Labor Rights News Thread

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caltrek
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Tentative Deal Between Unions, Rail Carriers Reportedly Includes Sick Time Win for Workers
by Jake Johnson
September 15, 2022

Introduction:
(Common Dreams) The Biden White House on Thursday announced a tentative agreement between unions and rail carriers that reportedly includes a win for workers on sick leave, an issue central to the dispute that nearly resulted in a nationwide strike.

The Washington Post reported that the deal, which still must be approved by union members, would give rail workers "the ability to take days off for medical care without being subject to discipline."

The Post's Lauren Kaori Gurley noted on Twitter that "workers will receive voluntary assigned days off and a single additional paid day off. (They previously did not receive sick days.)"

"The agreement provides members with the ability to take unpaid days for medical care without being subject to attendance policies," Gurley added.
In a statement Thursday morning, President Joe Biden said the deal represents "a win for tens of thousands of rail workers who worked tirelessly through the pandemic to ensure that America's families and communities got deliveries of what have kept us going during these difficult years. "
Read more here: https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022 ... -time-win

See also linked article for hyperlinks to cited sources.
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caltrek
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“It’s Not Over”: While Biden Touts Rail Deal, Workers Have Yet to Vote—And Many Remain Skeptical
by Jeff Schuhrke
September 16, 2022

Introduction:
(In These Times) President Joe Biden took a victory lap on Thursday after his administration helped broker a deal to stave off what would have been the first national freight railroad strike in 30 years. But the potential crisis is not over until rank-and-file rail workers vote on whether to approve the agreement — which could take weeks.

“Until railroad workers in the coming days can digest this and have their questions answered, there’s no consensus able to build on whether this deal is good, bad or ugly,” said Ron Kaminkow, a Nevada-based engineer and member of the Teamsters-affiliated Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen (BLET).

The tentative agreement reached early Thursday covers over 60,000 workers with the BLET and the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Transportation Division (SMART-TD), two of 12 rail unions that have been in contract negotiations with the major freight rail carriers for nearly three years. While the other unions had already reached tentative deals, the BLET and SMART-TD were the last holdouts.

BLET President Dennis Pierce, who was directly part of the high-stakes negotiations, told In These Times that in accordance with the union’s internal processes, the tentative agreement will first be reviewed by the union’s general chairmen, who will finalize the document before it is sent out to the membership for a ratification vote via mail.

“This is probably going to take three to four weeks to [get full details into the members’ hands],” Pierce said. “It’s not a delay tactic, it’s just the way the process works. Everyone needs to remain calm, because they will have their day to exercise their democratic rights on whether they want this to be their contract or not.”
Read more here: https://inthesetimes.com/article/rail- ... agreement
Don't mourn, organize.

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Rail Bosses Said No to Paid Sick Leave—So We’re Still on Track for a Strike
by Abigail Weinberg
September, 2022

Introduction:
(Mother Jones) Earlier this month, when railroad workers threatened to strike over “grueling” conditions—like formal discipline for taking any time off at all—the Biden administration brokered a tentative deal, avoiding a work stoppage that could have crippled supply chains and cost the US billions of dollars a day. Crisis averted.

Or not. As more details of the deal come to light, it’s unclear that union members—who have to vote on the deal—will get on board. Workers had complained of weeks on call without a day off, overwork after staff cuts, and underpayment amid high inflation. One engineer told my colleague Noah Lanard that workers were “just fighting for the basic right to be able to be people outside of the railroad”—not for the $10 million–plus pay packages of top rail CEOs.

The current proposal offers raises, limits the rise of health care premiums, and tweaks a tight scheduling system used to cut staffing. But the sticking point in negotiations has been sick time. Despite rail workers’ unpredictable schedules, they’re penalized for sick days, medical visits, and family emergencies. The consequences of the strict sick-day policy can be fatal: In June, the Washington Post reported, a locomotive engineer died when he suffered a heart attack on the job—after postponing a doctor’s visit because he’d been called into work.

The tentative agreement removes penalties for up to three routine medical visits a year—but only on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays, and only if scheduled 30 days in advance. As some union members pointed out to the New York Times, you can’t always know a month ahead of time that you’ll need care, and unions already often manage to undo the discipline workers receive after unpaid leaves for health care.

Formalizing the deal will be an uphill battle. As the Post points out, some 115,000 union members have to ratify the contracts to avoid a strike. Two major unions haven’t accepted the agreement, and a third, smaller one already rejected it, aiming to make improvements by the end of September. The remaining votes are expected to take place across the following two months.
Read more here: https://www.motherjones.com/author/abigail-weinberg/
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Weyerhaeuser Union Worker Strike Enters 11th Day With No End in Sight
by Alanna Madden
September 23, 2022

Introduction:
LONGVIEW, Wash. (Courthouse News) — Timber giant Weyerhaeuser has found itself in hot water with unionized employees for the first time in 36 years, as over 1,100 union workers have walked off the job in 14 locations across Washington state and Oregon over low wage increases, increased health premiums and cut vacation time.

Friday marked the 11th day of the strike and Weyerhaeuser — once described as a local, family-focused company — may be waiting its workers out.
“We’re striking for better health care and, of course, better wages,” said Alfred Hendricks, a Weyerhaeuser electrician among hundreds of Longview, Washington, employees who have been striking outside the facility day and night since Sept. 13.

“The company's been reporting $1.9 billion in profit the past two years, and we're looking just to get a small increase,” Hendricks said, citing Weyerhaeuser’s self-described “record net earnings” in 2021, which are actually larger than Hendricks reports. In a January press release, Weyerhaeuser reported “record net earning of $2.6 billion, or $3.47 per diluted share, on net sales of $10.2 billion” — roughly a 226% increase from its “net earnings of $797 million on net sales of $7.5 billion for the full year of 2020.”

But despite a record-breaking year of profits, Weyerhaeuser hasn't negotiated a contract with its unionized employees, who range from sawmill workers and log yard scalers to mechanical loggers and log truck drivers — all of which have been working under expired contracts since May 31.
Read more here: https://www.courthousenews.com/weyerha ... in-sight/
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California governor approves farmworker unionization law
Source: Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A broadly smiling California Gov. Gavin Newsom joined about two dozen jubilant, cheering farmworkers camped outside the state Capitol Wednesday to sign one of the most contentious bills before him this year, reversing course on a measure to help farmworkers unionize after President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris supported it.

The White House support pinned Newsom in a difficult political position after his office announced before Democratic lawmakers sent him the bill that he would not sign it.

But Newsom approved the bill only after he, the United Farm Workers and the California Labor Federation agreed on clarifying language to be considered during next year’s legislative session to address his concerns around implementation and voting integrity.

The new law gives California farmworkers, who harvest much of the nation’s fruit and vegetables, new ways to vote in union elections beyond physical polling places on farm property. Proponents say that would help protect workers from union busting and other intimidation, while owners say such a system lacks necessary safeguards to prevent fraud.

-snip-

By DON THOMPSON
an hour ago

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/biden-busine ... b17b68c3fc
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JBS, Tyson Foods Invest in Smartwatch App that Monitors Workers
by Madison McVan
October 13, 2022

Introduction:
(Investigate Midwest) Two of America’s largest meat companies — JBS and Tyson Foods — have invested in a smartwatch application that allows managers to monitor workers’ movements.

The startup behind the application, Mentore, claims to improve worker productivity while reducing injuries. The repetitive, fast and taxing work of cutting and packing protein makes meat processing plants some of the most dangerous workplaces in the country. Despite workers’ pleas, meat companies have fought to increase the pace of work.

The investments signal that the big meat companies could follow in the footsteps of other industries that have increased surveillance in an attempt to improve worker productivity. Amazon, in particular, has come under fire for using tracking technology to speed production so much so that, in at least some cases, its delivery drivers have not had time for bathroom breaks.

Experts said the use of digital technologies and AI to manage workers can have negative effects, such as increased stress and injuries, particularly when companies use the technology to make disciplinary decisions.
Read more here: https://investigatemidwest.org/2022/10 ... -workers/
Don't mourn, organize.

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Railroads reject sick time demands, raising chance of strike
Source: AP

By JOSH FUNK
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The major freight railroads appear unwilling to give track maintenance workers much more than they received in the initial contract they rejected last week, increasing the chances of a strike.

The railroads took the unusual step of issuing a statement late Wednesday rejecting the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division union’s latest request to add paid sick time on top of the 24% raises and $5,000 in bonuses they received in the first five-year deal.

Union Pacific CEO Lance Fritz said Thursday that he thinks the main reason the BMWED rejected its initial contract last week was that the details of improved expense reimbursement in the deal were still being negotiated at UP while workers were voting. So it wasn’t clear exactly what those workers would receive for their travel expenses when they go on the road to repair tracks.

Six of the 12 railroad unions that represent 115,000 workers nationwide have approved their tentative agreements with the railroads so far, but all of them have to ratify their contracts to avoid a strike. The unions have agreed to put any strike on hold until at least mid-November while the BMWED negotiates a new deal and the other unions vote on their proposed contracts, so there’s no immediate threat the the trains most businesses rely on to deliver their raw materials and finished products will stop moving. A railroad strike could devastate the economy.



Read more: https://apnews.com/article/government-a ... e201d01216
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caltrek wrote: Fri Oct 14, 2022 5:50 pm JBS, Tyson Foods Invest in Smartwatch App that Monitors Workers
by Madison McVan
October 13, 2022

Introduction:
(Investigate Midwest) Two of America’s largest meat companies — JBS and Tyson Foods — have invested in a smartwatch application that allows managers to monitor workers’ movements.

The startup behind the application, Mentore, claims to improve worker productivity while reducing injuries. The repetitive, fast and taxing work of cutting and packing protein makes meat processing plants some of the most dangerous workplaces in the country. Despite workers’ pleas, meat companies have fought to increase the pace of work.

The investments signal that the big meat companies could follow in the footsteps of other industries that have increased surveillance in an attempt to improve worker productivity. Amazon, in particular, has come under fire for using tracking technology to speed production so much so that, in at least some cases, its delivery drivers have not had time for bathroom breaks.

Experts said the use of digital technologies and AI to manage workers can have negative effects, such as increased stress and injuries, particularly when companies use the technology to make disciplinary decisions.
Read more here: https://investigatemidwest.org/2022/10 ... -workers/
They're either going to replace the workers with robotics or rule over them in the most micro-managed way. Either way it kind of sucks.
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Here Is Where Amazon Workers Are Going Out On Strike
by Meg Herschlein
October 21, 2022

Introduction:
(More Perfect Union) Workers at six warehouses across three states walked off the job during the 2-day Amazon Prime day sale last week. This is the first multi-state coordinated action at Amazon facilities ranging from fulfillment centers to an air freight fulfillment center. The different types of facilities were chosen to disrupt critical pieces of the Amazon logistics network. The largest walkout happened at KSBD in San Bernardino, one of only three Amazon “air hubs” and the largest on the west coast. All of the workers who participated in walkouts during Prime Day had taken collective action before and were not met with satisfactory responses from Amazon.

Stone Mountain, Georgia (ATL2) – Workers walked out in September demanding $24/hour…

Buford, Georgia (DGE9) – Workers delivered a petition with 100 signatures during July Prime Day asking for $24/hour...A day after their walkout, workers in Buford GA reported a slower beltpace and a more manageable workload.

San Bernardino, CA (KSBD) – 900 workers signed a petition in July demanding a $5/hour raise…

During Prime Day, more than 120 workers walked off the job to protest Amazon’s response.

Joliet, Illinois (MDW2) – 600 workers in Joliet, IL delivered a petition to management demanding $25/hour and improved safety, but Amazon has not taken them seriously. On Prime Day 50 workers walked out demanding $25/hour.

Joliet, Illinois (MDW4) – Directly across the street from MDW2, eight workers at MDW4 walked off the job during Prime Week in coordination with the “Pay Us or Chaos” campaign out of Georgia.

Channahon, Illinois (ORD9) – 9 workers at a warehouse in Channahon, IL walked out during Prime Day.
Read more here: https://perfectunion.us/
Don't mourn, organize.

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Weyerhaeuser Workers Continue Strike, Prepare to Vote on Tentative Deal
by Robert Desaulniers
October 21, 2022

Introduction:
(KEZI) SPRINGFIELD, Ore. -- Striking Weyerhaeuser workers held a rally in Springfield as they enter their sixth straight week of striking, with a vote for a tentative agreement with the timber company scheduled for the week of October 24.

Workers from as far as Seattle came down to show their support for each other and their union at a rally in front of the union hall on A Street in Springfield on October 21. Workers told KEZI they were striking to get their fair share after making Weyerhaeuser a large sum of money during the COVID-19 pandemic. Union desires include a livable family wage that keeps up with inflation, lower premiums for health benefits, and for outstanding safety issues to be addressed.

“I do have confidence in the union to get a fair deal, as of last night we have a tentative agreement,” said Terry Carlson, a processor operator at Weyerhaeuser. “I don't know what the tentative agreement is right now. We will be voting on it next week. Throughout the week every lodge has got a day which they will vote for, like always the union will bargain our contract, the fate of it is up to us. It's all in our hands, that's the beauty of being a union worker."

Striking workers say they are prepared to continue striking if they’re not satisfied with the deal. Those involved with the strike, such as Brandon Bryant, the District President of the International Association of Machinists, say they might ask for government intervention if a deal can’t be reached.

"We have called in a federal mediator,” Bryant said. “We've been working with the federal mediator for the last two weeks to help kind of referee our bargaining to make sure that we keep moving in the right direction. He's helped twist our arms, he's helped twist the company's arms and it's helped us come to an agreement."
Read more here: https://www.kezi.com/news/weyerhaeuser ... 518a.html
Don't mourn, organize.

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