Worker Wins: ‘When We Stand Together, Shoulder to Shoulder, Workers Can Win’

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

JetBlue Air Dispatchers Vote to Join the TWU: Air Dispatchers and dispatch-related workers at JetBlue’s headquarters in Long Island City, New York, have voted to join the Transport Workers Union (TWU). Fed up with the uncertainty of at-will employment status, sudden unilateral policy changes and years of broken promises from airline management, workers joined together to fight for the job security and voice on the job that they deserve. “JetBlue Dispatch workers sent a strong message to the bosses, they are done with worthless at-will employment agreements that only serve management’s interests,” TWU International President John Samuelsen said. “We are continuing our industrial organizing at JetBlue and will now fight for a first contract that delivers better pay and working conditions. JetBlue’s employment agreements and phony values committees aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on.”

TRiiBE Workers Form Union to Build a Sustainable Newsroom to Serve Chicago’s Black Communities: Multi-award-winning newsroom workers at The TRiiBE have publicly launched their campaign to form a union with Chicago News Guild, The NewsGuild-CWA (TNG-CWA) Local 34071. Last week, a majority of eligible staff across the editorial department signed union authorization cards and a mission statement showing their support in forming One Triibe United. The news outlet was launched in February 2017, as part of a long legacy of Black and abolitionist press who uplifted and centered the experiences and stories of Black communities. Now, staff are organizing to ensure that their workplace reflects the values of accountability and justice that The TRiiBE emphasizes in its organizational ethics. One Triibe United said in its mission statement, “We have consistently produced impactful and meaningful work, held people in power to account, and inspired everyday people to action. As workers who’ve poured our blood, sweat, and tears into this work and who stand in the tradition of the Black and abolitionist press that paved the way for us, we aim to build an environment grounded in equity, honesty, and respect, ensuring our organization’s values reflect the accountability and justice that we seek daily for the communities we serve.”

New Mexico Public Sector Workers Win Back Hard-Earned Raise: Thanks to their combined efforts and advocacy, AFSCME Council 18, Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 7076 and the AFT New Mexico are celebrating the restoration of a 1% raise for state workers that was removed from New Mexico’s budget. Earlier this month, the Senate Finance Committee struck the pay bump for state workers, including public school and higher education staff, from the budget bill. In response, union members and community allies spoke out and mobilized for a Valentine’s Day press conference to urge lawmakers to do right by the workers who keep New Mexico running. House Democrats heard their demands and secured a workaround that would add the raise into the tax bill, rather than back into the budget. The legislation will now go to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham for her signature or veto. “Today’s action reaffirms the House of Representatives’ strong commitment to support working families across New Mexico,” union leaders said in a joint statement. “This is a huge win for public sector workers in New Mexico that represents more than the monetary value of a 1% raise—it is proof that when we stand together, shoulder to shoulder, workers can win.”

San Francisco Superior Court Strike Ends with Tentative Agreement: San Francisco Superior Court clerks—who are represented by Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1021—reached a tentative agreement on Friday and are back to work today after a powerful two-day unfair labor practice (ULP) work stoppage. Once the strike began, it took less than 24 hours for court management to reopen communication with SEIU members—even though they previously said negotiations were at an impasse. Clerks initially walked off the job over management’s refusal to meaningfully address concerns around staffing and training that were causing backlogs and delays, which have the potential to directly impact constitutional rights and public safety. The tentative deal now goes to a membership vote. “We convened our chapter membership and reached consensus that it was the right thing to do for our families and the public to recommend this agreement for ratification and return to work on Monday morning,” said Hall of Justice courtroom clerk and bargaining team member Rob Borders in a press release.  “We made it very clear to court management that the court can’t function without us. We are very thankful to the public who supported us, including the numerous attorneys, other court workers, public officials, and legal experts who stood in solidarity with us and affirmed our importance to the justice system. We feel that we made our voices heard and look forward to getting back to serving the public.”

WGAE Members at HuffPost Ratify New Contract: Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) members at HuffPost have unanimously ratified their new three-year contract, securing critical artificial intelligence guardrails among other meaningful wins. The 69-member strong HuffPost Union bargaining unit first secured voluntary recognition in 2016. This is their fourth collective bargaining agreement at the online news outlet. Other contract highlights include 3% annual wage increases, codified parental leave, unlimited sick time, protected severance language, increased budgets for professional development conferences and training and more. “We stood firm in protecting safeguards that support a diverse and representative newsroom,” said the union’s negotiations committee. “We did not let industry uncertainty around technology stop us from securing AI protections. We refused to sell out future workers for short-term promises. And we were able to do this because 100% of our members were unified about what the contract we deserved looked like, and what we were willing to do to secure it.”

Berkeley Teachers Win Tentative Contract with Increased Employer Contribution to Health Care: After 10 months of negotiations, the Berkeley (California) Federation of Teachers (BFT), AFT Local 1078, reached a tentative agreement on a new contract that increases the school district’s health care contribution to 70% beginning in 2027. The teachers still must vote on contract ratification. The BFT represents more than 900 teachers, counselors and librarians. The contract is for one year. “Our educators are excited that the district is making this important investment to ensure stable and consistent school communities,” said BFT President Matt Meyer in a press release. “We love our work and our students. This agreement makes it more possible to establish careers in Berkeley.” The new contract includes a 3% increase in compensation for the current academic year and a one-time $1,000 bonus for all full-time employees. “We must also not forget that we are in this position because our state does not fully fund the education every student deserves,” Meyer said in the statement. “We call on the state to raise the revenues necessary for a thriving public education system throughout California.”

Fortune Staff Win Three-Year Contract: Digital and print staff at Fortune—who are represented by The NewsGuild of New York, CWA Local 31003—have ratified their first union contract. The bargaining unit covers two dozen writers, reporters, producers, editors and artists at the business magazine. Highlights of the contract include annual wage increases, new salary floor standards, just cause provisions, layoff severance, editorial standards protections and more. “We are so excited to finally have a fair contract after a long battle,” said unit chair Sasha Rogelberg. “Our union has repeatedly come together in tough times—including after a mass layoff over the summer reduced our unit size by one-third—to fight for the well-being of our newsroom. The efforts to secure this contract were no exception.” “Our Fortune Union members refused to give up and accept less than they are worth,” said Susan DeCarava, president of The NewsGuild of New York. “Because they persevered, they won a contract that boosts wages for all and lifts salaries for the lowest paid across the union, along with important job protections like just cause. We say this all the time in our union because it’s true: When we fight, we win.”

Politics and Prose Workers Ratify New Contract: United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 400 members who work at Politics and Prose bookstores in Washington, D.C., voted to ratify a new union contract last week. The bargaining unit covers roughly 70 staff—including both booksellers and baristas. Highlights of the new agreement include annual wage increases, additional holiday pay, language governing internal promotion procedures and more. “Congratulations to our members on a hard-won contract,” said Mark Federici, UFCW international vice president and president of Local 400. “None of these improvements would have been possible without everyone staying engaged and unified throughout this process. And a special thanks to our hardworking bargaining committee for their time and effort getting this across the finish line. It’s never easy to negotiate a contract and they stepped up in a big way on behalf of their coworkers. We’re proud to have you in our union family.”