Amazon Workers Affiliate With the Teamsters, Next Up Electing Top Officers by Luis Feliz Leon
June 18, 2024
Introduction:
(Labor Notes) Amazon Labor Union members voted June 17 to affiliate with the Teamsters.
Workers cast 878 ballots at JFK8 Amazon fulfillment center on Staten Island, N.Y. The tally broke down to 829 votes in favor of the affiliation and 14 against it; 10 ballots were spoiled.
Total turnout was 11 percent out of 8,000 workers. However, workers estimate the workforce has dipped to between 5,000 and 6,000 workers during the off-peak season.
A Teamsters statement said the union will now “represent the roughly 5,500 Amazon warehouse workers.” Turnout works out to 16 percent based on that number.
“On behalf of the Amazon Labor Union, I’m proud of our members choosing a path to victory. We're now stronger than ever before," said ALU President Chris Smalls in a statement.
Big Union Win in Virginia Schools Where Bargaining Suddenly Legal by Joe DeManuelle-Hall
June 13, 2024
Introduction:
(Labor Notes) Education unions just won a massive victory in the fight to bring collective bargaining rights to Virginia’s public sector. Workers at the Fairfax County Public Schools voted this week to unionize, creating a wall-to-wall union of 27,500 teachers, custodians, teaching assistants, bus drivers, and more.
The new bargaining unit is one of the largest K-12 unions on the East Coast, according to the National Education Association.
Fairfax County is in Northern Virginia, near Washington, D.C., and the Fairfax County school district is by far the largest in the state.
But many teachers, especially newer ones, live outside Fairfax County because housing there is too expensive. And “a lot of custodians do two or three jobs just to provide for their families,” said Ernesto Escalante, a building supervisor at Crestwood Elementary and an activist in the union drive.
OUTLAWED FOR DECADES
Public sector collective bargaining has been outlawed in Virginia for decades. Unions were not illegal, but they had no bargaining rights, and had to rely on persuading school boards and legislators.
But in 2021, a new state law lifted the ban. The law, a compromise measure negotiated among not-very-labor-friendly Democratic legislators, didn’t mandate public sector bargaining rights, but instead established a mechanism for counties and municipalities to choose to enable collective bargaining.
Key Fed measure shows inflation rose 2.6% in May from a year ago, as expected
Source: CNBC
Published Fri, Jun 28 20248:32 AM EDT | Updated 6 Min Ago
An important economic measure for the Federal Reserve showed Friday that inflation during May slowed to its lowest annual rate in more than three years.
The core personal consumption expenditures price index increased just a seasonally adjusted 0.1% for the month and was up 2.6% from a year ago, the latter number down 0.2 percentage point from the April level, according to a Commerce Department report.
Both numbers were in line with the Dow Jones estimates. May marked the lowest annual rate since March 2021, which was the first time in this economic cycle that inflation topped the Federal Reserve’s 2% target.
Including food and energy, headline inflation was flat on the month and also up 2.6% on an annual basis. Those readings also were in line with expectations.
Record 1,097 Cases Recognized as Work-related Injuries in Japan by Takashi Narazaki
June 29, 2024
Introduction:
(Asahi Shimbun) Claims for workers’ compensation due to overwork and stress reached a record high of 1,097 in fiscal 2023, up 193 from the previous year.
The latest figures, released June 28 by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, also revealed that power and sexual harassment remain serious problems in the workplace. This was borne out by an increase of 173 in cases involving mental disorders related to such situations.
The number of claims for workers’ compensation based on “brain and heart disease” and “mental disorder,” reached a record high of 4,598, up 1,112 from the previous year.
In fiscal 2023, a record 3,575 workers’ compensation claims were filed under the mental disorder category, and 883 cases, also a record, were approved. Of the approved cases, 79 involved suicide or attempted suicide.
By age group, workers in their 40s accounted for the largest number at 239 cases, followed by those in their 20s at 206 cases, and those in their 30s at 203 cases. Women accounted for 47 percent of cases involving mental disorders.
US Judge Blocks Biden Administration Ban on Worker Noncompete Agreements
Source: US News and World Report/Reuters
July 3, 2024, at 5:01 p.m.
(Reuters) - A federal judge in Texas on Wednesday partially blocked a U.S. Federal Trade Commission rule from taking effect that would ban agreements commonly signed by workers not to join their employers' rivals or launch competing businesses.
U.S. District Judge Ada Brown in Dallas said in a written decision the FTC, which enforces federal antitrust laws, lacked the power to adopt broad rules prohibiting practices that it deems unfair methods competition.
About 30 million people, or 20% of U.S. workers, have signed noncompetes, according to the FTC.
Brown, an appointee of Republican former President Donald Trump, blocked the FTC from enforcing the rule against a coalition of business groups including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the country's largest business lobby, and tax service firm Ryan, pending the outcome of their consolidated lawsuits.
Important Step Forward on Federal Heat Regulations by Jocelyn Sherman
July 2, 2024
Introduction:
(United Farm Workers) We have some breaking news to share with you. After decades of advocacy, our voices have been heard. This morning the Biden Administration proposed the first federal heat safety standard. We are excited by these very important first steps to saving farm workers and other outdoor workers’ lives.
This common-sense and life-saving rule, proposed by the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), will – once effective – protect the health and lives of farm workers who have no choice but to work during dangerous temperatures. This federal rule has been a long-time priority for the farm worker movement and is the result of decades of advocacy by farm workers, often in the wake of immense tragedies including farm worker deaths.
The newly proposed federal heat safety rule is modeled on existing heat safety standards in California, Oregon and Washington, all of which were implemented following the deaths of farm workers killed on the job by extreme heat. The proposed federal OSHA rule includes:
• Requiring worker access to clean drinking water;
• Requiring worker access to shaded and/or indoor rest areas.
• Requiring workers to have the right to take regular rest breaks
• Requiring employers to educate and train workers as to these rights, as well as implement a climate acclimatization plan for workers
UFW President Teresa Romero shares, “This is a bittersweet moment for farm workers. Every significant heat safety regulation in America at the state, and now federal, level was written in the blood of farm workers. Every year farm workers are killed by heat – with known deaths likely drastically outnumbered by the unknown, uncounted deaths. This is particularly true in states such as Florida and Texas, where extreme anti-worker and pro-death governors have taken extreme action to dismantle the few local workplace heat protections that existed.”
Michigan’s Thousands of Farmworkers are Unprotected, Poorly Paid, Uncounted and Often Exploited by Dr. Iglesias-Rios and Dr. Alexis J. Handal
July 15, 2024
Introduction:
(The Conversation) Michigan is famous for its fruit festivals. Visitors can sample cherries at the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City or blueberries at the National Blueberry Festival in South Haven.
The Apple Festival in Charlevoix and the Romeo Peach Festival feature fruit later in the season.
As a diverse crop-producing state and the top producer of asparagus in the country, Michigan has an agricultural scenery that is a picturesque blend of crop fields and fruit trees.
However, beneath this facade lies a harsh reality of precarious work and exploitative labor practices for Michigan’s farmworkers, who are often invisible to people who enjoy the fruits of their labors, according to the Michigan Farmworker Project’s ongoing research.
Few consumers are aware of the migrant and seasonal farmworkers who make this economy possible. In 2013, the last year for which official records exist in Michigan, the state saw close to 94,000 migrant and seasonal farmworkers. That count included their family members and children.
Will Immigrant Workers in Britain Win Europe’s First Amazon Union? by Luis Feliz Leon
July 15, 2024
Introduction:
(Labor Notes) Three thousand Amazon workers at a warehouse in the United Kingdom are poised to become the first recognized Amazon union in Europe.
Workers at fulfillment center BHX4 in Coventry, central England, cast votes July 8-13 for the GMB union to negotiate over pay, hours, and working conditions with the Amazon bosses. The results are expected July 17.
The watershed vote comes after a long, bruising battle; Amazon tried U.S.-style stalling and union-busting tactics. Meanwhile the workers have taken 37 days of strike action in two years. They’ve grown their union to 1,400 members, established a stewards network, and built multiethnic solidarity. In the U.K., workers can become dues-paying members before union recognition is attained.
Last year, the GMB withdrew a previous application to the Central Arbitration Committee, the government agency that regulates collective bargaining, over Amazon’s “dirty tricks.” The company had brought in 1,300 new workers to dilute the pro-union workforce of 1,700. The GMB estimates this cost Amazon $389,530 (300,000 pounds) per week.
At the state level, the winds may now be blowing in the GMB’s favor after Keir Starmer’s Labour Party won control of the government on a platform of a “new deal for working people,” including making it easier for unions to organize.
Greg Casar Says There's an Easy Way to Show Which Party Is More Pro-Worker by Jessica Corbett
July 16, 2024
Introduction:
(Common Dreams) As former U.S. President Donald Trump's new running mate and a union leader's speech spark discussions about the Republican Party and organized labor, one Democratic congressman on Tuesday suggested a test to see who is actually pro-worker.
Rep. Greg Casar, a Texas Democrat with a history of advocating for workers, called for holding a vote on the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act when his colleagues in Congress return to Capitol Hill next week.
"If Republicans wanna talk like they're pro-worker, then let's have a vote on the PRO Act next week," Casar said on social media. "Let's see which politicians are for unions and which ones are all talk. Dems are ready to vote, how about you guys?"
Introduced by Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the PRO Act "expands various labor protections related to employees' rights to organize and collectively bargain in the workplace." The vast majority of its co-sponsors are Democrats.
Casar specifically called out House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), who on Tuesday wrote for Compact Magazine about International Brotherhood of Teamsters general president Sean O'Brien's Monday night speech at the Republican National Convention (RNC), acknowledging that it "came as something of a shock."
Jiaai Zeng Died Weeks After Starting Work at an Oklahoma Marijuana Farm. His Family Wants Answers by Sebastian Rotella and Kirsten Berg, ProPublica, and Garrett Yalch and Clifton Adcock, The Frontier
July 17, 2024
Introduction:
(ProPublica) On the morning of April 12, the farmworker woke up struggling to breathe and delirious with fever.
Jiaai Zeng had spent the past month working nonstop at a marijuana farm in Oklahoma run by fellow Chinese immigrants. The job was brutal, the 57-year-old had told relatives in New York. He said his bosses made him labor up to 15 hours a day in the blast-furnace heat of a greenhouse. He was feeling awful even after a visit to the doctor, so he planned to return to New York that evening for medical treatment.
At 9:38 a.m., Zeng sent an audio message to a cousin in Manhattan’s Chinatown. In an agonized whisper, he asked her to buy a bag of oranges for when he arrived.
“I don’t want to eat anything,” he said, speaking a dialect of Fujian province. “I just want to take a look at oranges and see if I’ll have an appetite.”
About an hour later, Zeng was unconscious and had no pulse when three people from the farm drove him to a nearby hospital. They dropped him off and left in a hurry while doctors were trying to revive him, according to a hospital report.
About an hour later, Zeng was unconscious and had no pulse when three people from the farm drove him to a nearby hospital. They dropped him off and left in a hurry while doctors were trying to revive him, according to a hospital report.
Thousands of Disneyland Workers Vote to Authorize a Strike by Diana Dasrath, Phil Helsel, Todd Miyazawa, and Daniel Arkin
July 19, 2024
Introduction:
(NBC) LOS ANGELES — Four unions representing more than 14,000 workers at Disney’s theme parks and resort properties in Southern California announced late Friday that members have voted to authorize a strike by an overwhelming majority, citing alleged unfair labor practices during contract negotiations.
The thousands of workers at Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, the Downtown Disney retail district and Disney-owned hotels authorized a walkout, the unions announced.
The authorization doesn’t mean a strike will happen immediately, and both sides could reach a deal that averts a walkout. If a strike does occur, it would be the first at Disneyland in 40 years.
The number of employees who voted was not released, but the unions said that of the members who participated, 99% voted to authorize a strike.
“This vote shows that the Cast Members have had enough!” Aaron Zarate, a candy maker at Disneyland who is a member of the workers' bargaining committee, said in a statement.
Disneyland Avoids Strike, Workers Agree To $24 Hourly Minimum Wage by Suzanne Rowan Kelleher
July 30, 2024
Introduction:
(Forbes) Disney has avoided what would have been the first labor strike in 40 years at its Anaheim theme park resort, billed as “The Happiest Place on Earth.”
On Monday, Disneyland Resort’s unionized workers ratified a three-year contract that includes a $24 hourly minimum wage in 2024 (more for some jobs), wage increases, seniority increases, more flexible attendance and sick leave policies, and other benefits. Most employees will be receiving an increase of $6.10 per hour over the next three years. The contract goes into effect immediately upon ratification.
“This is a great deal for Disneyland’s cast members,” says Robert Niles, creator of Theme Park Insider. “It should help Disney to retain more employees, which helps park operations because experienced operators are more effective operators. Uncompetitive pay and working conditions drives high turnover.”
“The fact that both sides were able to come up with an amicable, fair agreement at the height of the 2024 operating season, avoiding a shutdown, speaks volumes about relationships,” says Dennis Speigel, founder and CEO of International Theme Park Services, an industry consulting firm. “Neither side wanted to disappoint the tens of thousands of guests who would have been affected, demonstrating that Disneyland is still the happiest place on the planet.”
Disney Workers Rising is a coalition of unions representing 14,000 workers at Disneyland, Disney’s California Adventure, Downtown Disney, and Disney hotels, in roles ranging from custodians and ride operators to candy-makers, balloon-sellers and retail workers.
New Report Shows Greater Interest in Labor Unions, Especially Among Young Workers July 30, 2024
Introduction:
(Eurekalert) A new report from the University of California San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy reveals significant changes in support for labor unions among U.S. workers.
The report, published by the Economics Policy Institute, delves into the evolving attitudes toward unions and identifies three major shifts are occurring in U.S. workers: a recent, marked decline in opposition to labor unions, a rise of workers who are interested in—but unsure about—unions and an emerging generation gap in attitudes toward unionization between younger and older workers.
“While we compared levels of support for workplace unionization across workers in different industries and demographic subgroups, the biggest trend we see is that a large generational divide is emerging that was not apparent even a few years ago,” said John Ahlquist, professor at the School of Global Policy and Strategy and coauthor of the report. “Workers 30 and under are far more likely than older workers to report both support for and uncertainty about unionization.”
He added that the research shows a remarkable shift in public opinion toward unions. A significant and growing share of workers express ambivalence, indicating they are unsure whether they would vote for union representation. This group, dubbed the “union curious,” represents a pivotal demographic in the future of labor movements.
“The rise of the ‘union curious’ highlights both the challenges and opportunities facing unions today, as they seek to convert ambivalence into active support and organization,” Ahlquist said. “Unions need to engage and educate workers, especially the younger generation, to harness this newfound interest.”
East Coast Longshore Contract Clock Ticks Down by Joe DeManuelle-Hall
August 12, 2024
Introduction:
(Labor Notes) Union negotiations covering longshore workers on the East and Gulf Coasts have been stalled since June 10, bringing the union closer to a potential strike at the September 30 contract expiration.
Leaders of the International Longshoremen’s Association have called a September 4-5 delegates meeting to discuss demands and strike strategy. Last week the union sent the employer association, known as USMX, a strike notice that federal law requires 60 days before a strike.
The contract between the ILA and the USMX is one of the largest expiring this year, and a strike would have massive economic impact—billions of dollars per day.
Negotiations broke down in June over union allegations that the port of Mobile, Alabama, as well as other unnamed ports, had automated some processing of trucks entering and leaving the docks—work traditionally done by ILA members.
Union leadership and the USMX have not held public negotiations since.
This is What the Country Can Do for Undocumented Farmworkers Who’ve Worked for Decades and Paid Taxes by Araceli Ruiz
August 9, 2024
Introduction:
(San Francisco Chronicle) I’ve worked in the fields of the Salinas Valley since I was 18, tending grapes and picking broccoli.
Agricultural work has many contradictions. It is steady and uncertain. I work constantly but don’t have one job. I work different jobs for different contractors during the picking season.
I could not have survived without doing this work, but sometimes I wonder how much longer I can continue. Farmwork is getting easier in some ways, harder in others.
I immigrated here from Guanajuato, Mexico, at 18 to find work and help support my family. I had relatives in the Salinas Valley, and not long after I arrived, I met my husband, a Jalisco boy who also works in the fields. We had the first of our three children when I was 19 and soon settled in Greenfield, on Interstate 101 in Monterey County, about 40 minutes south of Salinas.
When the kids were young, I tried to work less, skipping some seasons. But we needed the money. Sometimes I found myself working 14 hours a day, six days a week — and getting paid not hourly, but by the box. I remember making just $1 for each box of broccoli I gathered and packed.
Financially Strapped Health Care Workers Wait for Promised Wage Increase by Yuri Nagano
August 12, 2024
Introduction:
(Capitol & Main) Cristina Cortez earns just $20.70 an hour running dialysis procedures for older patients suffering from kidney failure in Gilroy, California, a predominantly Latino community just south of San Jose. Because of her husband’s serious work injury in 2017 and their need to economize, her family of five moved an hour away to Merced County in the Central Valley, where rent is considerably lower. But Cortez, who works 12-hour shifts, said gas prices are high, and her days are long. “We’re living paycheck to paycheck,” Cortez said. “It’s a struggle.”
That’s why Cortez was excited when Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill in the fall that set her and 400,000 other health care workers across California on a path to earning $25 per hour over the next few years. The minimum wage law, known as Senate Bill 525, was supposed to have begun phasing in on June 1. But the wage law was delayed because of a massive state budget deficit that resulted in painful cuts. Now, Cortez, a certified hemodialysis technician, may have to wait until Jan. 1 at the latest for the wage hike, the California Department of Health Care Services said. That might not seem far away, but finances are already strained for Cortez and thousands of other low-wage health care workers across the state. Many have left the profession in part because of low pay, stressing the state’s health care system.
The delay “really, really impacts me,” said Cortez, 44, who has been applying for part-time jobs at big box retailers in the hopes that the extra money will allow her to move back to her hometown of Gilroy and shed her costly commute, even if it means renting a smaller home. The wage increase will “make a big difference,” she said.
The delay comes as costs of necessities rise. It also means uncertainty. The budget deal hammered out in late June stipulated that the wage increase will kick in as early as mid-October and as late as Jan. 1. For Cortez, every month that goes by represents a loss of extra income that she expected to receive. She anticipated the wage hike to increase her monthly pay by almost $400, she said.
Canadian Rail Workers Locked Out by Joe DeManuelle-Hall
August 22, 2024
Introduction:
(Labor Notes) Ten thousand Canadian railroad workers were locked out early this morning after two sets of major contracts expired.
Canadian National (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) forced out locomotive engineers, conductors, and yard workers who are organized under the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference.
The major issues for the unions are scheduling and rest period protections in the contracts—areas where they say the railroads are demanding concessions.
Through contracts and governmental regulations, union members have maintained some level of protection against increasingly demanding schedules. Workers have the right to rest periods between shifts and protections around how many hours they can be forced to work.
The union says that management wants to gut these types of protections, and also to force workers to temporarily relocate to other parts of the country to fill staffing shortages.
