Worker Wins: You Deserve Worker Protections

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

Nonprofit Youth Action Fund Organizes with CWA: Staff at the Generation Z-led organizing nonprofit Youth Action Fund organized with the Communications Workers of America (CWA). “Since 2023, Florida Youth Action Fund (FYAF) has emerged as a critical player in the Florida youth organizing landscape,” the workers said. “With the dedication and drive of our staff, FYAF has mobilized thousands of students across the country and trained hundreds to become skilled youth advocates.” Youth Action Fund staff filed a petition for a union election to join CWA Local 3108 on May 1. They asked Youth Action Fund management to voluntarily recognize their union. “We’re excited to, you know, to hopefully get workers’ protections,” said Giancarlo Rodriguez, a Central Florida campaign adviser for Youth Action Fund. “And to let young people know too—and people all across Florida, regardless of age—that you can form a union, and it’s possible. No matter what kind of worker you are, no matter what industry, you know, you deserve worker protections. We want to have better wages, better working conditions, job security—all these really critical things that unions can bring.”

AFSCME Local 1110 Workers Reach Tentative Agreement on New Contract with Illinois State University: Approximately 350 workers at Illinois State University, members of AFSCME Local 1110, reached a tentative agreement on a new contract following a nearly monthlong strike. Building services, dining services and grounds workers walked off the job on April 8. After six meetings with a federal mediator, AFSCME and the university reached a tentative agreement on a new contract. Workers voted to ratify the contract on Tuesday. The new five-year contract includes a $1,500 signing bonus, an immediate pay raise of 3.5%, and 3% pay increases in 2026, 2027, 2028 and 2029. In 2028 and 2029, if the university provides more than a 3% pay hike to nonunion employees, AFSCME members will get the same raise. “This struggle was about fair pay, and we won that,” said Chuck Carver, a building service worker and president of AFSCME Local 1110. “Even more importantly, it was about respect, and we earned it.”

University of Chicago Press Workers Form Union with Chicago News Guild: Workers at The University of Chicago Press are forming a union with the Chicago News Guild (TNG-CWA Local 34071) and have requested that management agree to voluntary recognition of the union. The University of Chicago Press is a leader in academic publishing, responsible for a program of trade and specialist titles, a portfolio of highly regarded scholarly journals, and the Chicago Distribution Center, which includes the digital scholarly book repository BiblioVault. The UCP Workers Guild represents staff across the press’s divisions and marks the first union in the press’s 130-year history. In their mission statement, the UCP Workers Guild outlined the organizing principles of pay equity, sustainability and transparency. “I dreamed for years of getting a job in academic publishing, and I’m thrilled to be working not only in my chosen industry but at one of the most prestigious presses in the country,” said Griffin Reed, a UCP Workers Guild member. “However, that excitement is too often exploited by employers, and particularly by our employers at the University of Chicago. My coworkers and I face low, stagnant wages; a lack of standardization across the press regarding our ability to work from home; and potential precarity in the form of layoffs, outsourcing, or the introduction of AI into our workflow. I want a union to ensure that our jobs are protected and that we are paid fairly for our profit-generating labor.”

Penn Live Arts Crew Members Vote Unanimously to Join IATSE: Production workers at the University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Live Arts Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts voted unanimously late last month to join Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 8. The new bargaining unit includes full-time and part-time audio engineers, digital production supervisors, house electricians, production coordinators and theater technicians. “When production workers come together and choose union representation, it benefits more than one workplace,” said Daniel Little, international representative for IATSE. “It strengthens the arts community and helps ensure professional standards across nonprofit and university venues.” “There are a lot of great aspects of working here at Penn Live Arts,” said Tait Adams, a theater technician. “There is also a lot of room for improvement. As the organization continues to grow, the workers deserve to have a say in our conditions. Being represented by IATSE Local 8 means that we have the necessary support and resources to make sure our voices are heard and recognized.”

AT&T Orange Mobility Workers Secure Tentative Agreement: Communications Workers of America (CWA) members have reached a tentative agreement on a new AT&T Mobility Orange contract. The bargaining unit includes thousands of AT&T technicians, customer service representatives and retail workers across 36 states and Washington, D.C., who have been organizing for months to secure a fair deal. “This strong tentative agreement is a reflection of our members’ dedication to holding AT&T accountable for their corporate greed,” said CWA District 1 Vice President Dennis Trainor. “Whether handing out flyers at AT&T-sponsored March Madness basketball games or holding informational picket signs at busy intersections, CWA members mobilized for higher wages, stronger benefits, job security, and more. This is a tentative agreement that reflects their fight and delivers for both AT&T workers and the customers they serve.”

Westchester County Airport Unifi Workers Join IAM Union: Unifi customer service workers at the Westchester County Airport (HPN) have voted to join IAM Union (IAM) to secure a voice on the job. New York-based staff at the country’s largest aviation service provider are essential to daily HPN operations, including at Delta Air Lines and Breeze Airways. With the support of IAM Air Transport Territory and IAM Union District 142, these newly minted members overcame an aggressive union-busting campaign and are now looking forward to bargaining a fair contract that reflects their contributions. “Unifi workers fought hard for this, and we did it together,” said IAM Air Transport Territory Associate Rachel Arnold. “This is about having respect on the job and a real voice in our workplace. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished with Unifi workers and excited for what comes next.” “Unifi workers at HPN stood strong in the face of anti-union propaganda and intimidation, and they never backed down,” said IAM Air Transport Territory General Vice President Richie Johnsen. “Their courage sends a powerful message to workers everywhere—when you stand together, you can win.”

USL Players Association Reaches Tentative Agreement: The United Soccer League (USL) and the USL Players Association (USLPA), a Communications Workers of America (CWA) affiliate, announced on Wednesday that they had reached a tentative agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA). “The United Soccer League and the USL Players Association have reached a tentative agreement on key terms of a new collective bargaining agreement for the USL Championship and USL Premier, pending final ratification,” the union and league said in a joint statement. “This milestone represents a significant step forward for the league and its players, reflecting a shared commitment to the continued growth of the game and the advancement of professional standards. Both sides will now work through the remaining steps required to finalize the CBA, and additional updates will be shared at a later time.”

Concessions Workers at Houston’s Bush Airport Secure Powerful New Contract: On Tuesday, concessions workers at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) ratified a new contract with their employer, OTG, securing a $20 per hour minimum wage. OTG is one of the largest employers at IAH, with 700 cooks, servers, bartenders, baristas, cashiers and dishwashers under the contractor’s management. In addition to raises, UNITE HERE members also won reductions to family health care costs, Juneteenth as a paid holiday and more protections for workplace rights. “I am excited and proud of what we have accomplished in this contract,” said Kia Howard, a cashier at the airport. “I will go from $14.50 an hour to $20 an hour now….That is life-changing.” “I am very happy to learn that the contract between UNITE HERE Local 23 members and OTG at IAH airport has been settled,” said Houston Mayor John Whitmire. “The food service and retail workers at IAH are ambassadors of our city. I thank them for their hard work welcoming and serving millions of visitors every year. Congratulations to all!”