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Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Detroit Historical Society Workers Join AFSCME 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. Staff at the Detroit Historical Society have overwhelmingly voted in favor of forming a union with AFSCME Michigan, joining a growing movement of cultural workers in Detroit and around the country who are organizing for a strong voice on the job.This victory comes after months of organzing—an effort that was motivated by the need for fair wages and a contract that protects both workers and the future of the institution.“We often talk about moments in history at the Detroit Historical Society,” said Macsen Kirkpatrick Johnson, a visitor experience associate supervisor. “To know that we are part of the foundational history of the labor movement in our museum, in a city that helped form the labor movement, is nothing short of inspiring.”“My family has worked in the museum for generations,” added Rebecca Phoenix, a visitor experience associate. “By coming together to form our union with AFSCME, my co-workers and I will have a voice in the work that we do every day. We are passionate about the atmosphere we create, and we know that our union will ensure that the Detroit Historical Society remains an important cultural institution in the city of Detroit for generations to come.”  Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 10/13/2026 - 10:25 Tags: OrganizingContinue reading→

‘A Useful Standard for Workers’: 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. Alamo Drafthouse Workers Vote Yes for Union, Passing 47 to 28: “After seven months of building support, workers at the Alamo Drafthouse elected to create a union with United Auto Workers (UAW) Region 4 on Oct. 1. Logan Allgood, an Alamo worker who spearheaded union support among other workers, said the election should be certified within the next week, so long as the Alamo doesn’t object to the union. ‘I’m both relieved and antsy for the election to be certified, since the company has seven days to object,’ Allgood said. “If they do, the UAW general council is ready to respond if necessary.’”Strike for Hunger Supports Those in Need: “United Steelworkers Local 21 and the Women of Steel come together each year to support neighbors in need through a community-wide effort to fight hunger across Delta County. USW Local 21 Women of Steel Coordinator Donna Dams is helping to organize the event. ‘Today we’re here trying to refill and restock the food pantries, Salvation Army and Saint Vincent DePaul in Escanaba and Gladstone. So, we’re looking for monetary donations, paper products, canned goods, personal hygiene products,’ she said. Dams shared that union members and volunteers are collecting monetary contributions and nonperishable food at Elmer’s Country Market in Escanaba and Pats Groceries in Gladstone. The 3-day event helps support the Salvation Army and St. Vincent de Paul locations.”Roxanne Brown: They Asked Themselves: What’s Missing? The Answer: A Union: “Davion Johnson long realized that they and their colleagues deserved higher pay, fairer treatment and greater respect at the Corning plant in Hemlock, Mich. But nothing drove home the need for change more than a supervisor’s callous response when a co-worker fell from a ladder. Instead of calling an ambulance, Davion recalled, the supervisor threatened to dock the injured man a sick day if he left to seek care on his own. An angry Davion subsequently helped to lead 1,400 co-workers in a successful union drive with the United Steelworkers (USW). Now, they wield a collective voice on safety, pay and other issues as they do the important work of manufacturing components for the nation’s solar industry.”Unions and Democrats Stump for Federal Film Incentive: ‘We Are So Close to Getting This Done’: “A delegation of California Democrats campaigned with union leaders on Tuesday for a federal film incentive as they seek to build momentum to pass the measure by the end of the year. Sen. Adam Schiff and eight Democratic representatives from Southern California argued that the U.S. must counter incentives from 65 other countries that have lured American production jobs overseas. ‘When this passes in this lame-duck session, it will immediately impact production in 2027,’ said Mike Miller, vice president of IATSE. “And there are hundreds of thousands of entertainment industry workers that are counting on it.’”These Candidates Don’t Talk to Working People—They Are Working People: “‘Working people are tired of politicians who talk about their struggles without having lived them,’ an AFL-CIO spokesperson said in a statement, echoing the sentiment. ‘For too long, the people writing the rules on wages, health care and retirement have no real experience with what those rules mean for the rest of us.’”George Eastman Museum Workers Vote to Unionize: “Workers at the George Eastman Museum voted 41-16 to unionize with Workers United, according to the organizing group, George Eastman Museum Workers United. The National Labor Relations Board election was held Friday, Oct. 2, and the group announced the result Sunday. Seventy-five workers were eligible to vote, the group said. By its count, 57 votes were cast, a turnout of 76%. NLRB records list the museum as having about 100 employees. Supervisors, managers and other classifications were excluded from the voting groups.”Philadelphia Inquirer Employees Secure New Union Contract with Raises and AI Protections: “Unionized journalists and product engineers at The Inquirer secured a new contract on Friday that includes AI protections, raises, and changes to healthcare coverage. The company reached a tentative deal with the News Guild of Greater Philadelphia Local 38010 on Sept. 15. Union members ratified the new contract by email vote this week. Of 238 eligible union members, 160 workers voted, with 156 in favor of the new contract.”Community Transit Finalizes Contract with Union Through 2027: “Community Transit’s board of directors signed off on a contract between the transit agency and its drivers union on Thursday, bringing an end to over a year of negotiations between the two parties. Workers at the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1576, which represents bus drivers, dispatchers and maintenance employees at the Snohomish County transit agency, will receive a 5% retroactive pay increase for 2025, a 4% increase for 2026 and a 4% increase in 2027. The contract will expire at the end of 2027.”Current Affairs Has Ratified a Union Contract: “We’re happy to share some good news: after a series of bargaining meetings concluding in September, the Current Affairs staff union has ratified and signed a new contract with the magazine, covering the next two years. We’re represented by the Chicago News Guild, Local 34071, an affiliate of the The NewsGuild-Communications Workers of America (TNG-CWA), and this contract gives Current Affairs workers a number of important protections and benefits. We’re proud of what we were able to secure through collective bargaining, and hope this contract will become a useful standard for workers at other media organizations who are considering unionization.” Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 10/12/2026 - 16:14Continue reading→

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Post-Gazette Journalists to Be Awarded Millions After Union-Busters Lose Supreme Court Case 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. This week, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s appeal of a ruling requiring the company to pay Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh, The NewsGuild-CWA (TNG-CWA) Local 38061, members after management made illegal unilateral changes to their working conditions.The newspaper—which was owned by Block Communications until earlier this year—cut workers’ pay and implemented increases in health care costs. Now, with no further venue for appeal, the Post-Gazette owes millions of dollars to its current and former employees.“I’ve actually lost count of the number of agencies, judges, courts, and other authorities that have told the Blocks that the workers were right and the multi-millionaires were wrong. Our members were the first to tell them—more than nine years ago now,” said Jon Schleuss, president of The NewsGuild-CWA. “It’s staggering to think how much money and time the company wasted on losing when that could have been spent on dignified working conditions and improving the caliber of local journalism.”“A lot of honest, determined people sacrificed more than most know to get this ruling enforced and finalized,” said Andrew Goldstein, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and president of the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh. “The Blocks and their co-conspirators in company management and elsewhere knowingly and willfully broke federal law for years, bringing untold harm to not only their workers but the news industry more broadly. We’re looking forward to getting quite literal payback and hope this serves as a warning to similarly reckless owners. Shame on the Blocks.” Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 10/09/2026 - 09:41Continue reading→

Worker Wins: ‘Stronger When We Stand Together’ Our latest roundup of worker wins includes numerous examples of working people organizing, bargaining and mobilizing for a better life. Retail Workers at Five Macy’s Locations in Washington State Ratify New Contract: Macy’s workers at five storefronts in Washington state—who are represented by United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 3000—approved a new collective bargaining agreement. The new three-year deal covers sales associates, beauty advisers, inventory managers, merchandise processors and receiving clerks at mall and furniture outlets in Bellingham, Lynnwood and Tukwila. “We had a really strong bargaining unit, and more importantly, the support of our fellow union members behind us. With that, we were able to secure a contract that featured minimal takeaways and one of the best general wage increases we’ve gotten in recent years,” said Samantha Wilson, a Bellingham Macy’s worker.University of Vermont Medical Center Support Staff Members Secure TA After Authorizing Strike: Support staff and technical professionals at the University of Vermont Medical Center (UVMMC)—who are represented by AFT Vermont—have reached a tentative agreement (TA) just days after voting to approve a strike authorization. A powerful 82% of UVMMC Support Staff United members had signaled their readiness to walk off the job to secure a fair contract. The approximately 3,300-person bargaining unit and UVMMC’s management had been locked in negotiations since April. The members’ previous contract expired in August. “We’re taking a stand against the continued destruction of our staffing levels, of being asked to do more with less, [of just] basically having the brunt of the collapse of the American healthcare system put on our backs,” Jacob Berkowitz, president of UVMMC Support Staff United, said in an interview.National Low Income Housing Coalition Staff Form Union: After a supermajority of staff signed union authorization cards, workers at the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) have requested that management voluntarily recognize the Washington-Baltimore News Guild (WBNG), Local 32035 of The NewsGuild-CWA, as their bargaining representative. Nonprofit staff are organizing under the name NLIHC Workers United in hopes of securing a contract that ensures organizational transparency, better staff development opportunities, and support and improved collaboration. “NLIHC was the first job I took on after graduate school, and was immediately the place I knew I wanted to be at,” said staff member Nada Hussein. “It’s where I have developed a life-long passion for housing justice, and it’s the place I hope I can give back to others in the ways it’s given to me. This is why I am joining our union—for the belief that our organization is stronger when we stand together, with our guiding, core mission being the catalyst for what we do ”Oregon’s Public University Workers Secure TA Following Powerful Strike Threat: Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 503-represented classified staff at Oregon’s seven public universities have called off a strike after reaching a tentative agreement (TA) early Monday morning. The bargaining unit covers more than 4,000 school custodians, dining hall workers, office and support staff and other essential workers at Oregon State, Portland State, Western Oregon, Eastern Oregon and Southern Oregon universities, the University of Oregon, and the Oregon Institute of Technology. Back in mid-September, members voted overwhelmingly to authorize a work stoppage to get the fair contract they deserve. “We’re setting a standard here for not only other unions on campus, not only other unions across Lane County and in the state of Oregon, but also for non-union workers who don’t have the ability to collectively bargain,” said Jennifer Smith, president of SEIU 503, Sub-local 085. “But now, we’re setting a standard for wages and benefits across the state.”Cannabis Dispensary Workers in Ohio Vote to Join UFCW: Staff at Sunnyside Dispensary in Chillicothe, Ohio, have successfully voted to form a union with United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1059. These wellness advisers—also sometimes called budtenders—provide expert recommendations for products, educate customers and more. Workers rallied together to win their election so they could secure fair sick-leave policies, improved health care benefits, better safety protocols and more input into day-to-day operations. “We are excited to get to the bargaining table and negotiate a first contract that empowers us and reflects the value that we bring every day,” said Stacie Hupp, a wellness adviser at Sunnyside Dispensary. “We started this movement by simply talking to each other about how to make our jobs better, and now we have an opportunity to make that vision a reality.”Apple Studios Visual Effects Workers Secure First IATSE Contract: Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) members who work as visual effects (VFX) workers have successfully secured their first collective bargaining agreement with Apple Studios. This victory is part of a larger industry organizing wave and follows first-contract gains secured by visual effects workers at Disney, Marvel, and on the movie “Avatar.” The contract establishes new standards for pay, health care benefits, retirement, working hours, artificial intelligence usage and workplace safety. “For too long, visual effects workers have powered some of the industry’s biggest productions without the union protections afforded to many of their colleagues,” said IATSE International President Matthew D. Loeb in a press release. “It is long past time to fix that. By standing together, Apple Studios VFX workers have secured a strong first contract with enforceable standards, quality benefits, meaningful rest, and protections as new technology changes the industry.”Daily Herald Journalists Win Union Election: Newsroom staff at the Daily Herald have overwhelmingly voted to form a union with the Chicago News Guild, Local 34071 of The NewsGuild-CWA (TNG-CWA). All 20 union-eligible journalists at the daily newspaper—which is owned by Alden Global Capital/Tribune Publishing—signed union authorization cards in August. Management refused to voluntarily recognize the Daily Herald News Guild bargaining unit, but members stood united and successfully won their National Labor Relations Board election. Staff members began organizing after they experienced steady wage and working-hour reductions over the past 10 years and multiple rounds of buyouts and combination buyouts and layoffs.USLPA-CWA Members Ratify New Agreement: Members of the USL Players Association (USLPA), an affiliate of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), have ratified their new contract after two years of bargaining. Despite facing anti-union tactics from management, players stood united in their fight for a fair contract. Year-round contracts, livable wage minimums and guaranteed access to employer-paid health insurance were the primary areas of focus in negotiations. “Our players showed what solidarity looks like,” said USLPA-CWA Executive Director Connor Tobin. “For eight weeks, they stood together during the first minute of every match to make clear that they have a voice and a say in their future. This contract is a foundation for the players who come next. It means future players will have stronger protections and a stronger voice. We are proud of what our players fought for and what they have built together.” Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 10/08/2026 - 11:50 Tags: OrganizingContinue reading→