AFL-CIO
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Workers Win—Culinary Reaches Deal with Virgin Hotels, Ends Strike
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Workers Win—Culinary Reaches Deal with Virgin Hotels, Ends Strike
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 Culinary Union and Bartenders Union, affiliated with UNITE HERE, reached an agreement with Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, after a monthslong strike. The new contract, which passed unanimously, runs through Sept. 30, 2028. Some 700 union members will receive wage increases retroactive to when their last contract expired on June 1, 2023. The contract also includes increases in company contributions toward employee health care, pensions and other benefits. The workers have been on strike since November 2024.”Virgin Hotels Las Vegas and the Culinary and Bartenders Union 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,” said the Culinary Union.
Kenneth Quinnell
Thu, 01/23/2025 – 10:14
Tags:
Organizing
Worker Wins: Ensuring A Just and Respectful Workplace
Worker Wins: Ensuring A Just and Respectful Workplace
Our latest roundup of worker wins includes numerous examples of working people organizing, bargaining and mobilizing for a better life.
IAM Members at IKEA Perryville Ratify New Contract: After more than two months on the picket line, workers represented by Machinists (IAM) Local I460, District 4 at the IKEA Distribution Center in Perryville, Maryland, have ratified a new contract. Members initially began their work stoppage last year on Nov. 15 after rejecting management’s proposal that would have stripped workers of their seniority rights and failed to keep up with the rising costs of living. “The members took to the picket lines demanding fair wages and protections for seniority to ensure a just and respectful workplace,” said IAM Eastern Territory General Vice President David Sullivan in a press release. “After weeks of negotiations, the new agreement delivers increased wages and preserves critical seniority language for employees with 18 or more years of service. Our members stood up strong for respect and dignity, which will make our union stronger. This contract ensures fairness and respect for long-serving employees while delivering well-earned wage increases for everyone. We are grateful for the community support during the strike.”Brightline Onboard Workers Make History by Joining TWU: Onboard and lead attendants at Florida’s privately owned passenger railroad, Brightline, voted to join the Transport Workers Union (TWU) on Tuesday, making them the largest group of railroad workers who have successfully organized in more than two decades. These staff members—who sell concessions and provide other passenger services on trains running between Miami and Orlando—approached TWU last year in hopes of building a stronger voice on the job. Workers cited concerns around a restrictive sick time policy, unfair disciplinary processes and unpredictable work schedules. In response to their organizing efforts, Brightline hired notorious union-busting law firm Littler Mendelson and started rolling out aggressive tactics like having the company president call workers at home to intimidate them. But members refused to back down and ended up securing a 2-to-1 margin of victory in their election. “Brightline ran an ugly anti-union, anti-worker campaign against their own workforce, but let’s put that behind us,” TWU International President John Samuelsen said in a press release. “We’re committed to working to ensure the railroad is successful while helping our newest members secure better wages, better working conditions, respect in the workplace, and other goals that they set.”Noguchi Museum Workers Vote Unanimously to Form Union: Staff at the Noguchi Museum in New York City voted unanimously this week to join UAW Local 2110. The Noguchi Union is a wall-to-wall unit that covers 55 workers across different departments at the cultural institution. Local 2110 also represents their peers at the Guggenheim Museum and the Whitney Museum of American Art. Members first went public with their organizing efforts a few months after the museum—which is dedicated to the works of vocal anti-war activist Isamu Noguchi—implemented a ban on Palestinian headscarves known as keffiyehs. This spurred workers to fight for representation so they can secure fair grievance procedures and protections against discrimination, among other issues like fair pay. “With a UNANIMOUS UNION YES VOTE WE WON OUR UNION ELECTION,” said the Noguchi Union in a social media post. “The Noguchi Museum staff is excited to announce the formation of its union! Our members seek to negotiate for a more equitable, inclusive, and transparent workplace.”VA Memorial Products Service Employees Vote to Join AFGE: The Federal Labor Relations Authority last week officially certified the election where Veterans Affairs (VA) National Cemetery Administration’s (NCA’s) Memorial Products Service (MPS) workers successfully voted to join AFGE Local 17. These newly minted members work at three remote processing locations in Illinois, Kansas and Tennessee—before the COVID-19 pandemic, they had worked out of offices located at the cemeteries. Local 17 previously represented the workers in Tennessee and Kansas, but once they became remote, the NCA designated them as unrepresented. Now that MPS staff won their election, they’re looking forward to addressing things like overtime concerns and issues with performance evaluations. “I was really excited,” said Local 17 3rd Vice President Megan-Brady Viccellio. “Local 17 already represents several of these employees, and we’re really heartened that they wanted to come back to the fold. I think that they had experience with the protection of the really robust master agreement at VA. It was a 14 to zero vote. That speaks volumes about the value that they see.”Temple University Hospital Resident Physicians and Fellows Vote to Form Union: Resident physicians and fellows at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia have voted overwhelmingly to join the Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR), a local of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). Resident physicians often work up to 80-hour weeks for relatively low pay as they complete the final stage of their medical training. CIR members have cited these conditions and chronic understaffing that impacts patient care as motivators for organizing. This victory at Temple is the latest in a string of recent resident organizing efforts at medical facilities around the city. “It’s time to put patients back at the center of our health-care system,” said Sarah Bart, a Temple resident. “We won our union, now we are preparing our campaign for a fair contract that puts resources in patient care and supports physicians’ and patients’ well-being.”Colorado Ski Patrol Staff Join CWA, Latest in Resort Industry Organizing Efforts: Ski patrollers of Colorado’s Arapahoe Basin ski area announced on Sunday that they have voted to join the United Mountain Workers, Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 7781. Under the name Arapahoe Basin Ski Patrol (ABSP) Union, these staff members fought to organize in order to secure more competitive pay that reflects their specialized, critical work. Patrollers are employed by Alterra Mountain Company, which acquired Arapahoe Basin in November 2024 after an antitrust investigation by the Department of Justice, and have experienced an intense union-busting campaign from management.Workers Overwhelmingly Vote to Form Union at Alabama Chemical Plant: Production and maintenance workers at the Gaylord Chemical manufacturing facility in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, voted last week to join the International Chemical Workers Union Council (ICWUC), part of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW). Workers at the plant—who make chemical compounds used in medical and industrial solvents and food additives—reached out to the union a few months ago to begin their organizing efforts. Their landslide election win is even more exciting in the context of Alabama’s “right to work” laws and vocally anti-union lawmakers. “I just want to thank the [ICWUC] for getting behind us and supporting us. As soon as we reached out to them, they were quick to respond,” one Gaylord Chemical worker stated. Jordan Easley, ICWUC’s national organizing coordinator, said of the campaign victory: “[Workers] excelled when it came to open support, public support, and the numbers reflected that. They got what they deserve. Obviously most employers don’t want a union, but I think [Gaylord Chemical] were stopped in their tracks. They are reminded that you need workers more than workers need you.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Wed, 01/22/2025 – 15:23
Tags:
Organizing
We Will Not Be Silent, We Will Not Back Down: In the States Roundup
We Will Not Be Silent, We Will Not Back Down: 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 (formerly Twitter).
Alaska AFL-CIO:#akleg, it’s time to provide the funding needed to give a quality education to every child in Alaska! https://t.co/powTakKyvT— Alaska AFL-CIO (@AKAFLCIO) January 22, 2025Arizona AFL-CIO:”The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a consent judgment ordering two commonly owned Arizona drywall and painting companies to pay $7,450,000 in back wages and damages…”https://t.co/XHXMNbCmjt— Arizona AFL-CIO (@ArizonaAFLCIO) January 17, 2025California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO:We will not be silent, we will not back down. pic.twitter.com/N2tefjhgv8— California Federation of Labor Unions (@CaliforniaLabor) January 21, 2025Colorado AFL-CIO:With a packed committee room full of support, and testimonies from many workers from a variety of sectors, the Worker Protection Act passed the Senate Business, Labor, & Technology Committee today! One step forward in the fight for the Worker Protection Act in Colorado! pic.twitter.com/holTzs97lu— Colorado AFL-CIO (@AFLCIOCO) January 22, 2025Illinois AFL-CIO:🚨 📱 🚨 ACTION ALERT 🚨 📱 🚨 Hotel Cass recently cut off union health insurance for UNITE HERE Local 1 and IUOE Local 399 members. They need your help demanding it back. Call Garnet Hotels and let them know our union siblings deserve their union healthcare! pic.twitter.com/AmZ4xTe8CS— Illinois AFL-CIO (@ILAFLCIO) January 23, 2025Maine AFL-CIO:Our latest in our series about the history of nurse organizing: The First Union Contract at a Hospital in Maine! https://t.co/FliqGtYd5l— Maine AFL-CIO (@MEAFLCIO) January 21, 2025Massachusetts AFL-CIO:Statement from MA AFL-CIO President Chrissy Lynch on the Healey-Driscoll Admin’s proposed budget plan to permanently close the Pappas Rehab Hospital & Pocasset Mental Health Center, layoff 170 case managers in DMH, and hike insurance rates for 1000s of union members. #mapoli pic.twitter.com/n7f2QtZMSh— Massachusetts AFL-CIO (@massaflcio) January 22, 2025Minnesota AFL-CIO:He is setting the table to clear out the hundreds of thousands of hardworking Americans who make our government actually work and replace them with political loyalists who will do his bidding. #BetterInAUnion https://t.co/TbGyR72ozA— Minnesota AFL-CIO (@MNAFLCIO) January 22, 2025Missouri AFL-CIO:Tell the young people in your life to consider a #Union apprenticeship to get a head start of earning for the future! #1u #UnionJobs #Apprenticeship pic.twitter.com/qhVvk9dW9z— Missouri AFL-CIO (@MOAFLCIO) January 22, 2025Nevada State AFL-CIO:When we fight, we win! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 https://t.co/CLMusjsUtE— Nevada State AFL-CIO // Pass the #PROAct (@NVAFLCIO) January 22, 2025New Hampshire AFL-CIO:In -10°, 200 brothers and sisters came together to oppose “Right-to-Work. Your #Solidarity is our strength. We need your help!Use this link to send a letter to your legislator saying that “Right-to-Work” is STILL WRONG for NH:https://t.co/QP4RyjZZTs#NHPolitics #1u https://t.co/p2FKAbdcUs pic.twitter.com/DTiOpSBK5k— New Hampshire AFL-CIO (@NHAFLCIO) January 23, 2025New York State AFL-CIO:Today and every day we are grateful for the strides Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. made for desegregation, equal voting rights, civil rights and the labor movement. #MLKDay pic.twitter.com/B8hf8tsQ3D— NYS AFL-CIO // #UnionStrong (@NYSAFLCIO) January 20, 2025Ohio AFL-CIO:It was never about fighting for us. It was always about protecting billionaires. https://t.co/DX7NoQuZWU— Ohio AFL-CIO (@ohioaflcio) January 20, 2025 Oregon AFL-CIO:Come hold the line with striking Providence workers at Prov. St. Vincent on Friday, 1/24 at noon! Wear your union colors and help win a fair contract for @OregonNurses members on strike. #OregonLabor pic.twitter.com/iaPWAr28qu— Oregon AFL-CIO (@OregonAFLCIO) January 23, 2025Pennsylvania AFL-CIO:Today, we honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a champion for workers’ rights, economic justice, and equality. His legacy inspires the us to continue the fight for fair wages, safe workplaces, and dignity for all workers. ✊🏾 pic.twitter.com/QbdBbIKik2— PA AFL-CIO (@PaAFL_CIO) January 20, 2025Texas AFL-CIO:Texas Republicans’ budget:❌ ZERO pension increases for retired state employees❌ $1B for a private school voucher scam❌ $6.5B for Abbott’s “border security” pet projectOur lawmakers should be listening to working Texans, not their billionaire buddies. #txlege— Texas AFL-CIO (@TexasAFLCIO) January 22, 2025Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO:Register for the virtual panel here:https://t.co/WzzzRk0RAj https://t.co/2UyPcBVjFH— Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO (@WAAFLCIO) January 22, 2025Wisconsin State AFL-CIO:Wisconsin AFL-CIO President Stephanie Bloomingdale responds to Governor Evers’ 2025 State of the State address https://t.co/hpGfNzSC9X— WI AFL-CIO (@wisaflcio) January 23, 2025
Kenneth Quinnell
Wed, 01/22/2025 – 10:49
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Workers at Some of D.C.’s Best-Known Restaurants Move to Join UNITE HERE
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Workers at Some of D.C.’s Best-Known Restaurants Move to Join UNITE HERE
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 five different prominent restaurants owned by some of Washington, D.C.’s biggest restaurateurs went public with their efforts to join UNITE HERE Local 25 last week.Workers at Le Diplomate, St. Anselm and Pastis—owned by Stephen Starr’sStarr Restaurants—and Rasika Penn Quarter and Modena—owned by Ashok Bajaj’s Knightsbridge Restaurant Group—are fighting for better scheduling practices, higher pay and respect on the job.“The status quo in restaurants is that anything goes as long as the guests are happy, and I’ve personally witnessed some unfair treatment, a little bit of cultural insensitivity,” said Pablo Zuniga, a server at Le Diplomate. “Having a union would place us in a better position to have mutual respect from management, no matter your background, no matter your race, your gender identity, or your language.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Wed, 01/22/2025 – 09:14
Tags:
Organizing
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Nurses March to Demand Patient Protections Against AI
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Nurses March to Demand Patient Protections Against AI
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.
Thousands of nurses represented by National Nurses United (NNU) took part in rallies last week calling for the hospitals to prioritize safe staffing and patient protections against growing artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.These nationwide demonstrations were aimed at uplifting the broad shared concern among nurses over the current implementation of AI by hospital employers and policy regulators. In a survey released last year, NNU found that 50% of responders have seen their employer implement algorithmic systems to assess things like how ill the patient is and predict the number of hours of nursing care they will need. Of those nurses, 69% said the computer-generated measurements did not match their informed assessments and lacked consideration of important, complex social factors that were at play.“[N]urses across the country are taking to the streets to let our communities know that in 2025, as in all years past, we are committed to providing the highest quality of care for every patient,” said Nancy Hagans, RN and a president of NNU, in a press release. “We will fight fearlessly against the profit-driven hospital industry, which seeks to undermine nursing care through unconscionable understaffing and reckless automation.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Tue, 01/21/2025 – 10:28
Ready to Push Back: The Working People Weekly List
Ready to Push Back: 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.
AFL-CIO & SEIU Are Reuniting in the United States—13 Million Trade Union Members Ready to Push Back: “The AFL-CIO and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) announced on Thursday that they are reuniting to launch ‘a new, long-term effort to make it easier for workers to win a voice on our jobs with their unions’. Two million SEIU service and care workers will join the nearly 13 million-member AFL-CIO, and together, these powerful organisations will push back on union-busting and win for working-class families. The unions formally announced the affiliation at a roundtable discussion with workers who are fighting to win their unions on Thursday in advance of the AFL-CIO’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Civil and Human Rights Conference, which started yesterday. The workers will share their stories of why they need new rules to make it easier to join together in unions. The joint statement said: ‘At a critical moment when everything is on the line for the nation’s working people, the labour movement is uniting to challenge the status quo and build a movement of workers who will fight—on the job, in the streets, at the ballot box, in our communities—for higher pay, expanded benefits and new rules that empower them to join together in unions and organise across industries.”Joe Biden: The Best President Labor Ever Had : “As Joe Biden gets ready to leave the White House Jan. 20, one verdict is clear: He kept his often-repeated pledge to be the most pro-union president in U.S. history. For four years, at every level of his administration, he and his appointees went out of their way to support unions and union labor.”Stagehands and Technicians at Portland’s State Theatre Have Unionized: “Nearly three dozen technicians and stagehands at Portland’s State Theatre have unionized. The 35 employees who help the theatre’s shows come to life will join Local 114 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees after winning their National Labor Relations Board election to unionize on Tuesday.”Trump’s Plan to Slash Federal Jobs Puts Black Workers at Risk: “President–elect Donald Trump’s plans to shrink the federal workforce would have disparate impacts on Black employment, while potentially eroding a key conduit to economic mobility that many Black families have relied on for generations. Some researchers say a substantial cutback could push the Black unemployment rate higher, particularly in areas like Washington, D.C., where Black joblessness is among the highest in the country. Such an outcome would stand at odds with Trump’s campaign promises to protect Black workers’ jobs and provide them with more employment opportunities.”Brightline Onboard Workers Sign On with TWU: “The approximately 100 onboard and lead attendants at Brightline, Florida’s private-sector passenger railroad, have voted to join Transport Workers Union of America (TWU). The National Mediation Board announced the election results on Jan. 14 in Washington, D.C., after weeks of balloting, which began Nov. 27, according to TWU. The Brightline workers, who sell food and beverages and provide other services on trains between Miami and Orlando, Fla., voted to join TWU on a roughly two-to-one margin, the union said.”The Labor Movement Won Big Victories in 2024. Now It Must Fend Off Trump: “Organized labor is currently preparing to fight back. Just a week into 2025 the SEIU announced that it was rejoining the AFL-CIO to help fight Trump’s anti-worker agenda. The two unions have been unaligned for almost 20 years. In remarks made at a roundtable discussion shortly after the decision, AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler stressed the need for solidarity among workers. ‘We just finished an election cycle where one party spent the entire time telling working class people across this country, ‘Look how different you are from each other,’’ said Shuler. ‘He’s an immigrant. She’s transgender or they worship differently than you do’ and it worked to some degree, right? We watched it. The scariest thing in the world to the CEOs, to the billionaires in this country and the folks like Donald Trump who do their bidding, is the idea that we might one day see through that.”Nurses Across U.S. to Rally Over AI Safeguards: “On Jan. 16, thousands of registered nurses will hold marches, protests and rallies to demand the hospital industry ensure safe staffing levels and artificial intelligence safeguards, a Jan. 14 National Nurses United news release said. ’Patient advocacy is at the core of what we do as nurses,‘ Nancy Hagans, RN, president of NNU, said in the release. ’That’s why we’re demanding safe staffing and protections against untested technologies such as AI. We see the harm that these cost-cutting schemes cause our patients on a daily basis.‘”2.5 Million Americans Were Once Denied Social Security Benefits. A New Law Changes That: “‘For years, members were bringing this up and and asking for it to be changed, because it had such an impact, especially on our lower paid employees, like our paraprofessionals, who often are living paycheck to paycheck and working multiple jobs,’ said Cropper, who also serves as Secretary-Treasurer of the Ohio AFL-CIO.”From Mental Health to Class Solidarity: Workforce Trends to Watch In 2025: “Still, workers at Google’s Pittsburgh contractor HCL unionized in 2021, the Bethesda Game Studios workers voted to join the Communications Workers of America union, and Code for America reached a collective bargaining agreement with its union, CFA Workers United in 2023. The numbers in these early examples may be small, but as labor unions continue to expand their reach into previously unorganized sectors, expect to see a greater emphasis on fair pay, better working conditions, and broader social benefits for workers.”CES 2025: Hollywood Unions Battle to Contain AI Disruptions in Creative Industries: “The increasing capabilities of generative AI systems were all the rage at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this year, but for all the enthusiasm from the tech world, there is still plenty of concern about the impact these tools will have on the workforce, from industrial and service work to creative industries, including entertainment, film and TV. So while the crowds were jamming the aisles of the Las Vegas Convention Center, representatives of America’s biggest unions were meeting down the street at the AFL-CIO’s Labor Innovation and Technology Summit to coordinate strategy around AI and try to ensure that workers have a seat at the table when it comes to setting policy around AI. Co-founded by SAG-AFTRA, the AFL-CIO, and the AFL-CIO Tech Institute, the LIT Summit brings together top labor leaders, worker advocates, policy experts, and allied organizations to discuss workers’ role in emerging technologies, as Big Tech’s role in the market and the halls of government evolves, according to the organization. Some of the unions in attendance such as the machinists have been engaged around issues of automation for decades, while others like those representing teachers and nurses are looking to ensure that new AI-driven innovations in education and medicine are deployed in collaboration and consultation with frontline workers rather than imposed from above.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Fri, 01/17/2025 – 12:07
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: VA Memorial Products Service Employees Vote to Join AFGE
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: VA Memorial Products Service Employees Vote to Join AFGE
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 Federal Labor Relations Authority last week officially certified the election where Veterans Affairs (VA) National Cemetery Administration’s (NCA’s) Memorial Products Service (MPS) workers successfully voted to join AFGE Local 17.These newly minted members work at three remote processing locations in Illinois, Kansas and Tennessee—before the COVID-19 pandemic, they had worked out of offices located at the cemeteries. Local 17 previously represented the workers in Tennessee and Kansas, but once they became remote, the NCA designated them as unrepresented. Now that MPS staff won their election, they’re looking forward to addressing things like overtime concerns and issues with performance evaluations.“I was really excited,” said Local 17 3rd Vice President Megan-Brady Viccellio. “Local 17 already represents several of these employees, and we’re really heartened that they wanted to come back to the fold. I think that they had experience with the protection of the really robust master agreement at VA. It was a 14 to zero vote. That speaks volumes about the value that they see.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Fri, 01/17/2025 – 10:57
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Nevada Cannabis Workers at Ayr Wellness Ratify First Union Contract
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Nevada Cannabis Workers at Ayr Wellness Ratify First Union 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.
Last week, 120 Ayr Wellness workers across three dispensaries and one delivery depot located in Las Vegas and Henderson, Nevada, overwhelmingly voted to ratify their first union contract. The dispensary and delivery workers are represented by United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 711.The contract includes armed security at dispensaries, improved access to affordable health care and better scheduling opportunities.“Today, we stand victorious—not because it was easy, but because we refused to give up,” said said Chase Payne, an Ayr Wellness budtender from the Las Vegas Eastern Avenue location. “This contract represents more than just words on paper; it’s a testament to our resilience, unity, and unwavering commitment to the cannabis industry. We fought for fair wages, safe conditions, and respect—not just for ourselves, but for everyone who will come after us. This victory proves that when we stand together, we are unstoppable. The UFCW was there for us in a time of need and we wouldn’t be in this position without their support and guidance. But our work doesn’t stop here. We will continue to show the Las Vegas area and beyond what the UFCW is all about. Because together, we are not just workers—we are union employees!”
Kenneth Quinnell
Thu, 01/16/2025 – 10:02
In Demand Like Never Before: What Working People Are Doing This Week
In Demand Like Never Before: 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:Swings from around the country sent in their thoughts on various aspects of the work they do. Swipe through for some thoughts from #equityteamswing! pic.twitter.com/L7M89j0SjY— Actors’ Equity (@ActorsEquity) January 15, 2025AFGE:We say this time and time again. Federal workers do NOT engage in political work while on government time. That is explicitly prohibited by the Hatch Act and our union adheres to that law.Period.— AFGE (@AFGENational) January 15, 2025AFSCME:In 2024, cultural workers from coast to coast organized for a voice on the job or celebrated contract wins as members of @cwuafscme. Watch this video. https://t.co/pzN9t45iYK— AFSCME (@AFSCME) January 14, 2025Alliance for Retired Americans:If the Supreme Court overturns the ACA’s preventive care mandate, it will be harder for older Americans to get critical screenings and wellness visits. #ProtectOurCare https://t.co/XLgJ8hlvm4— Alliance for Retired Americans (@ActiveRetirees) January 14, 2025Amalgamated Transit Union:Congratulations to our bus mechanic apprenticeship graduates at Local 1070-Indianapolis, IN, and IndyGo. This is the ATU’s first bus mechanic apprenticeship program under the leadership of International President John Costa. The graduates included IndyGo’s first female bus…— ATU, Transit Union (@ATUComm) January 14, 2025American Federation of Musicians:Check out DOL’s guest post on NEA’s blog spotlighting the Philadelphia Theatre Company, where AFM, Equity, and IATSE members have negotiated for pay & policies to promote sustainable careers… https://t.co/UxHivGnATD— AFM (@The_AFM) January 15, 2025American Federation of Teachers:A broken system hurts every patient & every family. In Oregon, physicians, RNs, & others are on strike to demand Providence address unsafe staffing levels in emergency rooms & unfair wages. Add your name & tell Providence to put #PatientsBeforeProfits. https://t.co/agwzDmffZl— AFT (@AFTunion) January 14, 2025American Postal Workers Union:“Postal workers proved once again that, when given the proper resources, you can sort and deliver mail promptly and efficiently – just as the law requires.” Industrial Relations Director Charlie Cash calls on members to oppose any degradation of service. https://t.co/AAoKiiulvp— The American Postal Workers Union – APWU (@APWUnational) January 15, 2025Association of Flight Attendants-CWA:It’s been 16 years since US Airways Flight 1549 landed in the icy waters of New York’s Hudson River. The “Miracle on the Hudson” would not have been a miracle without everyone doing exactly what needed to be done at just the right moment. We are aviation’s first responders. pic.twitter.com/x3uTo3cBZJ— AFA-CWA (@afa_cwa) January 15, 2025Boilermakers:The winter issue of the #Boilermaker Reporter is on the way or in your mailbox now. 📫 Be sure to read your copy or find it online: https://t.co/k0xOziuYh0 pic.twitter.com/rZFry2COJI— Boilermakers Union (@boilermakernews) January 14, 2025Bricklayers:Happy #WorkSiteWednesday everyone! This week, we have a video from our brothers over at BAC ADC of NJ Locals 4 & 5 and signatory contractor Baumgardner Finishings Company at Ocean County Vo-Tech School! Keep up the good work guys!#BestHandsInTheBusiness pic.twitter.com/1ocP8bVS30— Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers Union (@IUBAC) January 15, 2025Communications Workers of America:Physical and occupational therapists at Alternate Solutions Health Network (ASHN) in Northern Virginia – members of CWA Local 2252 – are holding a 1-day ULP strike. It is time for ASHN to bargain in good faith! pic.twitter.com/bBRmhu7tgQ— CWA (@CWAUnion) January 13, 2025Department for Professional Employees:We continue to stand with @IATSE members at the Atlantic Theater Company on strike because management refuses to negotiate a fair contract. https://t.co/ouSwIunuLw— Department for Professional Employees (@DPEaflcio) January 14, 2025Electrical Workers:Electrical work is in demand like never before. Here’s how the #IBEW will win it. https://t.co/LB4ZxJLwXo pic.twitter.com/wFHy5muFBp— IBEW (@IBEW) January 14, 2025Heat and Frost Insulators:Our thoughts & prayers are with our Brothers & Sisters impacted by the California wildfires.If you are a member in need of assistance due to displacement or damage, please contact our International office for support.➡️ Contact us or share with a member in need:… pic.twitter.com/Yv9VWCYGC4— Insulators Union 🦎 (@InsulatorsUnion) January 10, 2025Labor Council for Latin American Advancement:🔥 The wildfires in South California have left countless families in need of urgent support. Together we can make a difference! Donate to the LCLAA Emergency Relief Fund to provide relief and resources to those affected. pic.twitter.com/kPDYjOFvVk— LCLAA (@LCLAA) January 14, 2025Labor Heritage Foundation:Voting in the first-ever Labor Grammys closes on January 17!https://t.co/BTCQb5gwFI pic.twitter.com/ksybcKCVUi— Labor Heritage (@LaborHeritage1) January 14, 2025Laborers:👏 Thank you to the thousands of LIUNA members who made your voices heard! Your letters to OSHA in support of heat safety standards are a step toward creating safer workplaces for all. Together, we’re raising the bar for worker protections and building a stronger future.… pic.twitter.com/7ULeaCEHgz— LIUNA (@LIUNA) January 15, 2025Machinists:This webinar will feature Q&A with an IAM member from Tempus AI, Rebecca Sellnow, who is a molecular technologist!Tune in to hear about how professional employees can get started with unionizing ⚙️💪 https://t.co/WxU7JOKsDr— Machinists Union (@MachinistsUnion) January 14, 2025Metal Trades Department:U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration has concluded that China uses unfair policies and practices to dominate the global maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors. https://t.co/2SEWz6TeL9— Metal Trades Dept. (@metaltradesafl) January 13, 2025National Association of Letter Carriers:Mark your calendars 📅 for Saturday, May 10, 2025: The #StampOutHunger Food Drive is just around the corner! Letter carriers nationwide will collect donations to help restock local food banks. Together, we can help neighbors in need and make a difference! pic.twitter.com/ulePjTRF3n— Letter Carriers (@NALC_National) January 14, 2025National Day Laborer Organizing Network:“Roberto Morales, another day laborer who volunteered his time in the Service Brigade said he felt very thankful and emotional to see the amount of volunteers.”https://t.co/goCmcUk2iz— NDLON (@NDLON) January 10, 2025National Domestic Workers Alliance:Thank you @harpersbazaarus for highlighting our ‘We Care: Domestic Workers Relief Fund’ providing emergency financial assistance, medical care, and supplies to domestic workers.https://t.co/jv9DktitKw— Domestic Workers (@domesticworkers) January 14, 2025National Nurses United:This week: Nurses will march nationwide in support of safe staffing and patient protections against #AI. In our National Day of Action, thousands of nurses will demand the hospital industry ensure patient safety amidst fast-growing A.I. https://t.co/1ci3hbMOe1— NationalNursesUnited (@NationalNurses) January 14, 2025NFL Players Association:Our hearts are with those impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires. pic.twitter.com/2qMysAdM69— NFLPA (@NFLPA) January 10, 2025North America’s Building Trades Unions:NABTU’s partnership with @RowanUniversity is shaping the next generation of construction managers. Courses are entirely online, providing flexible, affordable, and accessible learning tailored to adult students’ schedules.https://t.co/tIBWGG1tuo— The Building Trades (@NABTU) January 14, 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:IUPAT members, we’d love to hear from you and spotlight current or past projects. Post in the comments, or send us a DM with the best pictures you have! pic.twitter.com/b3YjpeKbXP— IUPAT (@GoIUPAT) January 15, 2025Plasterers and Cement Masons:“Registered Apprenticeships let young people & adults ‘earn & learn’, combining hands-on training with coursework—and they are paid to do it… The average apprenticeship grad earns $80,000 annually, far above the state’s median household income.” https://t.co/pYW6KoJxu8— OPCMIA International (@opcmiaintl) January 13, 2025Professional Aviation Safety Specialists:”PASS told a Senate committee that the FAA is too slow to develop its technical workforce and is not moving fast enough to stay ahead of aging infrastructure.” @PASSprezdc Dave Spero on @FederalNewsNet Federal Drive w/Tom Temin #aviationsafety #federalemployees @publicservice— PASS (@PASSNational) January 8, 2025Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union:Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King, Jr! We’ll never forget all the times that MLK showed up for our union. Check out this scan of a 1991 RWDSU Record featuring the entire timeline of MLK’s relationship with the RWDSU.Learn more about RWDSU’s MLK history: https://t.co/ZyzWLJwyeC pic.twitter.com/nV5ywhSvnt— RWDSU (@RWDSU) January 15, 2025Roofers and Waterproofers:Just a reminder to never cross a picket line! Hope our @Culinary226 sisters and brothers at @VirginHotelsLV get the contract they deserve. #Solidarity #UnionStrong https://t.co/BeLv44R6xv— Roofers Union (@roofersunion) January 15, 2025SAG-AFTRA:WATCH NOW! SAG-AFTRA NED @DuncanCI and @sagaftraFOUND ED Cyd Wilson had a conversation about the Los Angeles wildfire resources available to #SagAftraMembers. Watch on Instagram!Part 1: https://t.co/5c0yxv8vZLPart 2: https://t.co/H4eHMh9UnbPart 3: https://t.co/lHfNTfyHue pic.twitter.com/rbAPSmMFVn— SAG-AFTRA (@sagaftra) January 14, 2025Service Employees International Union:2M SEIU Members 🤝 13M AFL-CIO MembersSEIU just joined America’s biggest federation of labor unions, the @AFLCIO. Together, we’re taking on corporate union busters and changing the rules so every worker who wants a union can have one. Let’s do this! pic.twitter.com/KK0cKnSSYW— SEIU (@SEIU) January 9, 2025Solidarity Center:The Firestone Agricultural Workers Union of Liberia – FAWUL – is bargaining for better living & working conditions at Bridgestone’s Liberia rubber plantation ✊🏿 Stand in solidarity with our partners by signing their petition. 🖋️ sign here https://t.co/o2xVtcGHlv#WorkerRights— Solidarity Center (@SolidarityCntr) January 12, 2025The NewsGuild-CWA:Destructive wildfires in Southern California have destroyed the homes of at least three of our members. At least 30 Guild members have been directly impacted in evacuation zones along with 220 other CWA members: https://t.co/usJ1OsxYv5— The NewsGuild-CWA (@newsguild) January 13, 2025Theatrical Stage Employees:Workers worked so hard to put on their shows, but the unit of nearly 100 workers at the Atlantic Theater Company UNANIMOUSLY voted to authorize a strike because they deserve healthcare and a living wage!Segment featured on Fox 5, Good Day New York pic.twitter.com/QsXd5dRHGB— IATSE // #IASolidarity (@IATSE) January 15, 2025Transport Workers Union:Onboard @GoBrightline workers have voted 2-1 to join the Transport Workers Union, overcoming opposition from management that urged a contingent of more than 100 employees not to organize. @SunSentinel https://t.co/7R56VGgKCj— TWU (@transportworker) January 15, 2025Transportation Trades Department:Once again, workers refuse to be silenced by corporate greed and union busting tactics. Congratulations to @transportworker and Brightline workers on this organizing victory! https://t.co/iG4MuvCXlu— TTD | America’s Transportation Unions (@TTDAFLCIO) January 14, 2025UAW:UAW National Ford and Sub-Council meetings are taking place this week in Chattanooga, TN. These meetings are an important opportunity for local and national leadership to come together and strategize for the coming year. pic.twitter.com/tKaiGE2Ms5— UAW (@UAW) January 15, 2025UNITE HERE:UNITE HERE leaders joined our siblings from across the labor movement in Las Vegas this week for CES and the #LITSummit.@SAGAFTRA @AFTunion @WeAreALPA @ATUComm @MachinistsUnion @IATSE @NationalNurses @RWDSU @TTDAFLCIO @transportworker pic.twitter.com/dPzyDebirq— UNITE HERE (@unitehere) January 10, 2025United Food and Commercial Workers:Recently, workers at The Convalarium of Dublin nursing home in OH, have officially joined UFCW Local 1059!The now members, reached out to the local after conversations revealed shared concerns about erratic scheduling & pay inaccuracies.➡️ https://t.co/hvJeh2KqKi pic.twitter.com/0dqzEXyziT— UFCW (@UFCW) January 14, 2025United Steelworkers:In 2024, we achieved significant victories for workers through Rapid Response, our grassroots education and action program addressing legislative issues that affect working families. Let’s take a moment to celebrate what we achieved together over the past year 👏. pic.twitter.com/x9NAmkvfhc— United Steelworkers #EverybodysUnion (@steelworkers) January 15, 2025Utility Workers:On an average day, Melissa Suarez of UWUA local 129 handles around 100 calls. Every call is different, which keeps things interesting. 🧵 pic.twitter.com/Asczmv1Y1N— UWUA National (@The_UWUA) January 15, 2025Writers Guild of America East:Nonfiction production workers at Lucky 8 have UNIONIZED with the WGAE! There’s no need for management to roll the dice, our demand is clear: voluntary recognition without delay or division. #UnionStrong pic.twitter.com/LU8XAicdpa— Writers Guild of America East (@WGAEast) January 14, 2025
Kenneth Quinnell
Wed, 01/15/2025 – 10:01
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Workers Overwhelmingly Vote to Form Union at Alabama Chemical Plant
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Workers Overwhelmingly Vote to Form Union at Alabama Chemical Plant
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.
Production and maintenance workers at the Gaylord Chemical manufacturing facility in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, voted last week to join the International Chemical Workers Union Council (ICWUC), part of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW).Workers at the plant—who make chemical compounds used in medical and industrial solvents and food additives—reached out to the union a few months ago to begin their organizing efforts. Their landslide election win is even more exciting in the context of Alabama’s “right to work” laws and vocally anti-union lawmakers.“I just want to thank the [ICWUC] for getting behind us and supporting us. As soon as we reached out to them, they were quick to respond,” one Gaylord Chemical worker stated.Jordan Easley, ICWUC’s national organizing coordinator, said of the campaign victory: “[Workers] excelled when it came to open support, public support, and the numbers reflected that. They got what they deserve. Obviously most employers don’t want a union, but I think [Gaylord Chemical] were stopped in their tracks. They are reminded that you need workers more than workers need you.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Wed, 01/15/2025 – 09:41