Labor News Update - 05/05/2023

Writers Guild of America Strike Updates

WGA Plans Rallies For May 15 In LA. And New York As Strike Enters Second Day https://deadline.com/2023/05/wga-strike-massive-rallies-planned-los-angeles-new-york-1235355058/

All the TV Shows and Movies Affected by the WGA Writers Strike (Updating) https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/tv-shows-movies-affected-wga-writers-strike-2023-1235601094/

WGA Strike Meetings: LA Crowd Gives Chief Negotiator Ellen Stutzman Loud Standing Ovation: New York Event Told "Entire Labor Movement Is Behind Us" https://deadline.com/2023/05/writers-strike-rally-new-york-los-angeles-1235355445/

WGA MEMBERS JOINED BY OTHER UNIONS AT MEETING IN SHOW OF SOLIDARITY DURING WRITERS STRIKE https://abc7.com/wga-writers-strike-hollywood-studios/13212628/

"The Companies Have Broken This Business": Hollywood Writers Begin Strike https://inthesetimes.com/article/hollywood-writers-strike-guild-wga-streaming

NBC's late night talk show staff get pay and benefits during writers strike https://news.wgcu.org/2023-05-04/nbcs-late-night-talk-show-staff-get-pay-and-benefits-during-writers-strike

Got a WGA union card? These

bars and restaurants want to give you a discount during the strike https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2023-05-04/writers-strike-restaurants-bars-offer-discounts-wga-food-drink

Watch Hollywood Teamsters Chief Lindsay Dougherty’s Mic-Drop Moment At WGA Strike Meeting https://deadline.com/2023/05/writers-strike-hollywood-teamsters-lindsay-dougherty-mic-drop-moment-1235356500/

WGA Strike Shuts Down Billions' Amid Skirmishes, Cries Of "Scabs" Outside NYC Studio; Teamsters Refuse To Cross Pickets At 'American Horror Story'

Filming https://deadline.com/2023/05/writers-strike-billions-shut-down-american-horror-story-teamsters-new-york-police-1235356415/

Support Striking Writers Guild Members - sign the petition now. https://actionnetwork.org/letters/support-striking-writers-guild-members/?source=labourstart

Labor News

IUE-CWA and the Italian Federation

of Metalworkers Pioneer New Era of Global Solidarity Among GE Union Workers https://cwa-union.org/news/iue-cwa-and-italian-federation-metalworkers-pioneer-new-era-global-solidarity-among-ge-union

A Union Busting Chatbot? Eating Disorders Nonprofit Puts the 'AI' in Retaliation https://www.labornotes.org/blogs/2023/05/union-busting-chatbot-eating-disorders-nonprofit-puts-ai-retaliation

Teamsters Begin Major Amazon Fight - A group of unionized delivery drivers in Palmdale, California, could open new possibilities for a legal challenge to Amazon’s subcontracting model https://prospect.org/labor/2023-05-04-teamsters-begin-major-amazon-fight/

DHL Express Workers Expose Gruesome Working Conditions - DHL ramp agents just voted to unionize. This is why. https://perfectunion.us/dhl-express-workers-expose-gruesome-working-conditions/

Labor unions are important organizations for economic empowerment and for workplace representation. For decades, graduate students have been unionizing around the country and are currently thriving in many of the nation’s leading research institutions, from the University of California and the University of Michigan, to many Ivy League schools such as Columbia, Harvard, and Yale. Graduate students at Princeton are seeking to join this group, and more than half of the graduate student body signed a union card in support of Princeton Graduate Students United (PGSU).  https://www.dailyprincetonian.com/article/2023/05/princeton-union-pgsu-collective-bargaining-graduate-students-professor

Prescription drug coverage issues linger for Justice coal company

retirees, UMWA says https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/politics/prescription-drug-coverage-issues-linger-for-justice-coal-company-retirees-umwa-says/article_159217a0-e8a6-515b-b180-b2277b0f8e94.html

ICYMI - UMWA reaches tentative collective bargaining agreement with Rem Arms Inc. in Ilion, New York https://umwa.org/news-media/press/umwa-reaches-tentative-collective-bargaining-agreement-with-rem-arms-inc-in-ilion-new-york/

United Soccer League Players Association Launches New Mental Health Services for Members https://cwa-union.org/news/united-soccer-league-players-association-launches-new-mental-health-services-members

CWA Members Strengthen Their Skills To Build Power https://cwa-union.org/news/cwa-members-strengthen-their-skills-build-power

Celebrate Mother’s Day with Flower Discounts for Union Members https://unionplus.teleflora.com/?srccode=PP_LP_DigitalToolKit&promotion=BAAUPC30&utm_medium=Banners&utm_source=LandingPage&utm_campaign=Banner

My Great-Uncle Was Shot at the Memorial Day Massacre. Why Was

This Working Class History Silenced? In 1937, police killed striking steel workers in Chicago, but the story behind the tragedy was repressed. No more. https://inthesetimes.com/article/memorial-day-massacre-steel-union-labor-strike-chicago

Teachers in Oakland,California, are set to strike Thursday over contract talks https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/04/us/california-oakland-teachers-strike/index.html

Doherty High School closed due to staff absences; D-11 teachers gather to watch union contract negotiations https://gazette.com/news/education/doherty-high-school-closed-due-to-staff-absences-d-11-teachers-gather-to-watch-union/article_29212404-ea86-11ed-b6e5-3b5dd6dba9ba.html

A group of Smithville workers, and Communications Workers of America union members participated in an informational picket outside Smithville, a local internet provider, and telecommunications company on Wednesday in Ellettsville, Indiana. The workers and the company are currently negotiating a union contract. https://bloomingtonian.com/2023/05/04/workers-picket-outside-smithville-during-union-contact-negotiations-wednesday-in-ellettsville-indiana/

Teachers union president: More transparency from PPS administration needed https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/local-news/teachers-union-president-more-transparency-from-pps-administration-needed/

UFCW union opposes Kroger-Albertsons merger: reports https://www.chicagobusiness.com/retail/ufcw-international-opposes-kroger-albertsons-deal-report

Starbucks pushes appeal in Memphis union case; US labor tactics scrutinized https://www.reuters.com/markets/us/starbucks-pushes-appeal-memphis-union-case-us-labor-tactics-scrutinized-2023-05-04/

New union contract with WKBW-TV's owner sheds light on local TV news salaries https://buffalonews.com/entertainment/television/alan-pergament-new-union-contract-with-wkbw-tvs-owner-sheds-light-on-local-tv-news/article_b94d140e-e9ad-11ed-9393-5f0081d8e7f9.html

Analysis: Delta's pilot deal turns up the heat on rival airlines' union negotiations https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/deltas-pilot-deal-turns-up-heat-rival-airlines-union-negotiations-2023-05-04/

Orono town office and public library employees are on their way to forming a union nearly three months after first announcing their bid to unionize. https://www.bangordailynews.com/2023/05/04/news/bangor/municipal-employees-orono-union-joam40zk0w/

Denver teachers lack confidence in safety plan, want mental health support and smaller classes https://co.chalkbeat.org/2023/5/3/23710559/denver-teachers-union-safety-plan-shooting-small-class-sizes-mental-health

Workers to Starbucks: Time to Negotiate https://www.labornotes.org/2023/05/workers-starbucks-time-negotiate

Culinary workers may strike at Valley Hospital https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/culinary-workers-may-strike-at-valley-hospital-2771852/?utm_campaign=widget&utm_medium=section_row&utm_source=news&utm_term=Culinary%20workers%20may%20strike%20at%20Valley%20Hospital

Throwing The Heroes Away': As Arkansas Tyson Plant Closes, Workers Strike over Treatment https://www.labornotes.org/2023/04/throwing-heroes-away-arkansas-tyson-plant-closes-workers-strike-over-treatment

How Starbucks Just Broke the Law (Again) - Starbucks workers reveal the companies illegal union-busting tactics https://perfectunion.us/how-starbucks-just-broke-the-law-again/

As the labor community celebrated International Workers’ Day, the United Way spotlighted the history made by Yvonne Brooks, the president of the Georgia State AFL-CIO: https://aflcio.org/2023/5/4/service-solidarity-spotlight-yvonne-brooks-making-history

Politics, Government & Legislation

Bernie Sanders is planning to introduce a bill that would raise the minimum wage to $17 an hour https://www.businessinsider.com/when-will-the-minimum-wage-increase-bernie-sanders-new-bill-2023-5

Lifting Workers Out of Poverty https://progressive.org/magazine/lifting-workers-out-of-poverty-johnson/

CA lawmakers approve help for hospitals, farm worker union bill changes and other budget action https://www.kcra.com/article/california-budget-gavin-newsom-farm-workers-hospitals/43796677

NLRB News & Decisions 

Julie Su Nomination Advances; Show Your Support https://aflcio.org/2023/5/1/service-solidarity-spotlight-julie-su-nomination-advances-show-your-support

Fisheries Workers, Cut for Organizing, File Labor Board Charges https://www.labornotes.org/2023/05/fisheries-workers-cut-organizing-file-labor-board-charges

NLRB Ends Fight Over Union Work On Facebook Building  https://www.law360.com/employment-authority/articles/1604617/nlrb-ends-fight-over-union-work-on-facebook-building

Tesla Tells 5th Circ. To Reverse NLRB's Union Shirts Order  https://www.law360.com/employment-authority/articles/1604515/tesla-tells-5th-circ-to-reverse-nlrb-s-union-shirts-order

Jobs, Business & Economy 

"Unconscionable": Uncle Sam spends just $399 on job safety as Black and Latino worker deaths soar https://www.salon.com/2023/05/03/unconscionable-uncle-sam-spends-just-399-on-job-safety-as-black-and-latino-worker-soar_partner/

The White House Is Probing How Companies Use Al to Surveil and Manage Workers https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-05-01/the-white-house-is-probing-how-companies-use-ai-to-surveil-and-manage-workers

The slaughterhouse cleaning company that was found to be employing more than 100 children to help sanitize dangerous razor-sharp equipment like bone saws has continued to lose contracts with the major meat producers since the investigation became public last fall. https://nptelegraph.com/business/firm-that-hired-kids-to-clean-meat-plants-keeps-losing-work/article_0cd541fa-6f30-5422-89eb-2965d9e33f8f.html

ICYMI - Three McDonald’s franchise operators in Kentucky were fined by the U.S. Department of Labor after an investigation found they employed more than 300 children, including two 10-year-olds, without pay until as late as 2 a.m. Investigators in Kentucky found the companies employed 305 children to work more than the legally permitted hours and perform tasks prohibited by law for young workers. The violations prompted the Labor Department to assess $212,544 in civil penalties against the employers. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/may/03/kentucky-mcdonalds-child-labor-us

Wisconsin sees fewer workplace fatalities generally, but there's higher risk in agriculture, forestry industries nationally https://www.postcrescent.com/story/money/2023/05/03/afl-cio-report-says-wisconsin-worker-fatalities-below-national-average/70170556007/

Protect workers from killer temperatures! https://amsterdamnews.com/news/2023/05/04/op-ed-protect-workers-from-killer-temperatures/

U.S. unemployment claims climbed last week — as did the cost of labor — as productivity fell. https://www.pymnts.com/economy/2023/us-jobless-claims-rise-along-with-labor-costs/

This Day in Labor History 

Labor History in 2:00 Podcast:

May 6 - Taking an Ax to Poverty Wages

On this day in Labor History the year was 1935. That was the day that began a strike of lumber workers across the Pacific Northwest.  Lumberman had enough of long hours, dangerous conditions, and low pay.  Plans for the strike began at a meeting of the Sawmill and Timber Workers Union in late March.