Labor Rights News Thread

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caltrek
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How Unions are Winning Again, in Four4 charts
by Rani Molla
August 30, 2022

The four charts referenced in the title show:

  • Unions won more elections in 2022 than they have in nearly 20 years.
  • Unions are winning more than three-quarters of their elections.
  • Three times as many U.S. workers went on strike in 2022 as in 2021.
  • The share of Americans who approve of unions is at its highest level since 1965.


Read more here: https://www.vox.com/recode/2022/8/30/2 ... s-strikes
Don't mourn, organize.

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caltrek
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'Great Day for Labor': NLRB Rejects Amazon Attempt to Overturn Union Win
by Jake Johnson
September 2, 2022

Introduction:
(Common Dreams) The National Labor Relations Board on Thursday completely rejected Amazon's attempt to dispute and overturn a historic union victory in New York earlier this year, paving the way for the JFK8 warehouse in Staten Island to become the company's first-ever certified union shop in the United States.

In a new filing, the NLRB officer who presided over weeks of virtual hearings on Amazon's election objections concluded that the corporation's protests against the union's landmark victory "should be overruled in their entirety."

"The employer has not met its burden of establishing that Region 29 [of the NLRB], the petitioner, or any third parties have engaged in objectionable conduct affecting the results of the election," the federal labor official wrote, dismissing Amazon's claims that the union committed "electioneering in the polling area" and "distributed marijuana to employees in exchange for their support," along with a slew of other allegations.

Christian Smalls, president of the Amazon Labor Union (ALU), said in response to the decision that "today is a great day for labor."

"After dealing with all of that virtual court, it feels good to finally have celebratory news," Smalls said in a statement. "We're hoping that the NLRB certifies it so we can get some rights in the building and protect workers."

Read more here: https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022 ... union-win
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Lufthansa Cancels 800 Flights as Pilots Strike Over Better Pay
September 2, 2022

Introduction:
(Al Jazeera) Hundreds of Lufthansa flights have been cancelled as pilots stage a one-day strike to press their demands for better pay and conditions at Germany’s biggest carrier.

The airline said about 800 flights were grounded at its two biggest hubs, Frankfurt and Munich, on Friday due to the walkout. More than 100,000 passengers would be affected, it said.

Lufthansa said it had offered a one-off increase of 900 euros ($900), amounting to a five-percent increase for senior pilots and an 18-percent increase for those starting the profession.

“Lufthansa is working flat out to return flight operations to normal as soon as possible,” it said in a statement.

Michael Niggemann, the Lufthansa executive board member responsible for human resources, said the German carrier had made a good, balanced offer during talks and the strike would inconvenience several thousand customers.

Read more here: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/9/ ... etter-pay
Don't mourn, organize.

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4,000 Google cafeteria workers quietly unionized during the pandemic

The tech giant is known for its free lunches for employees. The people who make those lunches have joined unions en masse.

By Gerrit De Vynck and Lauren Kaori Gurley
September 5, 2022 at 6:00 a.m. EDT

Google is famous for its cafeterias, which serve its legions of programmers and product managers everything from vegan poke to gourmet tacos — free.

But the cooks and servers behind those meals are generally contractors who work for other companies, and do not get the generous perks and benefits reserved for Google employees. So over the past few years, thousands of them have unionized, securing higher wages, retirement benefits and free platinum health care coverage.

Unite Here, a 300,000-member union hotel and food service workers, has been steadily working to unionize Silicon Valley cafeteria workers since 2018, experiencing the most success at Google. Employed by the contract companies Compass and Guckenheimer, those unionized now make up about 90 percent of total food services workers at Google, according to the union. Workers have unionized at 23 Google offices nationwide, including in Seattle and San Jose.

Now, the union is tackling new territory: the South. On Wednesday, Google workers in Atlanta employed by a different cafeteria company — Sodexo — presented their manager with a list of demands and said they plan to unionize.

{snip}

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technolo ... -pandemic/
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While Hoping for a Deal, Seattle Teachers Vote to Strike on the Eve of First Day of School
by Brett Wilkins
September 6, 2022

Introduction:
(Common Dreams) Members of the union representing roughly 6,000 Seattle teachers voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to strike the following day—a move the labor group says it hopes to avoid, as public school classes are set to resume on Wednesday.

The Seattle Education Association (SEA) announced Tuesday that of the 75% of its members who voted, 95% elected to authorize a strike, which is set to begin at 7:30 am Wednesday absent an agreement with Seattle Public Schools (SPS) officials.

"None of us want to strike. SPS has forced us to because of its repeated refusal to provide our students with the supports they need to thrive," SEA explained in a statement. "Our bargaining team continues to work at the table and we still hope to announce an agreement rather than a strike tonight."

Jamillah Bomani, a fourth grade teacher at Leschi Elementary School, told KING-TV that "we want to come to school for our students, we want to be here on Wednesday, we want to be ready. But we want to make sure we are coming back to school with everything we need and everything our students need."

"So we are still holding out hope that something will happen and we can come tomorrow," she added, "but we are ready and willing, if we need to, to let the district know that we're not going to show up if we don't have everything our students need."
Read more here: https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022 ... ay-school
Don't mourn, organize.

-Joe Hill
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'Great News' for Ball Players as Major League Baseball to Voluntarily Recognize Minor League Union Drive
by Brett Wilkins
September 9, 2022

Introduction:
(Common Dreams) Labor advocates on Friday welcomed a move by Major League Baseball to recognize an effort by minor league players—who often endure grueling working conditions for near-poverty wages—to unionize.

Major League Baseball (MLB) commissioner Rob Manfred said during a Friday press conference that the league will voluntarily recognize any union representing Minor League Baseball (MiLB) players, who are attempting to unionize with the MLB Players Association (MLBPA), according to ESPN.

"We, I believe, notified the MLBPA today that we're prepared to execute an agreement on voluntary recognition,'' Manfred said during a briefing in which he also discussed on-field rule changes—which include a pitch timer, limits on defensive shifts, and larger bases—for the 2023 MLB season.
"I think they're working on the language as we speak," he added.

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a longtime supporter of minor league player rights who, while mayor of Burlington, led a successful effort to bring an MiLB team—the Vermont Reds—to town, hailed Friday's announcement as a "major victory."
Read more here: https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022 ... ion-drive
Don't mourn, organize.

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UAW workers go on strike at Stellantis plant in Indiana
Source: AP
DETROIT (AP) — United Auto Workers union members went on strike Saturday at the Stellantis casting plant in Indiana, citing health and safety issues including the company’s alleged refusal to repair and replace the plant’s air conditioning and heating systems.

The 35-acre plant in Kokomo makes parts used in the power trains of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and RAM vehicles and a long-term strike could affect vehicle assembly lines across North America.

Stellantis says production had not been scheduled for this weekend and it hoped to resume negotiations as soon as possible on a contract with striking UAW Local 1166.

In a statement, Stellantis said it was committed “to providing a safe and healthy work environment for all employees. After bargaining in good faith for two days and presenting an offer we believed addressed the union’s concerns, we are disappointed by the UAW’s decision to walk out.”
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/indiana-nort ... 32d2f4652a
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^^^ I generally don't like to cite AP directly. Over time, the link to the article no longer works and the article becomes inaccessible. Citing a third-party source that features an AP article is more likely to be accessible for a longer period of time. At least, it sure seems that way to me. ;)
Don't mourn, organize.

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Biden jumps into rail dispute to avert possible strike

Source: Politico
President Joe Biden has been directly in touch with unions and railroad companies to try to avert a potential strike that is already disrupting freight and passenger service across the country, according to a White House official.

Labor Secretary Marty Walsh participated in negotiations last week between the parties and the National Mediation Board. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack have also been working with the parties to find a resolution.

Service disruptions already starting: Freight and passenger rail service is already being affected by anticipation of a possible work stoppage as early as Friday, when a federally-mandated “cooling off” period ends.

Amtrak is suspending service on three long-distance routes and part of a fourth on Tuesday. Norfolk Southern announced Monday that starting Tuesday it is closing all gates to intermodal traffic that travels by ship or by truck before or after a rail journey. The railroad is also beginning to shut down a variety of other services. The Class I railroads began to suspend service of hazardous and security-sensitive materials on Monday to avoid stranding them in stopped railcars.
Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2022/09/1 ... e-00056241
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Rail systems brace for shutdowns, Amtrak cancels routes as strike threat nears
Source: Washington Post
Transit systems across the country were on edge Wednesday amid the threat of a freight rail worker strike, making preparations ahead of possible travel disruptions that could affect hundreds of thousands of rail customers. Amtrak said it is canceling all of its long-distance trains starting Thursday.

Some regional transit agencies said they are preparing for service stoppages as early as Thursday evening ahead of a possible 12:01 a.m. Friday shutdown. They are wrapping up plans to communicate with commuters if a strike is not averted, and some are working with other agencies to direct people to bus alternatives.

The disruptions to passenger systems that operate on freight lines would be felt across several major metropolitan areas, including Washington, Chicago and Los Angeles. The strike threat also eliminated most Amtrak service outside the Northeast Corridor, forcing travelers to find other modes of transportation or cancel plans at the last minute.

Amtrak canceled service on all of its long-distance routes beginning Thursday, most of which have a daily trip in each direction and provide cross-country connections for thousands of Americans. Between 24 and 28 daily trains will not operate while service is suspended.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/transpor ... ce=twitter
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