Unions Are Out There Fighting: 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.

More Than 160 Harvard Club Workers Vote to Unionize with UFCW Local 1445: “Workers at the Harvard Club of Boston voted overwhelmingly to unionize with United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1445 earlier this month, bringing more than 160 employees at the private Back Bay club into the union. The unit includes workers across dining, wellness, athletics, and lodging operations at the Harvard-affiliated social club, which serves alumni and other members with restaurants, event spaces, and athletic facilities.”

SAG-AFTRA Communications Staff Union Voluntarily Recognized: “SAG-AFTRA has voluntarily recognized a union for its communications and marketing staffers after a card count found that a majority were in support of organizing. After a third-party checker examined union support cards this week, the union, aligned with National Organization of Legal Services Workers, United Auto Workers Local 2320 (NOLSW), was certified. NOLSW already represents organizing staffers at SAG-AFTRA.”

Employees Attempting to Unionize Toledo Parts Supplier: “Employees with ValuePoint Material Solutions are preparing a vote to unionize, but some say it’s been an arduous effort. ValuePoint Material Solutions supplies parts for machines used by General Motors. The employees will vote on Wednesday to join the United Auto Workers Local 14. But throughout the organizing process, some former employees say the company’s management has resented their efforts.”

A Democratic Electrician Nabs a State Senate Seat in Republican Florida: “Democrats on Monday officially claimed a second upset in Florida’s recent special elections when The Associated Press declared an electrical workers union leader to be the winner of a tight state senate contest in reliably Republican West Tampa. Brian Nathan, a Navy veteran and member of a new cadre of working class Democrats, will join Emily Gregory, a small-business owner with a public-health background, as upstart Democrats in Tallahassee.…Mr. Nathan, 45, is one of many blue-collar Democrats and anti-Republican independents vying for U.S. House and Senate seats, as well as state legislative posts. Those include Bob Brooks, a retired firefighter, and Brian Poindexter, a union ironworker, who are running for House seats in Pennsylvania and Ohio; Graham Platner, an oysterman, and Dan Osborn, an industrial electrician, running for the Senate in Maine and Nebraska; and Sam Forstag, a smokejumper and union leader, who is vying for the Democratic nomination for a House seat in Montana.”

Educators Join the Biggest Day of Mass Protest in U.S. History to Raise Their Voice Against the Trump Administration: “Speaking at the flagship event, Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), stated: ‘Standing up, and showing up, being in solidarity like millions of [us] are doing today is so important. It is the only way we can get the government to act in our interest.’”

Union Workers Ratify Contract at Exxon Louisiana Complex, Sources Say: “Union workers at Exxon Mobil’s (XOM.N) refining and chemical plant complex in ‌Baton Rouge, Louisiana, ratified a new four-year contract on Friday, sources familiar with plant operations said.…The ⁠contract provides a 4% pay increase in the first and fourth years and a 3.5% increase ⁠in the second and third years and was negotiated between Marathon Petroleum (MPC.N) and the ⁠United Steelworkers union (USW). The workers at the Baton Rouge refinery and ⁠chemical plant are represented by USW Local 13-12.”

‘Sheroes’ of the Labor Movement: Women Have Long Legacy of Representing Workers: “Organized labor is a growing force in the United States. In 2025, labor unions recorded the highest membership in 16 years. Liz Shuler is leading the charge. ‘They see that unions are out there fighting, right? We’re out there raising people’s voices,’ Shuler said. Shuler represents the voices of 15 million of those people as president of the AFL-CIO—a federation of 65 national and international labor unions.”

Liz Shuler Defines ‘No Kings’ Movement, Says It’s About ‘Standing Up to’ Trump and Reshaping Economy: “AFL–CIO President Liz Shuler expressed her support for the ‘No Kings’ movement and said it represents a challenge to the leadership of the White House. Meanwhile, she also asked for a large-scale economic transformation that will assist workers in general. During her speech at a ‘No Kings’ rally, Shuler also condemned the disparity in wealth between the rich and poor in the United States, claiming that many of the current policies benefit affluent Americans and that many working Americans have been neglected.”