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'9 to 5': 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. Liz Shuler: The 100 Most Influential People in AI 2026: “‘We want to make sure our elected officials are answering to workers in this midterm election and beyond,’ says Shuler, who became the first woman president of the major union federation in 2021. ‘We're mobilizing in communities to say, ‘This is going to affect all of us, so we have to build the coalitions to fight Big Tech and the billionaires.’ Because if we don't, we're going to have seven people running our world right without any check on what that future looks like.’”Workers at The Literary in Champaign Vote to Unionize: “One popular bookstore/cafe in downtown Champaign voted ‘overwhelmingly’ in favor of unionizing Thursday morning. In a release, the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union RWDSU announced that workers at The Literary—located at 122 North Neil Street—voted to unionize during an in-person, secret ballot vote at the business. The voting was administered by the National Labor Relations Board.”Joelle Hall Steps Down as Head of AFL-CIO Alaska, Heidi Drygas Takes Over: “Alaska’s largest labor organization is changing hands. After five years as president of the Alaska AFL-CIO, Joelle Hall is stepping aside. Delegates at the federation’s biannual convention in Anchorage elected Heidi Drygas, the state’s former labor commissioner and recent head of the Alaska State Employees Association, to succeed her. Bronson Frye of the building trades was chosen as secretary. The Alaska AFL-CIO is the umbrella for more than 50 unions and roughly 50,000 members—grocery clerks, construction workers, state employees, and federal workers among them. It does more than bargain. It endorses candidates, spends on independent campaigns, and runs phone and door operations that can move close races. That political machinery now sits with Drygas. Hall built her career inside that machine. She arrived at the federation in 2006 after running Democratic campaigns and serving as Alaska Democratic Party director.”NFL, NFLPA to Expand Mental Health Benefits for Players and Dependents: “The NFL and NFL Players Association plan to launch a Behavioral Health Network to expand mental health support for professional football players and their dependents. Beginning Sept. 1, active and former players and their family members will have access to a large group of providers jointly selected by the NFL and the NFLPA. The goal is to provide more accessible, affordable mental health care tailored to an individual’s specific needs.”Dolly Parton Was a Proud Union Sister: “‘Dolly Parton knew what it was like to struggle as she fought for working families her whole career,’ recalled the AFL-CIO. ‘From providing free books to kids to giving working women our ‘9 to 5’ anthem, she was an icon and an inspiration. Rest in power to our union sister. We will always love you.’”Employees Vote to Form Union at Moultrie County Beacon, Inc.: “Employees have voted to form a union at Moultrie County Beacon, Inc., a nonprofit that serves people with intellectual disabilities. According to local AFSCME Council 31 members, the National Labor Relations Board found that over 82% of votes were cast in favor of the union. The board will next certify Beacon workers as AFSCME members. AFSCME Council 31 represents around 5,000 disability care workers employed statewide.”Chicago History Museum Workers Ratify First Union Contract: “Workers at the Chicago History Museum have ratified their first union contract, after what the union representing the workers called ‘some of the worst anti-union retaliation we’ve seen.’ In May, the National Labor Relations Board issued a rare formal complaint, alleging that under the museum’s previous president, Donald Lassere, management retaliated against employees who voted to unionize in 2025. Shortly after that vote, four employees were fired, while others were disciplined or threatened with termination, according to the NLRB. The board found the museum violated federal labor laws.”Bath Iron Works Union Workers Ratify Historic Contract with 17% Pay Raise: “Thousands of International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local S6 members at Bath Iron Works will see pay raises this week after union members voted to ratify a new five-year contract. The agreement, which is set to go into effect Monday, includes a 17% pay increase in the first year, followed by 4% increases in each of the remaining four years.”BIW Machinists Union Votes to ratify 5-Year Contract: “Bath Iron Works employees voted to ratify a new 5-year union contract, according to a statement from the union Sunday. International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local S6, which represents nearly 4,500 members at Bath Iron Works, said the contract includes a 17% general wage increase in the first year, and 4% raises for the following four years. ‘This agreement is about our members and the value of the work they do every single day at Bath Iron Works,’ IAM Local S6 President Tim Suitter said in a statement. ‘Our members told us what mattered to them, they stood together throughout this process and we fought to deliver those priorities at the bargaining table. I’m incredibly proud of our negotiating committee and our entire Local S6 membership.’”Springfield Cannabis Workers Secure Missouri’s Second Union Contract After Four-Year Wait: “It’s been nearly a month since Key Cannabis Dispensary employees in Springfield ratified their first collective bargaining agreement that includes wage increases, bonuses and additional time off to workers. And employees are feeling pretty high. ‘Now that the contract has been ratified, we’re rocking and rolling already,’ said Sally Powell, a retail associate at Key Cannabis Dispensary. ‘We already got our raises. Our [personal time off] is taking effect. Bonuses have been handed out…and job security is in place.’ Powell was among the employees who in 2022 voted 6-3 to unionize, under the representation of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 2.”What Kids Need to Thrive in an AI Economy: “Earlier this summer, Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), sounded the alarm on AI in schools. ‘Artificial intelligence is triggering seismic shifts in virtually every aspect of society,’ she said in a speech to the National Press Club, noting ‘our students are already feeling the impacts of this disruption.’ As parents’ concerns about AI’s impact on learning and development mount, Weingarten called on schools to ban student-facing AI tools for elementary students, while investing in active learning that develops foundational skills at all ages. But the union itself isn’t made up of luddites, she says, recognizing that AI fluency will be critical for students preparing to enter the workforce—and for the teachers equipping them with those technical skills. The trick is to ‘make sure that human beings control technology, not the other way around,” she tells Charter.” Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 08/31/2026 - 11:51Continue reading→

Worker Wins: You've Got To Try Something Different Our latest roundup of worker wins includes numerous examples of working people organizing, bargaining and mobilizing for a better life. AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler Named to TIME’s Fourth Annual List of the TIME100 AI: TIME named AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler to the 2026 TIME100 AI, a list recognizing the 100 most influential people in artificial intelligence (AI). Shuler has led the labor movement’s response to ensure workers have a voice in how AI’s development and implementation affect their livelihoods. Under the president’s leadership, unions have won key protections in union contracts related to the implementation of AI technology on the job, and advanced pro-worker AI policy in Congress and state legislatures. “I am honored to be included in this year’s TIME100 AI list—a recognition that belongs to every worker fighting for fair, safe and equitable jobs in the face of the AI revolution,” said Shuler. “We’re at the most important fork in the road our economy has faced in a hundred years. There is no worker and no industry this does not touch, and every job is now a technology job. But the labor movement has been here for every transformation of our economy, and we will build a future that works for all of us. Thank you to the team at TIME for recognizing labor’s essential role in the conversation about how we get there.” Shuler founded the AFL-CIO Technology Institute in 2021 to ensure working people’s knowledge, expertise, and interests are centered in the innovation economy and that technological change benefits workers, not just the wealthy and corporations. Under her leadership, the AFL-CIO and its Tech Institute have convened experts in policy, labor law, and organizing, and worked with affiliated unions to develop the “Workers First Initiative on AI,” the first comprehensive labor movement agenda establishing principles on AI technology. They also convened the AFL-CIO’s AI Task Force to fight for commonsense, strong AI guardrails at the state and local levels. To assemble the list, TIME’s editors and reporters examined the key stories in AI over the past year and consulted with expert sources and industry leaders for recommendations. The result is a list of 100 leaders, innovators, shapers and thinkers who have a stake in the future of AI. Sam Adams Boston Brewery Workers Vote to Join UFCW: Workers at the original Sam Adams Boston Brewery location in Jamaica Plain have gone public with their intent to join the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 328. Bartenders, beer ambassadors, cooks and key holders delivered a letter to management last week announcing their organizing effort. Staff cited concerns around job security, fair treatment, equality, the consistency of workplace policies, and wages and benefits. “If you’re talking to management over and over and over again and nothing’s changing, you’ve got to try something different,” said Zafi Smith, a senior beer ambassador. “Seeing my coworkers reinvigorated by this has been incredible.”Contra Costa County Nurses Overwhelmingly Ratify New Contract: Members of the California Nurses Association (CNA)—an affiliate of National Nurses United (NNU)—at Contra Costa County Health Services voted 95% in favor of ratifying a new collective bargaining agreement. Highlights of the new contract include job and hour stability, preservation of the health plan that more than 400 nurses and many more retired county nurses rely on, improved ability to combat violence in the workplace, and more. “Public sector nurses have dedicated our careers to caring for the most vulnerable residents of the county,” said Stefani Macagba, RN in the emergency unit at Contra Costa Regional Medical Center. “This contract honors our expertise and gives nurses the stability we need to stay with the county through these turbulent times.”JTRAN Workers Ratify Contract with MV Transportation: After more than a month walking the picket line, JTRAN workers represented by Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1208 in Jackson, Mississippi, have ratified a powerful new agreement with contractor MV Transportation. ATU members staged a work stoppage in mid-July in response to management’s bad-faith bargaining and unfair labor practices. By the time JTRAN workers went on strike, their previous contract had expired more than six months earlier. “Our members stood strong and united throughout this process. MV tried to divide us. They brought in scab bus operators and refused to address our concerns,” said Local 1208 President/Business Agent Charles Tornes Jr. “This strike shows that our members are willing to lay it all on the line for justice. I want to thank our riders, and all our allies for coming out and standing with us.” “I am proud of our JTRAN members who were willing to go to the mat to fight for their contract and a better transit system for their riders. On the picket lines, I saw firsthand their strength, unity, and solidarity,” said ATU International President John Costa. “It was less than two years ago that these workers went on strike, and once again they won a strong contract. They are frontline heroes and can now get back to the job of keeping Jackson moving safely and reliably. It was an honor to hold the line with you.” IAM Members Ratify Historic New Labor Agreement with Bath Iron Works: Thousands of IAM Union (IAM) Local S6 members who work at Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine, have voted to ratify a new five-year collective bargaining agreement. The powerful new agreement ensures a 17% general wage increase in the first year, followed by 4% increases in each remaining year of the deal. Members also won improved 401(k) contributions, stronger seniority and job protections, greater flexibility for time off, and more. “As a proud member of Local S6 and a former Bath Iron Works shipbuilder, I know firsthand the skill, determination and solidarity of this membership,” said IAM Union International President Brian Bryant. “This historic agreement recognizes the tremendous value our members bring to Bath Iron Works, the state of Maine and our nation’s defense. I congratulate the negotiating committee and every Local S6 member who stood together to secure a stronger future for themselves and their families.” “This agreement is about our members and the value of the work they do every single day at Bath Iron Works,” said IAM Local S6 President Tim Suitter. “Our members told us what mattered to them, they stood together throughout this process, and we fought to deliver those priorities at the bargaining table. I’m incredibly proud of our negotiating committee and our entire Local S6 membership.”Static Media Workers Win Voluntary Recognition as WGAE Members: Full-time editors, writers and reporters at Static Media have won voluntary recognition from management as members of the Writers Guild of America East (WGAE). Staff at the digital publishing company work on brands such as Foodie, Garden Guides, House Digest, Outdoor Guide and more. The Static Media Organizing Committee said, “In the wake of ongoing industry-wide cuts in journalism and with human-driven writing at risk, we have joined with the WGAE to build a more sustainable future at Static Media. Unions have driven social progress and income parity for decades, and we are proud to join in solidarity with the Jalopnik union as well as our thousands of unionized colleagues across the industry.” “We’re so excited the editorial team at Static Media will be joining their Jalopnik colleagues as members of the WGAE,” said Sara David, vice president of the WGAE’s Online Media Sector. “Journalists need workplace protections as urgently as ever. We look forward to working with Static Media to secure a strong first union contract.”  Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 08/27/2026 - 11:33 Tags: OrganizingContinue reading→