuelers working at Orlando (Florida) International Airport. The contract locks in a 15% raise,  replaces a management-controlled paid time off (PTO) system with guaranteed sick and vacation time, and includes a grievance and arbitration procedure process and a discipline policy. With this new contract, which Local 504 members approved unanimously, PrimeFlight Fuelers are no longer “at will” workers. “This first contract for PrimeFlight Fuelers in Orlando provides significant economic gains for workers and their families,” said TWU International President John Samuelsen. “The new contract immediately turned the Fuelers represented by the TWU from the lowest-paid Fuelers on property to the highest-paid and provides workers with both sick time and vacation instead of a management-controlled PTO system.”

Brooklyn Cannabis Workers Vote Overwhelmingly to Join RWDSU-UFCW Local: Last month, cannabis workers at Gotham Dispensary in Brooklyn, New York, voted overwhelmingly to join Local 338 of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), a part of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW). The workers voted 18–3 to join the union. This win comes after months of organizing, during which Local 338 filed unfair labor practice charges against Gotham, alleging the company unlawfully terminated strong union supporters. “I wanted to join Local 338 RWDSU/UFCW so that everyone at Gotham would have a collective voice,” said Cara Behar, a budtender at Gotham. “Unions are the backbone of this country, and their presence is more important now than ever. We’re demanding fair scheduling, equitable treatment of part- and full-time workers, and basic protections. Watching my coworkers be fired for organizing only strengthened our resolve.”  Local 338 now represents approximately 600 cannabis workers statewide, part of a growing movement of cannabis workers across New York. “The solidarity and strength the workers at Gotham displayed over the last six months of this unionization campaign has been nothing short of inspiring,” said Joseph Fontano, secretary-treasurer of RWDSU-UFCW Local 338. “They came together to advocate for each other, even in the face of unfair labor practices. This win shows the power of organizing and the vision we had when we helped shape cannabis legalization in New York. We’re proud to welcome Gotham workers into our union family and look forward to winning them a strong first contract.”

University of Pennsylvania Postdocs and Research Assistants Vote Overwhelmingly to Join UAW: Postdoctoral scholars and research associates at the University of Pennsylvania voted in favor of forming a union, Research Associates and Postdocs United at Penn (RAPUP-UAW), with a vote of 95% saying, “Union, yes!” These workers form the backbone of research at Penn, performing groundbreaking studies in laboratories and offices across campus that attracts hundreds of millions of dollars in funding each year. But despite their contributions, many struggle to make ends meet, with very limited job security, no meaningful protections against harassment and discrimination, and spotty benefits that are not guaranteed. “We are thrilled with [these] results and ready to work with the university towards a more democratic workplace,” said Emily Perkins, a postdoctoral fellow in psychology. “We love our jobs, but the increasing threats to international scholars coupled with inadequate compensation made a union the obvious choice. We’re ready to speak in one voice for fair pay, better job security, and a more equitable university.” 

SEIU Janitors in Kansas City Ratify New Union Contract with Three Years of Raises: Some 800 janitors in Kansas City, Missouri, members of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1, ratified a new contract. They won raises over the contract's three-year lifespan, enshrined paid vacation time, a labor management committee, improved bereavement leave, language protecting workers’ reassignment rights and a requirement for good-faith efforts by employers to translate training materials for non-English-speaking workers. “It was really inspiring to see so many members come out in force to rally to demand fair wages,” said Chris Rak, vice president and Missouri director of Local 1. “The companies had been offering a 1.5% increase, which wasn’t nearly enough for people who are already scraping by on poverty wages. By taking the streets and taking actions, they were able to win a much better settlement.”

WellSpan Chambersburg Hospital Workers Agree to New Contract with Management: WellSpan Chambersburg Hospital and the union representing 1,400 hospital workers, SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania, reached an agreement on a new contract. The three-year contract with union members includes a wage package of a 3.5% annual increase, protections against job outsourcing, two emergency days for newer employees and the preservation of all benefits from the previous contract. “Not having to strike, we really appreciate just being able to go to work,” said Gayle Alleman, RN. “The commitment to this community is just phenomenal and outstanding.”