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Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Toledo Symphony Ratifies New Five-Year Contract 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 Toledo Federation of Musicians (TFM)/American Federation of Musicians (AFM) Local 15-286 and the Toledo Symphony Orchestra (TSO) ratified a new five-year contract last month that will run until the end of the 2028–2029 season.Throughout the lifetime of the agreement, TFM members will see major victories like a pay increase of 39% and higher matching contributions to their 403(b) retirement plans. The deal also includes the establishment of two new core string positions and conversion of several previously part-time roles into full-time positions. Musicians additionally won more paid parental leave, standardization of the tenure evaluation process and more that will allow them to continue giving world-class performances.“We are proud of the collaborative spirit that defined these negotiations,” said Casey Gsell, TSO principal bassoon and chair of the Orchestra Committee. “This agreement not only provides significant financial improvements for our members but also enhances our role in the community, supports education, and ensures equitable treatment of our musicians. It is a true testament to what we can achieve when we work together.” Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 10/08/2024 - 10:02Continue reading→

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Indiana PetSmart Workers Win First Union for Chain in the U.S. 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. In a landslide 12–2 victory, PetSmart workers in Mishawaka, Indiana, have successfully won the first union election at a U.S. location of the pet superstore chain.With organizing help from the United Commercial and Food Workers (UFCW), PetSmart associates, trainers, groomers and other staff are coming together and forming unions across the country. Workers are fighting for higher pay, improved hours and better working conditions with the protections of a powerful union contract. With a collective bargaining agreement, PetSmart Union said they will be able to better serve the animals of all shapes and sizes that they care for.“With this victory, we’ve shown the company that we’re serious about coming together and unionizing for real change in our stores,” PetSmart Union wrote on their website. “Now, we’re focused on putting our collective voice into action and building strength throughout the country! We can’t wait to see which PetSmart store joins us next in our fight to make PetSmart the company we know it can be.” Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 10/07/2024 - 10:13Continue reading→

Honoring the Contributions of all Working People: 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. It's Time for a National Monument to Labor Hero Frances Perkins: “A monument to Secretary Perkins would stand as a monument not only to our country's history, but also to our future. She believed deep in her soul that ‘a government should aim to give all the people under its jurisdiction the best possible life.’ By honoring Secretary Perkins, we can make her legacy a living place that inspires our children and grandchildren, reaffirms our country's commitment to making our union more perfect, and tells our national story in a way that honors the contributions of all working people.”Labor Union And Lawmakers Seek Solutions To Letter Carrier Robberies That Plague The U.S. Postal Service: “This week, a bill is expected to be introduced in Congress to appropriate federal dollars to help replace the antiquated keys with electronic versions that have no value to criminals, require all 93 U.S. attorneys to designate a prosecutor for postal crime, and to review sentencing guidelines for postal crimes, said Brian Renfroe, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers.”Kamala Harris Joined Biden in Backing the Dockworkers' Strike at Major U.S. Ports: “The International Longshoremen Association (ILA) went on strike early Tuesday morning after its contract with the group that represents shipping companies, terminal operators, and port associations expired. Some 45,000 workers are on picket lines at more than a dozen major ports that collectively account for about 51% of the nation’s port capacity. The union is pushing for protection against automation, new technology in terminals, and wage hikes.”Trick or Treat? It’s Always ‘Trick’: “Sadly, the holiday won’t be the only thing trying to scare us. It turns out that a lot of people want to scare us, and not just that friend or family member we know that just wants to make us jump in brief fear before laughing away all our concerns. Sadly, some people want to scare us in ways that aren’t an expression of joy or a celebration of a silly holiday. In case you missed the story last week, the Missouri Independent reported on a new development in the seemingly endless war between the worst corporate actors and their own workers. Once again, companies are looking to scare workers away from trying to unionize in their workplace. We just have to make sure it doesn’t work.”Wesleyan Graduate Students Win Vote to Unionize 86–7: “Graduate students and Foreign Language Teaching Assistants (FLTAs) voted on Thursday, Sept. 26 to become part of the Wesleyan Graduate Labor Union (WesGLU), which is represented by the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU). The election, hosted by the National Labor Relations Board, was held in Usdan room B25. Of the 117 eligible voters, 79% voted in the election, with 86 votes in favor of unionizing and 7 against.”Washington Teachers’ Union Reaches Tentative Contract Agreement with DCPS: “The Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU) and the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) have reached a tentative five-year contract agreement that aims to improve working conditions for educators while addressing long-standing issues related to recruitment and retention. This agreement comes after more than a year of negotiations and is set to be voted on by union members in the coming weeks. AFT President Randi Weingarten applauded the union's efforts, calling the tentative agreement a ‘real accomplishment’ for educators who have been waiting for a fair contract.”AFL-CIO Launches Ad Campaign Across Seven Battleground States in Support of Harris: “The AFL-CIO, the largest federation of unions in the U.S., said it launched a seven-figure digital and streaming ad campaign for Harris and Walz today in the battleground states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin—its largest ad buy of this election cycle. NBC News was first to report the labor group's ad buy. ‘This is the most consequential election in American history for union families,’ AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler said in a statement. ‘That’s why we’re laser-focused on ensuring that the union voters who will decide this election know the stakes and know the stark contrast between Kamala Harris’ and Donald Trump’s policies on our jobs, our unions, and our contracts.’”AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler on Why More Workers Are Joining Unions Even in Right-To-Work States: “North Carolina is and will, for the foreseeable future, remain a so-called ‘right-to-work’ state in which laws make it extremely tough build workplace unions. Despite this enormous barrier, however, there’s growing evidence that interest in and support for organized labor in our state is enjoying a bit of a renaissance. With wages in many companies remaining low and flat, even as corporate profits and executive pay have soared, many North Carolina workers—especially younger workers—are rethinking unions. This reality was on display recently in Raleigh as the state AFL-CIO hosted a large and energetic gathering at its annual convention. And right after she delivered a keynote address at the event, NC Newsline caught up with the national president of the AFL-CIO, Liz Shuler.”Would Trump Go After Workers’ Rights in a Second Term? Look at His Record: “GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance, have recently tried to woo unions and working-class voters, but Cemex is just one of several consequential rulings by the Biden-era NLRB that would likely be reversed if Trump wins in November. Under Cemex, companies that commit unfair labor practices in the run-up to an election—such as holding mandatory anti-union meetings or retaliating against pro-union workers—can now be ordered to recognize the union and begin bargaining with it. On September 17, the NLRB’s Region 2-Manhattan office issued a complaint and notice of hearing in a case against Trader Joe’s in Manhattan and sought a bargaining order based on the Cemex ruling.”National Symphony Orchestra Musicians Reach Agreement After Kennedy Center Strike: “The National Symphony Orchestra and the Kennedy Center reached an agreement Friday after musicians went on strike earlier in the day and picketed outside the D.C. landmark. The Kennedy Center said they and NSO musicians reached an 18-month labor agreement. Musicians walked off the job on Friday morning as part of an effort to secure higher pay, according to their union, the DC Federation of Musicians, Local 161-710, American Federation of Musicians.” Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 10/04/2024 - 15:30Continue reading→

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→