News

In First Strike Authorization Vote at Stellantis, UAW Members at Los Angeles Parts Center Overwhelmingly Approve a Walkout if U.S. Investments Aren’t Made

ONTARIO, Calif. — On Thursday night, a supermajority of UAW members at Stellantis’ Los Angeles Parts Distribution Center voted to request strike authorization from the International Executive Board if the company and union can’t settle the grievance over the company’s refusal to meet contractually required investments in America. They are the first UAW members at Stellantis […] The post In First Strike Authorization Vote at Stellantis, UAW Members at Los Angeles Parts Center Overwhelmingly Approve a Walkout if U.S. Investments Aren’t Made appeared first on UAW | United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America.Continue reading→

It’s Time for a National Monument to Labor Hero Frances Perkins

It's Time for a National Monument to Labor Hero Frances Perkins Harris & Ewing, photographer If you work for a living, you owe every comfort—every safety measure, every break, every vacation day—to Frances Perkins, the nation's first-ever woman to serve as a Cabinet secretary. During her 12 years as secretary of labor, Perkins transformed work in the United States. To address the devastation of the Great Depression, she advised President Franklin D. Roosevelt on creating a public works program that put unemployed Americans back to work building critical infrastructure across the country. She was the powerhouse behind many of Roosevelt's New Deal programs, establishing a federal minimum wage and overtime pay and banning child labor exploitation. And she was the chair of the Committee on Economic Security, which created the blueprint for Social Security. Frances Perkins got it done.As the first woman to lead the AFL-CIO, the nation's largest federation of labor unions, I am deeply inspired by the example that Secretary Perkins set. Even though her work has touched the lives of every working person in America, Perkins remains an unsung hero in our national history.It's time to change that. President Joe Biden, the most pro-labor president at least since FDR and arguably in American history, now has an opportunity to recognize Secretary Perkins' remarkable legacy by designating the Perkins Homestead in Newcastle, Maine, as a national monument and a part of the national park system.Monuments tell the story of who we are as a country. They connect us to past generations, and they serve as educational tools and inspirations for our future. They reflect our deepest-held values. But historically, our monuments have failed to capture the critical roles women have played in our nation's story.This past March, Biden signed an executive order to increase the representation of women in our national parks and historical sites, and depicted in monuments. A public monument dedicated to Frances Perkins would greatly expand our collective imagination about what's possible in America—exactly in line with what Perkins herself believed. She knew that maintaining a broken status quo that leaves our friends and neighbors behind is far more dangerous than being brave and trying something new.In a last-minute attempt to negotiate a new contract, Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins met today with representatives of the United Mine Workers and Pennsylvania Anthracite Operators at the Waldorf-Astoria. The meeting ended without agreement.Secretary Perkins once said that "a healthy discontent keeps us alert to the changing needs of our time." When I travel the country and speak to working people and organizers, I hear that same spirit of productive unrest.I hear these workers say they're tired of the way things have been going. I hear them say they're tired of their rent going up while their paychecks don't go as far as they used to. They're tired of watching CEOs get richer and richer while they struggle to save for the future.But I also hear something else very clearly: Workers are fighting back. Workers are growing our power in this country in a way we haven't seen in a generation. Together, we are a force to be reckoned with.This post originally appeared in Newsweek. Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 10/04/2024 - 10:18Continue reading→

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Lewiston-Auburn Transit Drivers Ratify First Contract with Western Maine Transportation Services

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Lewiston-Auburn Transit Drivers Ratify First Contract with Western Maine Transportation Services 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. Drivers with Lewiston-Auburn's Citylink bus service ratified their first union contract with Western Maine Transportation Services. The contract covers about a dozen transit workers, members  of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) and includes a nearly 13% wage increase over three years. The new contract also includes pay increases that reward longevity."At the end of the day, when you have happy drivers," said Andy O'Brien, communications director of the Maine AFL-CIO. "You're better able to provide a better service for the riders in the community." Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 10/04/2024 - 10:04Continue reading→

600,000-Member IAM Union Mobilizes for Harris-Walz and Pro-Labor Candidates in 2024 Election

WASHINGTON, Oct. 3, 2024 — Brian Bryant, International President of the 600,000-member International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), releases a statement announcing the IAM Union’s full-scale political mobilization in battleground states ahead of the 2024 election:  “As the nation’s largest aerospace, airline, transportation, and defense labor union, the IAM Union will join the National The post 600,000-Member IAM Union Mobilizes for Harris-Walz and Pro-Labor Candidates in 2024 Election appeared first on IAMAW.Continue reading→

“Stellantis Is Scared”: New UAW Video Exposes Company’s Robocalls to UAW Members Urging a No Vote on Strike Authorization

Today, the UAW released a video exposing a robocall campaign by Stellantis telling tens of thousands of UAW members to vote no on a potential strike authorization vote. The post “Stellantis Is Scared”: New UAW Video Exposes Company’s Robocalls to UAW Members Urging a No Vote on Strike Authorization appeared first on UAW | United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America.Continue reading→

Hispanic Heritage Month Profiles: Raul Aceves Cisneros

Hispanic Heritage Month Profiles: Raul Aceves Cisneros Throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, the AFL-CIO will be profiling leaders and activists to spotlight the diverse contributions Hispanics and Latinos have made to the labor movement. Today's profile features Raul Aceves Cisneros of the Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT). Raul Aceves Cisneros has been a union member since 2019. “The union has made a difference in my life since I joined. I’m able to provide insurance to my family because of the union. I also have a better wage, which means a lot nowadays. I have learned many more things about my job throughout the years I’ve been with the union, and I have implemented those skills so I can be better at my job. One more thing I have learned is that there is more equity and respect in a union workplace than other jobs.” Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 10/03/2024 - 10:30Continue reading→

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Washington Teachers’ Union Reaches Tentative Agreement

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Washington Teachers’ Union Reaches Tentative Agreement 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. The Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU), a local of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), reached a tentative agreement (TA) Monday with the District of Columbia Public Schools for a new five-year contract.This TA comes a year after the expiration of WTU’s previous contract with the Washington, D.C., school district—the union credits the dedication and commitment of bargaining committee members for securing this win. The deal includes fair and competitive pay raises, more structured breaks to prevent burnout for both educators and their students, increased time for lesson planning and preparation, and provisions that ensure fair workloads for educators.“The bargaining team heard from members about the need for improved working conditions. We took that to heart and were able to secure many provisions that show respect to educators, such as breaks to prevent teacher and student burnout, time to prepare and plan lessons, and fair workloads,” said WTU President Jacqueline Pogue Lyons. “The team also pushed hard and obtained decent and fair pay raises over the course of the five-year contract, despite the district’s contention that it was working in a tight financial environment.” Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 10/03/2024 - 10:28Continue reading→

IAM Members Attend Powerful Leadership I Program at Winpisinger Center

Approximately 67 IAM members from across the United States and Canada recently participated in the Leadership I training at the IAM’s William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center in Hollywood, Md. IAM members learned the skills and duties necessary to be good Local Lodge officers and/or active members. Watch Video  The program is the first The post IAM Members Attend Powerful Leadership I Program at Winpisinger Center appeared first on IAMAW.Continue reading→

Worker Wins: Freedom from Intimidation at Work

Worker Wins: Freedom from Intimidation at Work Our latest roundup of worker wins includes numerous examples of working people organizing, bargaining and mobilizing for a better life. Workers at County Assessor’s Office in West Virginia Join UMWA: On Friday, staff at the Monongalia County Assessor’s Office in West Virginia successfully voted to join the Mine Workers (UMWA). This victory comes after months of organizing efforts led by workers and union representatives to support their right to a free and fair union election. These staff members are the latest in a growing number of public sector workers across West Virginia who have chosen to form a union with UMWA to secure the wages, collective voice and respect they deserve. “We are proud to welcome the employees of the Monongalia County Assessor’s Office to the UMWA family,” said International President Cecil E. Roberts. “Their decision puts them on a path toward greater job security, fair treatment, and representation on the job. We will ensure that their voices are heard, and their rights are protected.”California Becomes Latest State to Ban Captive Audience Meetings: Employers in California can no longer require workers to attend captive audience meetings thanks to a measure signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday. The new law prevents workers from being forced to attend meetings where the company compels them to listen to opinions on political and religious matters unrelated to their jobs. Staff attending these meetings can understandably fear that their jobs are at risk if they don’t adopt the employer’s viewpoint. SB 399 was backed by unions across the state and makes California the largest of more than a half-dozen states to ban this tactic commonly used by management in response to union organizing drives. “Everyone deserves freedom from intimidation at work,” said Lorena Gonzalez, president of the California Labor Federation. “No one should be forced against their will to attend captive audience meetings where their bosses threaten and coerce them out of reporting labor violations, or exercising their right to join a union. Today, Governor Newsom sided with working people over corporate lobbyists by signing SB 399. Once again, the power of working people won.”National Symphony Orchestra Musicians Reach Agreement After Kennedy Center Strike: National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) performers and the Kennedy Center reached a tentative agreement (TA) on Friday after Washington D.C. Federation of Musicians, AFM Local 161-710, members went on strike earlier in the day. Musicians walked off the job on Friday morning—after voting unanimously to authorize a strike a week prior—wearing matching red union shirts and carrying signs that read, “Support NSO musicians” and “Keep NSO world-class.” If members approve the new contract, it will increase wages 4% in the first year of the deal and another 4% in the second year. The TA also includes expanded health care options, paid parental leave, updates to audition and tenure processes, and more. “I’m so proud of the work the committee has done throughout the summer and throughout the year and especially right now, and the support that we have throughout the building among our other trade unions,” said Edgardo Malaga Jr., president of the Washington D.C. Federation of Musicians.Omni Providence Hotel Workers Ratify New Contract: UNITE HERE Local 26 members who work at the Omni Providence in Rhode Island ratified a new four-year contract last week that secures higher wages and better benefits. This victory came seven weeks after workers at the downtown Providence hotel voted to authorize a strike over management’s refusal to bargain a fair contract. Their previous agreement expired last January, and members were laser-focused on winning a deal that would address rising costs of living. To show the Omni Providence they meant business, members began wearing lanyards to work to signal that they’d signed up for strike benefits and were ready and willing to walk out. “My co-workers and I put a lot of work into this fight,” said George Cook, a banquet attendant at the Omni. “We were ready to do whatever it took to win. I’m happy that we’re able to get the best contract we ever had, with wage increases that will help us pay our rent and take care of our families.”UAW Tool & Die Unit Reaches Tentative Agreement at Ford’s River Rouge: On Wednesday, the UAW Local 600’s Tool & Die Unit at Ford’s River Rouge Complex reached a tentative agreement (TA) with Ford Motor Co., one day ahead of its strike deadline. Roughly 500 workers in the Tool & Die Unit work at the Dearborn, Michigan, facility. Members were prepared to go on strike starting Sept. 26 if the multinational automotive manufacturer refused to address issues such as job security, wage parity and work rules. The negotiated TA includes protections against the impacts of advancements in 3D printing and establishes a process to secure additional die work as required. Additionally, UAW won a provision to eliminate the wage disparity for skilled trades, ensuring fair and equal pay across the board. “The members at the Rouge Complex understand the power of strength in numbers,” said UAW Vice President Chuck Browning. “They stuck together and showed Ford that they were willing to stand up if necessary to win what they deserve.”Michigan Receives Federal Investment from Biden–Harris Administration to Create New Clean Energy Jobs: Funding from the Biden–Harris administration’s bipartisan infrastructure law is helping Michigan companies expand their operations and create hundreds of new manufacturing jobs in the state. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and officials at the Department of Energy announced this month that four companies will receive $355 million in federal grant funding to help grow manufacturing of batteries for electric vehicles and renewable energy storage. As a result, this funding will enable these Michigan-based employers to create nearly 2,000 new jobs—including construction jobs needed to build new manufacturing facilities—and retain more than 400 existing positions. “Because our elected leaders stand in strong partnership with organized labor, Michiganders have the guarantee that these investments will go towards creating good-paying jobs where every worker has the freedom to form and join a union without intimidation or retaliation,” Michigan AFL-CIO President Ron Bieber said. “We applaud the Biden-Harris and Whitmer administrations for continuing to put workers first by ensuring the cars, tech, and energy of the future are built right here in Michigan by union hands.”Culinary Union Celebrates Las Vegas Strip Becoming 100% Union with Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su: After UNITE HERE’s Culinary Union and Bartenders Union reached a new contract with the owners of the Venetian late last month, workers and labor leaders are celebrating that every resort on the Las Vegas Strip now officially recognizes the union. The Culinary Union and the Department of Labor (DOL) acting Labor Secretary Julie Su held an event recognizing this historic victory on Thursday. This first-time union contract covering more than 4,000 of The Venetian Resort team members has been a fight 25 years in the making. “We are proud to celebrate a new day here at the Venetian,” said Ted Pappageorge, secretary-treasurer for the Culinary Union. “The fight to unionize the Venetian has been one of the longest and most significant in Culinary Union’s 89-year history. From standing up to anti-union billionaire Sheldon Adelson in 1999, to winning the right at the U.S. Supreme Court to picket and protest on sidewalks in front of Las Vegas casinos, and now securing a historic first contract, workers never gave up….This victory today is also a testament to the leadership of the Biden–Harris administration, whose unwavering commitment to ensure workers can organize and win a union has been a source of great strength.” “This contract now brings the Las Vegas Strip to a 100% unionized workforce,” said Secretary Su. “When President Biden says the middle-class built America and unions built the middle class, he's talking about all of you….We want to make sure that a [good] job like that is available to every worker, to every family, in every community all across the country, and you are showing that that is possible here. So thank you for what you have done.”Workers at Powerhouse Animation Studios Ratify First Union Contract: The Animation Guild (TAG), Theatrical and Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 839, announced on Tuesday that artists and production workers at Powerhouse Animation Studios in Austin, Texas, have ratified their first contract, marking a massive victory for TAG’s first organizing campaign in a “right to work” state. TAG members at Powerhouse secured powerful agreement language governing wage equality, job security, retirement benefits and more. Staff first went public with their organizing drive in April 2023, and studio management voluntarily recognized TAG as the workers’ bargaining agent three months later. “This is one of the strongest agreements we have been able to negotiate, and the crew’s resolve to their priority issues is the reason,” said TAG Business Representative Steve Kaplan. “I also want to acknowledge the work Powerhouse and its leadership team put in. We all had to be flexible to get to the finish line, and they showed their commitment to being a productive partner with the Union in the negotiations. I look forward to welcoming our newest Texas-based members to Guild membership, and working with the studio to build on this strong agreement in the future.” Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 10/03/2024 - 10:16Continue reading→

Firefighters and Paramedics begin Negotiations Preparations

IAM members of Local W33 recently traveled to the William Winpisinger Education Center (W3) in Hollywood, Maryland. The three-member team who participated were IAM Local W33 President Dan Sweney, District 5, Business Representative Jeff Hoopan, and IAM Local 33 Steward Steffan Tveit, who began the one-week negotiation preparation for firefighters and paramedics on a new The post Firefighters and Paramedics begin Negotiations Preparations appeared first on IAMAW.Continue reading→

Kentucky Lockheed Martin Members Win Strong First Agreement

More than 300 IAM Local 219 (District 1888) members at Lockheed Martin at Bluegrass Station near Lexington, Ky., voted to ratify their first agreement recently. The new four-year deal comes on the heels of their recent successful organizing campaign. Lockheed Martin employees’ decision to join the IAM highlights the growing momentum at Bluegrass Station among The post Kentucky Lockheed Martin Members Win Strong First Agreement appeared first on IAMAW.Continue reading→

October 3 Marks Latina Equal Pay Day

Today, October 3, 2024, we mark the day when Latinas catch up to what white men earned in the previous year. Despite being one of the fastest-growing demographics and wielding significant economic and political influence, Latinas continue to earn significantly less, highlighting a persistent and unjust economic disparity in our country.  In 2023, the wage The post October 3 Marks Latina Equal Pay Day appeared first on IAMAW.Continue reading→

IAM Members On Strike at Molson Coors Beverage Company in Milwaukee

MILWAUKEE, Oct. 2, 2024 – The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Midwest Territory releases the following statement regarding IAM members on strike at Molson Coors Beverage Company in Milwaukee: Approximately 43 IAM members at Molson Coors Beverage Company in Milwaukee voted to reject the company’s final offer and overwhelmingly voted to strike on The post IAM Members On Strike at Molson Coors Beverage Company in Milwaukee appeared first on IAMAW.Continue reading→