10/10/2024 - 11:30am
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Cleveland Institute of Music Joins AFM
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.
Faculty at the Cleveland Institute of Music in Ohio joined the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) Local 4. The workers voted 56-25 vote in favor of the union. The faculty organized to improve how the administration communicates with faculty about issues affecting them and to give faculty more input in financial decisions.
“We’re handstands and pogo sticks about representing these world-class artists,” said Local 4 President Leonard DiCosimo. “So many CIM faculty are also Cleveland Orchestra members, who are already part of our union. This will only heighten the connection between the union and the CIM rank and file.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Wed, 10/09/2024 - 10:03
10/09/2024 - 4:30pm
Seeking Fair Pay: 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:
American Postal Workers Union:
Association of Flight Attendants-CWA:
Boilermakers:
10/08/2024 - 4:00pm
Honoring the Contributions of all Working People: 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.
It's Time for a National Monument to Labor Hero Frances Perkins: “A monument to Secretary Perkins would stand as a monument not only to our country's history, but also to our future. She believed deep in her soul that ‘a government should aim to give all the people under its jurisdiction the best possible life.’ By honoring Secretary Perkins, we can make her legacy a living place that inspires our children and grandchildren, reaffirms our country's commitment to making our union more perfect, and tells our national story in a way that honors the contributions of all working people.”
Labor Union And Lawmakers Seek Solutions To Letter Carrier Robberies That Plague The U.S. Postal Service: “This week, a bill is expected to be introduced in Congress to appropriate federal dollars to help replace the antiquated keys with electronic versions that have no value to criminals, require all 93 U.S. attorneys to designate a prosecutor for postal crime, and to review sentencing guidelines for postal crimes, said Brian Renfroe, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers.”
Kamala Harris Joined Biden in Backing the Dockworkers' Strike at Major U.S. Ports: “The International Longshoremen Association (ILA) went on strike early Tuesday morning after its contract with the group that represents shipping companies, terminal operators, and port associations expired. Some 45,000 workers are on picket lines at more than a dozen major ports that collectively account for about 51% of the nation’s port capacity. The union is pushing for protection against automation, new technology in terminals, and wage hikes.”
Trick or Treat? It’s Always ‘Trick’: “Sadly, the holiday won’t be the only thing trying to scare us. It turns out that a lot of people want to scare us, and not just that friend or family member we know that just wants to make us jump in brief fear before laughing away all our concerns. Sadly, some people want to scare us in ways that aren’t an expression of joy or a celebration of a silly holiday. In case you missed the story last week, the Missouri Independent reported on a new development in the seemingly endless war between the worst corporate actors and their own workers. Once again, companies are looking to scare workers away from trying to unionize in their workplace. We just have to make sure it doesn’t work.”
Wesleyan Graduate Students Win Vote to Unionize 86–7: “Graduate students and Foreign Language Teaching Assistants (FLTAs) voted on Thursday, Sept. 26 to become part of the Wesleyan Graduate Labor Union (WesGLU), which is represented by the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU). The election, hosted by the National Labor Relations Board, was held in Usdan room B25. Of the 117 eligible voters, 79% voted in the election, with 86 votes in favor of unionizing and 7 against.”
Washington Teachers’ Union Reaches Tentative Contract Agreement with DCPS: “The Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU) and the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) have reached a tentative five-year contract agreement that aims to improve working conditions for educators while addressing long-standing issues related to recruitment and retention. This agreement comes after more than a year of negotiations and is set to be voted on by union members in the coming weeks. AFT President Randi Weingarten applauded the union's efforts, calling the tentative agreement a ‘real accomplishment’ for educators who have been waiting for a fair contract.”
AFL-CIO Launches Ad Campaign Across Seven Battleground States in Support of Harris: “The AFL-CIO, the largest federation of unions in the U.S., said it launched a seven-figure digital and streaming ad campaign for Harris and Walz today in the battleground states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin—its largest ad buy of this election cycle. NBC News was first to report the labor group's ad buy. ‘This is the most consequential election in American history for union families,’ AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler said in a statement. ‘That’s why we’re laser-focused on ensuring that the union voters who will decide this election know the stakes and know the stark contrast between Kamala Harris’ and Donald Trump’s policies on our jobs, our unions, and our contracts.’”
AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler on Why More Workers Are Joining Unions Even in Right-To-Work States: “North Carolina is and will, for the foreseeable future, remain a so-called ‘right-to-work’ state in which laws make it extremely tough build workplace unions. Despite this enormous barrier, however, there’s growing evidence that interest in and support for organized labor in our state is enjoying a bit of a renaissance. With wages in many companies remaining low and flat, even as corporate profits and executive pay have soared, many North Carolina workers—especially younger workers—are rethinking unions. This reality was on display recently in Raleigh as the state AFL-CIO hosted a large and energetic gathering at its annual convention. And right after she delivered a keynote address at the event, NC Newsline caught up with the national president of the AFL-CIO, Liz Shuler.”
Would Trump Go After Workers’ Rights in a Second Term? Look at His Record: “GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance, have recently tried to woo unions and working-class voters, but Cemex is just one of several consequential rulings by the Biden-era NLRB that would likely be reversed if Trump wins in November. Under Cemex, companies that commit unfair labor practices in the run-up to an election—such as holding mandatory anti-union meetings or retaliating against pro-union workers—can now be ordered to recognize the union and begin bargaining with it. On September 17, the NLRB’s Region 2-Manhattan office issued a complaint and notice of hearing in a case against Trader Joe’s in Manhattan and sought a bargaining order based on the Cemex ruling.”
National Symphony Orchestra Musicians Reach Agreement After Kennedy Center Strike: “The National Symphony Orchestra and the Kennedy Center reached an agreement Friday after musicians went on strike earlier in the day and picketed outside the D.C. landmark. The Kennedy Center said they and NSO musicians reached an 18-month labor agreement. Musicians walked off the job on Friday morning as part of an effort to secure higher pay, according to their union, the DC Federation of Musicians, Local 161-710, American Federation of Musicians.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Fri, 10/04/2024 - 15:30
10/08/2024 - 4:00pm
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Toledo Symphony Ratifies New Five-Year 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.
The Toledo Federation of Musicians (TFM)/American Federation of Musicians (AFM) Local 15-286 and the Toledo Symphony Orchestra (TSO) ratified a new five-year contract last month that will run until the end of the 2028–2029 season.
Throughout the lifetime of the agreement, TFM members will see major victories like a pay increase of 39% and higher matching contributions to their 403(b) retirement plans. The deal also includes the establishment of two new core string positions and conversion of several previously part-time roles into full-time positions. Musicians additionally won more paid parental leave, standardization of the tenure evaluation process and more that will allow them to continue giving world-class performances.
“We are proud of the collaborative spirit that defined these negotiations,” said Casey Gsell, TSO principal bassoon and chair of the Orchestra Committee. “This agreement not only provides significant financial improvements for our members but also enhances our role in the community, supports education, and ensures equitable treatment of our musicians. It is a true testament to what we can achieve when we work together.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Tue, 10/08/2024 - 10:02
10/08/2024 - 4:00pm
Solidarity Is What Makes the Labor Movement Run: 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).
Arizona AFL-CIO:
10/07/2024 - 3:30pm
It's Time for a National Monument to Labor Hero Frances Perkins
Harris & Ewing, photographer
If you work for a living, you owe every comfort—every safety measure, every break, every vacation day—to Frances Perkins, the nation's first-ever woman to serve as a Cabinet secretary.
During her 12 years as secretary of labor, Perkins transformed work in the United States. To address the devastation of the Great Depression, she advised President Franklin D. Roosevelt on creating a public works program that put unemployed Americans back to work building critical infrastructure across the country. She was the powerhouse behind many of Roosevelt's New Deal programs, establishing a federal minimum wage and overtime pay and banning child labor exploitation. And she was the chair of the Committee on Economic Security, which created the blueprint for Social Security. Frances Perkins got it done.
As the first woman to lead the AFL-CIO, the nation's largest federation of labor unions, I am deeply inspired by the example that Secretary Perkins set. Even though her work has touched the lives of every working person in America, Perkins remains an unsung hero in our national history.
It's time to change that. President Joe Biden, the most pro-labor president at least since FDR and arguably in American history, now has an opportunity to recognize Secretary Perkins' remarkable legacy by designating the Perkins Homestead in Newcastle, Maine, as a national monument and a part of the national park system.
Monuments tell the story of who we are as a country. They connect us to past generations, and they serve as educational tools and inspirations for our future. They reflect our deepest-held values. But historically, our monuments have failed to capture the critical roles women have played in our nation's story.
This past March, Biden signed an executive order to increase the representation of women in our national parks and historical sites, and depicted in monuments. A public monument dedicated to Frances Perkins would greatly expand our collective imagination about what's possible in America—exactly in line with what Perkins herself believed. She knew that maintaining a broken status quo that leaves our friends and neighbors behind is far more dangerous than being brave and trying something new.
In a last-minute attempt to negotiate a new contract, Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins met today with representatives of the United Mine Workers and Pennsylvania Anthracite Operators at the Waldorf-Astoria. The meeting ended without agreement.
Secretary Perkins once said that "a healthy discontent keeps us alert to the changing needs of our time." When I travel the country and speak to working people and organizers, I hear that same spirit of productive unrest.
I hear these workers say they're tired of the way things have been going. I hear them say they're tired of their rent going up while their paychecks don't go as far as they used to. They're tired of watching CEOs get richer and richer while they struggle to save for the future.
But I also hear something else very clearly: Workers are fighting back. Workers are growing our power in this country in a way we haven't seen in a generation. Together, we are a force to be reckoned with.
This post originally appeared in Newsweek.
Kenneth Quinnell
Fri, 10/04/2024 - 10:18
10/07/2024 - 3:30pm
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Indiana PetSmart Workers Win First Union for Chain in the U.S.
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.
In a landslide 12–2 victory, PetSmart workers in Mishawaka, Indiana, have successfully won the first union election at a U.S. location of the pet superstore chain.
With organizing help from the United Commercial and Food Workers (UFCW), PetSmart associates, trainers, groomers and other staff are coming together and forming unions across the country. Workers are fighting for higher pay, improved hours and better working conditions with the protections of a powerful union contract. With a collective bargaining agreement, PetSmart Union said they will be able to better serve the animals of all shapes and sizes that they care for.
“With this victory, we’ve shown the company that we’re serious about coming together and unionizing for real change in our stores,” PetSmart Union wrote on their website. “Now, we’re focused on putting our collective voice into action and building strength throughout the country! We can’t wait to see which PetSmart store joins us next in our fight to make PetSmart the company we know it can be.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Mon, 10/07/2024 - 10:13
10/04/2024 - 7:00pm
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Lewiston-Auburn Transit Drivers Ratify First Contract with Western Maine Transportation Services
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.
Drivers with Lewiston-Auburn's Citylink bus service ratified their first union contract with Western Maine Transportation Services. The contract covers about a dozen transit workers, members of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) and includes a nearly 13% wage increase over three years. The new contract also includes pay increases that reward longevity.
"At the end of the day, when you have happy drivers," said Andy O'Brien, communications director of the Maine AFL-CIO. "You're better able to provide a better service for the riders in the community."
Kenneth Quinnell
Fri, 10/04/2024 - 10:04
10/03/2024 - 6:30pm
Worker Wins: Freedom from Intimidation at Work
Our latest roundup of worker wins includes numerous examples of working people organizing, bargaining and mobilizing for a better life.
Workers at County Assessor’s Office in West Virginia Join UMWA: On Friday, staff at the Monongalia County Assessor’s Office in West Virginia successfully voted to join the Mine Workers (UMWA). This victory comes after months of organizing efforts led by workers and union representatives to support their right to a free and fair union election. These staff members are the latest in a growing number of public sector workers across West Virginia who have chosen to form a union with UMWA to secure the wages, collective voice and respect they deserve. “We are proud to welcome the employees of the Monongalia County Assessor’s Office to the UMWA family,” said International President Cecil E. Roberts. “Their decision puts them on a path toward greater job security, fair treatment, and representation on the job. We will ensure that their voices are heard, and their rights are protected.”
California Becomes Latest State to Ban Captive Audience Meetings: Employers in California can no longer require workers to attend captive audience meetings thanks to a measure signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday. The new law prevents workers from being forced to attend meetings where the company compels them to listen to opinions on political and religious matters unrelated to their jobs. Staff attending these meetings can understandably fear that their jobs are at risk if they don’t adopt the employer’s viewpoint. SB 399 was backed by unions across the state and makes California the largest of more than a half-dozen states to ban this tactic commonly used by management in response to union organizing drives. “Everyone deserves freedom from intimidation at work,” said Lorena Gonzalez, president of the California Labor Federation. “No one should be forced against their will to attend captive audience meetings where their bosses threaten and coerce them out of reporting labor violations, or exercising their right to join a union. Today, Governor Newsom sided with working people over corporate lobbyists by signing SB 399. Once again, the power of working people won.”
National Symphony Orchestra Musicians Reach Agreement After Kennedy Center Strike: National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) performers and the Kennedy Center reached a tentative agreement (TA) on Friday after Washington D.C. Federation of Musicians, AFM Local 161-710, members went on strike earlier in the day. Musicians walked off the job on Friday morning—after voting unanimously to authorize a strike a week prior—wearing matching red union shirts and carrying signs that read, “Support NSO musicians” and “Keep NSO world-class.” If members approve the new contract, it will increase wages 4% in the first year of the deal and another 4% in the second year. The TA also includes expanded health care options, paid parental leave, updates to audition and tenure processes, and more. “I’m so proud of the work the committee has done throughout the summer and throughout the year and especially right now, and the support that we have throughout the building among our other trade unions,” said Edgardo Malaga Jr., president of the Washington D.C. Federation of Musicians.
Omni Providence Hotel Workers Ratify New Contract: UNITE HERE Local 26 members who work at the Omni Providence in Rhode Island ratified a new four-year contract last week that secures higher wages and better benefits. This victory came seven weeks after workers at the downtown Providence hotel voted to authorize a strike over management’s refusal to bargain a fair contract. Their previous agreement expired last January, and members were laser-focused on winning a deal that would address rising costs of living. To show the Omni Providence they meant business, members began wearing lanyards to work to signal that they’d signed up for strike benefits and were ready and willing to walk out. “My co-workers and I put a lot of work into this fight,” said George Cook, a banquet attendant at the Omni. “We were ready to do whatever it took to win. I’m happy that we’re able to get the best contract we ever had, with wage increases that will help us pay our rent and take care of our families.”
UAW Tool & Die Unit Reaches Tentative Agreement at Ford’s River Rouge: On Wednesday, the UAW Local 600’s Tool & Die Unit at Ford’s River Rouge Complex reached a tentative agreement (TA) with Ford Motor Co., one day ahead of its strike deadline. Roughly 500 workers in the Tool & Die Unit work at the Dearborn, Michigan, facility. Members were prepared to go on strike starting Sept. 26 if the multinational automotive manufacturer refused to address issues such as job security, wage parity and work rules. The negotiated TA includes protections against the impacts of advancements in 3D printing and establishes a process to secure additional die work as required. Additionally, UAW won a provision to eliminate the wage disparity for skilled trades, ensuring fair and equal pay across the board. “The members at the Rouge Complex understand the power of strength in numbers,” said UAW Vice President Chuck Browning. “They stuck together and showed Ford that they were willing to stand up if necessary to win what they deserve.”
Michigan Receives Federal Investment from Biden–Harris Administration to Create New Clean Energy Jobs: Funding from the Biden–Harris administration’s bipartisan infrastructure law is helping Michigan companies expand their operations and create hundreds of new manufacturing jobs in the state. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and officials at the Department of Energy announced this month that four companies will receive $355 million in federal grant funding to help grow manufacturing of batteries for electric vehicles and renewable energy storage. As a result, this funding will enable these Michigan-based employers to create nearly 2,000 new jobs—including construction jobs needed to build new manufacturing facilities—and retain more than 400 existing positions. “Because our elected leaders stand in strong partnership with organized labor, Michiganders have the guarantee that these investments will go towards creating good-paying jobs where every worker has the freedom to form and join a union without intimidation or retaliation,” Michigan AFL-CIO President Ron Bieber said. “We applaud the Biden-Harris and Whitmer administrations for continuing to put workers first by ensuring the cars, tech, and energy of the future are built right here in Michigan by union hands.”
Culinary Union Celebrates Las Vegas Strip Becoming 100% Union with Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su: After UNITE HERE’s Culinary Union and Bartenders Union reached a new contract with the owners of the Venetian late last month, workers and labor leaders are celebrating that every resort on the Las Vegas Strip now officially recognizes the union. The Culinary Union and the Department of Labor (DOL) acting Labor Secretary Julie Su held an event recognizing this historic victory on Thursday. This first-time union contract covering more than 4,000 of The Venetian Resort team members has been a fight 25 years in the making. “We are proud to celebrate a new day here at the Venetian,” said Ted Pappageorge, secretary-treasurer for the Culinary Union. “The fight to unionize the Venetian has been one of the longest and most significant in Culinary Union’s 89-year history. From standing up to anti-union billionaire Sheldon Adelson in 1999, to winning the right at the U.S. Supreme Court to picket and protest on sidewalks in front of Las Vegas casinos, and now securing a historic first contract, workers never gave up….This victory today is also a testament to the leadership of the Biden–Harris administration, whose unwavering commitment to ensure workers can organize and win a union has been a source of great strength.” “This contract now brings the Las Vegas Strip to a 100% unionized workforce,” said Secretary Su. “When President Biden says the middle-class built America and unions built the middle class, he's talking about all of you….We want to make sure that a [good] job like that is available to every worker, to every family, in every community all across the country, and you are showing that that is possible here. So thank you for what you have done.”
Workers at Powerhouse Animation Studios Ratify First Union Contract: The Animation Guild (TAG), Theatrical and Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 839, announced on Tuesday that artists and production workers at Powerhouse Animation Studios in Austin, Texas, have ratified their first contract, marking a massive victory for TAG’s first organizing campaign in a “right to work” state. TAG members at Powerhouse secured powerful agreement language governing wage equality, job security, retirement benefits and more. Staff first went public with their organizing drive in April 2023, and studio management voluntarily recognized TAG as the workers’ bargaining agent three months later. “This is one of the strongest agreements we have been able to negotiate, and the crew’s resolve to their priority issues is the reason,” said TAG Business Representative Steve Kaplan. “I also want to acknowledge the work Powerhouse and its leadership team put in. We all had to be flexible to get to the finish line, and they showed their commitment to being a productive partner with the Union in the negotiations. I look forward to welcoming our newest Texas-based members to Guild membership, and working with the studio to build on this strong agreement in the future.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Thu, 10/03/2024 - 10:16
10/03/2024 - 12:00pm
Hispanic Heritage Month Profiles: Raul Aceves Cisneros
Throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, the AFL-CIO will be profiling leaders and activists to spotlight the diverse contributions Hispanics and Latinos have made to the labor movement. Today's profile features Raul Aceves Cisneros of the Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT).
Raul Aceves Cisneros has been a union member since 2019. “The union has made a difference in my life since I joined. I’m able to provide insurance to my family because of the union. I also have a better wage, which means a lot nowadays. I have learned many more things about my job throughout the years I’ve been with the union, and I have implemented those skills so I can be better at my job. One more thing I have learned is that there is more equity and respect in a union workplace than other jobs.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Thu, 10/03/2024 - 10:30
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