Worker Wins: Respect, Safety and Having a Real Voice in the Workplace
Our latest roundup of worker wins includes numerous examples of working people organizing, bargaining and mobilizing for a better life.
After Long Wait, Rochester ATU Members Accept First Contract: After more than a year of negotiations, Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1005 members who work at Rochester, Minnesota, Public Transit’s Zumbro Independent Passenger Service (ZIPS) paratransit line have accepted a contract offer. The ATU members have been waiting on a final contract offer from Sun Transit since March 2024, when they voted unanimously to join the ATU. This first contract provides medical coverage, job security and an immediate pay bump with retroactive payments going back to January 2025. “It’s a good foundation with where we are at now with this contract and us accepting it,” said Demassion Ware, a ZIPS driver and ATU Local 1005 representative. “That way when we do go back to the table again we can ask for something much higher, something more comfortable and more on queue with what other companies are paying their drivers.”
Hotel Workers in Toronto Ratify New Contract with Wage Increases and Other Improvements: Approximately 60 members of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1006A who work at the Radisson Blu hotel in Toronto, Canada, ratified a new three-year contract. The contract includes wage increases of $1.50 per hour on ratification for nongratuity employees and increases of 20 cents per hour to $1.20 per hour for gratuity employees, an additional 12% in wage increases over the remainder of the contract for all employees in the bargaining unit, new lead hand premium for several departments and new evening premium for housekeeping, improved bereavement leave, improved sick leave, shoe allowance for part-time employees, reduction in the room assignment for housekeepers, increases to benefit and pension plan contributions, and higher retirement allowance for certain age groups. “We were happy with what we accomplished,” said Jemal Mousa, who works at the Radisson Blu and served as a member of the negotiating committee. “We did fairly well—we did good with pensions, benefits, sick leave, and improved the retirement package. Everybody was happy.” “As a member of UFCW 1006A, you are part of a union and a movement which is advocating and achieving fairness, respect and dignity for workers across Ontario,” said UFCW Local 1006A President Wayne Hanley. “I’m proud of our exceptional negotiating committee for being a strong and relentless voice for our members at this hotel and helping achieve significant improvements.”
IBEW Members at National Grid Approve Contract with 4% Annual Wage Increase: Some 1,200 National Grid employees, members of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1049, who work in Long Island’s natural gas and power plants, voted 590–90 to approve a new contract. The successful vote ends a monthslong contract negotiation period during which workers were on the verge of a strike multiple times. The new four-year contract includes a 4% yearly wage increase across the length of the contract, a reduction in out-of-pocket health care costs, and improvements in 401(k) and life insurance policies. “This is an agreement that I have been able to endorse. The negotiating committee as a whole has endorsed this new agreement,” said Pat Guidice, the union’s business manager. “It’s a good agreement.” “From the moment negotiations started, our membership’s well-being was our foremost priority,” Guidice said. “We’re pleased to see that our membership voted in favor of the new deal.”
AFA-CWA Flight Attendants at Hawaiian Airlines Ratify Contract Extension: Hawaiian flight attendants, members of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA), voted to ratify a contract extension through February 2028 that includes continued pay increases, retirement improvements and better profit sharing. The extension will provide a strong foundation to build upon as flight attendants at Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines continue negotiations for a joint collective bargaining agreement as part of the companies’ merger. The extension was ratified with 88% voting for the agreement. It includes three pay raises, inclusion in the Alaska Air Group profit-sharing program and scheduling improvements. “This contract extension provides Hawaiian Flight Attendants with certainty and guaranteed economic and work rule improvements as we work towards our joint contract,” said Joni Kashiwai, AFA Hawaiian negotiations chair.
American Red Cross Workers in Oklahoma Join UFCW Local 1000: Approximately 19 workers who work in the Product Release and Component Labs Division of the American Red Cross in Tulsa, Oklahoma, joined United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1000. These workers process blood products after the units have been received from donors, and pack and ship blood products and samples for hospital orders. The workers joined UFCW because they wanted better wages and benefits and were concerned about workplace safety issues. The organizing campaign was successful, in part, because UFCW Local 1000 showed the workers how to form an organizing committee and reach out to their fellow workers to get their voices heard. “Forming our union wasn’t just about better wages—it was about respect, safety, and having a real voice in the workplace,” said Murphy Moua, one of the workers. “Now, we stand together to make sure our hard work is valued, and that every task we perform is done with the care and dignity it deserves.”
Nurses at Hawaii’s Wilcox Medical Center Ratify New Contract that Raises Pay, Includes Safer Staffing Levels: After nearly a year of negotiations and a three-day strike in January, nurses who work at Wilcox Medical Center in Hawaii voted to approve a new three-year contract that went into effect this week. The new agreement covers about 160 Wilcox nurses, members of the Hawaii Nurses’ Association (HNA), and increases pay and improves staffing levels at the medical center. HNA is affiliated with Office and Professional Employees (OPEIU) Local 50. Negotiations began May 6, 2024, and the nurses have worked since August without a contract. In February, the Kauai County Council unanimously passed a resolution urging the state legislature to implement safe nurse-to-patient ratios at hospitals. “It has been a relentless battle for almost a year,” said HNA President Rosalee Agas-Yuu. “After countless hours of organizing over 35 bargaining sessions, a three-day strike, and a Kauai County resolution, we are finally seeing a breakthrough.” The agreement includes pay increases that provide a 6% pay increase this year and 4% each in the second and third years of the contract. It also includes longevity pay increases. Staffing guidelines have been set up that align with national professional nursing organizations. The agreement also features a new Staffing Council made up of Wilcox nurses and nurse leaders who will meet regularly about staffing issues and needs.
SEIU In-Home Caregivers in Fresno County to Receive Pay Increase: After two years of negotiations, thousands of Fresno County in-home care workers, members of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 2015, are poised to secure pay raises and increased medical benefits. The union, which represents more than 500,000 caregivers across California, announced a tentative contract agreement. The contract must still be approved by SEIU members and the Fresno County Board of Supervisors. If approved, the new contract will provide hourly wage increases that will bring wages to $18.35 an hour by September. The contract also will increase the employer health insurance contributions. The previous contract expired in December 2022, and negotiations for a new contract began in 2023. The union confirmed that members have until May 15 to vote on the contract. Then the board is expected to vote on the contract at its May 20 meeting. “We have fought the good fight for all our fellow SEIU 2015 members. We are happy that we have come to an agreement on our wages for all Fresno County care providers. It’s amazing to build collective power together and win for our communities to thrive,” said Fresno In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) provider Olga Valle. California’s IHSS program provides individuals with in-home services, such as bathing, feeding, grocery shopping, as well as mobility and restroom assistance, so they can keep living safely in their homes. There are some 24,000 IHSS workers who provide long-term care in Fresno County.
Kenneth Quinnell
Fri, 04/25/2025 – 12:19
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Organizing