Worker Wins: ‘We Work Together for A Purpose’

Our latest roundup of worker wins includes numerous examples of working people organizing, bargaining and mobilizing for a better life.

UAW Bargaining Units Reach Tentative Deal with UC, Averting Strike: Three UAW bargaining units reached tentative agreements Friday with the University of California (UC) system after months of negotiations. If ratified, these would be the first union contracts for members of Student Services and Advising Professionals-UAW (SSAP-UAW) and Research and Public Service Professionals-UAW (RPSP-UAW). The previous deal covering members of UAW Local 4811—who work as teaching assistants, student researchers, postdocs and in other academic roles—had expired at the end of February. All three collective bargaining agreements contain powerful wage increases. RPSP-UAW and SSAP-UAW also secured major wins around health care costs, job security, professional development language and more. Local 4811 is celebrating expanded child care access and new provisions establishing a legal fund for international workers.

Oregon Health Care Staff Joins SEIU: Workers at Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital in Oregon have overwhelmingly voted to form a union with Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 49, successfully securing fair representation for staff at all Samaritan facilities. The new bargaining unit covers roles like nutrition services, housekeeping and certified nursing assistants (CNAs). Workers were motivated to organize to secure the fair pay and affordable health care that their counterparts at other locations have won in their collective bargaining agreements. “The union is something so cool because you can make decisions together with administration,” CNA Adilson Nuñez said, “and we both create something that is good for us as employees. We work together for a purpose, we work together for the same goal.” “One of the ultimate goals in all of this is providing workers with a better life through their contracts with good benefits,” added Alan Dubinsky, Local 49’s communications director, “and recognizing how that also helps the communities that they serve.”

Court Orders Restoration of AFGE Veterans Affairs Union Contract: On Friday, a U.S. district court judge ordered the reinstatement of the master collective bargaining agreement between the Department of Veterans Affairs and the AFGE National Veterans Affairs Council (AFGE/NVAC). Secretary Doug Collins terminated the AFGE/NVAC contract on Aug. 6, ripping away collective bargaining rights from nurses, doctors, benefits specialists, housekeepers, electricians, painters, food service workers, lawyers, dentists, pharmacists, crisis responders, mental health specialists, cemetery workers, janitors and more. “As unionists, it’s our duty to stand up for what’s right and hold the VA accountable,” said NVAC President Mary Jean “MJ” Burke. “Every American knows the importance of free speech, the separation of powers, and the protections guaranteed to us in our nation’s Constitution. Each of us owes a debt of gratitude to the veterans and servicemembers who fought to defend these principles. We are grateful for today’s court decision, but there is still work to do. The Union will not be deterred. Our members will continue carrying out the VA’s mission every day in service to those who served.” “Today’s ruling holds this administration accountable and makes clear: No one can retaliate against workers for standing up for their rights,” said AFGE National President Everett Kelley. “We are pleased the court has restored the largest union contract of VA employees and protected both the federal workforce and the veterans who depend on them.”

ALPA Secures Tentative Agreement with Air Transport International: Members of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) who work for Air Transport International (ATI) are set to vote on a new tentative agreement that will provide approximately $114 million in value over the life of the contract. ATI pilot leadership has voted to move the deal to a membership vote after more than five years of negotiations with the Ohio-based airline that operates cargo jets in Amazon’s air logistics network. Highlights of the new contract include immediate pay increases, a ratification bonus, company-funded contribution to retirement funds, improvements to scheduling and more. “This tentative agreement reflects not only our value to the company but is also the direct result of the unity and tenacity of every ATI pilot,” said Capt. Michael Sterling, chair of the ATI Master Executive Council (MEC). “This agreement will go a long way to improving the lives of our fellow pilots. As we move from the negotiation process to member ratification, I want to express my thanks to my fellow negotiators, the National Mediation Board, and every ATI pilot—all of whom stood in solidarity for almost six years. We are proud of our relationship as Amazon’s largest airline, and we believe this agreement will help reinforce our continuing partnership moving forward.”

Fort Worth Report Staff Win Election to Form Union: On Monday, staff at the Fort Worth Report announced they have overwhelmingly voted in favor of forming a union with Media Guild of the West, The NewsGuild-CWA (TNG-CWA) Local 39213. The nonprofit newsroom’s leadership declined to voluntarily recognize the Fort Worth Reporters Guild, but workers were not deterred. After overcoming repeated attempts from management to interfere with the organizing process—including hiring a third-party union-avoidance firm—the newly minted members are celebrating a powerful National Labor Relations Board election victory and preparing for their first union negotiations. “These results were not based on mob rule, but rather a reflection of every single unit member who has been heavily involved in this process since its launch,” the Guild’s organizing committee said in a press statement. “This is the next and vital step for our community newsroom, and we look forward to steering trusted news forward in Tarrant County together.”

Motion Capture Workers Ratify First Contract: Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) members at 2K’s motion capture studio have successfully ratified their first collective bargaining agreement. The Petaluma, California, video game studio operated by parent company Take-Two Interactive is known for popular titles such as NBA 2K and WWE 2K. The new contract is a historic first for motion capture video game workers and establishes major wins such as wage floor minimums, yearly pay increases, protected benefits, an enforceable framework for promotions, staffing and subcontracting protections, work-from-home policies, protections related to artificial intelligence, and more. “This agreement shows what workers can achieve when they stand together and bargain for the future of their craft,” said IATSE International President Matthew D. Loeb. “These workers made history when they organized, and they have made history again by ratifying the first union contract for motion capture video game workers in the United States.” “We went into the negotiating process understanding there would be a strong fight ahead,” said stage technician Connor Bredbeck. “We were united in our goals, shared in solidarity with one another, and focused on protecting the work we love while acknowledging our critical efforts in making games at 2K. We are pleased that 2K was willing to negotiate and made the effort to understand, honor and recognize the contributions of our team.”

USW Members Secure New Master Agreement at Domtar: United Steelworkers (USW) members across nine local unions voted overwhelmingly this winter to approve a new master contract covering workers at Domtar paper facilities around the United States. This new agreement is the first after a series of acquisitions in 2021 and 2023. But thanks to the steadfast unity displayed by members nationwide and well-established internal communications channels, they won the best wage increases the USW has ever negotiated with Domtar. “With new ownership and leadership at the table, we knew this round of bargaining would be challenging,” said USW International Vice President Luis Mendoza, who oversees the union’s paper sector. “It wasn’t easy, but with working families seeing expenses rising across the board, and the industry in a time of uncertainty, members should be proud of the progress they made in this agreement. By standing together, members achieved a fair agreement that rewards their hard work but also positions the company for success and protects workers’ future in a changing industry.”

New York Transit Museum Workers Organize to Join AFSCME: Workers at the New York Transit Museum in Brooklyn have filed for a National Labor Relations Board election to form a union with AFSCME District Council 37. Following a successful organizing drive by their co-workers in the museum gift shop to join Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 100 last year, museum educators, visitor experience staff and others are now fighting for union representation, too. Workers went public with their effort to form the New York Transit Museum Collective in early February. Management has yet to voluntarily recognize AFSCME as their bargaining representative, but staff remain committed to fighting for a contract that addresses low wages, lost benefits and other core concerns. “Our museum tells stories that wouldn’t exist without organized labor,” said Ava Dennis, a part-time museum educator. “We tell these stories, we uplift them and remember them.  We deserve that same sort of opportunity.”