Labor News Update - 04/24/2023

Labor News

UAW President: 'No excuse' for Detroit's non-union EV operations https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/business/reuters/uaw-president-no-excuse-for-detroits-non-union-ev-operations-100846116/

'I want to have a good relationship': New UAW leader already has issues with Detroit automakers https://www.whas11.com/article/news/nation-world/uaw-leader-issues-detroit-automakers-ford-gm-stellantis/417-29257fba-0406-4c60-b730-b7dd94f8e6b8

UAW president on auto contract talks: 'We're going to do what we have to do'

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/2023/04/22/uaw-president-on-auto-talks-were-going-to-do-what-we-have-to-do/70131482007/

This Fairmont Hotel hired anti- union consultants to intimidate workers (and everything else we learned)

https://www.laborlab.us/fairmont_hotel_hired_anti_union_consultants_to_intimidate_workers_and_everything_else_we_learned

Supreme Court ends Waterfront Commission’s reign of union-busting in New Jersey port https://www.itfglobal.org/en/news/supreme-court-ends-waterfront-commissions-reign-union-busting-in-new-jersey-port

Members of South Charleston-based Teamsters Local 175 voted unanimously Sunday to authorize a strike against Coca-Cola Consolidated.

https://wvmetronews.com/2023/04/23/teamsters-local-175-votes-to-authorize-strike-against-coke/

After a nine-day strike, sanitation workers in Memphis signed a five-year contract with Republic Services. https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/local/2023/04/22/sanitation-workers-reach-agreement-with-republic-services-after-strike/70140257007/

High-stakes negotiations between UPS and the Teamsters started this week. Catch up on the issues union leaders have vowed to strike over. https://www.businessinsider.com/ups-teamsters-high-stakes-negotiations-strike-potential-issues-2023-4

Teamsters Local 830 to hold rally outside Liberty Coca-Cola plant https://youtu.be/rhSUrLo-YpQ

Teamsters went on strike on Wednesday, at two Rise marijuana stores in the city of Joliet over what the union calls an unfair labor practice. Union leaders are trying to negotiate wages and retirement benefits but say they’re far apart on both issues. The union also says the company told employees to remove their Teamsters buttons while negotiating. Rise dispensaries operate ten Illinois stores. Workers voted to unionize last year and have been negotiating their first contract. Teamsters went on strike at 4:20 PM Wednesday, the eve of April 20th — or 4-20, considered an informal holiday for cannabis consumers. https://www.wjol.com/teamsters-plan-strike-at-area-cannabis-stores-upd/

Support Fred Meyer workers in Sumner who want a union https://www.thestand.org/2023/04/support-fred-meyer-workers-in-sumner/

Hotel workers face unwelcome guests: union busters hired by bosses https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/apr/22/anti-union-consultants-california-fairmont-resort

Apple Store Workers Want to Unionize. Apple Is Union Busting https://jacobin.com/2023/04/apple-store-kansas-city-union-organizing

SAG-AFTRA Unanimously Votes to “Strongly” Support WGA in Its Contract Negotiations https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/sag-aftra-statement-support-wga-contract-negotiations-1235399611/

TV Writers Flex Union Muscles https://www.laprogressive.com/labor-social-justice/tv-writers-flex-union-muscles

Politics, Government & Legislation

Kentucky Center for Economic Policy : (Kentucky) Income tax changes passed this year will reduce state revenues by $1.3 billion annually while sales tax hikes make up for only $74 million. That's $1 dollar of new revenue for every $18 cut and a major hit to a state budget that pays for things we all rely on: https://bit.ly/3L4HenE

As GOP states shut hospitals, nurses and labor push for health care https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/as-gop-states-shut-hospitals-nurses-and-labor-push-for-health-care/

The Economy Alone Can't Fix the Racial Divide in Labor https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/04/20/black-unemployment-still-isn-t-where-it-should-be-in-the-us/e96d4434-df70-11ed-a78e-9a7c2418b00c_story.html

Labor-backed bills moving forward in the Oregon Legislature https://nwlaborpress.org/2023/04/labor-backed-bills-mAAoving-forward-in-the-oregon-legislature/

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Friday announced she replaced her director of early childhood education over the use of a teacher training book, written by a nationally recognized education group, that the Republican governor denounced as teaching “woke concepts” because of language about inclusion and structural racism. https://apnews.com/article/alabama-education-director-ousted-training-book-402adde81b5308f997880d4f913594fe

The Texas Senate passed a bill Thursday requiring each public school classroom to display a copy of the Ten Commandments, a move that drew backlash from civil liberty advocates who say lawmakers should not dictate what religious materials students are exposed to. https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2023/04/22/us/texas-senate-passes-bill-ten-commandments/index.html

Texas Senate passes bill to end countywide voting on Election Day

Opponents say the bill would make it more difficult for people in sprawling counties to find a place to vote. https://www-nbcnews-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna80829?amp_gsa=1&amp_js_v=a9&usqp=mq331AQGsAEggAID#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=16822402418898&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcnews.com%2Fpolitics%2Fpolitics-news%2Ftexas-senate-passes-bill-end-countywide-voting-election-day-rcna80829

NLRB News & Decisions 

Unions are stepping in to boost President Joe Biden’s pick to lead the Labor Department as Democrats seek to avert an embarrassing defeat that would set back the administration’s agenda for workers. 

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/04/22/julie-su-labor-secretary-confirmation-00093329

Julie Su just overcame her first big hurdle on the road to becoming our next secretary of labor, and workers are standing behind her.

https://aflcio.org/2023/4/21/watch-julie-sus-first-hearing

Battle Over Labor Secretary Nominee Reflects a Larger Fight for Biden

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/20/business/economy/julie-su-labor-secretary.html

Labor nominee Julie Su defends record as ey Senate Democrats remain undecided https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/3961036-labor-nominee-julie-su-defends-record-as-key-senate-democrats-remain-undecided/

Confirmation battle for Biden labor secretary pick heats up, complicated by Democrats https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/confirmation-battle-biden-labor-secretary-pick-heats-complicated/story?id=98706123

Tell Your Senators: Confirm Julie Su as Secretary of Labor! https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-your-senators-confirm-julie-su-as-secretary-of-labor/?link_id=0&can_id=03cf3a4da8bc5e187dcf000a3360189a&source=email-exposed-wage-theft-at-one-of-americas-largest-employers&email_referrer=email_1891478&email_subject=e

Did you know the NLRB protects the right of workers to act together to improve their working conditions; for example, by calling for an employer to remove pollutants & other environmental hazards affecting their working conditions? Learn more— NLRB.gov

Jobs & Economy 

Why America's childcare system is crumbling and its workers are begging for help https://www.businessinsider.com/childcare-workers-pay-quit-impact-on-children-tuition-increase-2023-4

Twitter Demands Advertisers Pay for a Blue Check or Spend $1,000 a Month. 

Elon has deployed a lot of losing business strategies at Twitter. Now he's requiring a subscription to Twitter Blue for the privilege of running ads.

https://gizmodo.com/elon-musk-twitter-blue-advertisers-required-1850361922

This Day in Labor History 

Labor History in 2:00 Podcast:

On this day in Labor History the year was 1999.  A headline from the Los Angeles Times declared, “Dock Crews to Halt Work in Support of Death Row Inmate.”  Up and down the west coast the ports stood silent.  The International Longshoreman and Warehouseman’s Union had called their members off the job for a one-day strike.