News

Keep the Promise: 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. Whole Foods Workers in Philadelphia Vote to Form Chain’s First Union: “Workers at a Whole Foods Market in Philadelphia voted on Monday to become the first unionized store in Amazon’s grocery chain, opening a new front in the e-commerce giant’s efforts to fend off labor organizing in multiple segments of its business. Employees at the sprawling Whole Foods store, in the city’s Spring Garden neighborhood, voted 130-100 in favor of organizing with the United Food and Commercial Workers union, the National Labor Relations Board said.”Las Vegas Hotel Workers Union Reaches Deal with Casino to End Strike: “Hundreds of workers at a Las Vegas hotel and casino who have been on strike for more than two months will go back to work after agreeing to a new contract Wednesday. The Culinary Workers Union and an affiliated bartenders union, which together represented about 700 striking workers at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, announced the employees had unanimously approved a five-year deal. The unions and the hotel said in a joint statement that they are ‘pleased to be moving past their contract negotiations as each looks forward to fostering a positive and collaborative working relationship for the benefit of all team members at the property.’”Healthcare Worker Union Ratifies New Contract with UM Health-Sparrow: “Nurses and healthcare professionals at University of Michigan Health-Sparrow voted to approve a new contract, the Michigan Nurses Association announced Thursday afternoon. The vote passed with 95% approval, averting a planned five-day strike. Members of the Professional Employee Council of Sparrow Hospital-Michigan Nurses Association (PECSH-MNA) began voting on Monday. Voting ended Thursday and was tallied that same afternoon. Workers would have gone on strike if the contract had not been approved.”UAW Forces Stellantis to Keep Promises, Wins Back Thousands of Jobs: “After months of campaigns, rallies, grievances filed, and strike votes taken, the United Auto Workers have just won back thousands of jobs in a new agreement with Stellantis. The union’s ‘Keep The Promise’ campaign kicked off after the company reneged on a number of key issues that the workers and their union won in their historic 2023 Stand Up Strike. ‘This victory is a testament to the power of workers standing together and holding a billion-dollar corporation accountable,’ Shawn Fain, president of the UAW, and Kevin Gotkinsky, UAW Stellantis Department Director, said in a statement released Wednesday morning.”Workers at Genesis HealthCare Ratify First Contract with UFCW Local 152: “Workers at the Genesis HealthCare assisted living facility in Millville voted to ratify their first union contract on Jan. 9, giving them a voice on the job and secured wages and benefits. The workers, members of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 152, voted unanimously to accept their three-year agreement.”Justice Demands That Colorado Legislators Modernize the State’s Labor Law This Session (Fredrick D. Redmond): “Colorado’s outdated labor law is rooted in unmistakable racism. Now is the time to modernize the law to provide all workers—especially workers of color—with the freedom to organize a union so they can openly voice their opinions at work and negotiate on safety and pay. Colorado’s economy was very different 81 years ago, when our current labor law was passed. In 1943, Colorado’s total population was just over a million people. One of the biggest employers was the Denver Ordnance Plant, where almost 20,000 workers produced bullets for the World War II war effort in three shifts around the clock. And more than 7,000 Japanese-American citizens were prisoners at Camp Amache in Prowers County.”AFT President Randi Weingarten Discusses Resistance to Trump's Education Policies: “What will resistance to Trump's education policy look like this time around? NPR hears from Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. Randi Weingarten is the longtime president of the American Federation of Teachers. It's a union representing 1.8 million teachers nationwide. She joins us this morning by way of Skype. Randi, thanks for joining us. Now, how would the teachers you represent be affected by, say, a dismantled Department of Education if indeed he does that?”New Labor Coalition Wants Colorado’s Unions at the Forefront of the State’s Green Energy Transit: “In a classroom full of motors and switches, Dan Hendricks is going over what goes into a 3-5-year electrical apprenticeship. ‘This is towards the end of their apprenticeship, where they would learn motor control, different switching systems, things of that nature,’ he says, showing me a piece of machinery. ‘So as they progress, right, the work gets more interesting.’ He flicks a switch and triggers a sharp buzzing noise.”Cecile Richards, Former Planned Parenthood President, Dies at 67: “Cecile Richards, the dynamic former president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and one of the country’s most well-known defenders of abortion rights, died on Monday at her home in Manhattan. She was 67. She was diagnosed in 2023 with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, her family said in a statement. A former political organizer, Richards was a daughter of former Gov. Ann Richards of Texas.” Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 01/27/2025 - 09:38Continue reading→

Demanding A Seat On the Bus: What Working People Are Doing This Week Welcome to our regular feature, a look at what the various AFL-CIO unions and other working family organizations are doing across the country and beyond. The labor movement is big and active—here's a look at the broad range of activities we're engaged in this week. Actors' Equity:ICYMI - Equity members who have been impacted by the California Wildfires can find resources including emergency financial assistance, disaster unemployment insurance, and more on our website. https://t.co/TnrFBsMvll pic.twitter.com/6GelpNq6kp— Actors' Equity (@ActorsEquity) January 23, 2025AFGE:These attacks on DEIA are just a smokescreen for firing civil servants, undermining the apolitical civil service, and turning the federal government into an army of yes-men who are loyal to the president, not the Constitution.https://t.co/Pbn4Zs8uw0— AFGE (@AFGENational) January 23, 2025AFSCME:Congrats to AFSCME member Amy Peters, a scientist with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, who is the latest winner of our union’s Never Quit Service Award. https://t.co/LEugiblimW— AFSCME (@AFSCME) January 23, 2025Alliance for Retired Americans:BREAKING: Amazon workers in North Carolina are ready to have a union election. #1u #ItsBetterInAUnion https://t.co/otKswMflCA— Alliance for Retired Americans (@ActiveRetirees) January 23, 2025Amalgamated Transit Union:Local 713-Memphis, TN, demands ‘Seat on the Bus’ as MATA names new CEO. #ATUStrongerTogetherhttps://t.co/6uDUggVGl3— ATU, Transit Union (@ATUComm) January 23, 2025American Federation of Musicians:On your way to NAMM? Visit the AFM Booth (#7806) with representatives from Local 7 (Orange County, CA) and Local 47 (Los Angeles, CA). Current AFM members can pick up a gold lapel pin. pic.twitter.com/ZTpynQYFc8— AFM (@The_AFM) January 22, 2025American Federation of Teachers:As educators, we know our duty is to create safe, welcoming spaces for all of our students. Our locals across the country are going above and beyond to do just that. Read our resource guide to help navigate these challenging times. https://t.co/AdKdbMwkpt📸: @UFT pic.twitter.com/3nDdiHMpJ6— AFT (@AFTunion) January 24, 2025American Postal Workers Union:This month in Labor History, we look back at two major strikes that shifted their industries: the nationwide General Electric and Westinghouse strike of 200,000 electrical workers; and the New York City Transit Strike which shut down the city’s public transit for 12 days. Learn…— The American Postal Workers Union - APWU (@APWUnational) January 22, 2025Association of Flight Attendants-CWA:“The company needs to recognize the contributions we have made to its continued growth. We are hopeful that with the help of a federal mediator we will work with urgency to get the pay, benefits, and scheduling provisions we have earned.” https://t.co/4EMxsK2Mj9— AFA-CWA (@afa_cwa) January 22, 2025Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers:Martin Luther King, Jr. knew unions are one of the best tools we have to dismantle systemic racism and build power for the working class.BCTGM honors this #MLKDay by re-committing to The Dream through our activism and exceptional contracts. 🫱🏾‍🫲🏼 pic.twitter.com/it4bqfiNfi— BCTGM International (@BCTGM) January 20, 2025Boilermakers:👍 Local D194 produces cement. What does your local fabricate or produce? pic.twitter.com/ixxiaJLBbp— Boilermakers Union (@boilermakernews) January 22, 2025Bricklayers:Completed projects, hard work, and dedicated training going down in BAC Local 3 #NY!#BestHandsInTheBusiness #UnionStrong #SkilledTrades #Apprenticeships pic.twitter.com/BpiyxPjfj4— Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers Union (@IUBAC) January 24, 2025Coalition of Black Trade Unionists:Keep Rising#MLK2025#1u#MLKDay pic.twitter.com/oaOyf9lgnx— CBTU (@CBTU72) January 20, 2025Communications Workers of America:Congratulations to the United Academics of Philadelphia-CWA (UAP-CWA) for ratifying their first contract!https://t.co/rAA1HvU3q6— CWA (@CWAUnion) January 19, 2025Department for Professional Employees:Congrats to the stagehands and technicians at the State Theatre in Portland, Maine who organized a union with @IATSE. https://t.co/dt9n2kehQr— Department for Professional Employees (@DPEaflcio) January 17, 2025Electrical Workers:British Columbia construction sites just got an upgrade. Thanks to lobbying by the #IBEW and other members of @WeBuildBC , jobsites with 25 or more workers now must provide flush toilets. https://t.co/A9n0jdVteK pic.twitter.com/mWAWnJnQfv— IBEW (@IBEW) January 23, 2025Heat and Frost Insulators:Revitalizing the Sunport with Local 76 ✈️Albuquerque International Sunport, New Mexico’s largest airport, is undergoing an extensive renovation as part of a national infrastructure effort. The signatory contractor, Yearout Mechanical, has been leading the work at the Sunport… pic.twitter.com/YVRLFYLv4c— Insulators Union 🦎 (@InsulatorsUnion) January 22, 2025Labor Council for Latin American Advancement:📰✨ Check out the latest edition of El Avance!📣 Read an inspiring message from our National President and stay up to date on the incredible work being done by our LCLAA chapters across the country. 👉 Don’t miss out—read it now! 💪🏽 https://t.co/doRc0ZDcfp #ElAvance #lclaa— LCLAA (@LCLAA) January 17, 2025Labor Heritage Foundation:🎙️ Today on Labor Heritage Power Hour (1pm @wpfwdc):MLK in Memphis: Part 3 of AFSCME's I AM STORY podcast on the '68 sanitation strikeJoe Uehlein’s "Morning Song" tribute to Pete SeegerLabor History in 2:00: The First MLK Day & Charleston Five https://t.co/NQj4Xpvwa9… pic.twitter.com/NVXuSV3yuG— Labor Heritage (@LaborHeritage1) January 23, 2025Laborers:Can’t wait to hit the road again, visiting job sites and meeting the incredible people who make this union great — YOU. Where should I stop first? Drop your suggestions. #FeelThePower #LIUNA https://t.co/rsHNl85awC— LIUNA (@LIUNA) January 24, 2025Machinists:🚨 BIG NEWS! The PACCAR (Kenworth) facility in Renton, WA, is receiving a major boost from Biden's @ENERGY grant program to transition to zero-emission vehicles!Over 300 IAM members will benefit as this grant helps sustain and grow IAM union jobs.https://t.co/o53dlmAAw8— Machinists Union (@MachinistsUnion) January 24, 2025Metal Trades Department:Today, we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.—a great leader who dedicated his life to justice, freedom, and equality. His civil rights work is inextricably linked to labor rights. His vision continues to influence our fight daily. pic.twitter.com/ij6xmtmtsM— Metal Trades Dept. (@metaltradesafl) January 20, 2025Mine Workers:Dr. King had the same hopes and dreams we still fight for today. He taught us that despite challenges, hardships, and division we must keep moving forward. pic.twitter.com/zohMQ6v3kd— United Mine Workers (@MineWorkers) January 20, 2025Musical Artists:AGMA Stands in Solidarity with the ARTS-MSM Precollege Faculty Union: https://t.co/OyXMhhQWCw pic.twitter.com/Oq6DU5075f— AGMA (@AGMusicalArtist) January 22, 2025National Air Traffic Controllers Association:Limited edition merchandise for the NATCA Convention taking place in San Francisco May 9-11, 2025 is available to pre-order. Pre-order deadline: February 1, 2025, for guaranteed pickup at NATCA Convention. https://t.co/oS5xfqlF5m pic.twitter.com/mEeFlRaJxx— NATCA (@NATCA) January 17, 2025National Association of Letter Carriers:DYK: Letter carriers deliver more than 376 million pieces of mail and packages to nearly 169 million addresses daily.Postage and stamp sales fund our work, not tax dollars.— Letter Carriers (@NALC_National) January 23, 2025National Day Laborer Organizing Network:READ NOW! This in depth interview explores NDLON's, Pablo Alvardo's, journey from organizing in the ‘90s to now, mobilizing fire relief efforts out of @pasjobcenter to help uplift those who have been affected by these wild fires the most.https://t.co/XecQqhfnBD— NDLON (@NDLON) January 22, 2025National Domestic Workers Alliance:Thank you, @harpersbazaarus, for highlighting our LA Wildfire Fund to help domestic workers.Time and time again, we are reminded how essential they are to our communities, and it is time we show up for them. https://t.co/jv9DkthVUY— Domestic Workers (@domesticworkers) January 24, 2025National Federation of Federal Employees:WFPPA Reintroduced, Message on LA Fires, Social Security Bill Signed into Law, and more - https://t.co/Nwecr5rvBF pic.twitter.com/F6aZE3IXjs— NFFE (@NFFE_Union) January 17, 2025National Nurses United:🚨 New Orleans nurses strike vote alert! 🚨 Nurses at @UMCNO voted to authorize a two-day strike to demand a strong contract in the face of management's union-busting stall tactics. Nurses say their proposals on issues like emergency preparedness have been ignored.— NationalNursesUnited (@NationalNurses) January 23, 2025National Taxi Workers Alliance:Taxis & FHVs face a crisis as largest insurer is headed to insolvency. The approach to cut no fault by $150K saves drivers only $600/year in premium. It's a bad trade off. The solution is a driver co-op. Cut profits not coverage. @GovKathyHochulhttps://t.co/4sUd8v60MS— NY Taxi Workers (@NYTWA) January 13, 2025NWSL Players Association:We’ve joined @bluesky and sent out our first post! Check it out here: https://t.co/lv5Wyf2eU3 pic.twitter.com/Rz3ocCq3If— NWSLPA (@nwsl_players) January 24, 2025NFL Players Association:🚨The Final Five 🚨After over 11K fan votes & picks from an external committee, we've narrowed the #CommunityMVPs to 5 finalists for the Alan Page Community Award!Congrats to: @cambeezy_24@demariodavis@last_king_2@slimslay_81@ryan_kelly70🔗: https://t.co/kWozFXWDIw pic.twitter.com/7agAhMQddA— NFLPA (@NFLPA) January 21, 2025North America's Building Trades Unions:REGISTRATION FOR LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE 2025 IS NOW OPEN.Join us April 6-9 at the Washington, DC Hilton. Visit https://t.co/W8Tj7jswNl to register and for more information. pic.twitter.com/CEqg299irt— The Building Trades (@NABTU) January 24, 2025Office and Professional Employees:Stand in solidarity with the staff of Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio, who are unionizing with OPEIU Local 98!Sign your name in support ➡️ https://t.co/ikqaPmu7g8 pic.twitter.com/yTZBaVIzJp— OPEIU | #UnionStrong (@OPEIU) January 14, 2025Painters and Allied Trades:The IUPAT Black CORE Committee held the first ever Black CORE Cohort in November of last year – our members were able to keep developing their skills as leaders in our union and will bring it back to our jobsites and union halls! pic.twitter.com/GX2DEfdHqW— IUPAT (@GoIUPAT) January 24, 2025Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union:Good morning to the green vests of @reiunion Greensboro, who are voting in their union election today! Y’all GOT THIS, vote #UnionYES! pic.twitter.com/PzeijkLomB— RWDSU (@RWDSU) January 24, 2025Roofers and Waterproofers:In the union, we lift each other up. Letting forgiveness heal & letting go help us thrive as a team. Together, we grow stronger every day!#RoofersUnion #BuiltToLast #UnionStrong #UnitedWeStand #UnionPower #TogetherWeRise #KeepPushingForward #NeverBackDown pic.twitter.com/tsP3DsqOyb— Roofers Union (@roofersunion) January 23, 2025SAG-AFTRA:The late Ernest Borgnine was #BOTD in 1917. The WWII veteran had a career that spanned six decades, with notable roles in the films 'Marty' and 'McHale's Navy.' A beloved performer and #SagAftraMember, Borgnine received the SAG Life Achievement Award in 2011. pic.twitter.com/5EvDemPQ8F— SAG-AFTRA (@sagaftra) January 24, 2025Service Employees International Union (SEIU):Healthcare workers like Yolanda Navarro are fighting for ALL of us! 🩺✊ Congress, listen up: We won’t stand by while you threaten MEDI-Cal. Patients and workers deserve better. https://t.co/hx97XuDGbd— SEIU (@SEIU) January 23, 2025Solidarity Center:Our partners the Firestone Agricultural Workers Union of Liberia (FAWUL) are bargaining for better living & working conditions at Bridgestone's Liberia rubber plantation ✊🏿. Join us in showing support & #solidarity by signing their petition: https://t.co/o2xVtcG9vX#WorkerRights— Solidarity Center (@SolidarityCntr) January 23, 2025The NewsGuild-CWA:NEW: Journalists at nonprofit newsroom, EdSource, announced their intent to unionize today. ✊The EdSource Guild is asking leadership at EdSource to recognize the union voluntarily!https://t.co/lIGTefuY6W— The NewsGuild-CWA (@newsguild) January 17, 2025Theatrical Stage Employees:NEW CONTRACT: IATSE Local 87 (Richmond VA) and ASM Global are pleased to announce that a tentative agreement was reached over the weekend, and was ratified by an overwhelming 88% of eligible workers.Segment featured on ABC 8 pic.twitter.com/9zFpd8qele— IATSE // #IASolidarity (@IATSE) January 22, 2025Transport Workers Union:Congratulations to our International President John Samuelsen who is being named tonight Irishman of the Year and Aide to the Grand Marshal of the NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade by the United Emerald Societies. ⁦@TwuSamuelsen⁩ #stpatricksdayparade #irish pic.twitter.com/vDB6rAC8D1— TWU (@transportworker) January 23, 2025Transportation Trades Department:Catch the train with us in 2025! Always a pleasure visiting our partners at @Amtrak 🚆 pic.twitter.com/34ZnfwVF0t— TTD | America's Transportation Unions (@TTDAFLCIO) January 24, 2025UAW:Daimler workers are ready to strike if necessary, when their contract expires Friday. Daimler has the money and can settle this today. Daimler, share the pie, not the crumbs! pic.twitter.com/EwI2mENsUP— UAW (@UAW) January 23, 2025UNITE HERE:Enrique Fernández, UNITE HERE General VP for Immigration, Civil Rights & Diversity on protecting immigrant workers in the current environment:https://t.co/ar8eNnaUhM— UNITE HERE (@unitehere) January 22, 2025United Food and Commercial Workers:Workers at the Cannabis 21+ dispensary in Mission Valley, San Diego, have voted to join @UFCW135With the union backing them, these workers intend to secure better wages, benefits, and conditions.Let’s get to work!➡️ https://t.co/Zy4796z7GR pic.twitter.com/ZtDYopFj5P— UFCW (@UFCW) January 23, 2025United Steelworkers:We're celebrating a few more 2024 wins our Rapid Response program helped deliver for workers – before we crush 2025💪 pic.twitter.com/PXOc80v6a1— United Steelworkers #EverybodysUnion (@steelworkers) January 24, 2025Utility Workers:Hungry for more?In the latest issue of The Utility Worker Magazine, Human Rights Committee Chair Darryl Taylor reminds us how @aflcio constituency groups can satisfy the need for connection, knowledge, and community support. https://t.co/8zMzqQQdPi pic.twitter.com/3aSkwpPYVl— UWUA National (@The_UWUA) January 24, 2025Writers Guild of America East:Lucky 8 management is using one of the oldest tricks in the book, but their stalling won't discourage us. We'll continue to fight until workers at Lucky 8 have union recognition AND protections.We're just getting started, @Lucky8TV. #UnionStrong pic.twitter.com/Q0xKNKU3sy— Writers Guild of America East (@WGAEast) January 23, 2025 Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 01/24/2025 - 11:04Continue reading→