Postal Service Financial Woes Do Not Stem from Market Forces Alone
(This article appeared in the March/April 2026 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine) This article is based on commentary by Postal Board of Governor Roman Martinez published in Bloomberg. The Postal Service’s financial struggles are not simply a result of declining mail volumes in the digital age, they are also tied to congressional restrictions […]
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‘Run More Union Members for Office’: The Working People Weekly List
‘Run More Union Members for Office’: 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.
Van Hollen Proposes Bill to Eliminate Federal Income Tax for Millions of Low-Income Americans: “Maryland U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen and Virginia Rep. Don Beyer announced new legislation Thursday that seeks to provide federal tax cuts for millions of working Americans trying to make ends meet. ‘Under our plan, 130 million Americans will get some tax relief,’ Van Hollen said during a news conference, where he also appeared with fellow Democrat Arizona U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly.”UFCW Endorses SNAP Delivery Safeguards: “The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) International Union is endorsing the reintroduction of the Food and Nutrition Delivery Safety Act, which would require federal agencies to establish delivery guardrails for retailers that serve Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program online delivery customers.”One Simple Way to Heal American Politics: Run More Union Members: “American politics feels hopelessly broken. Extreme political polarization, enormous amounts of Pac money sloshing around during elections, and the increasing power of the rich make it seem like nothing, and no one, can set the country on the right track. But a new report from the Center for Working-Class Politics looks at a surprisingly simple way that ordinary people might have more influence in our political system: run more union members for office.”What San Francisco Educators Won on Their Strike: “This winter has seen historic strikes hit the United States on both coasts. In New York City, 15,000 nurses across three of the city’s largest private sector hospital systems walked out on January 12 and stayed on the picket lines for about a month, making it the largest and longest nurses’ strike in the city’s history. Meanwhile, in California and Hawaii, 31,000 health care workers employed by Kaiser Permanente across the two states struck from January 26 to February 23 in what their union describes as the largest open-ended health care strike in U.S. history.”Chesapeake College Faculty Approve First Ever Union Contract: “After 20 months of negotiations, Chesapeake College faculty members established their first ever union contract in school history. On March 3, it was announced that the Chesapeake College faculty—represented by United Academics of Maryland—voted to establish their first ever union contract, which includes wage increases, a service pathway to promotion and improvements to working conditions, benefits and protections. Chesapeake College professor David Timms, the new union chapter’s chair, called the decision a great move for staff and students.”Motion Capture Workers at ‘NBA 2K’ Studio Ratify First Union Contract with IATSE: “Motion capture workers employed by the video game company behind NBA 2K and WWE 2K have ratified their first labor contract in a move that union IATSE is calling historic. Workers at 2K’s motion capture studio in Petaluma, California, have unanimously ratified a deal with management at parent company Take-Two Interactive, IATSE announced on Tuesday. The crew union represents stage technicians, engineers, animators and recording and audio specialists at the studio.”Everett Kelley: The System Is Failing TSA Workers—and Travelers Are Paying the Price: “Those lines were not a fluke. They were a warning about what happens when the people responsible for keeping our aviation system safe are forced to choose between performing a public service that keeps us all safe for no pay, or flipping burgers with pay. Across the country, Transportation and Security Agency officers are once again being asked to report to work without a paycheck. In the most recent pay period, many officers received only a fraction of their normal pay. Some members of the American Federation of Government Employees took home as little as $5.”Video Game Developer Heart Machine Voluntarily Recognizes Staff Union: “The indie video game studio Heart Machine has voluntarily recognized a union formed by staff members. The developer behind 2021’s Solar Ash and 2016’s Hyper Light Drifter agreed to recognize a wall-to-wall union representing all non-managerial employees, the Communications Workers of America announced on Monday. Previously, the union states, a majority of the workers at the studio signaled their interest in joining CWA.”International Women’s Day Is a Celebration and a Call to Action. Here Are Things to Know: “Women across the world called for equal pay, reproductive rights, education, justice and decision-making jobs and celebrate progress toward female empowerment during events and demonstrations marking International Women’s Day on Sunday. Officially recognized by the United Nations in 1977, International Women’s Day is commemorated in different ways and to varying degrees in places around the world. Protests are often political—and at times violent—rooted in women’s efforts to improve their rights as workers.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Mon, 03/16/2026 – 10:41
Women’s History Month Profiles: Madelyn Roberts
Women’s History Month Profiles: Madelyn Roberts
For Women’s History Month, we’re taking a look at a group of leaders who are currently active making women’s history across the labor movement. Check back daily for a new profile and meet some of the people working to improve not only their community, but also to improve conditions for working people across the country. Today’s profile is Madelyn Roberts of the American Federation of Musicians (AFM).
Madelyn Roberts was the first woman president of AFM Local 586, serving four terms. During that time, she was a founding member of the AFM diversity committee. Besides maintaining an active career as a versatile guitarist and vocalist, Roberts was also a top-ranked billiards player and a private investigator. Now retired, she is still an active union presence.
Kenneth Quinnell
Mon, 03/16/2026 – 10:20
Tags:
Women’s History Month
Rosina Tucker: A Force Behind the Pullman Porters
(This article appeared in the March/April 2026 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine) March 3, 1987 – Rosina Corrothers Tucker, a formidable American labor organizer, civil rights activist, and educator, passed away at the age of 105. She played a pivotal role in the foundation of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP), the […]
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Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Fort Worth Report Staff Win Election to Form Union
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Fort Worth Report Staff Win Election to Form Union
Working people across the United States regularly step up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our Service & Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
On Monday, staff at the Fort Worth Report announced they have overwhelmingly voted in favor of forming a union with Media Guild of the West, The NewsGuild-CWA (TNG-CWA) Local 39213.The nonprofit newsroom’s leadership declined to voluntarily recognize the Fort Worth Reporters Guild, but workers were not deterred. After overcoming repeated attempts from management to interfere with the organizing process—including hiring a third-party union-avoidance firm—the newly minted members are celebrating a powerful National Labor Relations Board election victory and preparing for their first union negotiations.“These results were not based on mob rule, but rather a reflection of every single unit member who has been heavily involved in this process since its launch,” the Guild’s organizing committee said in a press statement. “This is the next and vital step for our community newsroom, and we look forward to steering trusted news forward in Tarrant County together.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Mon, 03/16/2026 – 10:14
Women’s History Month Profiles: Alexa Gutzky
Women’s History Month Profiles: Alexa Gutzky
For Women’s History Month, we’re taking a look at a group of leaders who are currently active making women’s history across the labor movement. Check back daily for a new profile and meet some of the people working to improve not only their community, but also to improve conditions for working people across the country. Today’s profile is Alexa Gutzky of the United Steelworkers (USW).
Alexa Gutzky is a proud Woman of Steel and member of USW Local 1-346 in Toledo, Ohio. In the six years she’s worked at Fiske Brothers Lubriplate, she has seen firsthand the power of a strong union. At just 29, Gutzky became the first woman hired in the facility’s 155-year history. Through the Women of Steel program, she gained the confidence and tools to stand up, speak out, and ensure women’s needs are recognized and respected on the job.
Kenneth Quinnell
Sun, 03/15/2026 – 10:03
Tags:
Women’s History Month
Privatizing VA Health Care is Bad for Veterans
(This article appeared in the March/April 2026 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine) In our previous Home Front article, we provided APWU veterans with a strategy to combat the privatization of the Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system. In this issue, we aim to motivate our veteran union leaders by highlighting some of the […]
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Women’s History Month Profiles: Stephanie Stewart
Women’s History Month Profiles: Stephanie Stewart
For Women’s History Month, we’re taking a look at a group of leaders who are currently active making women’s history across the labor movement. Check back daily for a new profile and meet some of the people working to improve not only their community, but also to improve conditions for working people across the country. Today’s profile is Stephanie Stewart of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC).
Stephanie Stewart has childhood memories of being on the picket line with her father, not understanding what it meant, but knowing life changed for her family. Many years later, after starting her career as a letter carrier and becoming involved in her union, she understood the fight to make life better. “Being a woman in a male-dominated industry can be challenging, but it also motivates and inspires me to see the strength and balance we achieve by working together.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Sat, 03/14/2026 – 10:03
Tags:
Women’s History Month
UAW Applauds USTR for Taking on Race to the Bottom with New Section 301 Investigations
“The UAW is glad to see the U.S. Trade Representative taking on companies and countries using wage suppression and anti-union laws,” said UAW President Shawn Fain, in response to new Section 301 investigations announced by the United States Trade Representative. “For decades, we’ve let companies offshore good jobs from the U.S. to countries where workers […]
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📢 IAM Union on the Hill: 2026 Legislative Conference Registration is Open — Rally for Whirlpool workers
Click Here to view this edition of IAM UNION on the Hill.
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