BlueCollarWriter Labor News Update
Labor News Update - 04/28/2023
Labor News
Workers just beat Amazon in a union battle, but the war is far from over — What happens next depends on Amazon, the workers, and the interpretation of outdated US labor law. https://www.vox.com/technology/2023/4/27/23667968/amazon-contractor-delivery-union-teamsters
YouTube Music Workers Just Unanimously Won A Union Vote https://www.vice.com/en/article/xgwdzz/youtube-music-workers-just-unanimously-won-a-union-vote
Young doctors just out of medical school working as resident physicians, fellows and interns at major US hospitals are organizing unions at an increasing rate, citing long-running problems highlighted by the Covid-19 pandemic and a need to rethink the struggles young doctors face in the profession. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/apr/27/doctors-union-labor-covid-pay
Fight Like Hell: The Testimony of Mother Jones https://umwa.org/fight-like-hell/
Mayoral candidate and longtime grocery store proprietor Jeff Brown has declared that the Philadelphia-region stores he’s associated with will no longer be selling Coca-Cola products because of an ongoing strike at Liberty Coca-Cola Beverages in Philadelphia. https://www.inquirer.com/jobs/labor/jeff-brown-teamsters-liberty-coca-cola-strike-shop-rite-fresh-grocer-20230427.html
Why 340,000 UPS workers are preparing to strike in the US — United Parcel Service workers and the company are in negotiations over a new contract. The workers, who are vital to the country’s economy, often don’t have time to return home for a full night of sleep or are forced to rest in shelters because their pay is too low to afford a room. https://peoplesdispatch.org/2023/04/27/why-340000-ups-workers-are-preparing-to-strike-in-the-us/
Coca-Cola teamsters in southern West Virginia remain on the job, but are now working without a contract. https://wchstv.com/news/local/wva-coca-cola-teamsters-remain-on-the-job-despite-strike-authorization
Brooklyn Museum Union Pickets VIP Artists Ball as Contract Negotiations Stallhttps://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/brooklyn-museum-union-pickets-vip-artists-ball-1234665695/
Worker Militancy Has Fueled a Surge in Union Growth and Popularity https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/labor-militancy-union-growth
NetJets Pilots’ Union Launches Suit Over Website Referrals https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/netjets-pilots-union-launches-suit-over-web-site-referrals/
Union workers of Teamsters 542 are on strike https://kyma.com/news/local-news/2023/04/25/union-workers-of-teamsters-542-are-on-strike/
Workers at the Wharf's Moon Rabbit restaurant are trying to unionize https://wamu.org/story/23/04/26/moon-rabbit-workers-try-to-unionize/
Bustle Digital Group, Writers Guild East Reach 1st Union Contract https://www.thewrap.com/bustle-digital-group-writers-guild-east-reach-union-contract/
Philadelphia's University of the Arts Faculty and Staff Rally for Contract https://hyperallergic.com/817564/philadelphia-university-of-the-arts-faculty-and-staff-rally-for-contract/
IAM, Cleveland-Cliffs reach tentative labor agreement for 2,100 at Middletown Works https://www.bizjournals.com/cleveland/news/2023/04/26/cleveland-cliffs-reaches-tentative-labor-agreement.html
A Rank-and-File Reform Movement Is Stirring in the United Food and Commercial Workers https://jacobin.com/2023/04/ufcw-rank-and-file-reform-movement-union-democracy-strike-organizing
Studios Sold Wall Street on Cost-Cutting. But Unions Are a Tougher Task
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/writers-guild-studios-deadline-1235402931/
Educators and support staff gathered together in front of Austin ISD headquarters building April 27 to rally with Education Austin, the Austin teachers' union, as part of the "Know Your Worth" campaign. https://www.fox7austin.com/news/austin-teachers-union-rallies-pay-increase-aisd-headquarters
Workers Memorial Day
Workers Memorial Day 2023On April 28, the labor movement observes Workers Memorial Day to remember workers killed, injured, or made ill on the job and to renew the fight for strong safety and health protections. https://aflcio.org/about-us/conferences-and-events/workers-memorial-day
Is your workplace safe?
https://ky.aflcio.org/news/your-workplace-safe
Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect, 2023 https://aflcio.org/reports/death-job-toll-neglect-2023
California marks Workers’ Memorial Day, honoring those that were injured or died on the job https://fox40.com/news/california-connection/california-marks-workers-memorial-day-honoring-those-that-were-injured-or-died-on-the-job/
185 Texas workers died on the job in 2022. We must do better. https://elpasomatters.org/2023/04/27/opinion-workers-memorial-day-el-paso-diego-alvarado-osha/
Organized labor members to gather for Workers’ Memorial Day https://www.13abc.com/2023/04/27/organized-labor-members-gather-recognition-workers-memorial-day/President Joe Biden's proclamation on Workers Memorial Day, 2023
2023 Workers Memorial Day: Organize for Safe Jobs https://cwa-union.org/news/2023-workers-memorial-day-organize-safe-jobs
Workers Memorial Day: OSHA to host ceremony; AFL-CIO releases report https://ky.aflcio.org/news/todays-afl-cio-press-clips-429
Breaking: AFL-CIO report data shows Latino and Black workers dying on the job at highest rate in over a decade
Union Slams Lack of Covid Rule in 2023 'Death on the Job' Report
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/safety/union-slams-lack-of-covid-rule-in-2023-death-on-the-job-report
The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) on Friday will honor transportation workers who have been killed or injured while working on state roadways. https://www.kaaltv.com/news/mndot-honors-fallen-transportation-workers-during-worker-memorial-day/
April 28 is Workers Memorial Day, commemorating those killed, sickened, or injured on the job. As part of a week of events, today the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health is releasing its “Dirty Dozen” report.
https://www.labornotes.org/2023/04/dirty-dozen-dangerous-employers-named-workers-memorial-day
On Workers Memorial Day, remember the labor unions that fought to make work safer https://ky.aflcio.org/news/lexington-herald-leader-workers-memorial-day-remember-labor-unions
To Observe Workers Memorial Day, AFGE Raises Awareness on Workplace Violence
AFL-CIO: 105 Wisconsin workers died on the job in 2021 https://www.wisbusiness.com/2023/afl-cio-105-wisconsin-workers-died-on-the-job-in-2021/
A FedEx Worker Was Killed on the Job. Her Case Wasn't an Anomaly
Politics, Government & Legislation
AFL-CIO president Liz Schuler tapped to join US-EU trade and technology council talent for growth task force
FEA fears ‘union busting’ bill could shut down 1/3 of teachers’ union chapters in Florida https://www.wokv.com/news/fea-fears-union-busting-bill-could-shut-down-13-teachers-union-chapters-florida/QWHTTSSPP5F7FG2GKTPAZ5ZNTI/
Florida GOP Passes Bill to Undermine Unions for Public Employees – Except Cops https://truthout.org/articles/florida-gop-passes-bill-to-undermine-unions-for-public-employees-except-cops/
VOSHA fines Zwanenberg Food Group USA of Cincinnati $2 million; company has been a severe violator since 2017
Senators unveil bipartisan proposal to require Supreme Court to adopt code of conduct https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/3972535-senators-unveil-bipartisan-proposal-to-require-supreme-court-to-adopt-code-of-conduct/
Our Veterans’ Sacrifices Are Under Attack
https://aflcio.org/2023/4/26/service-solidarity-spotlight-our-veterans-sacrifices-are-under-attack
The New College of Florida trustees now dominated by conservatives appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis voted Wednesday to deny tenure to five professors, overriding concerns by faculty and students that the decision poses a threat to academic freedom. https://apnews.com/article/new-college-florida-tenure-conservatives-desantis-ce711c9169ebe84e9d062ebbb281ebce
The Lincoln County, W.Va., school board voted Tuesday night to eliminate most of their social worker positions within the district. — Teachers, parents and students made a final plea at the start of the board meeting, asking the board to keep the social workers. https://www.wsaz.com/2023/04/26/school-board-votes-eliminate-majority-social-workers-school-district/
NLRB News & Decisions
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee voted along party lines Wednesday to advance Julie Su's nomination to be Labor secretary, with several senators' floor votes still in question. The AFL-CIO separately this month announced a six-figure ad buy in support of Su, set to air in states where moderate Senate Democrats would be up for reelection next cycle.
https://rollcall.com/2023/04/26/senate-panel-advances-su-for-labor-secretary/
Jobs, Business & Economy
Recession risk and inflation fears creating 'a huge amount of confusion' for investors, strategist says https://www.cnbc.com/2023/04/27/recession-and-inflation-fears-stoking-investor-confusion-strategist.html
How will we know if the US economy is in a recession?
The U.S. economy is losing steam. Bank woes and other hurdles are to blame.
https://www.npr.org/2023/04/27/1171993308/economy-gdp-growth-recession-mcdonalds
Big banks are putting the brakes on car dealerships, pulling back on lending, wreaking havoc across the auto industry and sending mom-and-pop shops into a tailspin. https://www.newsnationnow.com/business/banks-auto-lending-car-dealerships/
Gov. Andy Beshear announced three large economic development projects will be coming to Kentucky, along with hundreds of new jobs, during his weekly press conference at the Capitol on Thursday.
This Day in Labor History
Labor History in 2:00 Podcast:
On this day in labor history the year was 1971. That was the day the Occupational Safety and Health Act went into effect.
At the time, it was estimated that 14,000 workers died annually on the job, 2.2 million workers were permanently or temporarily disabled and half a million developed occupational diseases each year.
It was estimated that at least 25 million serious injuries and deaths went unreported each year.
Many of the standards, regulations and enforcements OSHA now has, have come as a result of intense, continuous pressure waged by the labor movement.
The Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers Union (OCAW) was the first to test out the new bill when they filed a complaint against Allied Chemical in Moundsville, West Virginia in May 1971.
Among the many hazards at the facility, pools of mercury on the shop floor were common occurrences.
OSHA issued its first citation against Allied Chemical under the General Duty clause.
The first OSHA standard issued came a year later, for asbestos.
Today, the AFL-CIO notes that for the year 2015, 4,836 workers were killed on the job, there is one OSHA inspector for every 76,000 workers and on average it would take OSHA 145 years to inspect every workplace once.
But new rules protecting workers from silica dust and beryllium have been established, as have strong reporting and recordkeeping standards.
There are stricter coal dust standards and anti-retaliation protections for workplace whistleblowers. The Trump administration is looking to overturn all of it.
You can take action this Workers Memorial Day to protect working conditions on the job.
Find an event in your area by going to: https://aflcio.org/about-us/conferences-and-events/workers-memorial-day
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