Worker Wins: Solidarity Forever

Our latest roundup of worker wins includes numerous examples of working people organizing, bargaining and mobilizing for a better life.

Air Ambulance Crews in Nevada and California Join TWU: Flight nurses and flight paramedics in northern Nevada and California voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to join the Transport Workers Union (TWU). Employed by REMSA Health, these air ambulance crews regularly perform intense, high-risk rescues in remote areas. The newly minted TWU members cited inadequate compensation and exclusion from important decision-making processes as core motivators for organizing. Despite an aggressive anti-union campaign by management, medical workers are energized and ready to bargain for the fair wages, quality benefits and respect they deserve. “These critical first responders no longer have to fight their callous and dismissive bean-counting bosses alone,” said TWU International President John Samuelsen. “REMSA’s union-busting actions failed miserably during this campaign,” TWU International Organizing Director Angelo Cucuzza said. “I hope, for their sake, the consultants they hired were on a contingency basis. The rehashed garbage they put out brought more workers to the TWU’s side, proving once again the boss is usually the best union organizer.”

Workers at the Holy Donut Vote Unanimously to Form Union: Staff at a Portland, Maine, donut shop have voted unanimously to join IAM Union to address low wages and other workplace concerns. The Holy Donut Workers-Park Ave-IAM Union bargaining unit represents staff at the Park Avenue location of the Holy Donut. Workers have seen an outpouring of support from labor allies such as the Maine AFL-CIO, the Southern Maine Labor Council, the UMaine Graduate Workers Union (UMGWU-UAW Local 7650), the Maine State Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee (MSNA/NNOC), and more. “The work continues as we move to negotiations!” the bargaining unit said in a social media post. “To every person, union, and organization who called, messaged, emailed, mailed letters, showed up in person, stood with us in any way: Thank you! We are truly so excited to join our friends throughout Maine to advocate for all workers! Solidarity Forever!”

Dining Workers at Virginia State University and Norfolk State University Win Recognition: Campus dining workers at two of Virginia’s historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs)—Virginia State University (VSU) and Norfolk State University (NSU)—have officially been recognized as members of UNITE HERE Local 23. These essential staff members are employed by Thompson Hospitality, a subcontracted food service provider. “I’m proud of the hard work and resilience it took for me and my coworkers to show Thompson Hospitality that, just like workers at all the other union universities, we deserve better wages and excellent healthcare at VSU. I personally can’t wait until the contract so that I can be able to pay my bills and still have some funds left over to go see my family in Louisiana!” said Nikita “Miss Nikki” Whitten, a cook for four years with Thompson Hospitality at VSU. “Our new union members have won the right to negotiate a union contract and secure higher wages, affordable quality health insurance, and a pension plan that means they can retire on with dignity,” said Marlene Patrick Cooper, president of UNITE HERE Local 23. “This is an opportunity for workers to earn the wages and benefits that match the care they afford to students every day. What’s more, the workforces at VSU and NSU are majority Black, and this victory will bring their compensation up to par with other unionized campus dining workers throughout Virginia, the South, and the nation.”

OPB and KMHD Content Creators Unanimously Ratify First Contract: SAG-AFTRA members at Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) and KMHD Jazz Radio have ratified their first union contract. Highlights include a $65,000 minimum annual salary for all jobs, annual raises of at least 3%, guardrails around artificial intelligence (AI), safety protections, grievance processes, severance and more. “We extend our sincere congratulations to our newest members for their unwavering perseverance throughout the process of achieving and ratifying this contract,” said SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland. “SAG-AFTRA is honored to stand in solidarity as we move forward together.” “The process of securing this first contract has had a powerful and lasting impact across all of OPB. We are truly excited and grateful to SAG-AFTRA for their partnership in making this possible, and we look forward to realizing the full benefits this milestone represents,” said the organizing committee.

Nurses at Ford Chicago Assembly Persevere, Vote to Join UAW: Earlier this month, after enduring an aggressive union-busting campaign by the company, nursing staff at the Ford Chicago Assembly plant successfully voted to join the historic UAW Local 551. The local already represents more than 5,000 autoworkers at Ford’s oldest operating manufacturing facility, and it traces its roots all the way back to the beginning of the UAW. Management ran a full-court press anti-union effort against the six-person bargaining unit. But with the support of their UAW siblings, the nursing staff members persevered and are now focused on bargaining for a contract that will ensure they have the resources needed to keep plant workers safe. “I’ve been a member of this local for over 30 years, and during that entire time, the nurses here have never been unionized,” Local 551 President Chris Pena said. “So, to see them finally win a seat at the table, everyone at the local is incredibly proud of them for demanding a voice.” “We felt like management didn’t want to make any type of financial investment in us that would allow us to increase our skills and our knowledge,” said Mary Quasney, an associate nurse at the plant. “We felt like we were understaffed, and that can have negative effects on the work we do. We truly care about the workers in this plant, and we want to provide the best care possible for them when they come to us.”

Vineyard Theatre Crew Ratifies First Collective Bargaining Agreement: Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) members who work at Vineyard Theatre in New York City have ratified their first union contract. Backstage and overhire crew at the Off-Broadway theater company announced the news in a joint statement with management, noting that the bargaining process was thoughtful and collaborative. The agreement establishes a clear framework governing pay, benefits, workplace protections, scheduling and more. “Behind the scenes workers are the backbone of live entertainment,” said Brian Munroe, IATSE international representative. “They deserve fair wages, benefits, and union representation. The Vineyard Theatre worked in good faith negotiations with the IATSE to achieve this. We are looking forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with the Vineyard.”

Massachusetts AFSCME Members Defeat Privatization Attempt: Members of AFSCME Local 1404—part of AFSCME Council 93—successfully fought to defeat a plan to privatize custodial services in a Massachusetts school system, saving the jobs of up to 22 dedicated public sector workers. Workers showed up to Dracut School Committee meetings and town elections, leafletted in freezing temperatures, and spoke out on social media and in the local news to educate residents on the benefits of keeping the custodial services in-house. Their victory is also a win for the broader school system because AFSCME members can now continue to dutifully serve the community. “We just kept fighting for our rights, and thanks to Council 93 for all their help and guidance every step of the way, we are able to say that we came out on top,” said Local 1404 President Chad Adamczyk. “The custodians themselves played the most important role simply by quietly doing their jobs so well over many years before this fight. Because of their dedication and hard work throughout their careers, the Dracut community joined us in the fight,” said Council 93 Executive Director Mark Bernard, who’s also an AFSCME vice president. “Despite the uncertainty they dealt with as their livelihoods were on the line, they proudly continued to show that same strong work ethic throughout the fight. When we fight, we win.”