‘Huge, Absolutely Huge’: 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.
AFL-CIO President: The Significance of ‘Magnifica Humanitas’ Is ‘Absolutely Huge’: “Liz Shuler, the president of the AFL-CIO, described the significance of Pope Leo’s encyclical, ‘Magnifica Humanitas,’ as ‘huge, absolutely huge,’ in this exclusive interview with America. ‘When I first read it,’ she said, ‘I just felt like this could have been a document written by the trade union movement.’ She said she was also impressed by ‘the convening power of the church’ and considered this very important in our day. Ms. Shuler is the first woman president of the AFL-CIO, and she represented the American labor unions at the fourth synodal encounter, ‘Fratelli Tutti: North-South socio-environmental dialogue,’ which was held in the Vatican Sept. 11–13.”
Report Details How Trump Mass Deportation Agenda Is Fueling U.S. Affordability Crisis: “‘Working people are paying the price for an immigration system that is destabilizing entire industries and communities and making it easier to exploit workers,’ said AFL-CIO president Liz Shuler. ‘As this report demonstrates, a broad pathway to citizenship for all would raise wages, create more and better jobs, and strengthen our economy in ways that help all of us.’”
As AI Reshapes the Workplace, Labor and Church Leaders Demand a Worker Voice: “Liz Shuler, president of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), said protecting workers requires confronting a model in which executives make far-reaching technological decisions without worker input. ‘Right now, we have CEOs who want to play God to make decisions that affect hundreds of millions of working people without our input and consent,’ Shuler said. Shuler made the remarks at a Sept. 11 Vatican press conference held in connection with the Fourth Fratelli Tutti Synodal Meeting, a Sept. 10–12 gathering in Rome focused on dialogue between the Global North and South on social and environmental issues. The press conference brought together labor and Church leaders to discuss, among other questions, the impact of artificial intelligence on workers and the need for social dialogue.”
Lobbying for the College Sports Bill Is Heating Up: “The first news conference, organized by the AFL-CIO, included a handful of speakers that vehemently opposed the PCSA. Four active Division I athletes spoke, calling for collective bargaining and unionization as an alternative to a bill crafted without athletes at the negotiating table. The call also included Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut); Derrick Johnson, president of the NAACP; Meghann Burke, president of the National Women’s Soccer League Players Association; and Marty McNair, whose son, Jordan McNair, died from heatstroke after a University of Maryland practice in 2018.”
Weingarten Weighs in on AI: ‘The Robots Can’t Be in Charge’: “The president of one of the biggest teachers unions in the country has come out with a cautionary warning on AI in schools, emphasizing the need for learning before students are exposed to the technology. ‘So, you know, from an education and a people perspective, the human beings have to be in charge of AI. The robots can’t be in charge. The machines can’t be in charge.’”
Union Representing Uber, Lyft Gets Certified in California. What to Know: “A union representing Uber and Lyft drivers crossed an important threshold this week when it was certified by the Public Employment Relations Board. The move will allow the California Gig Workers Union to help drivers negotiate issues affecting working conditions and benefits. It comes as at least 30% of active drivers expressed support of the union.”
NSO Musicians Approve Contract, Solidifying Orchestra’s Future Through 2030: “The musicians of the National Symphony Orchestra ratified a new four-year contract Friday that will help preserve the present roster and solidify the NSO’s future past the imminent closing of the Kennedy Center. The collective bargaining agreement between the DC Federation of Musicians, Local 161-710, American Federation of Musicians, and the National Symphony Orchestra Association calls for a 9% wage increase for all musicians over the first three years of the contract; the fourth year is open to future negotiation.”
Tufts Reaches Tentative Contract Agreement with Union: “Tufts University facilities workers have reached a tentative contract agreement with the university, avoiding a potential strike after months of negotiations. The agreement between Tufts and 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union covers approximately 100 groundskeepers, skilled maintenance workers and trades workers across the university’s campuses. A union bargaining committee reached the tentative deal Friday afternoon, a little more than one week after facilities workers at the Medford and Boston campuses unanimously voted to authorize a strike if necessary.”
Mount Nittany Union Workers Vote to Ratify New Contract, Ending Months-Long Dispute: “Workers at Mount Nittany Medical Center have voted to ratify their new union contract with the hospital, ending a months-long fight that included a five-day strike. In a statement, the SEIU Healthcare Union says hospital workers at Mount Nittany Medical Center voted by 86% on Monday to ratify a new union contract as of September 14th.”
Largest Maine State Labor Union Approves New Contract: “The largest union representing Maine state employees has a new contract after more than a year and a half of negotiations. MSEA Local 1989 employees have been working under an expired contract for over a year. The Maine Department of Administrative and Financial Services announced today that union members voted to ratify a deal effective through the end of next June. It includes a 4.5% pay increase retroactive to September 1, a two-thousand-dollar lump-sum payment early next month, and expanded eligibility for bereavement leave.”