Rail Teamsters Ratify Contract at CSX
(NOVI, Mich.) – Nearly 4,200 CSX railroad workers represented by the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division (BMWED) of the Teamsters Rail Conference have ratified a new contract. “Our members needed a fair deal that put more money in their pockets and kept politicians and bureaucrats out of the bargaining process. We accomplished this,” […]
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Sysco Teamsters Prepare to Strike
(HOUSTON) – Over 430 Sysco drivers, warehouse workers, and mechanics represented by Teamsters Local 988 are preparing to strike for a fair contract after the company abandoned negotiations. The current agreement between Local 988 and Sysco is set to expire on January 17. In the meantime, Sysco is being charged with multiple violations of federal […]
Read More....Worker Wins: A Significant Victory for Worker Justice
Worker Wins: A Significant Victory for Worker Justice
Our latest roundup of worker wins includes numerous examples of working people organizing, bargaining and mobilizing for a better life.
Park City Ski Patrollers Union Ratifies New Contract: Members of the Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association (PCPSPA), CWA Local 7781, unanimously ratified a new collective bargaining agreement Wednesday after a powerful 12-day strike. Members are celebrating wins, including a fairer wage structure and an improved benefits package, that will foster higher retention rates and career growth. Ski patrollers went on strike after Vail Resorts—which manages Park City Mountain Resort—refused to offer a fair compensation proposal that helped staff keep up with the high regional cost of living. “This is more than just a win for our unit, it is a great success for everyone in the ski and mountain industry,” PCPSPA said in a statement posted to social media. “This is a clear example of what can be achieved when workers stand together and fight for what we deserve. We could not have done this without the support of our community. We are eternally grateful to everyone who donated, provided food, and stood with us on the picket line. We are proud. We are grateful. We are united.”IATSE and Ensemble Arts Reach Tentative Agreement for Philadelphia Ushers: Ushers at popular Philadelphia theaters, represented by Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local B29, reached a tentative agreement (TA) with Ensemble Arts Philly on Tuesday, averting a potential strike. Ushers had been working under an expired contract since the summer of last year. Highlights of the TA include a 23% raise over five years in addition to other benefits and changes to workplace rules that reflect the important role these front-of-house workers play. In a joint statement, the union and Ensemble Arts said: “This agreement is the result of professional and productive dialogue and a spirit of collaboration between the two parties. Ensemble Arts Philly and IATSE Local B29 look forward to continuing their 24-year partnership working together to continue to provide exceptional service to the more than one million visitors to the Kimmel Center, Academy of Music, and Miller Theater each year.”UAW Members at EV Maker Win Back Pay Settlement: In a win for the UAW, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) approved a settlement last week of nearly $258,000 in back pay and for the right of the illegally fired workers at electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer, Lucid, to return to work. This ruling stems from unfair labor practice charges filed by the UAW after the company dismissed three workers for organizing in 2023. The Formal Board Settlement also includes a cease and desist order compelling the EV maker to stop illegal tactics like surveilling workers, confiscating union literature and threatening workers for union efforts. “This is a significant victory for worker and climate justice,” said UAW Region 6 Director Mike Miller. “We’re building the green economy to create a more sustainable future. But we will only have a truly sustainable future if we build our economy around protecting both the planet and workers’ right to organize for justice on the job without employer interference.” UAW President Shawn Fain added: “Every autoworker in America can take heart from this settlement. Lucid is backed by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund, the deepest pockets in the world. But Lucid workers stood up and won justice. They showed that no matter how big the challenge, workers can win when they stand together and fight for a better life.”President Biden Signs Social Security Fairness Act into Law: President Biden signed the bipartisan Social Security Fairness Act on Sunday, making more than 2.5 million public sector workers who receive pension income also eligible for Social Security benefits. The new law repeals two provisions—the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset. This expands Social Security payments to dedicated public servants and their surviving spouses who have been unfairly excluded for over four decades. The legislation was strongly backed by various unions and labor groups, marking a critical victory for ensuring more workers have the dignified retirement they deserve. “For years the government has taken away Social Security benefits from millions of retired federal, state and local government employees who worked as teachers, police, firefighters, postal workers and general employees,” said Alliance for Retired Americans Executive Director Richard Fiesta in a press release. “We thank all the activists and elected officials who helped pass this law. As a result of their efforts more Americans will be able to enjoy the more secure retirement they earned.”Philadelphia Museum Workers Vote to Ratify First Contract: Workers represented by AFSCME at the Please Touch Museum (PTM) in Philadelphia have voted to approve their first-ever collective bargaining agreement at the institution. Staff voted to form Please Touch Museum United in April 2023, becoming the city’s first children’s museum to form a union and yet another organizing victory forged through the AFSCME Cultural Workers United campaign. Wins in the agreement include a 13.3% immediate increase in minimum pay—with guaranteed raises up to 24% over the lifetime of the contract—the ability to rollover sick time and vacation, reductions in health insurance cost-shares and more. “Museum and cultural workers have traditionally accepted low pay and precarious conditions as a trade-off for doing mission-driven work,” said AFSCME District Council 47 President April Gigetts. “But those conditions aren’t sustainable for people who need a paycheck to live. As museums become more racially and economically diverse workplaces, workers are increasingly demanding the same rights and protections as those in other industries.”The Animation Guild Ratifies Contract with Streamers and Studios: Last week, members of The Animation Guild (TAG), Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 839, voted to ratify a new three-year agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). After months of negotiations with studio representatives, TAG announced that, in a historic Guild turnout, 76.1% of members voted in favor of the new deal. The 2024–2027 Animation Guild Master Agreement improves health and pension funds, increases worker wages, codifies important artificial intelligence protections, and establishes other new benefits. Studios covered in the agreement include industry giants such as DreamWorks Animation, Marvel, Netflix, Nickelodeon, Sony Pictures Animation, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Warner Bros. Animation and more. “I want to recognize the incredible work that the Negotiations Committee put into seeing this agreement reached and ratified,” said TAG Business Representative Steve Kaplan in a press statement. “This agreement is the next step forward in our goal to create the strongest contract for our members.…The membership made clear to us that there is a need for more focus on generative artificial intelligence, and we will attack the issue through a multifaceted approach, including lobbying for effective legislation, advocating for tax incentives for humanmade work and grieving against potential abuses.”Fontainebleau Las Vegas Workers Vote to Ratify Contract: Hospitality workers represented by the Culinary Workers Union, the Nevada affiliate of UNITE HERE, voted overwhelmingly this week to ratify the first union contract at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas. With a stunning 99.6% of members voting in favor of the deal, workers celebrated the new protections and benefits that they won over the course of 18 hours at the negotiating table. The tentative agreement was reached in mid-December after the Culinary Workers Union forged a card-check neutrality deal with the casino resort in 2023.
Kenneth Quinnell
Mon, 01/13/2025 – 15:00
Tags:
Organizing
A New Era of Worker Power: The Working People Weekly List
A New Era of Worker Power: 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.
SEIU Joins AFL-CIO to ‘Unleash a New Era of Worker Power’ as Trump 2.0 Looms: “The 2-million-member-strong Service Employees International Union announced Wednesday that it is joining the AFL-CIO, bolstering the ranks of the largest labor federation in the United States as unions prepare to fight the incoming Trump administration. ‘CEOs and billionaires want nothing more than to see workers divided, but we’re standing here today with greater solidarity than ever to reach the 60 million Americans who say they’d join a union tomorrow if the laws allowed and to unrig our labor laws to guarantee every worker in America the basic right to organize on the job,’ AFL-CIO president Liz Shuler said in a statement. With SEIU included, the unions that make up the AFL-CIO represent roughly 15 million workers across the nation. April Verrett, SEIU’s international president, said union members ‘are ready to unleash a new era of worker power, as millions of service and care workers unite with workers at the AFL-CIO to build our unions in every industry and every ZIP code.’”UAW Seeks Union Election at Ford Battery Plant in Kentucky: “The United Automobile Workers union is seeking approval from federal labor regulators for a union election among workers at a Ford Motor battery plant in Kentucky, providing an important test of organized labor’s strength after the election of Donald J. Trump. The union petitioned the National Labor Relations Board on Tuesday to let workers at the new factory in Glendale, about 55 miles south of Louisville, vote on whether they want to join the UAW. The plant, which is expected to begin production this year, is a joint venture between Ford and SK On, a South Korean battery company.” Park City Ski Patrollers, Resort Reach Tentative Settlement: “Park City Mountain Resort and its ski patrol have reached a tentative agreement. Late Tuesday night, the resort and the Park City Professional Ski Association released a joint statement announcing that a tentative agreement had been reached through April of 2027. ‘The union’s bargaining committee is unanimously endorsing ratification by its unit with a vote scheduled to take place (Wednesday),’ the two sides said. ‘The tentative agreement addresses both parties’ interests and will end the current strike.’”Biden Signs Bill to Boost Social Security Payments for Some Public Sector Workers: “President Joe Biden signed a bill Sunday that boosts Social Security benefits for millions of public sector workers in what the White House described as the first expansion of such benefits in 20 years. The Social Security Fairness Act eliminates two decades-old provisions—the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset—that reduced Social Security benefits for some retirees who also received pension income. Police officers, firefighters, postal workers, and public school teachers are among the nearly 3 million affected by the provisions. ‘The bill I’m signing today is about a simple proposition: Americans who have worked hard all their lives to earn an honest living should be able to retire with economic security and dignity,’ Biden said.”Nurses at Three Legacy Hospitals Announce Intent to Unionize: “More than 2,200 nurses at three of Legacy Health’s six hospitals announced their intent to join the Oregon Nurses Association today in what would be the largest organizing effort in the union’s history. Nurses from Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center, Legacy Emanuel Medical Center, and Randall Children’s Hospital delivered a letter to management petitioning for voluntary recognition of the union so they could start collective bargaining on issues that include patient care and staffing, ONA said. The union plans to file for an election with the National Labor Relations Board and set a date for it soon.”Journalists for the Athletic Push to Join the New York Times Union: “The editorial staff of the Athletic, the sports-media outlet owned by the New York Times, has signed cards signaling its intention to unionize. Staffers sent a letter to Times management Monday asking them to recognize them as part of the Times Guild, the same union that represents the Times newsroom. The Athletic’s bargaining unit is around 200 people and would grow the Times Guild to around 1,700 members. Times reporters are represented by the NewsGuild of New York, which was part of the Athletic’s organizing effort.”In Rare Move, Some Providence Physicians Prepare to Strike Alongside Nurses: “Thousands of Providence healthcare professionals around the state are preparing to strike, and for the first time in recent history, physicians are among their ranks. In late December, nearly 5,000 Providence healthcare professionals represented by the Oregon Nurses Association voted to approve a strike at all eight Providence hospitals to begin Jan. 10. The called strike came after several weeks of unsuccessful contract negotiations. The union claims the health care system fails to follow state staffing guidelines and doesn’t offer competitive wages and benefits. On Dec. 30, ONA gave the required 10-day notice to strike.”How Labor Law Changed Under Biden—and What Comes Next: “Core to the Biden administration’s economic policy was an attempt to rebalance the power between workers and employers through labor and employment regulations, from the Federal Trade Commission’s ban on non-compete clauses to the Department of Labor’s expanded overtime protections. At the center of this effort was the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the federal agency charged with protecting workers’ rights to organize and combating unfair labor practices. Led by general counsel Jennifer Abruzzo, the board took an active stance in interpreting and enforcing labor law, generating new precedents that reduced barriers to worker voice and unionization.”Midland PetSmart Employees Vote to Unionize with UFCW Local 540: “Employees at the PetSmart store in Midland have voted to unionize. On Friday, Jan. 3, employees have joined the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 540, which represents workers in retail, grocery, food processing and other industries in Texas, according to a press release. ‘I, along with my co-workers, am so proud of coming together to form a union that will finally allow us to advocate for improved hours, pay and worker safety on the job,’ Stephanie Lawrence, a PetSmart customer engagement lead and member of the organizing committee, was quoted as saying. ‘We went into this election united, and the results confirmed what we have known for months: PetSmart workers deserve a union.’”Starbucks Union Files 34 Federal Complaints, Signaling Renewed Hostilities: “Starbucks Corp.’s union filed 34 U.S. labor board complaints against the company this week, signaling rising tension between the coffee chain and the labor group that had agreed last winter to try to end their hostilities. The complaints were filed with the National Labor Relations Board by Starbucks Workers United, which has organized around 500 of the company’s roughly 10,000 corporate-run U.S. cafes over the past three years. The filings accuse Starbucks of violating federal labor law at stores in 16 states, including by singling out and firing employees over the last several months because of their union activism.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Mon, 01/13/2025 – 09:39
Costco Teamsters Conclude Third Week of Bargaining
(SAN DIEGO) – The Costco Teamsters National Negotiating Committee has concluded its third week of bargaining with the company. Some progress was made on seniority rights, the role of shop stewards, and other critical provisions. However, Costco has yet to propose an economic package that reflects its record-breaking profits or includes increased retirement benefits. “We’ve […]
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IAFF delivering critical aid to those battling deadly California wildfires
The IAFF is on the ground ready to provide assistance to members living and working in the path of the dangerous Los Angeles wildfires.
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🚢 Machinists on the Hill: U.S. ship build focus
Click Here to view this edition of Machinists on the Hill.
The post 🚢 Machinists on the Hill: U.S. ship build focus appeared first on IAMAW.
Budgeting for the New Year!
January 13, 2025Secretary-Treasurer Liz Powell shares important dates for trainings this year. Two of note are the APWU Scholarship deadline and APWU Disaster/Hardship Fund.
magazineSecretary-TreasurerElizabeth Powell
Challenging times will always test your resilience to remain unified and strong as labor leaders. This year will certainly test our patience and resilience regarding the various contractual antics the Postal Service will ultimately pursue, and staying steadfast to “A Strong Union, A Strong Future” is more important than ever. Just like in our personal lives, when we make plans and budget for the new year, local, and state officials should do the same for their organization. When planning for the new year, along with the other state conferences and conventions, please plan for the following events in your budget:
1. March 2025 (Date TBD) Virtual Department of Labor Labor-Management Report Training
Due Date! March 31, 2025 is the deadline to electronically file Department of Labor (DOL) Labor-Management (LM) reports and May 15, 2025 is the deadline to electrically file IRS 990 reports if your fiscal year ended Dec. 31, 2024. Learn how to file these reports in a training scheduled (date TBD) in March 2025.
2. April 8-April 10, 2025, Secretary-Treasurer’s Training, Miami, FL
(Local officers will be able to register for QuickBooks Beginners, QuickBooks Advanced, and Officer’s Fiduciary Responsibilities Training.) The Secretary-Treasurer’s Department strongly advises elected officers, specifically local presidents and treasurers, to attend at least one training session a year.
3. Oct. 3-Oct. 5, 2025, Secretary-Treasurer’s Training (All-Craft), Las Vegas, NV
4. Oct. 6-Oct. 8, 2025, All Craft Conferences, Las Vegas, NV
In addition to the various in-person training events and assisting new and current local and state officers in complying with the DOL and IRS legal requirements, the Secretary-Treasurer’s Department will continue to provide various virtual fiduciary training opportunities for officers to attend.
New Officers’ Training & Responsibilities
Labor-Management Reporting
Local Union Elections
Department of Labor & IRS Requirements and Audits
Travel & Expenses Policy
Recording-Secretary Duties
Committee on Political Action (COPA) Funds
Trustee Training
Budgeting
Tax-Exempt Status
Local Constitutions
Compensation for Union Officers and Members
Union Policies and Procedures
Dues Checkoff (DCO) Training
The Secretary-Treasurer’s Department will continue to verify that local and state affiliates are in compliance with Article 16 of the National Constitution. APWU locals who fail to abide by the regulations may have their DCO dues withheld until they comply or provide an explanation for non-compliance. Local and state officers are required to provide verification that they have complied with DOL and IRS filings and the APWU Constitution by providing a copy of their DOL reports and IRS Forms 990 to the Secretary-Treasurer’s Department after they have been electronically submitted. Also, maintaining sufficient bonding coverage in addition to the $5,000 bond provided to all APWU locals by the national union is required.
*APWU Scholarships – High school seniors who are the children or grandchildren of current, retired, or deceased APWU members are welcome to apply. The deadline to apply is May 31, 2025.
**APWU Disaster/Hardship Fund – APWU Disaster/ Hardship Fund coordinates with the Postal Employee’s Relief Fund (PERF). After you receive a decision from the PERF, you are required to submit that decision to the APWU Disaster/Hardship Fund to complete your application for aid. Applications for PERF and APWU Disaster/ Hardship Fund can be obtained on the APWU website. ■
Budgeting for the New Year!0
Read More....Stand Up and Fight Back to Save Our Service Standards
January 13, 2025Contact your elected officials, ask organizations to take actions to save the prompt delivery of our First-Class Mail service.” – Vice President Debby Szeredy informs members of planned postal consolidations and urges members to stand up and fight back to protect the public postal service.
magazineVice PresidentDebby Szeredy
Now is the time to become union activists and get involved in your community! Contact your elected officials, ask organizations to take actions to save the prompt delivery of our First-Class Mail service, to stop the Delivering for America (DFA) planned consolidations of processing and distribution centers (P&DCs), and to stop the “network modernization” plans that halt mail service, causing mail and packages to sit overnight in post offices with less security and slowing postal services for a majority of communities across this country.
We have power, but we must do the work to reach out to our community and political allies, educating them about just how far the Postal Service is going down the rabbit hole, and how we can work together to block these plans.
The Postal Service notified the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) on Nov. 22, 2024, that they would continue processing outgoing local operations in 16 of the 58 planned consolidation locations.
These locations are Bismarck, ND PDC, Burlington, VT PDC, Charleston. WV PDC, Chattanooga, TN PDC, Eastern ME PDC, El Paso, TX PDC, Fayetteville, AR PDC, Fayetteville, NC PDC, Ft Myers, FL PDC, Greenville, SC PDC, Gulfport, MS PDC, Knoxville, TN PDC, McAllen, TX PDC, Reno, NV PDC, Tulsa, OK PDC, Waterloo, IA PDC.
The Postal Service reversed course on these locations due to the pushbacks and pressure placed on the Postmaster General (PMG). One example is the Buffalo Local that had built their relationship with NY Senator Schumer for years, and through reaching out to him, their plant consolidation was stopped immediately. Establishing a relationship with your elected officials can make the difference in our union’s battles.
There are 42 other P&DCs that are on the hit list for their planned consolidation to local processing centers (LPCs) in 2024. Consolidation means the P&DC will have no ability to cancel and postmark their own sectional center facility (SCF) area mail or provide prompt services. Even worse is that there are facilities on that list that the Postal Service reneged on pausing, and within a brief period, took out P&DC mail-processing equipment, and refused to bring it back, hiding it from the public.
Let us put the pressure back on the PMG and the PRC to reverse these actions, keeping the 2012 network that had worked for decades. Tell them to stop the path to privatization by selling our service to the highest private-sector bidder, putting the public Postal Service into the hands of billionaires to make more profits, and without any oversight to protect workers and the services that we all depend on.
We need everyone to step up and fight this. For a list of locations where consolidations need to be stopped or reversed, visit apwu.org/vice-president. Everyone needs to get on board to stop the network modernization plan that causes mail service to sit overnight and delays services that we depend on.
In some areas, mail will sit overnight instead of providing prompt services, while others will continue to process mail with no delay.
We need the PRC to advise the Postal Service to halt all plans for consolidations and transportation optimizations. They should take a stand to protect our service by reverting to the 2012 service standards of 195 P&DCs processing mail and overnight service in most cities. The DFA plan downgrades services, adversely affects businesses and organizations, short staffs’ workers, and fails to provide prompt, timely service.
Do you need ideas about how you can get involved? Contact me at dszeredy@apwu.org. ■
Stand Up and Fight Back to Save Our Service Standards0
Read More....Post-Election Food for Thought
January 13, 2025“Every attack on the rights of workers, unions, veterans, children, democratic rights, and our planet should call forth powerful resistance of solidarity and unity around our common interests.” APWU President Dimondstein shares his observations and thoughts post-election.
magazinePresidentMark Dimondstein
The 2024 General Election is over. The companion article on page 5 is my statement following its outcome. I respect the many differing views held by our members and that every member undoubtedly voted for what they believed was in their best interests. What follows are some election observations and thoughts on the challenging road ahead under a new presidential administration:
There is no sugarcoating that, buffeted by the high cost of living, corporate price gouging, the failure of either political party to address the fundamental needs of workers, and the success of divide-and-conquer tactics, millions of working people voted for a convicted felon and corrupt billionaire who opposes any minimum wage, union rights, women’s rights, a clean environment, public postal services, and who uses bigotry to divide us.
Don’t take my word of the danger ahead. John Kelly, Trump’s longest serving chief of staff, recently said that Trump is a fascist and would govern as a dictator. Kelly, a retired Marine Corps General, was particularly concerned about Trump’s declarations regarding “the enemy within,” and Trump’s threats to unleash the U.S. military on his domestic political opponents.
Project 2025, produced by the right-wing Heritage Foundation and drafted with the participation of 140 former Trump staffers, is the blueprint for a new Trump administration. It is loaded with attacks on veterans, workers, women, unions, children, and democratic rights.
In a tight race where 10 million fewer people voted than in the 2020 presidential election, the low turnout is an indication that millions of voters are frustrated and disillusioned with the two main political parties.
In Missouri, pro-worker ballot initiatives for paid sick leave, higher minimum wages, and defense of women’s reproductive rights overwhelmingly passed. Yet the very same working-class voters elected politicians who vehemently oppose every one of these issues. It is clearly the common issues that unite us, not party labels.
In politically conservative Nebraska, factory worker and union leader Dan Osborn ran for Senate, exposing that Congress is “made up of millionaires doing the bidding of billionaires.” He fell just short of a major upset, but the voters reacted enthusiastically to an independent choice. We need more such campaigns in the future.
Endless funds of the super wealthy and corporations have far too much influence in our elections. Yet, until now, billionaires like anti-worker, anti-union Elon Musk did not get directly involved on the campaign trail. They are now laughing all the way to the bank as the 10 richest individuals gained $64 billion in financial gains in the election aftermath; Musk alone gaining $26 billion.
With no working-class based party in the U.S., we are faced with the lesser of two evils. Without a political home, we are lost in the political desert, thirsty and hungry. It is natural to seek the safe haven of an oasis. Oases are often a mirage, as this new administration will undoubtedly prove itself to be. We need to build an independent party that is controlled by, and accountable to, working people not Wall Street.
The reality is that, whichever way this election came out, the working class and union movement have much work ahead to gain our fair share of the fruits of the wealth we create and to truly win justice for all.
Through Democratic and Republican administrations, our struggle always continues. But with a Trump White House and control over the legislative and judicial branches of government, and his proclamations to rule as a dictator from “day one,” the seas ahead will be rocky and stormy. We cannot stick our heads in the sand just hoping the storm will blow over and all will be well. Every attack on the rights of workers, unions, veterans, children, democratic rights, and our planet should call forth powerful resistance of solidarity and unity around our common interests. See you on the front lines! ■
Post-Election Food for Thought0
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