BlueCollarWriter Labor News Update

Labor News

Over 31,000 Nurses, Health Care Workers Strike At Kaiser Permanente | KFI AM 640The walkout marks the second major labor action by Kaiser employees in recent months, following a five-day strike in October.

S.F. teachers union preps for historic strike Union says strike is likely after negotiations stall with school district — and member participation surges

NYC nurses' strike: Union resumes negotiations with all 3 hospitalsThe two-and-a-half-week-old strike had some signs of progress when the union reached a deal on maintaining health benefits at two hospitals.

Electrical worker union denounces reports of workers being turned away from recovery efforts in Nashville“Reports of IBEW line crews being turned away from helping Nashville recover from the ongoing winter storm are unequivocally false.”

Amazon Fresh a flawed model, union says, 'doomed from the start'Union representing Whole Foods said Amazon faltered in its Amazon Fresh tech-focused grocery concept.

Strike continues at Henry Ford Genesys HospitalIt's been nearly 150 days since Teamsters Local 332 began a strike outside of Henry Ford Genesys.

CT organizers, unions to take part in 'National Shutdown'Community groups in CT are urging businesses and institutions to take part in a general strike Friday to protest ICE and support Minnesota.

Organizing Down the Supply Chain: Logistics Workers Win First ContractOne hundred and fifty workers at a vehicle processing center in Tacoma, Washington, won their first contract last year, in a huge step for the International Longshore and Warehouse Union organizing down the supply chain. Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics had opened the VPC across the street from a major terminal in the Port of Tacoma, where longshore workers are represented by ILWU Local 23. This “roll-on, roll-off” (ro-ro) terminal handles vehicles and other cargo that is driven on and off ships. Wallenius is the largest ro-ro carrier in the world, with 128 vessels.

Unionized KRESA instructors will see raises and back pay as negotiations continueKRESA has declared an official impasse in those negotiations.

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Alex Pretti: ICE executed a union nurse—labor must organize

Alex Pretti, an AFGE Local 3669 member and ICU nurse, fought for his community until the very moment ICE agents took him from us. Faced with masked officers harassing his neighbors, Alex did what working people do when repression shows up at their door: He bore witness. He used his phone to film and placed his body between the armed agents and two fellow Minneapolis residents.

For this act of solidarity, federal agents brutally beat and executed him.

Government & Politics

Unions Sue FEMA Over Work Force Cuts They Say Threaten ReadinessThe suit argues that the recent dismissals and plans for further cuts violate laws designed to preserve the disaster response agency’s independence and capabilities.

Unions, nonprofits challenge FEMA staffing cuts in courtThe new suit alleges the staffing cuts violate laws that restrict DHS's authority to make sweeping overhauls and staff reductions at FEMA.

There’s Never Been a More Fitting Time for Democrats to Stop Funding ICEThe money fueling ICE’s abuses comes directly out of the pockets of working Americans who are already struggling.

How Democrats Can End Qualified Immunity for ICE AgentsDemocrats have a rare moment of leverage to pass legislation ending qualified immunity for Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, dismantling a legal shield that has allowed them to evade accountability for murder.

Trump’s Twin Cities onslaught feels a lot like the British tyranny in Colonial BostonCenturies-old dispatches show how his administration has betrayed our founding principles.

Silicon Valley Wants to Make Greenland a Libertarian DystopiaDonald Trump’s push to acquire Greenland has alienated many longtime allies. But it has tantalized a cohort of tech billionaires who see the island as a potential laboratory for “freedom cities,” or privately governed zones without regulation or democracy.

Trump Attacked Ilhan Omar in Speech Just Hours Before She Was AssaultedThe president relished in the idea of killing Somalis at a rally before the incident.

No Kings Coalition Responds to Escalating Brutality and Authoritarianism with Immediate Action and Future Mobilization; Condemns ICE’s Deadly Actions | American Civil Liberties UnionNo Kings Coalition Announces Immediate Efforts and Builds Towards Next National Mass Mobilization on March 28, Continues Support of Local Organizers in...

How the Trump Administration Hobbled Federal Labor UnionsWith 300,000 employees gone and collective-bargaining rights eliminated, the administration has hobbled organized labor. Did it also start a movement?

Largest Federal Workers Union Demands Ouster of Noem, Miller Over Killing of VA Nurse Alex Pretti“Noem betrayed the public trust by slandering the good name of our union brother and calling him a ‘domestic terrorist,’” said the national president of the American Federation of Government Employ…

ICE out of schools! Educators and their unions mobilise for students and demand that immigration enforcement stop terrorizing communities in the United StatesSchool communities across the United States have been profoundly affected by the violent and destructive behaviour of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents deployed by the Trump administration. Educators have mobilised to support traumatised students and vulnerable families and to stop the authoritarian turn at the top of US politics.

Organized Labor Escalates Against ICE Summary Executions - The American ProspectUnions in Minnesota and across the country have spent the days after an immigration officer murdered Alex Pretti discussing how to escalate, including toward a national general strike.

Spending Under Trump: Drugs Up, Factories DownToday I thought I would discuss two of my favorite Trumpian lies about the economy: he lowered drug prices 1,500 percent and we’re bringing in $18

Minneapolis shooting scrambles Second Amendment politics for TrumpProminent Republicans and gun rights advocates helped elicit a White House turnabout this week after bristling over the administration’s characterization of Alex Pretti as responsible for his own death because

In Trump’s Shadow, India and the European Union Expand Trade TiesAfter nearly 20 years of negotiations, the two sides struck a far-reaching agreement that officials called “the mother of all trade deals.”

Right-wing influencers want women to love ICE"We need more stories and images showing the professionalism and compassion of ICE."

“We’re going to still be looking out for each other when they’re gone”On the ground with the Minnesotans standing up to ICE.

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DOJ’s “ransom” letter to Minnesota reveals how Trump plans to rig the midterms

Federal unions demand probe of Border Patrol shooting

Minneapolis shooting: Union members in Twin Cities rally for nationwide strike

Maximum Damage and Massacre: ICE Kills, ICE Lies | Common Dreams

Nurses demand Congress abolish ICE, invest in health care

Media accused of ignoring 'massive' general strike

Vets in Labor Are Standing Up to Trump

Federal workers accuse Trump Administration of breaking labor laws

Government by AI? Trump Administration Plans to Write Regulations Using Artificial Intelligence

Americans Skeptical of Fed Narratives of Pretti Killing as Court Reviews “Operation Metro Surge”

As ‘Loyal Agents of Nazis’ in GOP Murder Citizens, US Is at 'Turning Point,' Advocates Say | Common Dreams

Why Labor Unions Can’t Ignore ICE

State & Local

Kentucky’s support for unions, wealth tax growing, new poll showsA new poll found Kentuckians are increasingly concerned about the economy and are viewing unions more favorable. Here's what we know

Kentucky House GOP releases ‘bare bones’ budget bill, with questions ahead on Medicaid, educationKentucky House Republicans released a two-year state budget bill Tuesday, which is expected to evolve over the session. The current version would spend dramatically less than what Gov. Andy Beshear proposed for education and Medicaid.

Phoenix Union gives students options amid ICE activity - KTAR.comThe Phoenix Union High School District is reminding students concerned about immigration raids they have the option to log into class remotely.

Maine union leaders blast ICE raids as distraction from failing economyUnion leaders in Maine say the Trump administration is stepping up immigration enforcement to distract from its failed economic policies. Raids in the Greater Portland and Lewiston areas have caused widespread fear among immigrant workers and many businesses remain closed. Andy O’Brien, commun

Fighting for prevailing wage in the shop: Massachusetts union leader explains the offsite fabrication loophole - SMART UnionThe SMART Northeast Regional Council is fighting to close the offsite fabrication loophole on prevailing wage projects in Mass.

Teamsters California endorses proposed billionaire taxWith 250,000 members statewide, it becomes the largest union to back the November ballot measure to enact a one-time tax on billionaires.

Claire Valdez puts union advocacy front and center in bid to succeed Velázquez in NY-7 – QNSWhen Assemblymember Claire Valdez joined the race to succeed U.S. Rep. Nydia Velázquez in the 7th Congressional District, she did so out of a desire to

Union workers rally at Fort Lauderdale airport to extend protection status for Haitian immigrantsAt an airport rally designed to support continued protections for Haitian immigrants living in the U.S., unionized workers got a lift from U.S. Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Sheila Cherfilus-M…

U.S. unions push back as Trump escalates attacks on immigrants and citiesAs the brutality of the Trump administration's immigration raids grows, so does the resistance by the U.S. labour movement.

GOP targets Chicago Teachers Union, the most anti-Trump union in AmericaCHICAGO—Pushed by a right-wing downstate Illinois “think tank” with a reputation for self-dealing for its boss, the radical right Republican majority on the U.S. House panel dealing with workers’ issues is targeting the Chicago Teachers Union, AFT Local 1, for investigation.

Colorado lawmakers reintroduce union bill, revive other stalled legislationIt can take years for a policy to successfully pass through the Colorado legislature, which is why it’s not uncommon to see the same bill (or a version of it) brought back from the dead several sessions in a row in the hopes it will eventually pass. Here are a few measures lawmakers are hoping […]

Trump's cuts may halt work on $16B Hudson River train tunnel project, officials sayIn October, White House officials announced they'd pause funding for the project following the government shutdown. Now, a Trump administration spokesperson is tying the ongoing stoppage to Democrats' support of "illegal aliens."

Trump Offers ‘Low-Interest Bonds’ to Help Hollywood Production While Again Threatening TariffsPresident Trump again threatened to tariff films made overseas as he floated the idea of bonds for Hollywood filmmakers.

Missouri Lawmaker Proposes 250-Hour Delay on Union Dues for New Workers (LISTEN) - MissourinetA proposal at the Missouri Capitol could change when union dues start for new employees. Show Me Today reporter Matt Pilger sat down with State Representative Mark Matthieson to learn why he thinks workers need more time and transparency before paying those fees. Share this:

Union leader is sleeper in Dems' Texas lieutenant governor raceFacing state Rep. Vikki Goodwin, Marcos Vélez has landed the Texas AFL-CIO’s endorsement and support from a donor trail that leads back to the state party’s top campaign partner.

IAM Union’s Illinois Drivers Alliance Coalition Launches Statewide Push for Rideshare Driver Union Rights Rideshare drivers and lawmakers from the Illinois Drivers Alliance, a coalition of thousands of rideshare drivers across the state, powered by the IAM Union and SEIU Local 1, recently announced landmark legislation that would create a legal pathway for Illinois rideshare drivers to unionize and bargain collectively. “This legislation protects drivers and guarantees their right

Wilkes-Barre Teamsters: No union walkout over use of snow plow contractorsThe head of the Teamsters local that represents Wilkes-Barre Department of Public Works employees said there was no union-authorized walkout or strike when contractors were called in to assist with…

BlueCollarWriter Commentary & Analysis

They Didn’t ‘Shoot’ Alex Pretti — They Executed Him - People's TribuneICE is responsible for killing Alex Pretti, a union ICU nurse, a person who cared deeply for others. Accountability is non-negotiable. We owe him the truth — and the courage to act on it.

The Killing of Renee Nicole Good: State Violence in Broad Daylight - People's TribuneRenee Nicole Good — a 37-year-old mother of three, poet, writer, U.S. citizen, and volunteer legal observer — was killed by an ICE agent during a federal immigration operation in Minneapolis, January 7.

The Case for a General Strike and True Solidarity - People's TribuneWhen working people unite across industries, choosing solidarity over division, the story of labor changes—not just for a contract cycle, but for the nation’s economic and political direction.

They Bet on Fear. Workers Chose Solidarity.

If you listened only to the noise coming out of Washington in 2025, you’d think the labor movement was on life support. You’d think unions were relics, workers were powerless, and billionaires had finally finished the job they started decades ago. That’s the story the Trump administration and its corporate allies wanted told—repeated loudly, endlessly, and with the full weight of money, media, and political power behind it.

But here’s what actually happened.

Workers didn’t listen.

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Mick Foley, Moral Courage, and the Things Bigger Than a Paycheck

Every so often, someone reminds us that integrity still exists — not as a slogan, not as a branding exercise, but as a lived value. Mick Foley did exactly that this week.

Foley, a Hall of Famer whose body paid the price for a lifetime in professional wrestling, made the decision to step away from WWE because of its ongoing ties to Donald Trump. It wasn’t loud. It wasn’t theatrical. It was deliberate. And it was rooted in something that has always defined Foley far more than any persona he ever played in the ring: decency.

This matters because professional wrestling, like many industries tied to power and money, rarely rewards people who rock the boat. Silence is easier. Compartmentalization is easier. Telling yourself “it’s just business” is easier. Foley chose none of those. He drew a line and accepted whatever consequences came with it.

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I know times are tough and every dollar has a job these days. But if you’re getting value from the work we do — the reporting, the analysis, the signal-boosting for workers and unions — please consider supporting BlueCollarWriter Labor Media.

Every contribution, big or small, helps keep this independent labor journalism alive and growing.

Thank you for reading and for standing with us.

Arts & Entertainment

Book Review: Goliath at Sunset by Jonathan Brandow

Jonathan Brandow’s Goliath at Sunset is a grounded, workmanlike novel about labor, race, and dignity set inside a Boston shipyard during the 1970s. It avoids nostalgia and easy moral victories, opting instead for a measured look at how power, resentment, and solidarity operate in a workplace shaped by history and hard limits.

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Hell’s Not Far Off: Rediscovering A Forgotten Voice in Appalachia’s Labor Struggle Josh Howard’s Hell’s Not Far Off: Bruce Crawford and the Appalachian Left arrives at a moment when Appalachia’s labor movement is wrestling with new forms of old struggles. As organizers, rank-and-file workers, union leaders, scholars, and labor journalists confront corporate consolidation, political division, and the collapse of local news infrastructure, Howard’s biography of Bruce Crawford, an early 20th-century labor journalist and organizer, serves as both recovery and reminder. It restores a forgotten figure to the narrative and reinforces a truth many of us already know: the most honest history of this region is written by the people willing to stand up to its power structures.

Jobs, Business & Economy

UPS to eliminate 30,000 more jobs as Amazon volume cuts accelerate; shares riseUnited Parcel Service will shut another 24 facilities in 2026 as it reduces deliveries ‌for Amazon.com in an ongoing shift toward more profitable business.

Voters See a Middle-Class Lifestyle as Drifting Out of Reach, Poll FindsConcerns about the affordability of education, housing, health care, having a family and retirement are driving economic anxieties, a New York Times/Siena poll found.

Winter storm Fern chills the U.S. economy — and GDP could sufferThe winter storm that just pummeled the country is likely to take a chunk out of U.S. growth in the first quarter, making it even harder to figure out what is going on in the economy.

Winter Storm Fern could inflict $100 billion‑plus hit on US economyAccuWeather experts say weather damage and other disruptions could result in a financial fallout of up to $115 billion.

Trump's own Big Beautiful Bill could add $5.5 trillion to the deficit and sabotage his plan to 'grow out' of the national debt crisis | FortunePrior to the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill, Trump's "growth" math stood a chance of closing the gap. Now it's much harder to see it working.

NLRB News & Decisions

Medical Group Agrees to $1.2 Million Settlement of NLRB ChargesA medical group practice in Colorado will pay five doctors $1.2 million to settle National Labor Relations Board charges that it fired them in violation of their organizing rights.

GW Hospital resumes bargaining with service workers union eight years after unfair labor petitionGW Hospital announced Thursday it has begun open bargaining with a service workers union, more than a year after the National Labor Relations Board ruled the hospital violated labor laws by bargaining in bad faith.

Pittsburgh Paper's Closure Plan Complicates Labor Remedy - Law360 Employment AuthorityThe Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's plan to close in the midst of a bitter battle with its newsroom union clouds those workers' hopes of recovering years of heightened healthcare costs that the National Labor Relations Board ordered the company to pay back in a court-enforced ruling.

01/22/2026: Union Election Futile Due to Imminent Closing of BusinessContract bar to decertification only applies if CBA is fully executed before petition is filed.

01/16/2025: New Board Issues First Published Board DecisionDecision affirms that regional directors can certify units in absence of quorum.

Special Feature: Strong Unions, Stronger Communities and Democracy

There is an undeniable correlation between higher levels of unionization and stronger economic, community, and democratic outcomes. States with a larger share of workers represented by a union enjoy higher incomes, greater access to health insurance, and fewer voting restrictions.

When workers join together in a union and collectively bargain with their employer, they can improve their pay, benefits, and working conditions. Union contracts provide workers with:

Labor History in 2:00

Labor History in 2:00 | The Rick Smith ShowA daily, pocket-sized history of America's working people, brought to you by The Rick Smith Show team.

Form a Union!

Organizing a union in your workplace is about getting more rights and more power. Thousands of working people—all across the country and in all kinds of jobs—organize unions every year because unions are the best way to secure the things you care about.

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