AFL-CIO
We’ll Get Through This Together: In the States Roundup
We’ll Get Through This Together: In the States Roundup
It’s time once again to take a look at the ways working people are making progress in the states. Click on any of the links to follow the state federations on X.
Alaska AFL-CIO:Our labor movement could not exist without the work of Black union members and leaders.During #BlackHistoryMonth and every month, America’s unions fight for racial justice in the workplace and beyond. pic.twitter.com/W3PQ09TY1Y— Alaska AFL-CIO (@AKAFLCIO) February 2, 2026California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO:This week, SoCal @UFCW healthcare workers joined their @unacuhcp sisters and brothers on the picket line, as they protest Kaiser Permanente’s unfair labor practices! We stand in solidarity with all the workers striking for a fair contract! pic.twitter.com/Tbfh4kzgW6— California Federation of Labor Unions (@CaliforniaLabor) February 10, 2026Illinois AFL-CIO:Early voting is underway across Illinois and begins in Cook County on Thursday! Visit the Illinois State Board of Elections website to find the exact date early voting starts in your community: https://t.co/fAPS2fVITD pic.twitter.com/BCmREOAcNa— Illinois AFL-CIO (@ILAFLCIO) February 9, 2026Maine AFL-CIO:After the first firefighter union in Maine dissolved in 1921, its officers either died or left the fire service due to PTSD. Their stories serve as a clear example of why they needed the rights and protections that a union could have provided.https://t.co/svGvbzozEE— Maine AFL-CIO (@MEAFLCIO) February 6, 2026Massachusetts AFL-CIO:Share this with any veteran you know who might be looking for a career change! pic.twitter.com/lEbjctysnk— Massachusetts AFL-CIO (@massaflcio) February 2, 2026Michigan State AFL-CIO:Love is solidarity. Solidarity is love. We’ll get through this together. https://t.co/dw42AMbJzv— Michigan AFL-CIO ✊ (@MIAFLCIO) February 9, 2026Minnesota AFL-CIO:From health care workers and letter carriers to transit workers and educators, the message has been clear: keep ICE out of our workplaces. #iceoutmn #BetterInAUnion https://t.co/JrcQW53v3a— Minnesota AFL-CIO (@MNAFLCIO) February 9, 2026Missouri AFL-CIO:Not if we have anything to say about it! Honest Day’s Pay for an Honest Day’s Work, FOR EVERYONE! #solidarity https://t.co/XCmr3k7ewG— Missouri AFL-CIO (@MOAFLCIO) February 10, 2026Nevada State AFL-CIO:Sometimes you gotta put the tools down and call a member of @IBEW for the best results⚡️✨ pic.twitter.com/toYBwWYoZl— Nevada State AFL-CIO // Pass the #PROAct (@NVAFLCIO) February 10, 2026New York State AFL-CIO:“The NY FAIR News Act will uphold journalists’ credibility, safeguard the integrity of news reporting and strengthen public trust. These common-sense guardrails are essential for a healthy democracy.” -President Mario Cilento https://t.co/fEVx6eKehd— NYS AFL-CIO // #UnionStrong (@NYSAFLCIO) February 2, 2026Oregon AFL-CIO:Oregon AFL-CIO Political & Legislative Director Catie Theisen testified before the Oregon House of Representatives Committee on Judiciary last week in support of a bill that protects immigrants from discrimination.Demand that representatives pass the Immigrant Justice Package… pic.twitter.com/zlYtj5HbzI— Oregon AFL-CIO (@OregonAFLCIO) February 10, 2026Pennsylvania AFL-CIO:President Ferritto and Secretary-Treasurer Cobb were at the PA Capitol today for @governorshapiro’s 2026-27 budget address. Read our full statement ➡️ https://t.co/exX2Em9eUG pic.twitter.com/NsAJAecgI4— PA AFL-CIO (@PaAFL_CIO) February 4, 2026Texas AFL-CIO:This Black History Month, we honor Frank Wallace — a trailblazer for Texas labor and civil rights who desegregated workplaces long before federal laws required it. His leadership over 39 years uplifted every worker in our state.Read more: https://t.co/8WPosnKu0A pic.twitter.com/kc7vtwghe5— Texas AFL-CIO (@TexasAFLCIO) February 10, 2026Vermont State Labor Council, AFL-CIO:The Vermont AFL-CIO stands in unwavering solidarity with Steven Tendo, a union member and dedicated health care worker who was detained by ICE this morning outside one of his workplaces in Shelburne. Read our full statement here:https://t.co/DmKpFM6txF— Vermont AFL-CIO #UnionYes (@VT_AFLCIO) February 4, 2026Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO:Yesterday we reminded our elected officials that worker power is the strongest force in this state.Big thanks to LDs 23, 25, and 30 for submitting their photos of the day 📸 #solidarity♾️ pic.twitter.com/rAK43VlN21— Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO (@WAAFLCIO) February 7, 2026
Kenneth Quinnell
Tue, 02/10/2026 – 12:26
Black History Month Profiles: Chris Puckett
Black History Month Profiles: Chris Puckett
For Black History Month, we’re taking a look at a group of leaders who are currently actively making Black history across the labor movement. Check back daily for a new profile and meet some of the people working to improve not only their community, but also to improve conditions for working people across the country. Today’s profile is Chris Puckett of the United Steelworkers (USW).
Chris Puckett has been an X11 fitter and a USW member for 23 years. He has served on the Local 8888 grievance and bargaining committees, and helped to organize the first Hampton Roads chapter of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, where he is sergeant-at-arms and sits on the Region 2 board. He’s also the labor and industry chair of the NAACP of Newport News, Virginia.
Kenneth Quinnell
Tue, 02/10/2026 – 10:25
Tags:
Black History Month
We Will Have a Voice: The Working People Weekly List
We Will Have a Voice: 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.
AI-Powered Robots Are Coming for Trade Jobs: “Unions are worried these current shifts could amount to a warning for jobs outside the office. ‘White collar work will probably be the first tranche, but every job across sectors will be impacted,’ AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler told my colleague Brock Hrehor on Wednesday. The union is pushing for a slate of AI bills in California, which partly include advanced notices for AI-related job cuts that should offer protections across different labor sectors.”Volkswagen Workers’ Victory Represents Rare Union Breakthrough for South: “Workers at Volkswagen’s Chattanooga, Tenn., factory won 20% raises and lower-health care costs in their first UAW contract after nearly two years of bargaining. Why it matters: The agreement is being billed as a historic breakthrough in the UAW’s decades-long effort to unionize foreign-owned auto plants in the South. Catch up quick: The UAW has been trying to organize the so-called transplant factories—a group now including Nissan, Mercedes-Benz and others—for 40 years.”Salt Lake City Finalizes ‘Historic’ Collective Bargaining Agreement with Librarians: “Library employees in Utah’s capital city are officially the first municipal library staff to unionize after city leaders approved a resolution to support their first collective bargaining agreement. ‘This is a historic day for the city,’ said Salt Lake City Council Chairman Alejandro Puy, moments before the body unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding that the Salt Lake City Library Board and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 1004 reached on behalf of eligible library employees.”The Unusual Working-Class Message That Turned a Deep-Red District Blue: “The issues that have worked for Democrats around the country this election season—affordability and working-class stability chief among them—also worked for Taylor Rehmet, a union president and machinist who beat his Trump-backed opponent for a deep-red state Senate seat in the Fort Worth area of Texas last weekend. But his platform included something more unusual and a little retro: a promise to return vocational education to public high schools.”Actors’ Equity, IATSE, Other Entertainment Unions Condemn Kennedy Center Closure: “Following President Trump’s announcement that the Kennedy Center would be the closed for two years beginning July 4 for renovations, a number of entities have roundly condemned the move from Congressional Senators to, now, a host of entertainment unions and workers. Actors’ Equity Association, American Federation of Musicians, American Guild of Musical Artists, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, and Stage Directors and Choreographers Society—unions whose members are routinely hired by the Kennedy Center—have released a joint statement decrying the move, calling it ‘harmful for the arts and creative workers in America,’ and saying they have been given ‘no formal notice or briefing.’”MedStar Nurses Ratify New Labor Deal: “Registered nurses at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C., have ratified a new three‑year labor agreement covering more than 2,200 nurses, according to a Feb. 2 National Nurses United news release shared with Becker’s. The contract, which will run from March 2026 through February 2029, includes wage increases of up to nearly 24% over the life of the agreement, the union said. Union leaders also highlighted several provisions intended to enhance safety and working conditions, including additional security resources and the addition of a registered nurse to the hospitalwide workplace violence committee. The agreement also includes new language allowing bargaining over new technology, bereavement leave for grandparents and staffing language intended to ensure nurses are immediately available for patient care.”Yet Another Judge Rejects Trump Effort to Block Offshore Wind, Saying New York Project Can Resume: “A federal judge on Monday ruled that an offshore wind project aimed at powering 600,000 New York homes can resume construction, the fifth such project put back on track after the Trump administration halted them in December. In clearing the way for Sunrise Wind to proceed, Judge Royce Lamberth found that the government had not shown that offshore wind is such an imminent national security risk that it must halt in the United States.”Quality Assurance Workers at Blizzard Ratify Union Contract with Microsoft: “A majority of quality assurance workers at Blizzard studios in Albany and Austin have ratified a union contract at Microsoft after just under three years of negotiations. In a statement to press, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) said employees in Albany and Austin—represented by CWA Locals 1118 and 6215, respectively—‘overwhelming voted’ to ratify a contract that guarantees wage increases, enhanced regulations around the usage of generative AI in the workplace, and crediting protections.”Nearly 500 of CHOMP’s 800 Nurses Vote in Favor of Joining a Union in Historic Vote: “Registered nurses at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula have overwhelmingly voted in favor of joining the California Nurses Association in an election that ended Friday, Jan. 30. The vote has yet to be certified by the National Labor Relations Board, but according to CNA, nearly 500 of CHOMP’s 800 nurses voted yes. It will be the first union in the hospital’s 91-year history. CNA will now represent all 800 registered nurses at CHOMP. ‘This means everything to me and my fellow colleagues at CHOMP. It means we’ve got a seat at the table. It means with regard to patient care, patient safety we will have a voice in the policies,’ says Kristine Olalia, an orthopedic surgery nurse with the hospital for nine years.”Florida Lawmakers Unanimously Advance Bill to Expand Protections for Temp Workers: “A bill that would help temp workers and day laborers secure stable, permanent employment advanced through a Senate committee of lawmakers Wednesday in a unanimous and bipartisan vote of approval. The bill, sponsored by Republican Sen. Ileana Garcia of Miami, would effectively amend and strengthen the Florida Labor Pool Act—a 1995 law that established certain protections for temp workers that aren’t guaranteed under federal law. This includes preventing a business or temp agency (also known as a labor pool) from charging temp workers for safety equipment, or charging exorbitant fees for lunch or transportation to a job site. Nearly three dozen people spoke or waived in support of Garcia’s proposal Wednesday, including representatives of the Florida AFL-CIO—a statewide federation of over 500 labor unions—and the pro-labor Florida Center for Fiscal and Economic Policy.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Mon, 02/09/2026 – 14:09
Get to Know AFL-CIO’s Affiliates: Professional Hockey Players’ Association
Get to Know AFL-CIO’s Affiliates: Professional Hockey Players’ Association
This is the next post in our series that will take a deeper look at each of our affiliates. The series will run weekly until we’ve covered all 64 of our affiliates. Next up is the Professional Hockey Players’ Association (PHPA).
Mission: The PHPA operates under a mission focused on enhancing and protecting players’ rights as members pursue careers in professional hockey. Its primary functions include the following: Collective bargaining: Negotiating terms of employment, including salaries, health and welfare benefits, and playing conditions. Player advocacy: Protecting members’ interests and providing legal and professional guidance. Quality of life: Enhancing the off-ice well-being of players and their families through dedicated support programs.Current Union Leadership: Elected players serving as the AHL Executive are Chris Terry, Chase Wouters, Joe Hicketts, Jimmy Schuldt, and Jarred Tinordi. Elected players serving as the ECHL Executive are Todd Skirving, Logan Lambdin, Justin Vaive and Justin Taylor. The executive director is Brian Ramsay.Current Number of Members: 1,800+Members Work As: Professional hockey playersIndustries Represented: The American Hockey League (AHL) and the ECHLHistory: The Professional Hockey Players’ Association was founded in 1967 in Portland, Oregon, when members of the Portland Buckaroos (of the now-defunct Western Hockey League) recognized that Canadians who played hockey in the United States and started families needed to send their wives back to Canada for babies’ births because the United States did not have a health plan that would cover the medical expenses. Several Buckaroos players, including Doug Messier and Arlo Goodwin, retained attorney Curt Leichner as their legal counsel so they could form a Western Hockey League (WHL) Players Association and secure group pension and health care plans, improving benefits through collective bargaining. Over the course of the 1967–68 season, players from the AHL saw the benefit of forming a benevolent society of their own and approached their WHL counterparts with the vision of creating a single players’ association that would represent all professional hockey players outside of the National Hockey League (NHL). On May 20, 1968, WHL and AHL players voted to form the Professional Hockey Players’ Association.Since then, the PHPA has expanded to include representation of players in the former Central Hockey League (CHL) from 1974–84 and 2008–14, the former International Hockey League (IHL) from 1985–2001, and the ECHL since the 1995–96 season. The PHPA is now recognized as one of the oldest and largest players’ associations in professional sports, representing more than 1,800 members across 60 teams throughout the AHL and ECHL. The PHPA also boasts an alumni network of more than 10,000 former PHPA members.Current Campaigns/Community Efforts: The Grow with the Pros! Mentor Program provides players for minor hockey teams with a one-of-a-kind hockey experience to develop on and off the ice. The Professional Hockey Players’ Guild is a comprehensive new resource initiative designed to support players throughout every stage of their career and prepare them for a career after hockey. It includes four core pillars of support: education, career, health and wellness, and perks. The PHPA Alumni Network is available to all PHPA alumni to assist former players in their post-hockey careers while offering unique access to PHPA resources, contacts and exclusive offers extended through PHPA corporate partner programs. Through the Group Licensing Authorization Program, the PHPA licenses the use of all authorized members’ names and likenesses to approved licensees to produce products such as trading cards, video games and photographs, as well as other collectibles and novelties. The PHPA Panel of Workers’ Compensation Attorneys is dedicated to providing professional legal services to injured players to ensure they can recover the maximum medical and disability benefits available. The PHPA Curt Leichner Distinguished Member Award is presented each year to a deserving recipient who has made significant contributions to the advancement of professional minor league hockey.The PHPA Annual Meeting of Player Representatives is a weeklong series of meetings in which one player representative from each AHL and ECHL team and executive committee members, PHPA staff and advisers review the association’s operations during past year, plan for the upcoming season, and provide input and direction with respect to long-term strategic objectives.Learn More: Website, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, X
Current Campaigns/Community Efforts: The Grow with the Pros! Mentor Program provides players for minor hockey teams a one-of-a-kind hockey experience to develop on and off the ice. The PHPA GUILD is a comprehensive new resource initiative designed to support players throughout every stage of their career, and prepare you for a career after hockey. It includes four core pillars of support including education, career, health and wellness, and perks. The PHPA Alumni Network is available to all PHPA Alumni, designed to assist former players in their post-hockey career, while offering unique access to PHPA resources, contacts, and exclusive offers extended through the PHPA’s corporate partner programs. Through the Group Licensing Authorization Program, the PHPA licenses the use of all authorized members’ names and likenesses to approved licensees, in order to produce products such as trading cards, video games, photographs, as well as other collectibles and novelties. The PHPA Panel of Workers’ Compensation Attorneys is dedicated to providing professional legal services to injured players in order to assure the recovery of maximum medical and disability benefits. The PHPA Curt Leichner Distinguished Member Award is presented each year to a deserving recipient who has made significant contributions toward the advancement of professional minor league hockey.The PHPA Annual Meeting of Player Representatives is a week-long series of meetings where one player representative from each AHL and ECHL team, along with executive committee members, PHPA staff, and advisors review the Association’s operations during past year, plan for the upcoming season, and provide input and direction with respect to long-term strategic objectives.Learn More: Website, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, X
Kenneth Quinnell
Mon, 02/09/2026 – 13:55
Black History Month Profiles: Charlotte James
Black History Month Profiles: Charlotte James
For Black History Month, we’re taking a look at a group of leaders who are currently actively making Black history across the labor movement. Check back daily for a new profile and meet some of the people working to improve not only their community, but also to improve conditions for working people across the country. Today’s profile is Charlotte James of AFSCME.
Charlotte James, a member of AFSCME District 1199C, is a mental health technician in the Temple University Health System at Episcopal Campus Inpatient Behavioral Health and Psychiatric Medicine. For a decade, she has stabilized patients in acute psychiatric crisis at one of the region’s few emergency mental health units. When she’s not caring for patients, James advocates for their access to care, traveling to Washington, D.C., trying to protect funding for mental health services.
Kenneth Quinnell
Mon, 02/09/2026 – 10:10
Tags:
Black History Month
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: The Columbus Dispatch Newsroom Workers Vote Overwhelmingly to Organize
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: The Columbus Dispatch Newsroom Workers Vote Overwhelmingly to Organize
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.
Newsroom workers at The Columbus Dispatch and Newark Advocate overwhelmingly voted to organize with The NewsGuild-CWA (TNG-CWA), with a vote of 33-5 in favor.The journalists are fighting for equitable pay, protections from layoffs and for the future of journalism in central Ohio.“For too long, Ohio’s greatest home newspaper has hemorrhaged great journalists due to short-sighted cuts by our corporate owner,” said Jordan Laird, a Dispatch news reporter. “Now, we’re taking some power back.”“The employees of The Dispatch are seizing this moment to fight for a work culture and the job benefits that we deserve,” said Adam Cairns, a Dispatch photojournalist. “We can no longer afford to sit back and wait for these changes to happen on their own.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Mon, 02/09/2026 – 09:49
Tags:
Organizing
Super Bowl 2026, Brought to You by Unions
Super Bowl 2026, Brought to You by Unions
IBEW
In addition to being the most-watched televised event of the year, the Super Bowl represents the hard work of thousands of union members. We want to recognize the working people that bring Super Bowl Sunday to millions of people around the world every year.
In addition to being the most-watched televised event of the year, the Super Bowl represents the hard work of thousands of union members. This includes not only the union members who everyone sees, like the players (NFLPA) and the referees (NFLRA), but also the announcers, musicians, and food, transportation and hotel workers, and many more. We want to recognize the many unions that bring Super Bowl Sunday to millions of people around the world every year.On the Field of PlayNFL Players Association (NFLPA)NFL Referees Association (NFLRA)Performers, Announcers, Camera Operators, Technicians, Field Workers and Other Hardworking FolksSAG-AFTRA broadcast announcers from NBC Sports will provide live coverageSAG-AFTRA member Bad Bunny will headline the halftime show, joined by Celimar Rivera Cosme for Puerto Rican Sign Language (PRSL)SAG-AFTRA and American Federation of Musicians (AFM) member Charlie Puth will perform the national anthem, joined by Fred Beam for American Sign Language (ASL) interpretationSAG-AFTRA members of Green Day will perform at the opening ceremonySAG-AFTRA member Brandi Carlile will perform “America the Beautiful,” joined by deaf performer Julian Ortiz for ASL and PRSL interpretationSAG-AFTRA member Coco Jones will perform “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” the Black national anthemSkilled IATSE craftspeople will work on the the sets, lighting, equipment and more to create the Super Bowl Half Time show.Stadium ConstructionLevi’s Stadium was completed in summer of 2014 with 100% union labor, from construction to concessions.That includes United Association of Union Plumbers and Pipefitters (UA) Local 393 in San Jose, who completed the plumbing, pipe fitting, sprinkler system and HVAC.Official FootballThe leather for every single NFL football, including the ones that will be used in Sunday’s Super Bowl, was crafted by members of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1546 who work at Horween Leather Co. in Chicago.After UFCW members finish processing the leather, members of Workers United Local 1385, an SEIU affiliate, hand make all NFL footballs, including the Super Bowl footballs used at the game, in Ada, Ohio. FoodNearly 500 UNITE HERE Local 2 members working in food and beverage concessions at Levi’s Stadium will keep fans fed and hydrated.JournalistsThousands of reporters and members of The NewsGuild-CWA (TNG-CWA) will attend the Super Bowl this year and cover the event. There will be countless photographers, videographers and other professionals who will work behind the scenes to provide news coverage.Local TransportationTransport Workers Union (TWU)Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) members across the Bay Area will transport people to Levi’s Stadium via BART and VTA light rail.International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE)International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART)HotelsUNITE HERESEIUTravelAssociation of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA) members work at Omni Air (New England Patriots’ official charter) and Delta Air Lines flight attendants organizing with AFA-CWA fly the Seattle Seahawks and get attendees safely to game day.iAM Union (IAM) members work at most of the major airlines and help fans and others get to and from the game on several carriers.Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) members are proud to safely fly the players and fans of both teams for the big game.As soon as the Super Bowl city was announced, Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS) and National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) members at the Federal Aviation Administration started working with the NFL on flight plans and restricted airspace around the stadium. Technicians and air traffic controllers are pulling extra shifts all week at the San Francisco International Airport, San José Mineta International Airport, Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport and surrounding airports, and the air traffic control facilities in Northern California. There are more controllers and aviation safety professionals on hand in San Jose and San Francisco, as well as at smaller airports, to ensure all private jets are legally registered and additional flights can be accommodated.Transportation security officers, who are members of AFGE, ensure the safety of America’s flying public, including the increased traffic of folks who fly in for the Super Bowl.Transport Workers Union (TWU) members help maintain the planes. In addition, TWU has members who work at the airport and represent aircraft mechanics, flight attendants, fleet service workers, flight technicians, customer service workers, air dispatchers and others at airlines that will transport fans to the game.
Audrey Edmonds
Fri, 02/06/2026 – 15:13
Black History Month Profiles: Scott Brannon
Black History Month Profiles: Scott Brannon
For Black History Month, we’re taking a look at a group of leaders who are currently actively making Black history across the labor movement. Check back daily for a new profile and meet some of the people working to improve not only their community, but also to improve conditions for working people across the country. Today’s profile is Scott Brannon of the United Steelworkers (USW).
Scott Brannon is a 24-year member of USW Local 310L in Des Moines, Iowa, and serves as chair of the local’s civil and human rights committee. He has planned field trips to local civil rights monuments, driven by a passion for educating his fellow members about how past civil rights struggles continue to inform the present. Brannon and his wife are also active in the newly founded Coalition of Black Trade Unionists Iowa chapter.
Kenneth Quinnell
Fri, 02/06/2026 – 10:22
Tags:
Black History Month
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: UAW Reaches Tentative Agreement with Volkswagen in Chattanooga
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: UAW Reaches Tentative Agreement with Volkswagen in Chattanooga
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.
UAW members who work at a Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, have officially reached a tentative agreement (TA) on their first union contract.These members first made history in 2024 when they became the first Southern autoworkers outside the Big Three to join the UAW. And now, after a credible strike threat, they’ve proven what’s possible when workers band together. Highlights of the TA include 20% across-the-board wage increases, grievance rights, improved health care, better job security protections and more.“For years, Chattanooga workers were told to settle for less while Volkswagen made record profits. So, the workers stood together and won their union—and now they’ve secured a life-changing first agreement,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “This deal proves what happens when autoworkers stand up and demand their fair share. People said Southern autoworkers could never form a union or win a union contract. Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga said, ‘Watch this.’”“This contract is proof that if you stand up and stick together, you can win a better life,” said Kelcey Smith, a worker in the paint department. “No matter where you live, or where you work, autoworkers deserve a union contract, whether at the Big Three or Volkswagen, from Detroit to Chattanooga. Volkswagen workers are showing the whole country what’s possible.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Fri, 02/06/2026 – 10:10
Worker Wins: Paving the Way For the Next Group
Worker Wins: Paving the Way For the Next Group
Our latest roundup of worker wins includes numerous examples of working people organizing, bargaining and mobilizing for a better life.
MedStar Nurses Secure Powerful New Contract: MedStar Washington Hospital Center registered nurses (RNs)—who are members of National Nurses United (NNU)—ratified a new three-year collective bargaining agreement on Saturday. The agreement contains major wins like new language around workplace violence prevention, guardrails around implementation of new technology, wage increases of up to 24%, among other gains. Separately, the union is also working with the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia to investigate ongoing and widespread wage theft at the medical facility. “This contract will help MedStar nurses as we seek to provide the highest quality of care to our patients,” said Julia Truelove, RN. “I am so proud of the nurses who stood together as we fought so hard to get these improvements.”Research Assistants Vote Overwhelmingly to Form Union: Research assistants (RAs) at the University at Albany-State University of New York (SUNY) Research Foundation won a landslide election to join the Communications Workers of America (CWA). This victory puts the more than 200-member strong bargaining unit into a growing community of academic workers across the public college and university system who have already organized for a voice on the job. The majority of SUNY–Albany RAs are international students conducting the type of important scientific research that has been facing federal funding cuts, making this victory all the more critical given the current political threats they are facing.Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula Nurses Vote to Form Union: Registered nurses at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, commonly known as CHOMP, have won their election to join the California Nurses Association (CNA), an affiliate of National Nurses United (NNU). This victory means 800 nurses at the medical facility will soon begin negotiating their first-ever collective bargaining agreement. The organizing drive was heavily motivated by concerns around understaffing, which has impacted patient care and led to nurses being forced to skip breaks. “This is a great day for the Monterey Peninsula community and the patients we care for,” said registered nurse Kim Campbell in a press release. “I spent more than 30 years at CHOMP in the emergency department, and I recall when this was genuinely a community hospital and patient-focused institution. I am so pleased that by forming our union, we will now have a voice to advocate for our patients, create an environment that will help recruit and retain excellent nurses, and make improvements for our patients.”Blizzard Quality Assurance Workers Ratify Union Contract: Blizzard quality assurance workers in Albany, New York, and Austin, Texas—who are represented by Communications Workers of America (CWA) locals 1118 and 6215, respectively—have voted to ratify their first contract with Microsoft. This is the third video game worker contract victory at the company, following the ratification of their own deals last year by CWA members who work for ZeniMax and Raven Software. Highlights of the new agreement include guaranteed wage increases, artificial intelligence guardrails, disability accommodations, protections for immigrant workers and more. “After nearly two decades in the video game industry, it feels great to work with my fellow union members in ratifying a fair contract that makes it easier to see a real, long-term career in this work,” said Local 6215 member and senior quality analyst Matt Gant. “This agreement gives us a better working environment with increased pay, benefits, and layoff protections that include recall rights and ensures that quality assurance work remains a stable and respected role for the workers who will build games long after us.”Union Leader Taylor Rehmet Elected to Texas Senate: Taylor Rehmet—an IAM Union District 776 member and the president of IAM Union Local 776B and the Texas IAM Union State Council—has won the special election race for Texas Senate District 9 this weekend, flipping the seat and defeating a candidate backed by President Trump. “Taylor’s victory is a win for working people,” said IAM Union International President Brian Bryant in a press release. “Taylor understands the challenges workers face because he’s lived them. He brings the voice of the shop floor to the State Capitol, and we know he will fight every day for fair wages, strong labor protections, and opportunity for all Texans. We couldn’t be more thrilled to have an IAM Union member in the Texas Senate.” “This is a huge win for Texas workers. Taylor embodies what it means to be a union leader — working together to address the struggles of real, everyday Texans,” said Texas AFL-CIO President Leonard Aguilar in a press release. “While state parties are trying to reconnect with the working class, we’re running union members up and down the ballot — and winning. Taylor’s historic win kicks off a slate of rank-and-file union members running for office to fight for all of us.”Poultry Workers in Mississippi Ratify First Contract: Members of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1529 who work at the Peco Foods poultry processing plant in West Point, Mississippi, have successfully ratified their inaugural union contract. Despite having to participate in three separate union elections and endure anti-union interference from management throughout the yearlong process of negotiating, workers stood strong and displayed a powerful show of unity. Highlights of the deal include major hourly wage increases, extra vacation time, additional holiday pay and more. “I am very proud of the employees of Peco Foods for hanging together for three long years and reaching a first contract that was better than expected,” said UFCW Local 1529 President Lonnie Sheppard. “The organizing program was a journey, and the direction we chose to take was worth the miles we traveled to get our first collective bargaining agreement,” said UFCW Local 1529 Secretary-Treasurer Rose Turner.Navajo Nation Workers Secure New Agreement with Frontier: Frontier Communications staff working in the Navajo Nation—who are represented by Communications Workers of America (CWA)—have reached a new three-year contract, thanks in part to the support of Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona. In September 2025, Sen. Gallego penned a letter to Frontier Communications Chief Executive Officer Nick Jeffery calling on the telecommunications company to bargain in good faith and close the longstanding wage gap between Navajo workers and their counterparts elsewhere in Arizona. The new agreement ensures that these members are paid fairly for the essential services they provide on the largest Indigenous reservation in the United States. “Senator Gallego’s letter to CEO Nick Jeffery turned the tide on the company’s slow-walking of our wage parity proposal. This agreement takes an important step to close the wage gap our Native American employees faced, and we appreciate the senator’s continued partnership,” said Fernando Roman, CWA District 7 campaign lead.Production Workers at D.C. Concert Venues Win Union Elections: Production and box office workers across four major music venues around Washington, D.C., have voted overwhelmingly to join the Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) locals 22 and 868. These newly minted IATSE members are a critical part of operations at the 9:30 Club, Anthem, Lincoln Theater and Atlantis. They join the ranks of their food, beverage and staffing co-workers who are part of UNITE HERE Local 25. Approximately 300 staff across departments at these venues first went public with an organizing campaign in October 2025. “With this vote for unionization, the backstage workers who bring the music and stage magic to thousands of showgoers at these I.M.P.-operated music halls will now be heard and can be treated with the dignity they deserve,” said Ryan Chavka, business agent for IATSE Local 22. “We will now reach out to I.M.P. management to schedule negotiations for a first contract. We look forward to giving these production workers a voice at the bargaining table.”More Nurses Join CWA at Cayuga Health: Nurses at the Cayuga Health Surgicare clinic and Cayuga Cancer Center in New York have secured voluntary union recognition as members of the Communications Workers of America (CWA). The newly minted members of Cayuga United-CWA are joining the ranks of their counterparts at the Cayuga Medical Center—which is also a member of the Centralus Health system—who won their union election earlier this month. Nurses began organizing to fix chronic understaffing issues that were compromising both the quality of patient care as well as worker safety. “When nurses join together, we can make a positive change for our patients and our profession,” said April Mendez, a registered nurse in hematology and oncology. “We have been inspired by our coworkers at CMC sticking together through a union-busting campaign and winning their election. And we are proud to win our union as well. Now, we’re paving the way for the next group of healthcare workers by building the power to win a union.”Slate Editorial Staff Ratify New Contract Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) members who work at Slate Media have ratified a new collective bargaining agreement that contains critical protections around artificial intelligence (AI) in the newsroom. The bargaining unit voted unanimously to approve the tentative agreement reached in early January. Along with establishing guardrails on the use of generative AI, WGAE members secured salary floor increases, higher severance payouts, more parental leave and other major wins. “The Slate Union is proud to ratify a new contract with management,” the bargaining unit said in a joint statement. “We’re thrilled to have secured better parental leave and severance, raised salary minimums and annual increases, added new positions to the unit, and introduced a brand new A.I. article. This contact improves the livelihoods of all our members, and we hope it helps set even better standards for all of those in our industry.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Thu, 02/05/2026 – 11:34
Tags:
Organizing