BlueCollarWriter Labor News Update

Labor News

Workers walk: Almost 100K California employees struck for a daySACRAMENTO—From San Diego to San Francisco and north, almost 100,000 California state workers struck for a day on October 21 to protest Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s unfair labor practices, specifically his failure to bargain in good faith for a new contract.

Encore Boston Harbor casino strike having "substantial" impact on Massachusetts revenue, commissioner saysMassachusetts gambling regulators are hoping the ongoing Encore Boston Harbor strike will end soon as tax revenue drops.

Strike Authorization Granted by CWA Activision MembersLast week, quality assurance (QA) testers at Activision Publishing—represented by CWA Locals 6215, 7250, and 9400—voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike following recent delays at the bargaining table.

CFA Members Gear Up for a Fair Contract at Fall Assembly, Including a Strike Authorization Vote - California Faculty AssociationCFA delegates and member leaders gathered from across the state to attend CFA’s Fall Assembly this past weekend. There, members set their minds on getting

Corvallis city workers union reaches deal with city to end strikeAfter a strike that lasted a little over a week, the Corvallis city workers union has reached a contract agreement with the City.

Solidarity Spotlight: Teamsters Beverage Market Strike

They Delivered the Beer. Now Their Community Is Standing with Them. How a small town is rallying behind West Virginia Teamsters fighting to keep their hard-earned benefits.

CCAC faculty weigh walkout amid push for wage hikeSeven months into contract talks, 96% of CCAC faculty voted to authorize a strike. Union leaders spoke to Pittsburgh’s Public Source about the sticking points.

CFA Chapters Organize Actions Coinciding with Launch of Strike Authorization Vote - California Faculty AssociationCFA members across the state are holding “Cost of Living is a Nightmare“ rallies next week to build our power and kick off the start of the Strike

Chicago Hotel Strike Expands to 8 Hotels as Hilton, Hyatt Workers Join WalkoutChicago hotel strike 2026 has reached eight downtown properties after workers at the Hilton Chicago and Hyatt Regency Chicago joined the walkout on Oct. 18. Travelers with reservations at any of the eight struck hotels should check cancellation deadlines now — 38 additional hotels remain authorized

International Port Strike on October 30 Against the Arms Trade and the War Economy - Left VoiceDockworkers’ unions in several countries are calling for an international day of strikes and protests against the transport of weapons, rearmament, and the militarization of strategic infrastructure. The call has the support of the Palestinian labor movement and the Global Sumud Flotilla. In Italy, the initiative has expanded into a general strike.

Unions Are the Key to America’s Cost of Living Crisis"As everything gets more and more expensive, we believe there is a powerful solution: unions," write Liz Shuler and Heidi Shierholz.

Federal judge hears arguments in St. John’s union labor dispute — Queens Daily EagleThe battle between St. John’s University and its former faculty unions headed to court last week as a federal judge began to weigh whether state labor laws are applicable to the Catholic institution.

Interview: How We Beat Back Nonunion Subcontracting at KrogerAfter more than six months fighting against Kroger’s use of non-union subcontractors, members of Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 700 in Indiana won a victory in August, when Kroger announced it would be ending the Retail Odyssey direct store delivery (DSD) program entirely. This means more hours for union members—thanks to those who organized to enforce the contract, file grievances, and educate their co-workers. In this interview conducted by Caitlyn Clark of the reform group Essential Workers for Democracy, shop stewards Andrea Reynolds and Kristen Jackson explain how they did it.

Breakthru Beverage delivery drivers in Orlando beat union-busting effortAs Orlando Weekly previously reported, Breakthru Beverage paid a professional “union avoidance” firm more than $375,000 to convince Breakthru drivers in Florida and in California not to join the Teamsters, according to federal disclosure reports filed with the U.S. Department of Labor.

CHICAGO NURSES FILE FOR ELECTION TO JOIN TEAMSTERSNurses at Endeavor Health will hold a press conference on Friday, Oct. 23, at 10:30 a.m. to announce they have filed for their union election to join Teamsters Local 743. The group of over 2,000 nurses is fighting for a voice in the decisions affecting their workplace, including patient and staff safety.

NFL players' union wants investigation of how Jalen Hurts's blood clots were handled | CBC NewsThe NFL staunchly defended the Philadelphia Eagles' handling of quarterback Jalen Hurts's blood clots on Tuesday, while hours later the players' union called for an investigation of the situation

Cottage Nurses Push for Union as Management Pushes BackFrom staffing shortages to changes in sick leave, organizers cite a growing list of grievances.

Dungeons & Dragons creative team goes union with CWAWASHINGTON—The dice has rolled in favor of worker organization. The Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) creative team has gone union, with the Communications Workers, despite opposition from their employer, the electronic and board game giant Hasbro and its Wizards of the Coast subsidiary.

Embarcadero Media Foundation union secures first contract three years after unionizing | The NewsGuild - TNG-CWA

Phillips 66 locks out union workers at New Jersey refinery after contract expiresPhillips 66 has barred nearly 400 union workers from its Bayway refinery in Linden, New Jersey, after the collective bargaining ‌agreement and an extension of the contract expired.

WGA East Strikes Deal With Cloak to Safeguard Screenplays from AI ScrapingThe Writers Guild of America East has struck a partnership with the AI shielding tool Cloak to help writers safeguard their work from AI models.

Iowa Wellman Dynamics Workers Win IAM Union in Overwhelming VoteQuality Control workers at Wellman Dynamics have voted overwhelmingly to join the IAM Union, delivering a decisive victory in a National Labor Relations Board election on Sept. 16, 2026. “These workers showed what can happen when people stand together with a clear purpose and a commitment to one another,” said IAM Midwest Territory General Vice

How a Canadian Union Finally Bested WalmartWalmart has long stymied attempts to unionize any part of its business. Which is why the breakthrough union victory won by 800 workers at a Mississauga, Ontario regional distribution center is worth closely examining.

'Human Made, Human Paid': The Largest U.S. Musicians Union Is Demanding AI ProtectionsAFM’s “Human Made, Human Paid” campaign is asking major labels to give musicians a contract with AI protections and compensation

Workers at VISTAR Join Teamsters(OAKLAND, Calif.) – Workers at VISTAR, a subsidiary of Performance Food Group (PFG), have voted to join Teamsters Local 853. The 37 warehouse workers organize

How Investors Are Reacting To Coca Cola Consolidated Stock Teamsters Labor DisputesCoca-Cola Consolidated declared a fourth quarter 2026 dividend of $0.25 per share on its Common and Class B shares, payable on November 6, 2026 to holders of record on October 23, 2026, an action that was announced in advance but has now passed. The regular dividend affirmation sits against ongoing Teamsters labor disputes across multiple facilities, which are affecting operations and shaping how investors view the timing and resilience of Coca-Cola Consolidated cash flows. This article...

Binghamton Housing Authority workers push for union recognition and contract

America Already Has a Blueprint for Rebuilding the Middle Class. It's Called Organized Labor | Matt Alley - Blue Collar WriterEvery election cycle, Americans are promised a stronger economy. Politicians tout tax cuts, tariffs, deregulation, corporate incentives, or

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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.

Government & Politics

Union members map a fighting strategy from shop floor to ballot boxDEARBORN, Mich.—Facing a MAGA administration that attacks workers at home and fuels wars abroad, union members from across Michigan gathered at United Auto Workers Local 600 this past Saturday to map out a working-class response ahead of the November midterm elections.

Union nurses, municipalities, and voter democracy groups successfully block Trump’s fascist Department of Homeland Security from harassing and intimidating voters in nine statesJust weeks before the November midterm elections, a federal judge in California ordered on Oct. 21 a preliminary injunction that stops the Trump administration in nine states from weaponizing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to harass and intimidate voters by having armed agents go door to door to question their eligibility to vote.

Government Drops Appeal, Preserving Win for Plaintiffs in Challenge to Trump-Vance Administration’s Weaponization of Public Service Loan ForgivenessBroad Coalition of Nonprofit Organizations, Local Governments, and Labor Unions Successfully Stop Unlawful Effort to Punish Perceived Political Opponents

Democrats demand “unredacted log” of attendees at $TRUMP meme coin dinnerSenators seem to be signaling a probe of the president's crypto empire.

Trump’s Justice Department Ditches Civil Rights and School Desegregation Cases“Walking away from them doesn’t mean the discrimination has been addressed,” points out a former agency official.

Workers Can Govern, but They Need Power FirstA new book makes the most rigorous case yet for why so few working-class people hold office. But by treating the lack of workers in office as a law of electoral democracy, its authors underrate how much organized workers could change it.

Trump is trying to criminalize solidarity: “Minnesota 15” defendants speakWe speak with three union workers who are among the “Minnesota 15” defendants the Trump administration is targeting for organizing to defend their Minneapolis communities from ICE earlier this year.

Macron Says Trump Does Not Like France and Distorts Its TroublesSpeaking in Qatar, President Emmanuel Macron railed against foreign leaders who he said had made false claims about unrest in France for their own political ends.

Jeff Bezos’s Washington Post Is Obsessed With Union-BashingThe paper seems to argue unerringly in favor of the boss’s financial interests, despite the fact that labor is enjoying sky-high popularity.

Rioting in France gives Trump a new talking point as he tries to stave off GOP midterm losses | CNN PoliticsAs Kansans were waiting for President Donald Trump to arrive at his rally in Wichita this week, they were treated to a new addition to the pre-show program: footage of this weekend’s violent protests in France, most of it clipped from Fox News, aired on large screens.

FLRA Revives Mediation Program to Resolve Federal Labor Disputes — FEDmanager The Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) approved a new voluntary mediation program administered by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) to help resolve certain labor-management disputes before they require a formal decision. Under a notice in the Federal Register , FLRA sai

Poll position: An anti-Trump blue wave is predicted for the midterm elections. Will it happen, or will it be another polling miss?Polling numbers in the run-up to the November midterm elections show a sea of blue.

Gimmick or giveback? Even some Trump supporters don't expect to get $5,000 checks after midtermsWASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is hoping that $5,000 checks can juice Republican turnout in November’s midterm elections — but even some of his devoted fans are doubting that

Voters are furious about corruptionPublic anger could finally make a difference at the polls.

How the global climate fiasco fueled France's youth revoltSweltering school conditions—and government's failure to adapt—helped spawn a political crisis.

Lawyers Accuse Trump of Building a “Deportation Assembly Line” for ChildrenA new lawsuit argues that Trump administration policies are robbing migrant children of due process.

Anti-Trans Ads May Be Backfiring on RepublicansElon Musk’s America PAC has committed $100 million to a midterm push heavy on anti-transgender ads.

Judge stops Trump’s USDA dismantlement, possibly saving SNAP and WICSAN FRANCISCO—In another legal win against President Donald Trump, U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria in San Francisco banned Trump and his Agriculture Secretary, Brooke Rollins, from physically breaking up the Department of Agriculture and scattering pieces of it around the country, harming milli...

Reform’s plan to turn council workers into ‘Trump-style deportation…Proposal to add immigration inspections to the existing duties of food hygiene and fire safety staff has been criticised as a public safety risk

Trump Officials Look to Delay Pursuing Defaulted Borrowers Until Midterms PassMany Trump voters who have defaulted on student loan payments may soon have wages garnished and benefits seized.

SCOTUS Is Undermining the Rules That Have Kept US Elections Peaceful for DecadesThe Roberts Court has dismantled guardrails preventing a president from turning state agencies against political rivals.

Exclusive: Senators blast Trump's plan to rig child deportation proceedings"Under your plan," they wrote, the children’s attorneys work for the administration: "That is unacceptable."

Homeless Shelters Were Once Off-Limits to ICE. Not Anymore - People's TribuneLos Angeles Is seeing a surge in Latino Homelessness, and a 2025 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Policy Change Means Shelters Are No Longer Safe from ICE.

ICE Has Arrested Twice As Many Children This Year - People's TribuneICE arrested more than twice as many children this year through July as in the same period last year. Many of these children have been detained where lawyers and family members couldn’t find them.

ICE Terror Targets Us All - People's TribuneICE terror is morally wrong, is spreading, and can easily threaten us all. Already, there are victims nationwide, from various communities, citizens and non-citizens alike. Millions of us need to stand up. Stop The Terror. Stop ICE.

And ain’t I an American? - People's TribuneAmerica is a Hemisphere, North, Central, South, United, not Divided, Historically and culturally Indigenous at its core.

State & Local

Three California state worker unions stood together at SEIU Local 1000 strikeWhen SEIU Local 1000 President Anica Walls took to the stage at Wednesday’s strike, two other unions had leaders by her side.

Labor Goes on Election DefenseNew York City unions representing 1 million members launched a new coalition October 15 to defend the right to vote ahead of the midterm elections November 3. A thousand members rallied outside the city’s main post office, pledging to mobilize the labor movement to defend the elections from Trump administration interference. The throng included large contingents from Laborers Locals 78 and 79, the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council, building services and airport workers from SEIU 32BJ, and health care workers from 1199SEIU.

Tampa TSA Union Averted Privatization DisasterTSA agents noticed something was up. “We started seeing people around the airport that you wouldn’t normally see, people in suits,” said Mark Harris, Transportation Security Officer and union steward in Tampa, Florida. That’s when he realized the airport was a target for the TSA privatization program he had been reading about—the $13 billion Gold+ program. Harris, and his union Government Employees (AFGE) Local 556, swung into action. Transportation Security Administration workers have been winning battles lately.

Asheville rally backs federal workers’ union rights outside VA Medical CenterFederal workers and community members rally in Asheville today to support workers’ union rights.

Police Shooting of 1-Year-Old Kohen Wiley ‘Was Justified,’ Mississippi Attorney General Says - People's TribunePolice fired into a car in a MIssissippi Walmart parking lot in June, killing baby Kohen Wiley. Mississippi's attorney general now says the shooting was "justified."

Amazon workers unite with Teamsters at town hall meetingROCK TAVERN - Dissatisfied Amazon workers from the SWF1 warehouse in Rock Tavern united with Teamsters Local 445 at their headquarters Thursday night for an imp

Teamsters Rally for Delivery Protection Act at New York City Hall(NEW YORK) – Today, Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien joined hundreds of rank-and-file Amazon Teamsters and New York City elected officials, inclu

Lexington No Kings protest draws hundreds in effort to ‘activate people’ to vote earlyAcross the country, fourth No Kings protest focuses on midterm elections

Delaware Governor Signs Two CWA-Backed BillsOn September 30, Delaware Governor Matt Meyer signed two significant pro-labor bills into law.

State gaming tax revenue from Encore hits 5-year low amid ongoing strikeThe revenue decline comes after 1,300 casino employees walked off the job on Sept. 4, seeking better wages, benefits and protections.

Union's World Series ticket giveaway drives more than 11,000 sock donations for local sheltersAs Brewers fans dream about attending a World Series game, one local labor union is using that excitement to make a difference in the community.

Alabama teachers union president questions impact of school-related amendmentsBIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBMA) — Three proposed amendments to Alabama's Constitution could change how public school systems operate, but the president of the Central A

CMU professor honored for decades of ‘all-in’ union work - Michigan Education AssociationBy Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor Two childhood traits have served Marcia Mackey through a wide-ranging career in higher education and union leadership spanning almost 50 years: Mackey loves to fight for the underdog, and she commits 100% to what she believes in. “By nature, I’m very passionate and I think it shows in my […]

Orange County asks labor board to keep Teamsters strike from blocking landfillsMore than 465 workers with OC Public Works, OC Waste & Recycling and OC Community Resources walked off the job Oct. 13 after months of failed contract talks between union leaders and county officials.

Drivers Take the Wheel: How the IAM is Helping Illinois Rideshare Drivers Build Their UnionThis article was featured in the Winter 2026-2027 IAM Journal and was written by IAM Communications Representative Angela Colaizzi For rideshare drivers, pay can shift overnight. Major safety concerns are swept under the rug. Drivers can be deactivated from the apps they rely on for income with no explanation or recourse. For years, they’ve kept

Trump's $8B farm aid branded "Band-Aid" by Iowa farm leaderThe criticism comes as the administration rolls out its Harvest Fuel Relief program during the fall harvest and ahead of competitive midterm elections that will determine control of Congress.

Donald Trump asked Texas for five more Republicans. Voters might have other plans.“I’m meeting more fed-up Republicans than I ever have.”

In OCPS-teacher dispute, magistrate proposes compromise union likesOrange County Public Schools and its teachers union have been at impasse since April over rising health insurance costs and salary hikes.

Union Leader Sends Cease and Desist to Susan Collins’ Super PAC For “False and Defamatory” Attack Ad

City workers push for full pension divestment from Israel after Comptroller caves on bonds - The ChiefCity workers who pushed their unions to pass resolutions calling on the city’s pension fund to divest from Israeli stocks and bonds celebrated City Comptroller Mark Levine’s announcement on Wednesday that the city’s five pension funds would not be...

Miners’ Union Hall added to State Register of Historic Places Miners’ Union Hall in Virginia City has been added to the State Register of Historic Places.

Massachusetts ballot questions focus on public records and union rightsMassachusetts voters are considering two ballot questions this year, one addressing public records transparency and the other granting union rights to public defenders.

Trump calls for the state New Mexico to be renamed 'New America'President Donald Trump on Monday said that New Mexico should be renamed New America.

Tacoma unions rally for detained immigrantsBy Haze Leviathan and Talison Crosby Tacoma, WA – On Wednesday, October 14, around 40 people gathered outside the Northwest Detention Ce...

Trump's voter raids have begunFederal agents launched raids and arrests Monday based on a list of 20,000 people the White House alleges have illegally registered to vote.

BlueCollarWriter Commentary & Analysis

Metallica Wants Politics Out of Its Shows. That's a Problem.

By Matt Alley, BlueCollarWriter Labor Media

Music has never existed in a political vacuum. Long before arena tours, corporate sponsorships and bands selling out stadiums, music was a way to challenge authority, expose hypocrisy and give a voice to people who otherwise went unheard. From folk singers using their lyrics to challenge war and economic injustice to minstrels and traveling performers slipping political jabs into songs and routines, musicians have long understood something that seems to escape some of today's biggest acts: sometimes a song can say what people aren't allowed to say out loud.

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The Kids Are Alright: When the Next Generation Gets Tired of Being Told to Wait Their Turn

By Matt Alley, BlueCollarWriter Labor Media

There is a lesson in the streets of Paris that goes well beyond France, and it has little to do with whether you agree with every person carrying a sign or marching in the streets. A younger generation is looking at the world it is inheriting and asking a question that makes the comfortable deeply uncomfortable: Why the hell should we accept a system that keeps telling us there isn't enough to go around while those at the top keep getting richer?

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When You Can't Squeeze Another Dollar Out of Your Customers: PlayStation and Late-Stage Capitalism

By Matt Alley, BlueCollarWriter Labor Media

Somewhere down the road, what's happening between Sony and its PlayStation customers could end up as a case study in business and economics classes. Not because video games are going away, but because we're watching what happens when a corporation mistakes customer loyalty for an unlimited credit line.

And you don't have to be a gamer to understand the lesson.