BlueCollarWriter Labor News Update

Labor News

9/11 responders face a growing death toll and healthcare crisis - IAFFTwenty-four years after the Sept. 11 attacks, diseases tied to Ground Zero exposure are still claiming fire fighters’ lives.

Remembering Our CWA Members Impacted by 9/11Twenty-four years ago, on September 11, 2001, CWA members made a promise to never forget the horrific attacks on the World Trade Center Complex (WTCC) and the Pentagon, and those lost in Shanksville, Pa.

Leaders, staff honor memory of members killed on 9-11September 11, 2025 — PEF leaders, members, and staff honored the memories of the 34 union members who were killed in the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, in New...

3 Crises Facing the Labor MovementThe slogan "Organize or Die" has become uncomfortably relevant.

Boeing and Union for 3,200 Striking Workers Reach New Proposed DealWorkers who make military aircraft and equipment in the St. Louis area have been on strike since early August after rejecting an earlier agreement.

University of Minnesota and Teamsters hurl misconduct complaints at each other as strike continuesThe Teamsters filed an unfair labor practices complaint Thursday, alleging that police are trying to intimidate U service workers who are picketing.

Big Ten Network Studio Technicians Ratify First Union Contract to Join IATSE Local 762Studio Technicians at the Big Ten Network (BTN) in Chicago have officially ratified their first union contract with the International Alliance of ...

CWA Members Hold Hard Line with FrontierMembers have been working without a contract since September 7. A strike vote is currently underway.

Evergreen Public Schools reaches tentative deal with union to end strikeAfter a three-week delay, the school year is tentatively set to begin on Friday for Evergreen Public Schools.

Government & Politics

This administration is forgetting the sacrifice of 9/11 responders Under this administration, a program Congress created to treat 9/11 first responders is being starved of resources.

Teachers Unions Sue Trump Administration For Harmful Immigration PoliciesThe two largest teaches unions in America are suing the Trump administration for targeting immigrants in schools causing increased absences.

OPINION: Trump is the biggest union-buster in U.S. history - The Labor TribuneMore than 1 million federal workers’ collective bargaining rights are at risk By PATRICK OAKFORD and MARGARET POYDOCK Economic Policy Institute (EPI) Since Inauguration Day, the Trump administration has taken a flurry of actions that have put our federal agencies, economy, and democracy at risk. One alarming line of attack that directly threatens workers’ economic...

Unions urge VA to restore bargaining ahead of deadlinePresident Trump’s order extending a ban on collective bargaining to additional agencies opened the door for more labor groups to continue representing employees at the Veterans Affairs and Defense departments.

The Latest: Trump’s emergency order over DC is expiringPresident Donald Trump’s emergency order over Washington, D.C., is expiring as House Republicans try to wrest more control from the capital city. But the National Guard and some other federal

E&E News: NWS union lawsuit challenges contract terminationsThe National Weather Service Employees Organization disputes the national security rationale the Trump administration provided to cancel collective bargaining agreements.

Mamdani Gets Backing From National Democrats as Trump Enters FrayDemocrats have been slow to embrace Zohran Mamdani, the democratic socialist who won New York City’s mayoral primary. Many, especially in New York, still are.

Democrats Want JPMorgan and Other Banks to Testify Over Epstein TiesTen Democratic senators called on the Senate Banking Committee to hold hearings into the role that financial institutions may have played in enabling Jeffrey Epstein’s sex crimes.

America Circles the AbyssWith Charlie Kirk's assassination, political violence in America is reaching a terrifying climax. It must stop.

State & Local

Chicago Resistance Speaks: ‘Until All Are Free, None Are Free’ - People's TribuneAn uprising is growing as the government tries to impose a dictatorship. Chicago resistance leaders recently offered their thoughts in public remarks made at demonstrations and press conferences.

Unions: NYC hasn't paid 9/11 first responder widows, families from healthcare fund in nearly a yearSince November, the Office of Labor Relations hasn’t made the $850,000 in quarterly payments that go to widows and children of fallen employees through the Health Insurance Stabilization Fund

New York governor claims Trump administration is responsible for possible Long Island rail strike - TrainsNEW YORK — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declined to say Wednesday whether she would ask President Donald Trump to appoint a Presidential Emergency Board to head off a potential strike by five Long Island Rail Road unions, and claimed that the Trump administration was responsible for the possibility of a walkout as soon as Sept. 18. At a Wednesday (Sept.

Minnesota IAM Union Members Connect with Public at State FairFor more than 50 years, IAM Air Transport Local 1833 has proudly represented the IAM Union at the Minnesota AFL-CIO House of Labor Pavilion during the Minnesota State Fair. The pavilion serves as a hub where fairgoers can learn about the benefits of union membership, meet union members from various trades, and experience the strength

New Jersey Governor Signs Two Pro-Labor Bills into Law

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law two bipartisan, pro-labor bills on Wednesday that will benefit working people in the state.

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Unions strike deal to advance Calif. bill requiring housing near public transitA proposed law that would make it easier to build apartments near public transportation is moving forward following a deal with a major labor union.

North Carolina Electrical Workers Gear Up for Jobsite ICE DefenseI'm an electrical worker in IBEW Local 553 in Durham, North Carolina. We're one of the fastest growing locals in the South, with members in both construction and utility line work. Last month, I worked with a group of members to organize an immigrant defense training at our union hall, after persuading our officers to approve it. We worked with local immigrant organization Siembra NC to lead it. We had about twenty people there, half IBEW members and half from other organizations. Everybody agreed it was very useful. Siembra NC combined two trainings into one.

Morrisey unveils 50 by 50 energy plan - WV MetroNewsGov. Patrick Morrisey says the policy is to ensure West Virginia is energy dominant.

Kentucky students need more than just ‘moments of silence’Meditation is great. So is enough food and protection from abuse.

NLRB News & Decisions

09/11/2025: GC Declines to Bring Complaint Against Albertsons for Not Hiring King Soopers StrikersAlso workers misclassified as independent contractors cleared for union vote.

Jobs, Business & Economy

Is a Trump Slump on the Way?The American economy seems headed in the opposite direction of the “golden age” Donald Trump promised in his inaugural address.

New York Times confirms Big Oil’s “brewing effort” to secure immunity from climate lawsuitsLocal governments are urging Congress to keep the courthouse doors open for communities seeking to make polluters pay for climate deception.

Georgia Battery Plant Raid Spotlights Hyundai’s Horrible Labor PracticesFour hundred and seventy-five workers were arrested at a joint Hyundai and LG Energy Solutions electric-vehicle battery plant under construction in Ellabell, Georgia, on September 4. It was the largest immigration raid at a single location in U.S. history. The detained workers, most of whom were employed by subcontractors, were shackled with chains around their hands, ankles, and waists in a video released by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. LG said 47 of its employees were also detained.

The World Is About to Have Trillionaires. Enough Already.Elon Musk is poised to become the world’s first trillionaire. Still, liberals are hand-wringing about the potential pitfalls of wealth redistribution. In truth, we should have stopped the rise of the economic superelite long ago. Better late than never.

IMF says US economy showing strains; tariffs pose some risks to inflationThe U.S. economy is showing some strains after years of resilience, with domestic demand moderating and job growth slowing, the International Monetary Fund said on Thursday. IMF spokesperson Julie Kozack said inflation was on a path to meet the Federal Reserve's 2% target, but there were some risks that could push it higher, largely as a result of tariffs imposed on imports by the Trump administration.

BlueCollarWriter Commentary & Analysis

Hunter's Warning, My Reality

"Twenty-four years later, we are living with the results. The rise of fascism in the United States is no longer subtle, no longer hidden in whispers or shadows. It’s out in the open—loud, proud, and unapologetic. And it was all made possible by fear, sold to us in endless doses until it became our normal."

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Chicago: The Face of True American Courage

When federal ICE raids rolled into Chicago without warning — hardened, militarized, unannounced — Chicagoans didn’t flinch. No, they rose up. With banners billowing in the wind, voices booming at Daley Plaza, students and families standing in solidarity on street corners, and faith leaders rallying in prayer and resistance, the city answered with unity, patriotism, and fierce love.

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Football Is Back, and It's Union Strong

The air has shifted. The days are shorter. And that familiar rhythm of Sunday afternoon is back in full force. Football is here again — the National Football League, the biggest, boldest, most-watched spectacle in America. It’s sport, it’s ritual, it’s fandom, and it’s Americana rolled into one. There’s nothing else quite like it.

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The Legacy of Blair Mountain: The persevering fight for workers' rights a century later

If you care about labor history and the fights that still define us today, don’t miss this.

This brand-new documentary just debuted last week here in my local TV market, and it’s a must-watch. Blair Mountain isn’t just a century-old story—it’s the foundation of why unions matter and why workers still fight for dignity and a fair shake.

For me, it’s not abstract. My ties to the region and the union run deep, and this history is part of who I am. WCHS-TV did a helluva job here, and it’s the kind of storytelling we need more of.

Give it a watch. Share it. Keep the memory alive.

Matt Alley,

BlueCollarWriter Labor Media

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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